First wave

When William reached the northern wall, the warrior initiates had already taken their positions, evenly spaced along its length.

Behind him stood the 200 villagers he had chosen to help defend the walls. Though he had instructed them to bring farming tools that could double as weapons, he wasn't confident they would hold their ground once the dark beasts arrived. They might manage against creatures that couldn't scale the wall, but those that leapt or climbed would be far more dangerous. The best he could hope for was that they wouldn't flee at the first sight of those monsters.

But he couldn't blame them—they were mere civilians: untrained, untested, and unfamiliar with anything as ferocious as dark beasts.

He stepped into the central post, where spare weapons—brought by the warriors at his command—were laid out across a large table.

"Hunters, take a weapon you're familiar with. The rest of you, use the tools you brought for now. More suitable weapons will be provided later."

Once everyone had armed themselves, William organized them into proper formations and sent them up onto the wall.

The total length of the wall stretched over 1.5 kilometers (approximately one mile), surrounding the entire village settlement, but they only needed to defend the northern side. With around 200 defenders spaced a few meters apart, the line should hold—at least for now.

I should keep some men in reserve in case anyone is injured, he thought.

More than ten minutes passed before William spotted John sprinting toward the wall. Upon reaching it, John leapt straight up—clearing the 3.5-meter height with ease. Such a feat was nothing for someone at the peak of the warrior initiate stage.

"Did you see them?" William asked, clinging to a thin thread of hope that it wasn't true.

"Yes, Chief. I saw them at the edge of the forest. You'll be able to see them yourself in a few minutes," John replied, glancing toward the north.

"So... it really is dark beasts," William muttered, his voice heavy as he stared into the distance, haunted by old memories. "I thought I'd never have to face them again."

"Any sign of them on the other sides?" he asked after shaking off the haze.

"No, sir. You know their usual tactic—they like to concentrate their assault. I checked the entire perimeter of the fields. Nothing anywhere else. For now, they're focused on the northern wall."

"I'll form a few reconnteams to watch the other sides—just in case. If they change direction, we'll know immediately."

"What do we do, Chief?" John asked, his voice tense.

"What else can we do? We fight. Either we defeat them... or we die with them," William replied in a low voice, his hand clenched into a fist.

John noticed the flicker of pain—regret and trauma—flash across William's face for the briefest of moments. He steeled his heart, pushing it down, but it was enough for John to understand. He had carried that same burden after the disastrous event long ago. Maybe William's guilt was heavier—he had been the leader at the time. Otherwise, a steel-hearted warrior like him would never let his emotions surface.

"But we will not abandon our people to these monsters. I won't let the past repeat itself. I won't let them harm a single villager," William growled, teeth gritted and veins standing out at his temples.

"What are your orders, sir?" John asked, his fists clenched so tightly his knuckles turned white.

"Go to the central square. Hestia is preparing the second line of defense. We need more weapons—long spears, if possible. If not, any polearms will do. Hestia should be coordinating with the blacksmiths and carpenters. Help her and bring the weapons back here as fast as you can."

William tuened and met his eyes firmly. "You'll also be in charge of dealing with any smaller, faster beasts that breach the first line. Form a team from the villagers if needed. Do whatever it takes to keep our people safe."

"I understand, sir." John nodded and leapt down, sprinting toward the central square.

William hadn't concentrated the warriors in any single area. They would adapt to whatever situation arose. Their presence alone might give the civilians the courage to stand firm. Each warrior had been trained by him and the other members of the Old Guard for over five years. They had carried out regular hunts and clearing operations in the surrounding woods. If not for their lack of real combat experience, they would be indistinguishable from seasoned veterans.

But the village had limited resources. Training even one warrior was expensive—requiring rare herbs, strengthening potions, magical beast meat, and elixirs to surpass human limits. A small settlement of 2,000 people couldn't afford more. It was enough during peaceful times, but dark beasts were anything but ordinary—especially here.

Had William known this day would come, he would have trained more, even if it meant sacrificing quality for numbers. Against the Dark Tide, quantity mattered more than individual strength.

He sighed and pushed the thought away. It was useless now.

He patrolled along the wall, offering instructions and encouragement. He consulted with the other Old Guard members—the only ones with real experience fighting dark beasts. They would be the anchors of the defense.

Still, he couldn't keep all of them on the wall. He needed a strike team to face the strongest of the beasts—the demonic ones. After discussion, he chose three men, including himself: one fellow Old Guard member and one trained warrior. The remaining six stayed on the wall, where their presence would be critical.

Minutes later, men arrived with the polearms he had requested from Hestia. They were crudely made—some even fashioned from house beams and wooden columns. But William didn't care. They were better than nothing. Their reach would give villagers a better chance to stab beasts from the wall. He quickly distributed them to the remaining defenders.

William stood still for a moment, lost in thought—until the sharp sound of the watchtower horn jolted him back.

"Wooo-wooo… Wooo-wooo…"

William turned and saw dark, shadowy figures emerging in the fading light of the setting sun. Their numbers grew with each passing moment—ten... twenty... thirty.

He moved along the wall, shouting orders. "The first wave will be small, agile beasts. Some will try to jump the walls. Deal with them swiftly. They're fast but not deadly. Hold steady and don't panic. Warriors, take the lead."

Though the Old Guard had already briefed the warriors, William repeated the orders to keep everyone focused.

The beasts crept closer, their forms sharpening. The faster ones were the first to arrive.

"Roar... Hiss..."

Growls and hisses filled the air. Tension gripped the defenders. William noticed some of the villagers trembling.

He took a deep breath. "Hold steady! Use your spears and polearms! Don't let them gather beneath the walls!"

The villagers snapped to attention, thrusting their weapons downward. The long polearms helped them reach the beasts, but many were poorly crafted. Their wooden tips barely pierced the creatures' hides, and many strikes missed or glanced off thick skin.

Those armed with proper spears fared better. The hunters and trained fighters aimed for vulnerable spots. Sharpened metal tips pierced flesh. Some beasts were wounded. That was enough—for now. Injured beasts would bleed and weaken. They didn't need to be killed immediately.

Just as William began to believe the line would hold, one beast leapt onto the wall. It was a leopard-like dark beast. The moment it landed, it lunged at the nearest villager. The man froze in terror, dropping his polearm and raising his arms in a futile attempt to block.

William's heart sank. If someone was hurt now, panic would spread.

But a warrior intercepted the beast in time, driving his sword through its side and killing it.

Similar incidents followed. More beasts climbed the wall, but the warriors and Old Guard struck them down. A baboon-like creature lunged at a warrior—only to be cleaved in half.

Some villagers were injured, but none fatally. Watching the warriors cut down the beasts inspired confidence. The civilians gripped their weapons tighter, steadied themselves.

William knew, though, this was only the beginning.

It was merely and probing attack. Real attack would come later.

Fifteen minutes later, most of the first wave lay dead.

"Warriors! Jump down and finish off any remaining beasts. Drag their bodies 30 to 40 meters from the wall!"

The warriors obeyed swiftly. If the corpses piled up, they could form ramps for later waves.

Within minutes, the area was cleared. William scanned the horizon. A few stragglers approached, but they were no threat. The first wave was over.

"Half of you, rest. Injured, report to the second post. The rest, recover your strength. Drink water—but stay ready. The horn will summon you again."

The Old Guard coordinated rotations, ensuring every defender had time to rest. It was going to be a long battle.

William climbed the watchtower, scanning the darkening forest.

The real battle hadn't even begun.