Niwla didn't know what to do in this situation. It had escalated beyond his comprehension. He was boxed in. Surrounded by monsters that were supposed to be on his side, and the horrible Monster Chef, Gary Stew. On the bright side, that was the only human he had to deal with.

As if on cue, alarm bells rang out from inside the Crimson Gold Sect.

Another stampede echoed out from within the courtyard, practically shaking the walls. Shouts bellowed out. Red and yellow cultivators rushed out of the gate with their swords held up, chasing a blur of lightning. It was Gus.

Uchronia lured the troops of Tentative Camp while Gus brought with him the entirety of the Crimson Gold Sect.

Yup, they had truly hit rock bottom now.

Upon stepping out of their fortifications, members of the Crimson Gold Sect froze in their tracks. The sight of the battalion of monsters right outside their gate stunned them into momentary stillness.

Attentions and priorities shifted in an instant. From chasing Gus, they assembled into formation in a heartbeat. Red and yellow alternated. Swords held at the ready. Their focus solely on the horde of monsters across from them.

At the same time, the troops of Tentative Camp realized the situation they found themselves in. They were at the doorstep of the cultivator sect that had plans to expand their territory into the region. The very reason why they were here in the first place.

From surrounding Uchronia and Niwla, they got into formation. Alpha Wolves, Battle Rams, and Caesar Salads lined up. Claws out, horns leveled, and leaves bristling. Commander Cooper stood in the front, flexing his huge bird muscles that threatened to shred the fabric of his uniform. Their focus solely on the group of humans across from them.

Both sides glared at each other. They were sizing up their opponent. Neither making a move. Waiting for someone to strike first.

And in the no-man's land was Niwla, Uchronia, and Gus, who had stumbled his way over after realizing that things were getting tense. Joining them, only in terms of distance, was Gary Stew. He, too, realized how the situation had exploded and regained his senses. Like Niwla, he was planning. Planning how to take advantage of the circumstances.

Gary Stew stood up straight and cleared his throat.

"Members of the Crimson Gold Sect, I have been specially invited by your Elder to prepare a dish for your esteemed young masters. In order to accomplish that, I need a very special ingredient. An ingredient befitting their excellences. Ignore all of the low-grade beasts. Get me that egg!"

The cultivators paused and looked at each other. They were unsure of what to do. Taking commands from an outsider was tantamount to treason.

Then, two voices cut through the confusion.

The young masters—Hong Jian and Huang Jian—had appeared atop their high horses, surrounded by their own set of elite guards.

In unison, they shouted, "Get me that egg!"

That was all it took. The cultivators charged forward. Their eyes locked onto Uchronia and the egg held within her leaves.

"Protect Cooper Trooper at all costs!" Commander Cooper bellowed out, wings flaring wide as he led the charge.

All troops of Tentative Camp charged forward as well. Alpha Wolves broke out of the pack, rushing in on all fours. Dark Mana coated their bodies as they activated their skills.

"Nocturne Rush!"

They zoomed forward like darkness chasing after light.

Next came the Caesar Salads. Carnage Cabbages, Lashing Lettuces, and Combat Carrots, either dashed or rolled forward. The Battle Rams remained steadfast in place. Musical notes erupted out of their horns as they plunged the battlefield with a melody of madness.

A thin veil of musical notes—quavers and semiquavers—formed around the Alpha Wolves and Caesar Salads, speeding them up.

"Accelerando!"

At the same time, another shroud of jagged musical notes—minim and semibreves—fell upon the opposing forces of the Crimson Gold Sect, slowing them down.

"Ritardando!"

As the two forces approached the middle, there was another skirmish happening right there.

Gary Stew had lunged forward, attempting to grab Cooper Trooper with both of his hands. The sweat-drenched Uchronia barely had the energy to move. Her once brilliant leaves drooped with exhaustion, and even molasses moved faster. When she took a single pace back, the man took ten.

Niwla had an Ice Arrow locked and loaded. But it was still in the middle of materializing. The Monster Chef would get his grubby little hands on Cooper Trooper again, and everything would be for naught.

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"Ooh! Something smells yummy!" Gus said without a care in the world.

Lightning cracked. He appeared right between Uchronia and Gary Stew with a single use of Lightning Paws. Had he gotten faster?

Both parties had shocked expressions on their faces. Compounding even further when Gus disappeared and reappeared again with another blitz. This time, right next to Gary Stew, who was mid-lunge.

The FluffPaw reached out with his greedy mittens, straight for the opened spice bottles on Gary Stew's belt. The moment his claws dipped into the glass bottles, a shock rampaged through his body. It wasn't one of Gus' skills. He collapsed onto the ground. Limbs limp. Mouth wide open. Tongue twitching like a spazzing manic.

Gary Stew smirked. "Only I am allowed access to my holy blend of spices. Now give me that egg."

He lunged once more, hands outstretched to grab Cooper Trooper, only for him to yell out in pain. Instead of the shelled oval in his palms, there was now a circular hole straight through his right hand. The Ice Arrows had finally crystallized and pierced through his flesh, shooting off into the sky.

"My cooking hand!" Gary Stew roared in pain, gripping his wrist. "You lousy turkey. I'm gonna stuff you!"

He raised up his good arm, the black frying pan in hand, and brought it down. The Ice Arrows were still materializing, and there was no way Niwla could dodge out of the way in time. Uchronia was still recovering from her mad sprint over here, barely standing. And Gus was still incapacitated by the shock.

This was truly it.

Time seemed to slow down as the frying pan morphed into a black smear.

Black met black as the frying pan never made contact with Niwla. The front runners of the Alpha Wolves had closed the distance. One of them tackled Gary Stew's attack, knocking the pan out of his hand. Two more wolves appeared next to them, the black coating from Nocturne Rush dissipated, revealing their green and brown camo uniforms. They stood on their hind legs, fangs sharp and claws ready to pounce. Their eyes fixed on Uchronia and Cooper Trooper.

Great. They had been saved from Gary Stew, for now, only to have to deal with Commander Cooper and his troops. Who knew what they were going to do to them now that they had been labelled as insubordinates?

The two wolves brought their paws down on Uchronia. She closed her eyes, ready to endure the blow. Niwla wasn't so accepting. He shot the Ice Arrows that had just finished crystallizing at the two of them.

It was then Niwla realized his mistake.

In the heat of the moment, he failed to notice what was in their paws. Thick sets of cloth came crashing down. It swaddled Cooper Trooper, wrapping him up in a protective blanket of love and enchanted fibers. There was no doubt that these cloaks were some sort of premium armor created specifically for safeguarding Commander Cooper's baby.

At the last moment, Niwla changed the course of the icicles, rerouting them away from the wolves. It was too late.

The Ice Arrows flew straight into the tsunami of fabric. Yet, they never flew out. They had been stopped in their tracks, shattering upon impact. Frosty splinters fell to the dirt.

"Watch it!" a wolf barked. "You almost hurt Cooper Trooper!"

"You better hope you have a good explanation for all the problems your squad has made. If not, failing the Final Exams will be the least of your worries," the other wolf barked. It was Sergeant Fangfang, the man who guided the class when they first arrived. "But, right now. This is war!"

He snatched Cooper Trooper from Uchronia and turned around to their Captain, who was catching up with the rest of the Alpha Wolves.

"Sir! The payload is secure!"

"Excellent job, Sergeant! Head back to base with my precious baby. Do not let him out of your sight for any reason!" Commander Cooper ordered.

"Yes, sir!"

Sergeant Fangfang sprinted back along with his companion, carrying Cooper Trooper in tow.

"Oh no, you don't!" Gary Stew spat from behind.

The frying pan that had been knocked out earlier was now flying straight for Sergeant Fangfang. The Pan Toss struck him square on the back of his head, forcing him to the ground. Cooper Trooper flew from his arms, bouncing and rolling along on the dirt floor.

"My baby!" Commander Cooper shouted.

Niwla's beak dropped at the sight. Even though he knew that Cooper Trooper was safe from all of the protective gear layered around him, it was still horrifying to witness such violence.

He turned back to find Gary Stew with his hand out, palm open. It didn't take a genius to know that the frying pan was flying straight back to him, ready for round two. What shocked him was the state of the first Alpha Wolf member that had intercepted his attack.

The monster was unconscious. Black bruises surfaced on his fur. Worst of all, he was missing a leg.

It was in Gary Stew's mouth. He chewed and pulled the meat off the bones, disgust filling his face with every bite. Something told Niwla that he wasn't eating to savor the food.

His calves were bursting with power with every swallow, growing larger. Gary Stew dashed forward with surprising speed. In an instant, he had closed the gap between him and Niwla's group, staring them down. The frying pan snapped back into his grasp. Without missing a beat, he hurled another Pan Toss.

It struck Sergeant Fangfang's companion right in the head, who was in the midst of retrieving Cooper Trooper. He collapsed on the floor, unconscious.

Gary Stew was already there. One second, he loomed over Niwla and his squad, the next, he stood over the Alpha Wolf member with Cooper Trooper in hand.

"Unhand my baby, you human!" Commander Cooper shouted, picking up pace.

"Maybe I'll make some fried chicken after this," Gary Stew licked his lips as he eyed Commander Cooper before disappearing with animalistic speed.

He disappeared into the horde of red and yellow cultivators who had finally caught up. The remaining members of Alpha Wolves stormed past Niwla and his squad and confronted the cultivators. Clashes of metal against monsters rang out as chaos consumed the battlefield.

Nilwa was left stunned. Heart racing. Feathers trembling. Feet dangling?

He was suddenly airborne.

Commander Cooper had scooped him up along with Uchronia and Gus, only to launch them with terrifying force. Muscles bulged so large that his uniform had been reduced to tatters.

"You stole my baby! You get my baby!"

"What?" Niwla said. Still comprehending everything.

Like it or not, Niwla was going back to the Crimson Gold Sect. At least this time, he had his friends with him.

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