The tension was rising across the Jakartha City's Central Zone. The tension was unbearable, thick enough to suffocate.
Jakartha City's Central Zone had turned into a fortress of steel and souls.
Every single Ascendant of the Jakartha City Adventure Guild stood in formation. Rows upon rows of warriors, mages, archers, and tamers united in silence. Their breaths were steady, but their hearts pounded like war drums.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
This wasn't a Goblin Den.
This wasn't a Beast Hunt.
This wasn't some Monster Extermination Quest.
No.
This… was the Beast Tide Examination.
A real battle. A test soaked in blood, fear, and fire.
Over a thousand wild beasts were approaching.
From 1st Star Low Stage to 3rd Star Peak Stage, the very earth would tremble beneath their charge.
Some of the younger Ascendants shivered.
Even the veterans couldn't fully hide their unease.
WHOOSH!
A cold gust of wind swept across the zone, brushing over iron armor, fluttering guild banners, and whispering ancient omens through the trees.
Among the gathered forces stood Jack and his family a small flame in this sea of warriors.
Jack and his mother, Emma, stood firm.
Both were 2nd Star Mid Stage Ascendants, well-trained, their eyes sharp.but even they could feel it. That crawling tension under their skin, that electric tingle in the air.
Their father, James, stood beside them calm, composed, his towering Tamed Beast Ironfang beside him, mirroring his power. As a Beast Tamer, their strength was one.
Two close family friends flanked them, silent but resolute.
They moved as one unit, flowing with the mass of Adventurers marching toward the Central Zone Protection Barrier.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
The rhythmic stomps of hundreds of boots echoed across the stone path. Weapons clinked. Armor rattled. The wind howled.
The outer walls loomed ahead, monolithic and grim. Beyond them, the wilderness stirred.
Rows of camp tents had already been set. Fires crackled faintly, trying to pierce the growing cold.
The sky dimmed, the last traces of sunlight bleeding red into black.
The time was 7:30 PM.
A strange silence fell, as if the world itself held its breath.
Then
BWAAAH! BWAAAH! BWAAA-BWAAAH!! HONK! VRRRMMM! DAA-DAA-DAAAHH!!
A mighty war horn shattered the silence, vibrating through the bones of every soul present.
BOOM! BOOM!
Two echoing drum beats followed. The signal had been given.
All heads turned.
On a raised platform at the center of the battle camp, a cloaked figure stood.
The Adventure Guild Representative.the one appointed to lead this segment of the front.
His voice cut through the cold like a blade.
"All Ascendants of Jakartha City's Adventure Guild!"
"Hear me now!"
"You stand at the edge of fierce battle!"
"The Beast Tide approaches. An ocean of teeth, claws, and fury will crash against our walls. But we will not break!"
"You are the shield that guards this city. The sword that strikes down chaos!"
"Tonight… we fight!"
"Tonight… we protect!"
"And if death comes.let it know this: WE DO NOT FEAR IT!"
The barrier pulsed with light
WHUUUMMMM!
Magic formations activated one after another.
Crack!
Bang!
The earth itself responded to the rising energy.
The battlefield was awakening.
And so were the beasts.
"All Ascendants, gather around!"
"Important briefing begins now!"
A sharp, commanding voice cut through the cold night air.
WHOOSH!
Tents flapped. Armor clinked. Footsteps rustled against the ground as hundreds of figures rose and moved in unison, forming a loose circle around the raised wooden platform at the heart of the outer zone.
The murmurs faded into silence as the Guild Representative stepped forward.his eyes fierce, his tone unwavering.
"First thing's first.take this."
He raised a thick, leather-bound book high for all to see.
"This is the Beast Encyclopedia. It holds detailed profiles of every known beast from 1st Star Low Stage to 3rd Star Peak Stage."
"Names, appearances, elemental affinities, strengths, weaknesses, attack patterns, formations.they're all in here."
"If you want to survive out there… you better read and memorize everything."
THUD.
He slammed the book down on the podium.
Immediately, Guild staff began moving through the crowd, distributing copies one by one.
Jack accepted his copy silently.
So did Emma.
James and their close companions took theirs as well.
But truthfully they didn't need it.
Not one page of it.
Because they already had something far superior, a divine compendium granted by Angel Ava, one that detailed not just low-tier beasts… but monsters up to the 9th Star Emperor-Class.
A living encyclopedia of this battle field.
Still, Jack bowed politely to the staff member handing him the book.
Sometimes, respect matters more than necessity.
Once every hand held a copy, the Guild Representative continued:
"Next team formation."
"Listen well."
"We have five hundred Otherworlder Ascendants stationed here. Each of you will be assigned into specialized squads forty members per team."
"Each squad will consist of four core units."
He raised his hand and gestured toward the large parchment scrolls being rolled open beside the stage.
The names began appearing.written with mana ink, glowing faintly under the moonlight.
Each team would have around 40 members, and every team would include a balanced set of fighters:
1. Frontline Tankers – Meant to block the charge and take the first hits.
2. Support Teams – Healers, buff specialists, and mana boosters.
3. Close-Range High Damage Dealers – Warriors, Knights, and heavy melee users.
4. Long-Range Damage Dealers – Archers, Mages, and ranged spellcasters.
"1st Team Frontline Tankers."
"2nd Support Teams: Healers, Buffers, and Mana Boosters."
"3rd Team Close-Range High Damage Dealers."
"4th Team Long-Range Damage Dealers: Archers, Mages, and Casters."
One by one, names were listed.
And slowly… the assignments began.
Jack stood still. His heart is steady. His eyes are sharp.
Beside him, his mother Emma quietly gripped her magic staff.
Their father James said nothing, but his tamed beast gave a low growl feeling the rising pressure in the air.
A moment later
DING!
Their names appeared under Team 4.
East Wall Protection Squad.
A balanced strike unit positioned at one of the most vulnerable zones of the city's defense.
They looked at each other and nodded silently.
They were ready.
But around them… the atmosphere was shifting.
The once-calm night had turned heavy, weighed down by tension and unspoken fear.
No one said it aloud but they all felt it.
Something was coming.
Something massive.
A rumble stirred in the distance too faint for the ear, but the soul could hear it.
BOOM.
A deep vibration under the ground.
BOOM. BOOM.
The beasts were on the move.
The Beast Tide had begun.
And once it hit...
There would be no mercy.
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To Be Continued..!!