Chapter 32: Beast Horde

Erica glanced at Chris as they walked back toward the City Lord’s mansion, her expression gradually becoming worried.

"Chris, you might have made trouble for yourself. Noran is the son of a City Lord, and although his father governs only a minor city, he’s known for holding grudges over the smallest things. I’m worried he’ll try to get revenge on you."

Chris glanced at her.

"Why? Because I beat him up? If he comes looking for trouble again, I’ll just beat him up again."

Erica stared at him, unsure whether he was genuinely confident or simply didn’t understand the kind of person he had offended. After a moment, she decided there was little point arguing with him and continued walking.

Soon, they arrived at the City Lord’s mansion and returned to the room where Aldric and Theodoric were waiting. After taking their seats, Erica was about to say something when a loud alarm suddenly echoed throughout the city.

*BOOOOP!* *BOOOOP!* *BOOOOP!*

Everyone immediately stood up.

"What’s happening?" Serena asked, looking toward the windows.

Aldric’s expression turned serious as he recognized the alarm. Without wasting any time, he walked toward the balcony, and the others followed him outside.

The mansion stood on elevated ground near the center of the city, providing a clear view of the surrounding area. From the balcony, they could see the massive stone walls stretching across the landscape, with hundreds of monsters gathered outside and attacking the defenses.

Some were charging directly into the gates, while others climbed over the bodies of their fallen companions in an attempt to reach the soldiers stationed above. Magical attacks rained down from the walls, killing monsters by the dozens, but the creatures kept coming, filling the ground outside the city with their numbers.

Erica’s face paled as she took in the sight.

"This is bad. Really bad!"

"What is it?" Serena asked, noticing her expression.

"Most of the soldiers and adventurers left the city yesterday to explore a newly appeared low-level dungeon. If this many monsters attack while they’re away, the remaining forces might not be able to hold them back for long!"

She watched as the soldiers struggled to defend the walls, her hands tightening nervously.

"General Aldric, can’t you help them?"

Aldric turned toward her, his expression serious.

"Are you sure you want me to get involved?"

"What do you mean?"

"If I intervene, the higher-ups will demand an explanation. They’ll ask why the City Lord couldn’t defend his own city, why most of its forces were sent away at the same time. Your father could be held responsible for the situation, and depending on how they choose to handle it, he might even lose his position."

Erica fell silent, her expression turning troubled as she looked back at the battlefield.

She hadn’t considered that asking for help could make things worse for her father. However, the situation outside was becoming increasingly dangerous, and she couldn’t bear the thought of the city being.

"Then... is there anything else we can do?"

Aldric glanced gazedtoward Chris, who had been watching the battlefield without much interest.

"There’s another option. You could ask Chris for help."

Erica looked at Chris hesitantly. Although she had seen him deal with Noran and his companions with ease, she wasn’t sure he could handle hundreds of monsters attacking the city. However, she trusted General Aldric’s judgment.

"Chris, could you help us?"

He immediately turned toward Aldric.

"Why are you dragging me into this, old man?"

"Because you’re here, and you look like you could use a little exercise."

"Find someone else."

Erica stared at him in disbelief.

"Are you seriously refusing? There are hundreds of monsters attacking the city!"

"So?" he replied calmly. "It’s not my city."

"But people are going to die!"

"That’s unfortunate, but I didn’t come here to protect this place. I only intended to rest for a little while before returning to the Wilds."

His answer left Erica speechless. She had expected him to be confident, perhaps even arrogant, but she hadn’t expected him to dismiss the entire situation so casually.

Of course, from his perspective, it wasn’t his responsibility. He had spent years struggling to survive without anyone offering him help, and during that time, he had learned that most people were only concerned with their own interests. He had no particular reason to risk his life for strangers simply because they happened to be in trouble.

Besides, the monsters outside were weak, but that didn’t mean he wanted to get involved in the city’s affairs.

"Chris." Serena called softly.

He turned toward her.

"Please help them."

Unlike Erica, she didn’t argue or try to convince him that he had a responsibility to protect the city. She simply looked at him with concern, knowing that the people fighting outside were facing a difficult battle.

For a moment, he considered refusing again. However, Serena had treated him kindly since they met, and he regarded her as a friend. If she was asking him for this small favor, there was little reason to turn her down.

Besides, dealing with the monsters wouldn’t take much effort.

"Fine. I’ll take care of it."

Erica’s eyes widened, while Serena let out a relieved breath.

"Thank you, Chris."

"Don’t thank me yet. I haven’t done anything."

He turned toward the balcony, intending to leave immediately, but Aldric suddenly called out to him.

"Wait a moment."

The old man reached into his storage ring and retrieved a black cloak along with a black face mask, handing both to Chris.

"Put these on before you leave."

Chris glanced at the items. "What’s this for?"

"To hide your identity, obviously." Aldric gave him a knowing look. "Do you really think no one will notice if you suddenly appear on the battlefield and wipe out a monster horde? Considering the strength you’ve shown recently, people will certainly start asking questions. It’s better if they don’t know who you are."

Chris considered his words before accepting the cloak and mask.

He didn’t particularly care about being recognized, but he had no desire to draw unnecessary attention to himself either. He intended to return to the Wilds soon, and getting involved in the city’s affairs was already more trouble than he had wanted.

Putting on the black cloak and covering his face with the mask, he checked that nothing recognizable remained exposed before turning toward the balcony railing.

"Well, I’m heading out."

Before anyone could respond, he stepped onto the railing and jumped.

"Chris!" Erica exclaimed, rushing toward the edge.

However, by the time she reached the railing, he had already dropped toward the street below, landing with enough control to absorb the impact before immediately breaking into a run.

Erica stared after him, unable to hide her astonishment.

"Does he always do things like that?" she asked.

"Pretty much." Serena answered, watching the direction he had disappeared in.

Aldric chuckled.

"Don’t worry. He’ll be fine."

...

The streets were unusually crowded as Chris made his way toward the outer defenses, with civilians hurrying away from the walls while soldiers rushed in the opposite direction to reinforce the struggling defenders.

He ignored the commotion and continued running, his black cloak fluttering behind him.

*Azreon, come to the city walls. I need your help.*

As soon as he sent the message, he felt the familiar, uncomfortable sensation in his mind.

It was as though something had reached inside his head and pressed against his thoughts, creating an unpleasant feeling that made him want to break the connection as quickly as possible.

Since reaching Level 40 and undergoing his fourth evolution, his connection with Azreon had developed to the point where they could communicate mentally across considerable distances. It was useful, especially when they were separated, but the sensation still bothered him.

Whenever he used the ability he would feel uncomfortable, so he usually avoided using it unless necessary.

Azreon’s excited response reached him almost immediately, and he felt the same uncomfortable feeling again.

Chris resisted the urge to grimace.

*Just hurry up.*

He cut off the communication before the sensation became any more irritating and focused on the road ahead.

Within a minute, the city walls came into view.

The fighting had grown even more intense, and the soldiers stationed along the defenses were struggling to keep the monsters from breaking through. Some were using magical attacks to thin the approaching ranks, while others stood ready with spears and swords in case the creatures managed to climb onto the walls.

Beyond the walls, the City Lord of Wingbell was already on the battlefield, fighting alongside his soldiers.

His sword flashed as he cut down a monster rushing toward him, but another creature immediately took its place. He could kill the beasts one by one without much difficulty, yet the sheer number of enemies made it impossible to cover every section of the battlefield.

He looked toward the walls, his expression grim. If the horde continued attacking at this pace, they would eventually break through.

Chris reached the base of the wall, planted a foot against the stone, and jumped.

His body rose several meters into the air before he caught the edge of the wall and pulled himself up.

Several soldiers glanced at him in surprise, but before anyone could ask who he was, a powerful roar echoed across the battlefield.

*ROOOOOAR!*

The sound was so powerful that even the monsters below seemed to hesitate for a brief moment.

Everyone turned toward the source.

Far beyond the city walls, an enormous black beast was flying toward them, its massive wings beating against the air as it approached. Its dark scales reflected the light from the crimson afternoon sky, and its crimson eyes were visible even from a considerable distance.

The soldiers froze.

"What... what is that thing?"

"Is it another monster?"

"Look at its size! If it’s here to attack the city, we’re finished!"

Several soldiers tightened their grips on their weapons, while others instinctively stepped away from the edge of the wall. They had spent their lives fighting monsters, but they had never seen a creature like this.

Its sheer size was enough to make their hearts tremble.

Some began preparing their weapons, uncertain whether they should attack before it reached the walls. However, the creature was moving too quickly, and no one wanted to be the first to provoke something so terrifying without knowing what it could do.

Chris, meanwhile, had already stepped toward the edge.

The moment Azreon approached the wall, he jumped into the air.

For an instant, the soldiers watched in confusion as the masked man leaped directly toward the approaching beast.

Then he landed squarely on its back.

"What?!"

"That man is riding it!"

"Who is he?"

Their astonishment only grew when the enormous creature made no attempt to attack him. Instead, it adjusted its flight, allowing the masked man to settle comfortably on its back before turning toward the battlefield.

The next moment, the two of them dived toward the monster horde.

Azreon opened his jaws and unleashed a torrent of flames.

The fire swept across the ground, engulfing dozens of monsters in an instant. Their screams filled the air as the flames spread through the tightly packed horde, leaving scorched earth and fallen bodies in their wake.

Before the surviving monsters could recover, Chris raised one hand and launched several fireballs toward different sections of the battlefield.

*BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!*

Explosions erupted among the creatures, sending bodies flying and tearing open gaps in their ranks. Some monsters attempted to flee, but the fireballs continued raining down on them, while Azreon circled overhead and released another stream of flames.

Within seconds, the number of monsters attacking the walls began to decrease.

The creatures were simply too weak to withstand their attacks.

Most belonged to the F, E, and D ranks, and their levels were low enough that neither Chris nor Azreon needed to take them seriously. Even without using his sword, Chris could kill large groups with a few attacks, while Azreon’s flames swept away anything unfortunate enough to be caught beneath them.

They continued circling above the battlefield, striking wherever the horde was most concentrated.

The soldiers could only stare.

A few moments earlier, they had been desperately trying to prevent the monsters from breaking through the walls. Now, an unknown beast was slaughtering their enemies from the sky, with a masked man riding on its back and launching magical attacks as though the entire battlefield were nothing more than a training ground.

"Just who is that guy? And what kind of beast is he riding?"

"I’ve never seen anything like it!"

Their voices spread along the walls as more soldiers stopped to watch the incredible sight.

Some were so distracted that they nearly forgot to continue fighting, only returning to their senses when their commanders shouted at them to maintain their positions. Even then, many couldn’t help glancing upward between attacks, trying to understand what they were witnessing.

The mysterious beast was powerful enough to frighten them, yet it obeyed the masked man without hesitation.

Whatever their relationship was, the man clearly wasn’t an ordinary adventurer.

Below, the City Lord of Wingbell had also noticed the sudden change.

He had been fighting among his soldiers, doing everything he could to prevent the defensive line from collapsing. Although he was strong enough to deal with the monsters individually, the sheer number of enemies had made it impossible for him to protect every section of the wall at once.

For a moment, he had genuinely believed that Wingbell was about to suffer a devastating loss.

Then the roar had sounded.

Looking up, he watched the enormous black beast sweep across the battlefield, its flames consuming entire groups of monsters while the masked man attacked from its back.

His eyes widened, and a smile slowly appeared on his face.

They still had a chance.

"Everyone, keep attacking!" He roared, raising his sword toward the horde. "The monsters are weakening! Don’t let a single one reach the city!"

His voice carried across the battlefield, reaching soldiers who had begun to lose hope. Seeing their enemies falling in such numbers, they renewed their attacks, sending arrows and spells into the remaining monsters.

The defenders who had been struggling to hold their positions began pushing forward, taking advantage of the openings created by the masked man and his mysterious companion.

Above them, Chris continued attacking without slowing down.

He had no intention of making a grand entrance or earning anyone’s admiration. He simply wanted to finish the job quickly so he could return to what he had been doing before this unexpected interruption.