RAHHHH!

"So this is a fortified-level monster, huh?" Finn couldn't help but say as he stared at the new monsters approaching their barrier.

The monsters looked like yetis, except they had bulkier bodies, had thick black fur, red eyes, and a damn wide mouth that could probably eat a cow whole.

They were also terrifying as heck. If he didn't have the barrier, his legs would be shaking.

"Those are Gorethaks!" Miya yelled. "What are they doing here?!"

'Unusual' wouldn't cover this situation.

There was a reason why there were no fortified monsters in level 1 and beyond, unless it was the Aphelion Month.

Even if they encountered them in the wild, if they ran away farther from the dungeon, the monster would eventually let them go because they didn't want to part from their own energy sources for too long. As long as they weren't bleeding, of course, and especially not if they were not fortified.

Blood of the same level could indeed attract very strong monsters out of their comfort zone. The other team did have a bleeding fortified-level man, but this was too far away, right?

They were probably half a day away from the Level 2 area. This team had been here a few hours ago. Did they encounter these monsters far away from the Level 2 zone? Why? How?

However, no one had the time to question so much. The fortified-level people like Victor, as well as peak toughened like Durgan, immediately rushed forward, shielding their acquaintances just before they got swiped to death.

Katnia also jumped in, and her brothers followed closely, so like this the a few people fought back against three monsters, while their injured acquaintances managed to reach the barrier, and they all immediately fell down from pain and exhaustion.

Huff…hufff!

"We thought we were gonna dieeee!"

"Sobs."

"So SCARY!"

Huff…hufff!

"Damn! Does anyone have more potions, please!"

At this, several people rushed forward, and Finn also gave a few of the remaining potions to them, leaving just a handful for himself and for emergencies, at least while he waited for the [Hearth Market]'s purchase limits to refresh. He didn't have much to spare for now, so they'd have to determine who to give them to among themselves.

Finn couldn't be bothered by the cries. He was more concerned with the people who might not cry again because they'd be dead.

"Get back here! Get back here!" Finn yelled at them.

Monsters were generally stronger than their counterparts, and not to mention Durgan and Victor had just come home from a long day outside. Besides, it was much more practical to make use of the barrier against strong enemies.

One of the gorethraks even managed to grab Victor's leg when he was about to pounce, gesturing to throw him right into its mouth.

"VICTOR!" Reesa screamed, and the rest gasped, losing air in their lungs. At this, the rest of the Lian team also emerged to stop it, while Durgan and they headed back as well, though they ended up having to deal with the other four monsters instead.

This included Finn, who, despite his low level, matched them in speed.

He used [Feather Step] to rush over, the [Blade of Fire] to get its attention just before it chomped on Victor, and then jumped over and used the [Thunder Clash] to paralyze it even for just a millisecond.

He kicked the thing's furry arms, and its grip on Victor loosened. Durgan and Marcus, who were nearby, managed to grab him before he fell down.

At the same time, Micc also stepped out, creating large boulder spikes to trip the monsters. The monsters were several meters away, after all. Even if he was a mage, his scope was limited. He could not wait until it got closer; otherwise, it'd be too late for Finn and the others.

RAHHHHHH!

What they did not consider were the fortified-level monsters' skills, and that they could even do synergy attacks!

They raised their muscular arms, ramming them onto the ground in sync.

BANG!

The ground immediately below them shifted, cracked, and seemingly destroyed. Everyone outside lost their balance, and some outright lost their footing.

Finn cursed, but rushed over to the barrier despite the obstacles, along with the others. His skill had now entered cooldown, so he could not even use [Feather Step].

The monsters' attacks were not done yet, however.

BANG!

BANG!

They then rushed over to them, and they could hear the others' screams. Many tried to get out of the barrier to help out, too, but they were coincidentally pushed back by the newly displaced rocks, unable to help out.

It was a flurry of movements after that. The monsters rammed into them and onto the walls, while many teammates went out to drag them back.

It was a chaotic mess of attacks, seemingly random slashes coming in various directions, trying to push back the monsters before they could cause lethal damage to anyone.

Fortunately, they did manage to pull everyone in, despite various wounds on their bodies. This time, no one was left behind, and they managed to cross the threshold with everyone breathing.

Even Finn fell down face-first, panting.

While they rested, the monsters reached the barrier and lunged towards it, pounding on it with those large primate hands.

BANG!

BANG!

[-1 Defense Point]

Only a few hits from a fortified monster, and a point was gone. It made him pale. Although he had points to recover the barrier's health, it didn't mean they could let the monsters keep attacking.

Fortunately, the barrier was holding strong for now, so he shook away the anxiety and focused on the battle at hand.

It was just that his companions were also in pain, all groaning from their injuries and in shock.

He looked around at their states, already about to bellow orders to get everyone into the inn to recover faster, and was already thinking of which essence meal was best.

However, his brain seemed to freeze, and he could hear static when he saw one person bleeding profusely…and without one of his legs, obviously bitten off by a damned beast.

Reesa and the others saw the man around the same time as him, and they screamed.

"MICCC!!"

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