Mike groaned as he stretched inside his tent, the warmth of his blanket making him want to stay in bed just a little longer. The sun had barely risen, and the cool morning breeze slipped through the gaps in the tent.
But something felt... off.
He sat up, rubbing his eyes. The usual camp noises—Brutus shouting at the soldiers, Kiera making sarcastic remarks, Loran muttering about books—were nowhere to be heard.
The camp was eerily silent.
Mike frowned. "Huh?"
He stood up, stepped outside, and immediately noticed the missing presence of his team.
The Mud Gremlins were still around, cleaning up after breakfast, but Brutus, Kiera, and Loran? Nowhere in sight.
"What the hell?" he muttered.
As he took a step forward, a pair of guards blocked his way.
Mike blinked. These were Brutus' soldiers, the ones he had been training. They looked a bit stiff, their weapons held tightly.
One of them spoke, "Lord Mike, you shouldn't leave camp right now."
Mike raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"
The second guard hesitated. "Brutus gave us orders to guard you."
Mike sighed, rubbing his temples. "Great. I sleep for a few extra minutes, and now I need bodyguards?"
Then—
BOOM!
A loud crash echoed from deep in the forest.
Mike's instincts flared. That was not normal.
"Move," he ordered.
The guards hesitated.
Mike narrowed his eyes. "Now."
They gulped and quickly stepped aside.
Without another word, Mike sprinted toward the source of the noise.
---
A Battle Between Equals
As Mike neared a clearing, the sight before him made him freeze.
Brutus was clashing axes with a towering Beastkin warrior—a wolf-like man with sharp claws and battle scars. Sparks flew as their weapons collided, each blow shaking the air.
Not far from them, Loran was locked in a magical duel against a Beastkin shaman. The air around them crackled with energy, fire and lightning flashing between their movements.
And on a thick tree branch, Kiera was exchanging rapid blows with a Beastkin rogue. Their daggers danced, slicing through the air in a blur of speed and precision.
Each of them had met their match.
Mike's eyes widened. "What the hell is going on?"
Then, the System's interface flashed.
[ Scanning Hostile Entities… ]
[ Identified: Beastkin (Wolf Tribe) – Ironwood Hollow Warriors ]
Mike stared at the text.
"These are the guys we were literally trying to find!" he muttered in disbelief.
His team was fighting Ironwood Hollow's warriors—the exact people they were heading toward.
Mike took a deep breath. "Alright, time to stop this mess."
He stepped forward.
And then—
A spearhead pointed at his throat.
Mike froze.
One of Brutus' trained soldiers stood before him, spear raised.
Mike blinked. "Oh, come on."
The soldier hesitated, but didn't lower his weapon. "my Lord Brutus ordered us to guard you. I will not disobey."
Mike sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "This is getting ridiculous."
The battle around him raged on.
He had to stop this—fast.
---
TO BE CONTINUED…