Dawn light filtered through the settlement's new defences as the hunting teams returned.
AJ carried the wolf carcass on his shoulder, its silver blood marking a trail that spoke of the night's discoveries.
Maria spotted them first, her hands dusty from helping move materials during the early morning hours. "They're back."
The core team gathered near the medical centre, their movements betraying the tension of people who'd spent the night expecting an attack.
Sam looked up from his notebook where he'd been documenting the fortification progress, ink smudged across his fingers from hasty writing.
The reunion carried quiet tension. Workers paused in their tasks to watch the teams approach, their grim expressions spoke of discoveries no one wanted to hear.
Victor's boots were caked with mud, testament to hours spent tracking along the water's edge. Ethan's clothes bore the stains of crushed grass and forest soil, while AJ's human form was perfectly clean, even the wolf's blood was absorbed subconsciously.
---
The wolf's carcass lay on the medical centre's central table, its weight causing the wooden surface to creak. Doctor Hayes had cleared her supplies to make room, stacking bandages on one side.
"They're larger than the wolves we know," AJ ran his hand along the creature's side.
As he traced the creature's anatomy Victor spoke. "Look at this, no fur at all, just these tiny scales that overlap like armour plating."
The scales caught the morning light, each one no bigger than a fingernail but collectively creating armour that would turn aside most conventional weapons.
"Too tough for practical harvesting," Sam said. "The hide might work for leather if we can separate it from the scales, but the scales themselves aren't very useful to us given that AJ has the Ravager scales."
"The meat's usable," Doctor Hayes observed, indicating the creature's hindquarters. "If we're going to be fighting them regularly, we might as well benefit from the carcasses. The protein content would supplement our food stores even if it wont taste very good."
Walter studied the creature's paws as he leaned closer. "These claws are designed for climbing as much as fighting. See how they curve? They'd find grip on the ground, while climbing trees and.. they might even be able to get over wooden walls."
"Apex predators adapted to pack hunting and with a taste for humans." Sam documented each observation in his notebook.
Lily examined the creature's teeth, noting how the canines curved slightly inward. "Built for gripping rather than tearing. Once they bite down, their prey wouldn't be able to pull free."
Catherine approached from the construction sites, Thomas beside her, both drawn by the gathering and the obvious significance of what lay on the table.
Their clothes were covered in dust and stained by sweat from a night spent directing construction crews, while their hands showed the calluses of people who'd been working with tools and materials.
"How many are we looking at?" Catherine asked.
"Multiple packs," Victor replied, his expression grave. "Extensive territorial marking throughout the western approaches. Well-established boundaries, coordinated patrols that suggest they've been here for a while already."
Ethan nodded, his hands unconsciously moving to check his axe. "The northern sector shows the same patterns. While they are new arrivals—they've already established hunting grounds and their territories."
"Territory that includes our settlement," AJ concluded.
Walter tapped his cane against the floor, the rhythm helping him process the information they'd gathered. "The safe zone's protection is completely gone and territorial predators who view us as their prey have already moved in."
---
The community gathered in the plaza, where construction materials had been pushed aside to create space. Nearly two hundred people clustered together, their breath visible in the cool morning air.
Children pressed against their parents while adults maintained careful composure, though fear flickered behind forced smiles.
Families had arranged themselves in rough groups—those with young children toward the centre, older residents near the front where they could hear better. The scent of woodsmoke from the breakfast fires mixed with the sharper smell of freshly cut timber and stone dust.
Maria spoke, her voice carrying clearly across the gathered crowd. The core team flanked her, their battle-tested confidence offering reassurance to people whose world had once again changed overnight.
"The safe zone is gone," she announced without preamble. "Our scouting teams discovered coordinated wolf packs throughout the forested areas. They've established territories that include our settlement."
The announcement hit the crowd like a physical blow. Murmurs rippled outward—fear, anger, and resignation mixing in equal measure. Parents pulled children closer while older residents exchanged glances.
A woman near the back clutched her infant tighter, her knuckles white against the baby's blanket. "How long do we have?" she called out, her voice cracking.
"They're already here," Victor replied, his tone carrying no false comfort. "The territories are established. We're living inside their hunting grounds."
"We should leave," called out a voice from the middle of the crowd. An older man stepped forward, his face pale with fear. "Find somewhere safer, somewhere the wolves haven't claimed."
"Where?" Victor's responded. "Every safe zone could be compromised. Every settlement could be surrounded. We'd be travelling with children and elderly through territory controlled by predators who know the land better than we do."
A defeated silence followed. People looked around at their neighbours, seeing the same realisation in dozens of faces—there might be nowhere left to run.
Janet stepped forward, her voice carrying conviction. "These fortifications represent more protection than we'd have on the road. At least here we can fight from prepared positions instead of being caught in the open."
Robert emerged from the crowd, his hands still bearing the burns and calluses of his night's metalwork. "We've got tools, materials, and people who know how to use them. Starting over somewhere else means giving up everything we've built."
Eric spoke up next, his clothes covered in dust from constantly moving between supply stations. "The supply lines are established here. Food production, water access, material storage—abandoning this means abandoning months of work and walking into the unknown with nothing."
Catherine studied the crowd, noting how families had subconsciously formed defensive clusters around their most vulnerable members. "The fortifications we've started can be expanded. What we built in one night proves we can create something defensible with time and concentrated effort."
Near the edge of the gathering, Doctor Hayes and Claire stood by the medical station they'd established during the night.
A young mother stepped forward, her toddler clinging to her leg. "What about the children? How do we keep them safe if these things can climb and coordinate attacks?"
"Safe rooms in the most protected buildings," Walter replied. "And we teach the children basic safety protocols."
"We're staying," Maria decided, her voice carrying hints of authority. "But staying means changing how we think about ourselves. We're no longer just building a peaceful community—we're building a fortress that can protect our future."
The crowd's mood shifted subtly as people thought about it. Fear remained, but it began mixing with something else, the determination and will to defend what they have.
Ethan stepped forward. "We're going to select 10 volunteers who've reached the Realm of Man for focused combat and cultivation training. We need as more people with the ability to defend themselves."
The selection process revealed the community's true character. Despite the fear, people stepped forward—hunters who'd trained for weeks, construction workers whose physical conditioning prepared them for combat training, and newer arrivals who understood that survival required everyone's contribution.
Kate raised her hand first, her experience from the previous night's encounter with AJ's team had firmed her determination. Carl followed, then David and Elena, their faces showing the resolve of people who'd already faced the wolves and were prepared to go out again.
Others joined them—skilled workers who'd shown aptitude during the settlement's meditation sessions, those whose dedication during the night's fortification work marked them as promising individuals.
"Meditation, mana accumulation plus circulation, and preparation for eventual channel construction," AJ explained to the 10 volunteers.
"The techniques are simple in concept but demanding in practice. You'll feel like you're doing nothing for days before you notice any progress."
Sarah approached the group. "If we're going to be fighting these wolves regularly, understanding their behaviour becomes as important as our combat skills. Pack dynamics, territorial responses, seasonal patterns—knowledge that could mean the difference between successful defence and catastrophe."
An older resident stepped forward, his weathered face showing scepticism. "What makes you think 10 more fighters will make any difference against coordinated packs?"
Walter addressed the question with his usual patience. "10 fighters at the Realm of Man level is just the beginning, as we can only dedicate so much time and resources to training. But they will be able to train others, lead defensive teams, and provide the core around which larger defensive efforts can organize."
"And," Ethan added, "10 more people who can actually hurt these things beats having two hundred people who can only run away."
The man muttered something under his breath before walking away.
"What a miserable old fart." Ethan whispered to Walter, "I swear this guy is always trying to cause trouble and contradict us."
Walter simply shook his head and smiled.
Maria addressed the broader community once more, her voice carrying across the entire gathering. "Shift work from now on. Construction, patrol duties, and training will continue around the clock with offset sleep times to maintain a steady pace."
As the meeting dispersed, conversations continued in smaller groups, fear was balanced by determination. The community was slowly discovering what it could become when survival demanded evolution.
---
The afternoon settled into new rhythms. Rest shifts allowed some workers to recover while others took over for them. The selected volunteers gathered near the medical centre, where Ethan and Walter demonstrated the meditation techniques that formed cultivation's foundation.
"Mana flows through everything," they explained. "You should already be able to feel the energy around us, try to actively draw it in."
Elena sat cross-legged beside Carl, both concentrating with intensity. David and Kate flanked them, their faces reflecting the strain of trying to manipulate something that remained intangible.
The patrol schedule had small groups circle the settlement's perimeter while the more experienced fighters demonstrated combat techniques and threat recognition.
From the forested areas beyond the settlement's defences, subtle signs suggested the wolves were aware of the previous night's activities.
Movement flickered at the edge of vision—shadows that might have been branches swaying or something more deliberate.
A distant howl echoed across the landscape, answered by others from different directions.
Lily positioned herself on the partially completed northern watchtower, her bow ready. "They're out there," she reported to the patrol teams below. "Watching and waiting."
The settlement was now part fortress, part training ground, and part community. Children played within designated areas under the watch of Janet while adults prepared for conflicts that seemed increasingly inevitable.
As evening approached, the transformation revealed itself in countless details. Conversations were subdued, quiet, as if not wanting the wolves to listen in on them. Tools stayed within arm's reach, ready for construction or combat as circumstances demanded.
The gathering storm was no longer just a metaphor as dark clouds had begun gathering overhead, soon the rain would come.