Beast Tide!

Gasp!

Mario sucked a mouthful of air the moment he heard the term, Beast Tide.

A Beast Tide is a phenomenon that only happens once every ten years. Every time a Beast Tide occurs, one should already expect hundreds of deaths during the period.

A Beast Tide is a phenomenon where hundreds and even thousands of Beasts gathered together to attack and besieged the city ruthlessly. The Beast Tide wont reside until all of the Beasts who participated in it died, or a certain number of casualties and damage has been met.

During this time, all Adventurers are required to return to the city as soon as possible to help fend off the Beast Tide. Although it was full of danger, Beast Core's, [Skills] and other rewards are obtainable during such events where hundreds and thousands of Beast are present.

The cause of it was still being investigated, but some rumors said that it was retribution and a way for the Guardian of the Forest of Lagom to dwindle the Beast numbers as well as the population of every human city it targeted.

Upon hearing it, Ban's eyes also widened in surprise. He also heard of the Beast Tide, but according to what he heard, it was not that time yet. As far as he knew, the last Beast Tide only happened 5 years ago.

The City had just recently recovered from that event, but if another Beast Tide occurs all of a sudden…

"Ban, let's hurry!" Boss Mario stated with a grim tone as he hopped on the Cart Lizard's back.

As if sensing the urgency, the Cart Lizard sprinted away as fast as it could.

Due to the speed they were traveling, they reached the city in no time at all. It also helped that they didn't meet any mishaps along the way.

Mario stopped the Cart Lizard right in front of a closed store that has a, 'Bread and Mario' sign hung on its roof.

"Here you go Ban, I'll park the carriage first, and I'll follow you to the Bar right away. Don't tell Kuys about what happened first, let me explain it to him." Boss Mario said as he dismounted the Cart Lizard. He then went to the back to detach the Cart from the lizard's tail.

Ban nodded his head as he went on his way towards the Bar not far away from Mario's store.

A while later, he arrived and looked up in the clean looking sign that was hung outside a two storey building.

"Kuys Bar!"

There's several people that Ban had grown attached to inside the city. Mario the Bread Store owner was one of them, and another one was Kuys, the owner of Kuys Bar that Adventurers frequented to.

For two years, Ban worked and lived inside this Kuys Bar. He often went out to search for a one-time job around the neighborhood for extra income, while he worked as a server on the Kuys Bar during the night. It was also inside the Bar that Ban was able to meet and befriend many adventurers

Kuys won't let him pay the rent and food he eats inside the Bar, so Ban decided to repay it by doing work inside the Kuys Bar instead.

Phew!

Ban released a heavy breath in nervousness as he patted little Eva's head that was resting on his shoulder.

As per Boss Mario's warning, Ban did not store little Eva inside the Beast Tattoo anymore, at least for now, he decided not to store her as it might raise suspicions if his 'monster' suddenly appeared out of thin air.

Ban smiled and slowly pushed the wooden door open.

The tables and chairs that were supposed to be full of ordinary people and Adventurers alike during this time were now barren. It's as if an oasis had just dried, forcing the people to relocate to another place.

Ban was taken aback as he wasn't expecting to be welcomed by such a scene.

The Kuys Bar was super popular around the city, day and night, it would always be full of Adventurers, and ordinary people. Either drinking their sorrows away, celebrating a certain event and some even went here just to hear the songs of the Bar's special Bard.

Ban checked the wooden clock that was hanging on the wall and noticed that it was still a little past six in the evening. Supposedly, during this time, the Bar would be quite full of people eating dinner joyfully.

Ban looked around and at the counter, he noticed the back of a buffed figure seemingly doing something. The figure was wearing a black and white uniform or suite, and due to the figure's muscles, the uniform looked as if it would burst out at any moment.

"Grandpa Kuys!" Ban called the figure on the counter.

The figure heard him and instantly turned around with an amiable smile.

With his white hair and white beard paired with his kind and handsome appearance, no one would think that he was the owner of the super-popular Bar of the city, Kuys Bar.

He looked more like a butler than the owner after all.

"Ban-kiddo? Where have you been? What happened to you?" Kuys asked in a gentle tone after he noticed Ban's appearance.

"Come here and sit!" He added while beckoning for Ban to come closer to the counter.

Ban nodded his head and followed Kuys' instructions.

"Is that the monster you summoned? How cute, just like the owner." Kuys laughed with a slit eye as he gently wiped the table on the counter.

Ban could only smile at Kuys teasing. Ban has already grown accustomed to it, so he no longer minds it anymore.

Just as Ban was about to ask Kuys about why the Bar was barren of people, Kuys beat him to it as he spoke and interrupted Ban all of a sudden.

"Before that, you should eat and change your clothes first. Aren't you cold on that tattered clothes, is that the new trend nowadays?" Kuys laughed as he served Ban a bowl brimming with rice porridge.

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