It began as a tremor, a low, bone-deep rumble that rolled beneath their feet.

The monsters surrounding them froze. Then, as if seized by the same instinct, they began howling, screeching, and scattering in every direction.

Wolves trampled goblins, and drakes took to the air, their wings beating frantically.

Even the iron-hide boars, those stubborn tanks of flesh, turned tail, squealing in terror as they fled.

"What the hell?" Rowan gasped.

Before Wade could answer, the ground split apart.

A roar erupted from below. It wasn't just loud. It was elemental, vibrating through their flesh and armor, shaking the very marrow in his bones.

Then the soil beneath their boots cracked open.

"Move!" Wade yelled, dragging Rowan by the shoulder.

They stumbled back just as the ground erupted in a geyser of dust and stone.

Something huge clawed its way out, its shadow stretching over the battlefield.

Chunks of rock and earth rained down as the creature's body emerged from the fissure, each movement sending a wave of heat and wind across the clearing.

Wade's eyes widened as he took in the sight.

[Name: The Chymerion]

[Level: ???]

[Class: Tyrant]

The Chymerion could only be described as an abomination.

Its lower body was that of a lion, muscles rippling under its fur. From its back, draconic wings unfurled, stretching wide.

Its head, which was a drake's, was scaled and crowned with spines, burning with fire along the cracks of its jaw.

And its tail, a writhing serpent, snapped and hissed, dripping venom.

Then, a series of notifications flashed before Wade's eyes.

[Affliction: Terror detected.]

[Affliction failed!]

Wade's heart pounded, the sheer adrenaline rushing through it strong enough to overcome the affliction.

The creature roared again, the sound sending waves through the air that shattered weaker monsters nearby. Wade could feel it reverberate through his chest.

The monsters that hadn't fled now thrashed blindly, trampling over each other in desperation to escape.

He forced his gaze upwards.

The Chymerion's eyes, slitted and burning like coals, scanned the battlefield. Then, its massive body coiled, wings flexing once.

"Run!" Wade bellowed.

They sprinted, shields flaring as the group tried to break through the choking mass of monsters. But the mass of monsters beyond the clearing was too packed. There was nowhere to go.

Boars, wolves, and even flying beasts crashed into each other in panic. Every direction was chaos.

And then, the air darkened again.

Wade looked up.

The Chymerion leapt.

It was impossible that something that size could move so fast, but it did, launching into the sky with a single beat of its wings before descending towards them.

"Down!" someone screamed.

Wade didn't think. He just threw up Aegis of Reflection. It wouldn't hold, but maybe it would buy them—

BOOM!

The impact never came.

A blinding streak of silver light streaked through the air, colliding with the descending monster.

The explosion of impact sent shockwaves tearing through the field, hurling smaller beasts into the air.

When the dust cleared, Wade saw it. A flying armored figure, gleaming silver and gold, holding a hammer nearly as big as his torso.

The stranger's strike had sent the Chymerion tumbling backwards, roaring in rage as it crashed through the nearby monsters.

And then, more arrived.

Dozens of armored figures descended from the sky or appeared in bursts of mana. Their very presence seemed to distort the air.

"The strike team," Rowan breathed.

The battlefield trembled as the elite adventurers engaged. Fire and lightning filled the horizon.

Every blow from the Chymerion sent tremors through the ground, and every counter from the elites tore through the air.

Wade was still staring, eyes wide, when the air before them shimmered, and another figure appeared.

The teleportation rippled like water, revealing a man clad in black armor.

He was shorter than most and built like a boulder, his close-cropped dark hair barely moving in the wind. His cold gray eyes moved across the group.

Rowan gasped. "Executive Ram…"

Wade blinked. He'd heard the name before. He was one of the top-ranked adventurers of Lion's Guild. An executive.

Ram's voice was as sharp as his glare. "You lot. Get the hell out of here before you end up crushed."

None of them moved for a heartbeat. The sheer authority in his tone left no room for argument.

Wade finally nodded, tightening his grip on Toothpick. "You heard him. Move!"

They turned and began forcing their way back the way they'd come.

But this time, it was worse.

The horde had gone mad. The bell's resonance and the Chymerion's awakening had thrown everything into a frenzy.

Monsters slammed into one another, biting, clawing, and trampling. Some turned on the adventurers as they passed, attacking blindly in their panic.

The team's overlapping shield glowed brighter as they poured more mana into it. The shimmering wall crackled with strain, every impact threatening to shatter it.

"Keep going!" Rowan shouted. "We're almost through!"

Wade slammed his shoulder into a charging boar, using his barrier like a battering ram.

The impact sent cracks racing through the magic wall. He reinforced it with Basic Ward, sweat dripping down his temple.

All around, monsters clawed and screamed. The group moved as one. Eight figures encased in barriers of light, pushing through a sea of death.

"Almost there!" the archer with the bell yelled from the center.

As if on cue, a shadow passed overhead.

Wade looked up just in time to see a drake swooping down, its eyes burning with madness.

"Brace!"

The drake's fire slammed into their barrier.

The explosion shattered the shield instantly.

The force hurled them apart like ragdolls. Wade hit the ground hard, the air ripped from his lungs.

He rolled through mud and blood, barely keeping hold of Toothpick.

When he stopped, his ears were ringing. The world tilted and spun. He blinked rapidly, forcing his vision to focus.

The first thing he saw were shapes. Shadows moving closer.

Drakes.

At least three of them, circling in low arcs, their claws scraping the ground as they prepared to strike again.

"Rowan!" Wade shouted, but his voice was drowned out by another roar.

The nearest drake opened its jaws, flames building in its throat.

Wade pushed to his feet, ignoring the pain shooting through his ribs. His barrier was gone, his mana running thin, but he still had enough to survive this. Hopefully.

And so, he raised Toothpick, growling under his breath. "Come on!"

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