Before Dawn

The next morning.

On the streets of Linyu Port, the atmosphere was somewhat suffocating compared to usual.

Ever since the loud explosion the previous night, the magical beasts on the outskirts of the forest had been agitated once more, greatly increasing the pressure on Linyu Port's city defenses.

In addition to the tense-looking civilians on the streets, one could occasionally see exhausted soldiers who had just rotated out of the defensive frontlines, their mana nearly depleted.

Even the adventurers from the Adventurer's Guild had been offered high bounties to temporarily bolster the city defenses and relieve the strain.

Aler frowned slightly as he took in the scene on the streets, involuntarily picking up his pace toward the city walls.

The situation in the Forest of Death seemed to be growing increasingly dire. The loud explosion the residents had heard was likely the trigger for the magical beasts' migration. What on earth could have startled the beasts deep within the Forest of Death and forced them all out?

If a creature capable of that also escaped... how would Linyu Port stand a chance?

...

Up on the city walls, waves of roars from the magical beasts reverberated one after another, making the soldiers' ears ring with pain.

With furrowed brows, they gripped their staffs tightly with both hands. The glow of magic circles flickered beneath their feet, overlapping with one another to reinforce the city walls with a layered mana barrier.

Every few paces stood a mage responsible for offense. They cast spells in an orderly rotation, attacking and clearing the magical beasts piling up below. A thick layer of ash had already accumulated at the base of the wall.

The dense swarm of magical beasts seemed endless, all surging toward the walls and relentlessly battering Linyu Port's defensive barrier.

Every large-scale wave of impact sent ripples across the pale blue barrier, accompanied by dull, rumbling booms. This rapidly drained the mana of the soldiers maintaining the barrier, leaving some of them on the verge of complete exhaustion.

“Captain! A crack has appeared in the defensive barrier on the eastern wall!” a Gold Rank mage in robes panted as he rushed over, his voice hoarse. “Our mana supply can't keep up! If this continues, the barrier will collapse!”

“Hold on just a little longer! Send someone to notify the residents in the city to prepare for evacuation!”

Just as those words were spoken, the magical beasts below the city wall suddenly fell silent.

A heavy, dull vibration echoed from the distant edge of the forest. With each tremor, the pebbles and dust on the ground trembled slightly.

The people on the wall fell silent in unison, turning their gazes toward the source of the vibrations.

The tree canopies at the edge of the forest were collapsing in large swathes. Moreover, this commotion was happening in two other places as well, as if giant behemoths were stepping out from the depths of the Forest of Death...

“What is that...”

Out of the dust and smoke, a massive creature was the first to step out of the forest.

It stood half a head taller than the city walls, its entire body covered in pitch-black armor plating. Every step it took produced a heavy, dull thud.

The behemoth had no eyes on its head—only a mouth that took up most of its face, lined with sharp, inward-curving teeth. Beneath its shell, a crimson fluid flowed like molten lava.

“A Molten Armor Beast!” An elderly mage on the wall recognized the creature, his voice trembling slightly. “A high-tier Diamond Rank... To think a magical beast of this level would actually emerge from the forest...”

A brief silence fell over the city walls.

“Focus all your strength on maintaining the barrier! Those of you whose mana is depleted, quickly organize the evacuation to the port! Move!” the Gold Rank mage captain in charge of the barrier barked as he spun around.

“The rest of you, support the magic circles with everything you've got!” He turned back to glare at the Molten Armor Beast, his voice low and resolute. “If this border city falls, the Hella Kingdom will never know peace again! Hold the line at all costs!”

The surrounding soldiers looked at him, then turned their eyes back to the slowly advancing behemoth. The light of the magic circles beneath their feet flared even brighter.

“Deploy the combined attack array!”

The Gold Rank mage captain abruptly raised his staff. A blinding white light condensed at its tip and burst in the air above the wall, expanding into a massive magic circle. However, the circle was faint, struggling to take form.

“Channel your power!”

Over forty mages on the wall simultaneously pointed their staffs at the circle. Mana surged through the air, converging into the array. The lines of the magic circle slowly illuminated the void, with intricate runes unfolding layer upon layer, finally coalescing into a complete offensive magic circle in mid-air.

“Combined Magic Circle: Starfall Radiance!”

An immense surge of energy erupted from the magic circle, transforming into a massive pillar of light that shot toward the ground.

The beam struck the Molten Armor Beast with pinpoint accuracy. Under the impact of the pure white light, its armored shell vibrated violently, and fine cracks began to spiderweb across its body. Crimson lava seeped from the fissures, sizzling as it dripped onto the ground. The low-level magical beasts nearby were quickly reduced to ash by the searing heat of the lava.

The Molten Armor Beast let out a low, guttural roar, its mountain-like body swaying slightly.

But that was the extent of the damage the attack dealt...

The beam lasted only a few breaths before dissipating. Their mana was almost entirely depleted, and some, having overexerted themselves, collapsed directly onto their knees on the wall.

A massive gash had been blown open on the back of the Molten Armor Beast. The flesh within was charred black, and crimson lava poured continuously from the wound, rapidly burning through the soil below and igniting the surroundings.

Yet, the colossal body began to move forward once more, its speed increasing significantly as the cracks on its shell slowly began to mend.

The mages on the wall turned pale.

“...Is that all the damage our array can do?”

“A high-tier Diamond Rank...” The captain stared fixedly at the slowly approaching behemoth. “Our combined magic circle is strong enough to crush ordinary Platinum Rank magical beasts in siege warfare... but against a Molten Armor Beast, which is renowned for its defense...”

“The barrier is about to fail...” the mage speaking said, staring at the fading barrier before casting a glance toward the forest, where another unknown magical beast was still moving toward the edge. “And... that other creature is also heading this way.”

Right at that moment, a streak of crimson light shot across the distant sky, dragging a long trail of flames behind it before slamming squarely into the Molten Armor Beast's head.

A massive shockwave rippled outward, and the resulting wave of searing heat blasted the low-level magical beasts at the base of the wall off their feet, throwing them against the stone structures.

As the smoke cleared, an elderly man in dark red robes stood in the clearing in front of the behemoth. He tapped his staff against the ground with a heavy thud, and a massive fire magic circle rapidly expanded before him.

The mages on the wall froze in surprise for a moment, and then someone cried out, “Mage Leader Aler!”

Aler slowly raised his staff, pointing its tip at the Molten Armor Beast's head. The surrounding mana gathered toward the magic circle, and the crimson runes on the array lit up one by one. With every rune that ignited, the surrounding temperature spiked.

The Molten Armor Beast seemed to sense the danger, roaring as it charged toward him.

“Molten Core Blast!”

Aler slowly swung his staff down. The moment it fell, all the runes on the magic circle flared to life, and a pillar of crimson fire erupted, cleanly piercing through the Molten Armor Beast's head before continuing into its body without resistance.

The Molten Armor Beast froze completely. Muffled explosions echoed from within its body, and lava gushed in torrents from the gaps in its shell. Finally, its entire form caught fire and exploded.

Countless burning fragments scattered in all directions, turning to ash in mid-air.

Everyone on the city wall watched this scene in a daze.

The Molten Armor Beast, which they had failed to severely wound even with all their strength, had been defeated in a single strike by the Mage Leader.

Aler stood in the open ground before the wall, the hem of his crimson robes slightly singed by the embers. He looked up at the crowd on the wall. “Anyone with remaining mana, continue to maintain the barrier.”

“Yes, sir!”

The spirits of the mages on the wall lifted significantly, but many still wore solemn expressions.

They had all seen it—even after the Molten Armor Beast was dealt with, the unknown magical beast heading this way from deep within the forest had only paused for a few seconds before resuming its march toward the forest's edge.