The gates opened.
Not fully—
Just enough.
Enough for the defenders to stand at the threshold.
Everyone had gathered.
Cadets.
Squads.
Support units.
All lined up before the base.
No one spoke.
Because ahead of them—
The world had changed.
—
The forest was gone.
Swallowed.
Replaced by movement.
A tide.
Endless.
Stretching across the horizon like a living wall.
Black.
Crimson.
Sickly green.
Grotesque forms shifting over one another—
Claws.
Fangs.
Wings.
Eyes that glowed in the dark mass.
The sound—
Was worse.
A low, rolling thunder of countless bodies moving as one.
—
At the very front—
The first wave approached.
Common beasts.
Level 20 and above.
Dozens.
Hundreds.
No—
Thousands.
Behind them—
Larger figures.
Heavier.
Denser.
Elite beasts.
Level 25 and above.
Each one capable of tearing through squads on its own.
—
And further back—
Something moved.
Slowly.
Deliberately.
Too large to fully see.
Too distant to define.
But its presence alone—
Made the air heavy.
—
"...Boss units not yet visible," one cadet whispered.
"But they're there…"
No one doubted it.
Because the pressure said everything.
—
At the front of the formation—
The Starfire Squad stood.
Seven figures.
Unmoving.
Unshaken.
Their presence—
Like pillars against a storm.
Kael stood at the center.
Aura restrained.
But dense.
Level 90.
A second class change professional nearing the third.
Beside him—
Six others.
All above level 85.
Each one a monster in their own right.
Under normal circumstances—
This would have been enough.
More than enough.
A force like this could wipe out a beast tide of this scale without difficulty.
—
But this—
Was not normal.
—
One of the squad members spoke quietly.
"…Multiple third-tier signatures."
Another nodded grimly.
"I'm counting at least three."
A third exhaled.
"…And that's just what we can sense."
Silence followed.
Because that meant one thing.
This wasn't a tide.
This was—
A coordinated push.
—
Behind them—
The cadets felt it.
Fear.
Real.
Raw.
Unfiltered.
Even the strongest among them—
Were tense.
Because this wasn't a test anymore.
—
Something was wrong.
—
Zane stood near the front line.
His usual grin—
Gone.
His eyes scanned the tide.
"…This isn't random."
Lily stood beside him.
Her spatial sense expanded outward.
Then—
Her expression tightened.
"…There are gaps."
Zane frowned.
"Gaps?"
She nodded slowly.
"…They're not moving chaotically."
Her voice dropped.
"They're… forming lanes."
Zane's eyes widened slightly.
"…You're kidding."
—
Further back—
Zael stood.
Supported.
But upright.
Barely recovered.
His body still weak.
Energy still low.
But his eyes—
Clear.
Watching.
Analyzing.
—
Something didn't align.
This scale.
This composition.
The presence of multiple third-tier beasts.
And most importantly—
—
"Where are the officials?"
The question came from somewhere in the crowd.
Then another voice—
"…Where's the camp command?"
More murmurs followed.
Confusion spreading.
Because it was true.
No instructors.
No high-level officials.
No command figures.
—
Gone.
—
Kael's eyes narrowed slightly.
He had noticed it too.
From the start.
But now—
It couldn't be ignored.
—
He stepped forward.
Just slightly.
His voice—
Carried.
Cold.
Controlled.
"Starfire Squad will handle third-tier threats."
A pause.
Then—
"All cadets—hold the first wave."
No panic.
No hesitation.
Just orders.
—
But even as he spoke—
His gaze shifted.
Briefly.
Toward the horizon.
Toward that unseen presence.
—
Because something deeper—
Was wrong.
—
The ground trembled.
The tide accelerated.
The first wave broke into a sprint.
Claws digging into earth.
Wings tearing through air.
Roars erupting—
A deafening chorus.
—
"Impact in ten seconds!"
—
Zane rolled his shoulders.
A faint grin returned.
"…Well."
"Guess we're doing this."
Lily exhaled slowly.
Void energy flickering faintly around her fingers.
"…Stay close."
—
Zael didn't move.
Didn't speak.
His gaze remained fixed ahead.
Because deep within—
Something stirred.
Not fear.
Not excitement.
But—
Recognition.
—
That presence in the distance—
It felt…
Wrong.
Familiar.
—
Like something—
Waiting.
—
The tide crashed forward.
The distance closed.
Five seconds.
Four.
Three—
—
And just before impact—
The massive shape in the distance—
Moved.
—
The ground shook violently.
The tide split slightly—
As something enormous began to rise.
—
Not fully visible.
Not yet.
But enough—
To cast a shadow over everything.
—
And in that moment—
Every instinct screamed.
—
This wasn't a defense.
This wasn't survival.
—
This—
Was the beginning of something far worse.
------
The tide was seconds away.
The ground trembled.
The air roared.
And yet—
Zael moved.
Not forward.
Not toward the enemy.
But inward.
Calm.
Precise.
—
From his inventory—
He retrieved a vial.
Small.
Simple.
Unremarkable.
Item: Lesser Life Potion (Uncommon)
Effect: Restores 25% HP over 10 seconds
Cooldown: 60 seconds
Stability: Moderate
In another moment—
It would have been nothing.
Insufficient.
Irrelevant.
But now—
That was no longer the case.
—
Zael's eyes flickered.
A quiet command.
—
Supreme Blessing activated
—
The vial trembled in his hand.
Light emerged.
Soft at first—
Then blinding.
Golden runes spread across the glass surface, rewriting its very existence.
The liquid inside shifted.
Deepened.
Condensed.
From pale green—
To radiant gold.
The air around it warped faintly.
Even the surrounding energy—
Pulled toward it.
—
Lesser Life Potion (Uncommon)
→
Drop of Life (Legendary)
Effect:
• Instantly restores 90% HP
• Regenerates 50% energy (mana/qi/stamina) instantly
• Grants Rapid Regeneration (heals 5% HP per second for 20 seconds)
• Removes all minor debuffs and stabilizes internal damage
Cooldown: None
Stability: Perfect
—
Zael didn't hesitate.
He drank it.
—
The effect—
Was immediate.
—
His body trembled.
Energy surged through his meridians like a flood breaking through a dam.
The burns—
Faded.
Rapidly.
Scorched skin restored.
Internal damage repaired.
His breathing stabilized.
His vision sharpened.
—
Within seconds—
He stood straight.
Recovered.
Not fully—
But far beyond what should have been possible.
—
Zane blinked.
"…Wait."
Lily's eyes widened slightly.
"…That fast?"
But neither questioned it.
Not now.
—
Because the tide was here.
—
At the front—
Kael noticed.
Of course he did.
His gaze shifted.
Locked onto Zael.
For a brief moment—
His expression changed.
Subtle.
Almost imperceptible.
A flicker of something softer.
Something human.
Something—
Brotherly.
—
Then—
It hardened.
Cold.
Unyielding.
Buried.
—
…I'm sorry, little brother.
But I have no choice.
It had to be this way.
—
His grip tightened around his wand.
His aura surged.
—
The first beasts reached the perimeter.
—
"IMPACT!"
—
The world exploded.
—
The front line clashed with the tide.
Steel met claws.
Magic met flesh.
Shockwaves tore through the battlefield.
Roars drowned everything.
—
Zane charged forward with a grin that didn't reach his eyes.
"Alright—LET'S GO!"
His fist slammed into the first beast's skull—
CRACK!
—
Lily vanished.
Void Stride.
Reappearing behind another—
Void Rift opening—
Redirecting a lunging strike straight into another beast.
—
Zael stepped forward.
Calm.
Focused.
Restored.
—
His blade rose.
The battlefield unfolded before him.
—
This wasn't a duel.
This wasn't controlled.
This—
Was chaos.
—
And somewhere beyond the tide—
That massive presence—
Watched.
—
Waiting.
—
And as the first wave crashed into the camp—
Zael felt it again.
Faint.
Distant.
But unmistakable.
—
That same wrongness.
That same pull.
—
Like something—
Calling him.
—
And this time—
It was closer.
To be continued…