The moment he slid the gun back into the holster, a chill ran down his spine.
Something was happening. The atmosphere around him shifted. People outside were moving quickly.
'Shiao Yi!'
Dominic' thoughts crashed into his mind with force.
The man clearly still believed he was lying weak in bed. He was worried—truly worried—and that concern came through in his thoughts, direct and sincere. Along with that came flashes of information.
By instinct, Shiao Yi jumped.
When Shiao Yi appeared behind Dominic, the man was already deep in the middle of battle.
The dense forest seemed to move and breathe in the dark.
It wasn't the trees or wind—it was a swarm of giant beasts, the kind Dominic had called Doshaguma.
They filled the entire landscape.
Above, the sky was perfectly clear, glittering with stars.
Two moons hung high, casting a pale blue glow that lit the scene like a strange dream.
In that eerie moonlight, Shiao Yi saw them.
It was the giant beasts with long fur like mammoths, their bodies as massive as hippos, and four long arms like gorillas.
They moved with the brutal strength of bears.
Next to them were serpent-like creatures called Remobra, their long bodies twisted and coiled, with two heads and glowing eyes.
These monsters were charging toward the fortress. Behind the walls of the fortress stretched a town, peaceful and unaware.
The fortress was its first and last defense.
Every available soldier had joined the battle, fighting to hold back the wave of beasts. And the beasts were strong.
As the name "magical beasts" suggested, they weren't normal creatures.
Their power was immense, and worst of all, they healed fast—too fast. Their wounds would be sealed up almost instantly. One of the snake-like beasts even spat fireballs from its mouth, more dangerous than anything a typical armored vehicle could deliver.
Shiao Yi stood there frozen, stunned by a scene that felt impossible. It was like something out of a fever dream or a fantasy.
One soldier was nearly hit by a fireball when a burst of light flared in front of him and knocked the fire back.
Shiao Yi turned to see a man holding out a staff—one of the people they called "mages." The man looked completely focused and strained with effort, he using everything he had to protect the soldiers from magical attacks.
A roar filled the night, followed by the burning smell of scorched flesh.
Dominic' sword was glowing—burning red.
The blade shimmered in the darkness, covered in fire.
Every time he cut into a magical beast, the smoke hissed out of the wounds, the flesh searing as it was torn.
His blade burned and sliced in a single strike.
Dominic was at the front line, taking on the monsters without hesitation.
There was no doubt—he was the strongest one here. But still, the number of the magical beasts was overwhelming.
Shiao Yi moved on instinct—he felt the shift in air and leapt aside.
A huge arm from a Doshaguma swept through the space he'd just left.