Savage Tide.
Sollivan gazed at the overcast sky, which barely allowed sunlight to pass through and illuminate the ground below. He felt a sense of urgency; if it rained, the effectiveness of the materials he had prepared would diminish.
Shhh!
Huff!
Suddenly, Darnell emerged from some bushes, panting heavily. Unlike his previously imposing appearance, his body was now drenched in sticky sweat mixed with monster repellent. A few small scratches marked his armor, indicating that his return journey had not been smooth.
A look of astonishment crossed his face as he spoke with a hint of shock, "The monsters have started gathering in small groups. They've stopped attacking each other and are now heading toward the enemy camp." He paused for a moment, then asked with a furrowed brow, "But what about the treasury area? We didn't deploy any monster attractors there."
In truth, he wasn't asking out of concern but to confirm his earlier suspicions. As expected, Sollivan calmly replied, "Don't worry, I've already taken care of it."
"You? How did you manage that?" Darnell realized Sollivan wouldn't give him a straight answer, but he asked anyway.
Sollivan shook his head indifferently and said, "We need to move quickly. We don't have much time."
Devlin was bewildered by what was happening but didn't fully understand the situation. He harbored no suspicions toward his master and quickly moved to Sollivan's side, gripping the armrest of his chair. Both of them then turned to Darnell, who hadn't moved, and asked, "Aren't you coming?"
A look of hesitation flickered across Darnell's face, freezing him in place for a few seconds before he sighed in resignation and went to carry Sollivan. As before, they headed toward the treasury, but this time they didn't run. Instead, they moved quickly and cautiously, as their path was now filled with monsters. However, since they were on the outskirts of the forest, most of the monsters they encountered were small and weak. The repellent kept them at bay, and even the slightly stronger monsters that noticed them were no match for Darnell, an Arcane at the peak of the early Path-Opening realm.
Thus, they reached their destination relatively safely. But when they were about a third of a mile away, Sollivan ordered them to stop.
Darnell and Devlin looked at the small, sticky swamp nearby and grimaced at the foul smell emanating from it. They complained, "Why are we stopping in this disgusting place?"
Noticing their discomfort, Sollivan smirked and said, "We're going to stand in the swamp, so bear with it."
"Damn you and your crazy ideas!" Darnell cursed loudly and stepped toward the swamp. He hesitated for a few seconds before holding his breath and stepping in. The foul, sticky mud covered his boots and pants, and some of the murky water seeped into his clothes, making him uncomfortable. Unexpectedly, he felt a slight tingling sensation and asked suspiciously, "What's this?"
Devlin felt the tingling more intensely and asked with a hint of fear, "Master Sollivan, what is this? It's uncomfortable."
"Calm down. The swamp water is slightly acidic, but it won't harm you as long as we don't stay in it too long." Unlike them, Sollivan felt nothing due to his lifeless legs, so he remained calm and didn't complain.
Time passed quietly, and the tingling sensation no longer bothered them as they grew accustomed to it. However, their minds were still preoccupied with why they were standing in the middle of the swamp, as Sollivan hadn't given them any explanation.
"You bastards, what are you doing here?"
Suddenly, the three of them heard an angry shout. They turned simultaneously to see two blood-covered armored men standing near the swamp, glaring at them with savage eyes. The two men drew their weapons and pointed them at the group but didn't immediately attack. Instead, they warily scanned their surroundings, fearing an ambush.
"What do we do now?" Darnell drew his sword, causing a faint metallic sound, and cautiously eyed the two men. He quickly glanced at Sollivan, who remained calm and indifferent, which slightly eased his anxious heart.
Devlin, on the other hand, took a step back and stood behind Sollivan with trembling hands, clumsily drawing the sword hanging at his waist.
Clink!
Clink!
Clink!
Clink!
A faint, distant ringing sound came from the direction of the city, as if it were some kind of signal. Suddenly, a massive monster appeared, resembling a mangy dog the size of a lion. Its thin, agile legs allowed it to leap onto one of the blood-covered men and bite the back of his head. The other man retreated in fear, abandoning his screaming companion. Before he could react, more dogs appeared and surrounded him, attacking him savagely. After a brief struggle, they tore his body to shreds. His entrails, along with those of his companion, stained the ground as some of the dogs carried away limbs or organs, chewing them into minced meat in their powerful jaws.
Sollivan watched the bloody scene with clear, unaffected eyes. He had seen worse—the sight of his dead family. But suddenly, he felt a small hand gripping his shoulder tightly in fear. He turned his head to see Devlin trembling, his wide eyes shocked and unable to look away from the monsters staring at them.
"Calm down. Don't be afraid. Nothing will happen to us," Sollivan reassured him in a soft, confident voice. As if the monsters had heard his words and obeyed his command, they let out a strange, hyena-like laugh and quickly ran toward the treasury, now filled with soldiers.
However, Devlin didn't calm down. Several minutes passed before he slowly released his grip on Sollivan's shoulder, but he remained silent, unable to speak as he watched the remaining corpses. He was young and had witnessed several disasters, but this experience was the most horrifying for him. The soldiers' screams and the sight of their bodies being torn apart were etched into his mind, and he doubted he would ever forget it.
When things finally quieted down, Darnell slowly asked, "Why didn't the Howling Dogs attack us? Their sense of smell is among the strongest of the mutated Orcsin monsters." When ordinary monsters begin to cultivate and develop Orcsin energy, they officially become mutated Orcsin monsters.
Like humans, they face barriers and stages they must break through. Thus, the world of mutation is divided into four stages, corresponding to the four layers of the Path-Opening realm: early, middle, late, and peak. After surpassing the mutation stage, monsters reach what is known as the first category, which is further divided into four layers equivalent to the Core Formation realm.
Sollivan showed a small smile and decided not to explain further, saying cryptically, "Don't celebrate too soon. This is just the beginning."
The bell they had heard earlier was a signal from the Red Bell City, indicating that a savage tide from the forest had begun. This was clear evidence that the monster agitator Sollivan had created had served its purpose. As he had predicted, within minutes, a group of predatory monsters appeared, followed by a larger group of herbivorous Orcsin monsters that had lost their sanity and become extremely savage.
Yet, all the monsters passed by the small swamp without paying any attention to them. Even the few stronger monsters that appeared only gave them a brief glance before continuing on their way.
This further astonished Darnell, while Devlin, though slightly calmer after getting used to the sight of the monsters, couldn't stop his body from trembling.
Neither of them understood why this was happening. Sollivan looked at the murky water beneath him and sighed contentedly. 'Huff, it's good that my plan worked, though luck played a significant role.'
If it hadn't rained heavily, the swamps in the forest wouldn't have formed. What made this particular swamp special was that it was filled with reverse clover, which reacts with water to create an acidic liquid with a confusing scent for monsters. When combined with the monster repellent on their bodies, it made them practically invisible to the monsters.
"Aaah..."
But this didn't apply to the enemy soldiers scattered around the treasury area. Despite the distance, their pitiful screams reached Sollivan and his companions.
Time passed slowly, and after about two hours, the tide of monsters ceased. The effects of the agitator and attractor gradually wore off, allowing the monsters to regain some of their rationality.
The herbivorous monsters fled as soon as they realized the predators were nearby, while some of the predators carried away a few corpses to feed their young or simply ate them on the spot.
Caw!
The sound of crows spread through the quiet sky, accompanied by a few light drops of rain.
Sollivan raised his head, feeling the raindrops on his face, and sighed audibly. "Perhaps this isn't enough."
His words stunned Devlin and Darnell. The horror of what they had witnessed left them speechless for a long time, while Sollivan remained indifferent, as if he had just taken a leisurely stroll.
He closed his eyes calmly and shifted his vision to Noctis, who had remained stationed near the treasury. As expected, upon reaching the treasury, he saw an unimaginable massacre. The bodies of humans and monsters were scattered everywhere, staining the ground with blood and scattered entrails.
All traces of civilization—tents and tools—had been obliterated. Only a few predatory monsters and several crows remained, feasting on the massive banquet. Noctis looked around at the desolate ground coldly and, after a short while, exhaled a relieved breath. 'There are no survivors. Perhaps the remaining soldiers fled, and I doubt they'll return anytime soon.'
Sollivan opened his eyes and said, "Let's go."
After a brief moment of hesitation, they carried his chair and carefully made their way through the forest. Fortunately, they didn't encounter any monsters, and even the predators they saw paid them no attention.
The rain gradually intensified, soaking them thoroughly, but their gazes remained steady. After a while, they reached the treasury. Suddenly, Sollivan felt his chair tilt to the side, causing his body to shake and sway. He turned to see Devlin, who had let go of the chair and was now vomiting uncontrollably. He had held it in for a long time, but the sight of more corpses caused his stomach to empty its contents.
Sollivan and Darnell said nothing and waited quietly for him to finish. After a short while, Devlin raised his head and wiped his mouth with his sleeve. His face showed exhaustion and a somber expression, but he didn't hesitate any longer. He stood up quietly, picked up Sollivan's chair, and began walking without a word, his eyes fixed on the ground ahead. The entrails and blood washed by the rainwater stained his shoes and made him shiver, but he maintained his composure this time.
Soon, they reached the massive pit leading to the treasury. They all stopped and looked at the thick white mist that obscured the contents of the tunnel.
Darnell felt a hint of suspicion and turned to look at Sollivan, who was calmly staring into the pit.
After a brief moment of hesitation, Darnell asked curiously, "Isn't this an illusion formation? Do you know how to get through it?" He had witnessed the strange things Sollivan had done, so he assumed he had more tricks up his sleeve.
Sollivan turned to look him in the eye and said calmly, "Yes."