A few moments later, the tremor faded, but the mountain remained eerily quiet.

Dennis took a deep breath as he frowned at the situation. Something was definitely off.

"That wasn't an earthquake…"

Luke, still crouched behind a cluster of rocks, pointed toward the valley below. "Look."

They all turned.

From the mist-covered basin, a tide of movement surged forward. Thousands of small, hunched figures crawling, leaping, and slithering across the terrain.

Their skin was glossy and spotted. There were shades of green and gray and they had bulging eyes and fins running down their backs.

"Those are… Glimmermucks. Feral Beasts…" Tristan muttered with a low voice, afraid to be heard by those creatures.

Glimmermucks were a weak but aggressive species native to the western mountains. Normally found in swamp sectors or shallow pools, they rarely leave their habitat unless driven by something stronger…

But this wasn't a scouting party.

This was a horde.

More than five thousand of them, moving in a single direction toward Hesa.

Miles gasped. "They're heading for the city…"

Dennis clenched his jaw. "That's what caused the quake. Their movement."

The ground had trembled not from tectonic shifts, but from the synchronized march of thousands of clawed feet and slapping tails.

They had no time to fight… Not against that many.

"Miles," Dennis said quickly. "Smokescreen. Now."

Miles nodded, her hands was already glowing with soft blue light.

"O veil that dances in silent breath…

Smokescreen!"

Soon, a thick mana-infused mist enveloped their position. It wasn't just visual… It suppressed scent trails, muffled sound, and bent light around the edges. Within seconds, the four of them were invisible to the horde.

The Glimmermucks passed by, screeching and gurgling… Their webbed claws scrape against stone and bark.

Some sniffed the air, others snapped at shadows, but none turned toward the hidden party.

They remained undetected.

But the tension was suffocating.

Luke whispered, "If they reach the city…"

"They'll flood the outer districts…" Tristan finished grimly.

Dennis nodded. "We need to warn them. Now."

Thankfully, they knew a shortcut… It was an old smuggler's trail that cut through the mountain's spine and led directly to the southern gate.

They moved fast, staying low and silent. Miles kept the smokescreen active for as long as she could, then dropped it once they were out of range.

She had a limited amount of mana after all.

After some time, the trail had become narrow, but they were used to this now… Their footing was sure as they picked up their pace…

After nearly an hour of climbing, sliding, and sprinting, they reached the outskirts of Hesa.

The guards at the gate were startled to see them emerge from the mountain trail, covered in dust and sweat.

Dennis didn't waste time. "A horde of Glimmermucks is coming from the western mountains. More than ten thousand. They're moving fast."

The guards exchanged alarmed glances. One of them immediately activated a mana communicator and relayed the report to the city's command post to have it verified and also to get the soldiers ready.

Within minutes, the message reached the mayor's office, and they seemed to have a method to verify their claims, as it didn't take that long before the city's forces were mobilized.

Barricades were ordered. Defensive formations were drawn.

The outer walls were reinforced with several wooden spike traps, together with oil, ready to be used to burn those who dared to climb the walls.

Archers and several Initiiate Mages were summoned from the barracks, and the emergency sirens began to ring across the districts.

Meanwhile, the Adventurers Guild, already stretched thin with the northern dungeon crisis, was forced to split its focus.

The possible Dungeon Outbreak in the north still loomed as a catastrophic threat.

But now, the western front had become a battlefield of its own.

The city's army would have to hold the line against the Glimmermuck horde.

And the adventurers?

They would have to choose their battles carefully.

Dennis, Tristan, Luke, and Miles stood near the gate, watching the preparations unfold.

They had done their part…

***

While the northern mountains were now under the control of the Arcanum Circle, the Crown Prince's private army, the Alchemist Association, and several elite adventurers, the western front had become a different kind of problem.

The city's soldiers were trained for law enforcement, not beast suppression.

They could handle smugglers, some rogue mages, and the occasional bandit raid, but they weren't used to dealing with thousands of feral beasts charging through uneven terrain.

That was why the Adventurers Guild assigned Arial's Gold Rank Team to assist and lead the other Adventurers.

Arial didn't wait for a formal briefing.

He arrived at the western command post with his enchanted cloak flowing behind him, his boots were spotless despite the dust, and his chin was tilted just slightly upward, as if the entire situation was beneath him.

"Five thousand Glimmermucks?" he scoffed after hearing this... "Please. I've dealt with worse in the southern marshes. This city should be thanking me in advance."

Behind him stood his team, four Gold Rank adventurers, each powerful in their own right, and each used to Arial's ego.

Vanna, a dual-blade fighter with speed-enhancing techniques…

Torren, an Adept Mage who specialized in Earth Spells or terrain control and battlefield manipulation.

Edward, a long-range archer with a rare Enchanted Bow and a habit of ignoring Arial's commentary.

Lastly, there was Jiya, another Adept Mage with barrier and cleanse spells, often the one keeping the team alive when Arial overextended.

The city's western commander tried to explain the situation, but Arial waved him off.

"No need for your maps and panic reports," he said. "We'll intercept a part of the horde before they reach the outer walls. Just make sure your soldiers don't get in our way."

Torren raised an eyebrow. "You sure about that? We don't know what's driving them."

Arial smirked. "Doesn't matter. Beasts are beasts. They run, they bite, they die. We'll break their formation and scatter the rest."

He turned toward the western wall, where the Glimmermuck horde was already visible in the distance, like a moving carpet of claws and fins.

"The city guards will focus on defending the walls. However, the Adventurers should follow me and strike them on one side… I want this cleaned up before dinner."

Vanna sighed, but followed. Jiya checked her Mana Potions and Edward didn't say a word.

They weren't here because Arial was humble.

They were here because he got results.

And if the western front was going to hold, it would need more than barricades and oil traps.

It would need adventurers who would dare to fight in the front like him…

Even if he talked too much.

***

After some time, Arial stood atop a raised platform near the western gate, his enchanted cloak fluttered behind him as if responding to his ego.

His voice rang out with confidence, loud enough for every adventurer in the plaza to hear.

"There are more than five thousand Glimmermucks heading straight for this city," he declared. "And while the guards will hold the wall, we Adventurers will strike from the side."

A murmur rippled through the crowd.

More than eighty adventurers had gathered. Most were Iron Rank, some Silver, and a handful of Gold. But among them, Arial was the most famous.

With Sofia's elite team deployed elsewhere, he was the highest-profile Adventurer on the western front.

Rayven stood near the back, his Adept Robe lightly dusted from travel, his Adept Staff resting against his shoulder.

He squinted his eyes as Arial continued. He actually didn't expect that Arial would be so brave.

"We won't wait behind barricades like frightened civilians," Arial said, pacing with theatrical poise...

"We'll move out now… circle the beasts, and wait for them to engage the wall. Once they do, we strike their flank. They'll be forced to fight on two fronts!"

Shock spread through the crowd.

"Wait, we're going out there?" someone asked. He was surely not comfortable going out to fight against five thousand Feral Beasts. Those creatures might be weak but with numbers, they could become terrifying.

"We're not even a hundred!" another added.

"They're beasts, not bandits!" a Silver Rank muttered. "We're not equipped for a full-scale assault!"

Arial raised a hand, silencing the noise.

"I didn't ask for your fear," he said. "I asked for your blades."

His team, Vanna, Torren, Edward, and Jiya, stood behind him, unfazed. They'd seen this before. Arial's arrogance wasn't new. But neither were his results.

Rayven glanced around. Most of the adventurers looked uncertain. Some gripped their weapons tighter while others exchanged nervous glances. But no one left.

Because deep down, they knew Arial was right.

If they waited for the Glimmermucks to reach the wall, the city would suffer. The outer districts would be flooded. Civilians would be caught in the chaos.

And the guards, trained for human threats, would struggle to hold the line.

But if the adventurers struck first, they could break the horde's momentum.

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