In later studies, we discovered that the Grex formed an enormous underground kingdom deep below the earth. The Queen Grex laid dozens, even hundreds, of eggs daily. The hatchlings survived by devouring subterranean monsters and beasts—and when food was scarce, they turned on each other. We had no idea about any of this. Boom! Blood and gore from the Grex erupted like a storm, splattering in all directions. Ghislain swung his blade with relentless ferocity, sparing no effort. “Just a little further! Keep pushing!” Despite their desperate progress, the area around them was now completely overrun. The Grex were swarming from every direction, madly hurling themselves at the group to rescue their queen. “Screeeeech!” The Queen’s wails echoed through the forest like a siren, unrelenting and ear-piercing. Kaor, gritting his teeth, yelled out in frustration. “Can’t we just shut her damn mouth?!” “It’s useless! They’re not coming because of her cries.” In his previous life, even the Duke’s knights had tried to gag the Queen Grex, but it had made no difference. The swarms kept coming regardless of her silence. The truth was, whatever mechanism summoned the Grex had nothing to do with sound. The Duke’s forces had never managed to uncover the exact method. The abilities of monsters were often bizarre and unfathomable. Trying to understand their intricacies was nearly impossible. Belinda, panting from exertion, proposed a desperate suggestion. “What if we just kill her? Toss her corpse to them and deal with the ones that have already come. We can clear them out slowly with our forces!” Ghislain shook his head, his expression grim. “That’s not an option. If we do that, it’ll make things much worse.” We couldn’t stop the Grex swarms. Our camp was overrun in an instant, and countless soldiers died. Even our most skilled knights and mages were helpless against the overwhelming numbers. In the end, we retreated—and killed the Queen Grex to halt their advance. Boom! Crash! With each swing of Ghislain’s sword, dozens of Grex exploded into pieces. Yet their numbers showed no signs of dwindling. They just kept coming. Belinda, her voice tinged with frustration, asked again, “Why? What happens if we kill her?” “The destruction of Ferdium,” Ghislain answered flatly. Killing the Queen Grex was the worst mistake we could have made. The moment their queen was killed, all the Grex went berserk. They scattered in every direction, as if searching for the humans who had killed her. It was as if every Grex hidden in the earth had emerged at once, forming a tide that devoured everything in its path. Belinda stared at Ghislain, dumbfounded. They were deep in the Forest of Beasts—what did Ferdium have to do with any of this? “What are you talking about? What does Ferdium have to do with this?” “They’ll leave the forest,” Ghislain replied grimly. The Grex eventually spilled out of the Forest of Beasts. Their first target was Ferdium, the city closest to the forest. They turned it into a wasteland, slaughtering countless people and destroying everything in their path. Even after razing Ferdium, the Grex didn’t stop—they scattered further, spreading destruction everywhere. Ghislain gritted his teeth and shouted, “We have to reach the fortress! We’ll trap the Queen there and use it to contain the swarm. If we can keep them focused on the fortress, they won’t spread to other areas!” We had been completely unprepared. The Grex tide overwhelmed everything. It wasn’t until Duke Harold Desmond brought the northern army and Commander Arel Hiedun diverted troops from Kaiphila Fortress that we were finally able to contain and eliminate the swarm. His command spurred the group into a frenzied charge. Though questions lingered, the relentless tide of Grex left no time to ask. Boom! Crash! Boom! The sounds of combat were deafening. The Grex now numbered in the thousands, pouring out from every direction. No matter how many were killed, more seemed to appear. Each step risked being surrounded and torn apart. This was their domain. The Grex owned this part of the forest, and even other monsters dared not challenge them here. “Dammit! They’re about to grab me again!” At the rear, Gordon cried out in panic. He was struggling to fend off the swarming Grex, his pace slowing as more of the creatures latched onto him. Gordon’s fear of being captured again—a lingering trauma—was evident. He swung his sword desperately, but there were simply too many Grex. The knights alongside him fought valiantly, but it wasn’t enough. Slash! “Urgh!” The Grex clung to the knights’ armor, their claws digging in. Even when one was shaken off, another would latch on. At this rate, they’d be swallowed by the swarm. Ghislain assessed the dire situation and made a decision. “Belinda! Kaor! Keep clearing the path ahead! I’ll handle the rear!” “Young master!” Belinda protested, alarmed. But Ghislain was already moving, cutting through the Grex attacking the knights with a single powerful slash. Boom! The knights, finally freed from the immediate threat, caught their breath and pushed forward. Meanwhile, Alfoy, still being carried under Belinda’s arm, began thinking frantically. ‘The young master’s holding them off at the back. Kaor’s clearing the front. That means... we need to run faster.’ Despite being almost out of mana—having used so much to entertain the Queen Grex—Alfoy realized the danger they were still in. ‘If I get caught, I’m dead.’ Desperate, Alfoy gathered the last remnants of his mana. Though his mana reserves hadn’t grown much, his control over it had improved significantly. A faint hum resonated as his spell activated. Buzz—! A wave of mana spread out, and suddenly, everyone felt their bodies lighten and their speed increase. “Huh?!” “What’s this? A spell?” “Nice! We’re faster now!” The group was startled but relieved as their newfound agility made it easier to evade the Grex. Of course, there was only one mage in their group capable of such magic. Everyone realized it was Alfoy’s doing. Enhancing multiple people simultaneously required exceptional focus and control. The fact that Alfoy could manage it under such pressure was nothing short of remarkable. Yet Belinda, carrying him, noticed something peculiar. “Wait... you... you left out the young master, didn’t you?” The spell had affected everyone except for Ghislain, who was holding the rear. Alfoy, pale and trembling from exhaustion, shook his head furiously. “No! I... I didn’t have enough mana to reach that far! I swear! I barely managed to help the people here! Look at me!” It was hard to doubt him. His face was ashen, and his body shook with visible fatigue. Still, the truth was something only Alfoy knew. Belinda, unable to argue further, gritted her teeth and turned her focus ahead. “Young master!” The distance between them and Ghislain grew, thanks to Alfoy’s spell. Kaor was also making faster progress, cutting through the Grex swarms with greater ease. Ghislain laughed loudly, his voice carrying over the chaos. “Well done, Alfoy! Everyone, forget about me—just run for the fortress! I’ll catch up soon!” Belinda hesitated but ultimately chose to trust him. Ghislain was the strongest among them. If anyone could handle this situation, it was him. She reasoned that getting reinforcements from the fortress would help him more than her staying behind. Boom! Boom! At the front, Kaor and the knights pressed on, fighting furiously to carve a path. Clearing the way and dragging the Queen Grex was no easy feat. “Damn it! Shit! This cursed forest! Why the hell did I follow this madness again?!” Kaor cursed as he swung his blade, venting his frustration. In the Shadow Mountains, monster waves were dealt with by entire armies. This was the first time he’d attempted such a suicidal mission with so few people. The young lord was insane to try something like this. What kind of confidence made him move so recklessly? And yet, Kaor couldn’t deny that these missions, while terrifying in the moment, always left him exhilarated afterward. Even so, he was starting to feel like his life expectancy was shortening. Just as Kaor was about to curse again, the forest ahead opened into a wide clearing. “We’ve made it!” Kaor shouted with relief as he saw the clearing ahead. They were finally close to the fortress, its watchtowers undoubtedly having spotted their approach. This area, thankfully, seemed to fall outside the Grex’s main territory. The ground no longer quaked with the emergence of monsters, and for the first time, they found themselves free of the constant onslaught. Kaor, still gasping for breath, did something he never thought he’d do in his lifetime. Swallowing his pride, he screamed at the top of his lungs: “Old man! Help us!” Thwip! Thwip! Thwip! An overwhelming volley of arrows rained down from the fortress, slicing through the air like a hurricane. “Screeeech!” The Grex pursuing them fell in heaps under the relentless barrage. Though many more swarmed in the distance, the immediate threat from their flanks had been diminished significantly. The respite was a lifesaver. From the tallest watchtower of the fortress, Gillian surveyed the battlefield, his sharp gaze sweeping over the scene. He bellowed to the defenders below. “Fire again! Secure their escape route!” Thwip! Thwip! Another wave of arrows streaked through the air. Gillian had ensured the fortress was prepared for this very moment, following Ghislain’s detailed orders. The soldiers spread out to assault the incoming Grex, while the elves provided precise covering fire from their positions. “Screeeech!” A Grex leapt toward one of the knights but was struck down mid-air by an elven arrow that pierced its head. The elves’ near-supernatural marksmanship was a critical lifeline, keeping the group’s immediate vicinity clear. The Grex’s wails echoed ominously across the forest, loud and unrelenting. Though the group was too preoccupied with their desperate escape to notice, Gillian—watching from above—gulped nervously as his eyes widened in shock. “What... is this...?” The forest itself seemed to ripple and tremble, as if alive. The sheer number of Grex, their reddish bodies shifting and writhing like a crimson tide, painted a horrifying image. Thud! Thud! Thud! The sound of thousands upon thousands of creatures moving together shook the ground beneath them. It was a sight Gillian had never seen before, not even during his years hunting in the Shadow Mountains. It was terrifying. This swarm of Grex seemed capable of consuming the entire fortress in minutes. The soldiers manning the walls were visibly shaken, sweat pouring down their faces as they looked out at the tide. “Where in the world did so many monsters come from?” “Shouldn’t we have seen them earlier if there were this many?” “This has to be the lord’s doing...” That last comment garnered silent nods from the others. When something this catastrophic happened, it was safe to assume Ghislain had orchestrated it. They all silently thanked their stars for the fortress. Without it, the area would have descended into absolute hell. But even with the fortress, the sheer number of Grex made it hard to feel safe. The soldiers doubted they could hold out for long, despite the fortress’s solid construction. “Lower the ropes!” At Gillian’s command, the remaining knights lowered thick ropes for the group to climb. The exhausted party, dragging the bound Queen Grex behind them, scrambled to ascend. “Screeech!” The Queen thrashed violently as she was hoisted up the walls, letting out blood-curdling cries. The soldiers grimaced at the grotesque sight but refrained from attacking. They had been thoroughly briefed on the importance of keeping the Queen alive. “Where is the lord?! Where is Ghislain?!” Gillian shouted. Belinda, covered in blood and looking as if she’d fought through hell itself, snapped back. “Prepare the knights immediately! We need to go back for him!” Gillian turned his gaze toward the swarming Grex. Their numbers seemed endless, with no sign of slowing. The soldiers on the walls loosed arrow after arrow, but the swarm only grew larger. The forest seemed to quake under the movement of what had to be tens of thousands of creatures. “Get the lord back, damn it! Ready the knights!” Belinda screamed, her voice raw with desperation. Gillian’s mind raced as he recalled Ghislain’s final order before leaving: “Just in case, listen carefully. No matter what happens, do not leave the fortress. Hold it at all costs. If the fortress falls, Ferdium is guaranteed to be destroyed.” Grinding his teeth so hard it felt like they might shatter, Gillian weighed his options. The monstrous tide stretched as far as the eye could see. If the Grex broke out of the Forest of Beasts, they wouldn’t stop until Ferdium was reduced to ashes. This wasn’t just about defending the forest. The implications of failure were catastrophic. But he couldn’t leave Ghislain out there alone, surrounded by countless monsters. Even a Sword Master couldn’t fight off such numbers indefinitely. Belinda, livid with frustration, drew a dagger and threw off her bloodied cloak. “Gillian! Ready the knights, or I’ll go alone to retrieve him!” Seeing her prepare to charge back out into the chaos, Gillian gripped his twin battle axes and took a deep breath. “I’ll bring the lord back myself. Hold the fortress and buy us time until then!” With that, he leapt from the fortress walls, landing heavily on the ground below.