Manman gazed at the forest in front of him, his brows furrowed in unease. This was unlike anything he had experienced in this place. The forest was completely silent. There was no movement or sound. Most unsettling, there were no beasts attacking. Days ago, the beasts had begun their assaults even before the sun dipped below the horizon. But tonight, not a single creature stirred.
He exhaled, releasing a puff of vapor into the cold night air. The chill gnawed at his skin; the temperature was exceptionally low.
Turning away from the eerie forest, his eyes fell on the sprawling farmland. The wooden walls enclosed the vast fields. They looked peaceful yet vulnerable under the full moon.
Manman stood watch atop one of the walls' towers, his breath steady but his nerves on edge. The murmur of the river to the south was the only sound accompanying him. He tightened his grip on his spear, its gleaming shaft made of steel, imbued with fire attributes. The weapon radiated warmth in the cold night air, offering him small comfort.
His full set of armor gleamed under the moonlight—a testament to how far he had come. Two weeks ago, he had worn little more than tattered gear. While the grueling training and battles with the beasts had honed his strength and skill. They had made him a formidable warrior.
Yet, his progress had stalled, and the cause was a mystery. Three days ago, he reached Level 15. Since then, no matter how many beasts he fought or tasks he completed, his level refused to increase.
It wasn't just him—his comrades had also hit the same inexplicable ceiling. Frustration mingled with unease among them, but no answers were forthcoming. For now, Manman could only push aside his doubts and remain vigilant. He turned his gaze back to the silent forest, his grip tightening on his spear.
At that moment, Manman saw a shadow. It remained beneath the shade of a tree, its form partially obscured by the forest's dense foliage. Yet, Manman was certain—a figure was there. He didn't hesitate to sound the alarm, his signal piercing through the silent night.
The sound seemed to startle the shadow. It bolted from its hiding spot. To Manman's astonishment, a majestic deer emerged from the darkness. It was no ordinary deer. It stood four meters tall, excluding its antlers. They gleamed like polished silver in the moonlight. Its fur was pristine white, as pure as snow. Its golden eyes shimmered with fear and intelligence. The creature, with its stunning beauty, stood tall on the forest floor.
But the deer's panic was visible. It turned its head with a sudden motion, scanning its surroundings as if sensing danger. Its antlers began to emit a soft glow. Manman could tell it was trying to conjure something, perhaps a spell or a defense. Before it could finish, a beast leapt from the underbrush. Its massive jaws clamped onto the deer's neck. The sudden attack was brutal and swift.
The deer struggled with great effort, dragging the beast a few meters in a desperate bid to escape. Its strength was admirable, but its efforts were in vain. With a final stumble, it collapsed into the thick forest bushes. Manman watched in silence as the deer vanished. Only the sounds of snapping branches and guttural screeches marked its demise. The struggle lasted a few minutes, and then there was silence.
This was the first time Manman had seen a beast hunting its prey. The raw ferocity and the primal reality of the encounter left him stunned. Despite the tragic end of the deer, he couldn't help but feel a sense of awe at the natural savagery of the forest.
As the echoes of the struggle faded, Manman felt calmer. The tension in his chest eased. Yet, an unease lingered in his mind. Something was wrong.
The sound of hurried footsteps pulled him from his thoughts. He turned to see five Fays approaching. They scaled the wall with ease.
"How many are there?" asked the muscular Fay in the lead.
"It was a false alarm," Manman replied. His voice was steady but uncertain. The Fays, however, didn't seem annoyed. They exchanged silent nods and began scanning the forest.
Before anyone could speak more words, a long, haunting growl echoed through the night.
A beast burst from the forest's dense foliage. It charged at the wall with terrifying speed. Manman could only make out a lean figure, black as a shadow, that rushed on all fours. In just two seconds, the creature climbed the three-meter-high wall. Its claws scraped against the wood, making a faint, grating sound.
As it perched at the top of the wall, the creature became visible under the pale moonlight. Spiny quills ran down its back, producing a soft rattle with each movement. Jet-black fur cloaked its sinewy frame. It absorbed the light, making it almost indistinguishable from the shadows. Its eyes were the only exception. They glowed an eerie crimson, as vivid and piercing as fresh blood. They focused intently on Manman and his group. Serrated fangs packed its long jaws. Each fang glistened with saliva, which emitted a faint glow as it dripped onto the planks.
A low growl rumbled from its throat as it crouched, ready to strike. The spines flexed and rippled. Their sharp tips glinted as the creature shifted its weight. Its long, muscular limbs propelled it forward in a sudden, powerful leap. In seconds, it closed the ten-meter gap to the group. Its movements were a blur of deadly precision.
The beast's tail, tipped with a jagged, spiked bone, lashed out like a whip. Its target, a nearby Fay, raised his weapon in defense. But the tail struck with such force that it pierced his armor. It plunged through his chest and out his back. The Fay gasped, his face contorted in pain, as he attempted to hack at the beast with his weapon. His strikes were weak and useless. They barely grazed the creature's hide.
With a savage snarl, the beast swung the impaled Fay into the air. It flung him like a ragdoll before slamming him down, impaling him again with its spiked tail. The Fay's screams mixed with the beast's ear-piercing screeches, shattering the night's stillness.
Manman and the other Fays rushed to help their fallen comrade. But, the forest erupted with movement, and they faltered. From the shadows, hundreds of identical creatures emerged. Their glowing red eyes cut through the darkness. The sound of countless feet pounding the earth grew louder. The beasts surged forward, a tide of shadows with red eyes and gleaming fangs racing toward the wall.
The muscular Fay stood his ground, determined to rescue his fallen comrade. With a desperate glance at the horde, Manman rang the warning bell in a frenzy. The sound reverberated through the night air. Panic surged through him as he activated his skill. It encased his body in a layer of gleaming steel. It served as extra defense.
Around him, the other three Fays activated their own skills with urgency. One of them, a Blue Grade Fay adept in fire magic, conjured a dazzling display of flames. Ten fireballs appeared in the air. They hovered briefly before streaking toward the shadowy creatures. A roaring wall of fire erupted from his hands. It stretched 20 meters in front of the wooden walls. The heat radiated outward, scorching the grass. It forced some creatures to stop or retreat.
The remaining Fays, both Green Grade like Manman, focused on their own countermeasures. The Fay closest to him summoned dense, thorned vines. They shot forward, tangling the advancing beasts' limbs to slow them down. Another Fay conjured a huge boulder, nearly two meters wide, and hurled it at the oncoming horde. The impact sent a shockwave through the ground. It crushed one of the creatures and paused their advance.
Despite their efforts, one of the creatures reached them. It leaped from the wall with terrifying speed. It lunged at Manman, its razor-sharp tail striking with force. The tail struck his steel-coated body with a clang. It didn't pierce him, but it sent him sprawling a meter away. Gritting his teeth, Manman scrambled to his feet, his grip on the spear firm.
The beast came at him again, its tail whipping toward him for a second strike. This time, Manman deflected the attack with a well-timed thrust of his spear. Enraged, the creature screeched, its elongated jaws snapping as it lunged to bite him. It moved faster than Manman had anticipated, evading his spear's initial counterattack.
But on its third attempt, Manman found his opening. As the creature lunged again, he drove his spear into its chest with all his strength. The beast let out a cry, a thick, black liquid oozing from the wound. He followed up with a quick thrust at its gaping mouth. But, the creature was faster this time. It withdrew before the spear could hit.
The beast retaliated with its tail again, swinging it wildly despite its injury. Manman dodged to the side, breathing heavily as the dark blood continued to pour from the creature's wound, staining the ground beneath it.
As he prepared for another attack, the situation on the wall worsened. More of the shadowy creatures scaled the barrier with ease, their glowing red eyes fixated on the defenders. The air was filled with the sound of claws scraping against wood and stone.
Before Manman could finish off his opponent, another creature joined the fray, its spines rattling menacingly as it prepared to strike. Manman now faced two beasts at once, their glowing red eyes fixed on him with predatory intent. He gritted his teeth, his steel-coated body reflecting the nearby flames, and decided to target the wounded beast first.
The injured creature, interpreting his approach as a challenge, lunged forward to intercept him. The second beast followed close behind, its spines rattling with anticipation. The wounded beast lashed out with its tail like a whip, but Manman ducked beneath the strike, the air hissing as the tail sliced above his head. He thrust his fire-imbued spear at the creature's neck, aiming for a decisive blow.
The spear struck, piercing through the beast's thick hide and driving deep into its throat. A sizzling sound erupted as the fire enchantment activated, sending smoke billowing from the creature's mouth and nostrils, as though its insides were being burned from within. The beast let out a choking screech, its body convulsing violently before collapsing to the ground. Flames licked at its fur, and the fire spread rapidly, consuming the lifeless creature.
Before Manman could retrieve his spear, the second beast pounced with terrifying speed. Acting on instinct, he rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding its snapping jaws. The creature's claws raked the wooden platform where he had stood moments ago, leaving deep, jagged gouges in the planks. It immediately followed up with a whip-like strike of its tail, catching Manman in the stomach and sending him flying backward.
Manman crashed onto the ground below, the impact knocking the wind out of him. Gasping for breath, he quickly scanned his surroundings. The chaos of the battle was overwhelming—creatures swarmed the walls, their shrieks mingling with the desperate cries of the defending Fays. Flames lit up the night, casting long, flickering shadows across the battlefield.
Ignoring the pain in his abdomen, Manman scrambled to his feet. He spotted an armory rack nearby, stocked with weapons. He sprinted toward it, dodging debris and the occasional swipe from a stray creature. Reaching the rack, he grabbed another spear imbued with fire, its blade glowing faintly with enchanted heat.
Manman scanned the battlefield for his next opponent and locked eyes on a nearby creature. Without hesitation, he charged toward it, spear in hand. But before he could engage, five more beasts emerged from the chaos, surrounding him. Their tails lashed, and their jaws snapped hungrily.
Manman braced himself, his grip tightening on his weapon. He lunged at the nearest beast, but as the creatures closed in, a sudden, unexpected intervention occurred.
The ground beneath the beasts began to tremble, and thick vines, as large as a human torso, erupted from the earth. The vines writhed like living tentacles, ensnaring the beasts. They wrapped tightly around the creatures, coiling around their limbs and necks, their relentless grip choking the life out of them. Some vines forced their way into the beasts' orifices, muffling their screeches and snarls, while others dragged the struggling creatures underground, leaving patches of churned earth.
Manman watched as the vines punctured the hide of one creature, impaling it with sharp, thorny ends. The beast let out a shrill cry before collapsing, its lifeless body twitching as the vines continued to constrict it. Despite the vines' devastating effectiveness, not all the beasts were subdued. A few of them thrashed violently, their claws and tails slicing through the vines. Severed vines fell limp to the ground, oozing sap-like fluid, but the relentless plant life grew back almost immediately, continuing the assault.