Chapter 21 - Actually, I Have a Cheat Too

Translator's Note:

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The Great Beast Tide

 

 

The two were already close to Darkwind Ridge and soon reached the source of the earlier disturbance. Before they could get near, they saw an enormous wave of magic beasts charging down from the ridge—thousands of them at least. The sheer magnitude of the spectacle was breathtaking, a deafening, earth-shaking force that drove many mercenaries and adventurers to flee in terror, faces pale with fear.

 

Some, too close to escape, barely had time to scream before the tide of beasts swallowed them. Others, unable to run in time, were surrounded by clusters of beasts, torn apart on the spot. Their bodies were swiftly devoured, leaving no trace—not even clothing—only pools of blood marking the violence that had unfolded.

 

Without a word, Rex hoisted Ge Yan over his shoulder and dashed away from the scene.

 

They still had some distance between them and the mass of beasts, though soon, a frantic group of mercenaries appeared behind them, most of whom were members of the Raven and Black Wolf mercenary groups. Faces pale with fear, they were too focused on escaping to notice who was running beside them.

 

Rex realized he was unmasked, but he wasn't concerned about them recognizing him. Simon's message had never included him, and he hadn't interacted with Carlos and his group that day, so even if the Black Wolf leader Locke saw him, he'd at most inquire if Rex had seen the four. With careful distance maintained, Rex ensured the Black Wolf mercenaries couldn't approach him, and the thunderous sound of the beasts eventually faded, freeing them from the threat of being trampled by the stampede.

 

Once Rex set him down, Ge Yan's face was pale, queasy from the ride. He crouched on the ground, clutching the magic beast egg he'd protected with his life, dry heaving with no relief. He vowed then to run on his own from now on—never again would he let Rex carry him. After a while, he finally managed to stand up, and he saw that only the two of them were nearby, though faint voices carried from the distance.

 

"Where are we?" Ge Yan asked, wiping his mouth.

 

"A camp," Rex replied as he strode toward the sounds.

 

A camp? In the dangerous depths of the beast forest?

 

Ge Yan quickly followed, and after a short walk, they reached an unexpectedly open area that bustled with the lively energy usually only found in large towns.

 

Ahead lay a hillside cleverly hidden by the landscape, dotted with tents typical of a mercenary camp. People stood around the tents, loudly discussing the day's events. Among them was the Black Wolf mercenary leader, Commander Locke, whose face was dark and grim.

 

Listening to the discussions, they finally learned the cause of the beast tide.

 

It turned out that the Black Wolf leader, Locke, and the Raven's leader, Black Crow, had engaged in a fierce battle over a Shadow Winged Tiger. Both were swordmasters of considerable skill, making it difficult for others to interfere. Ordinarily, two powerful swordmasters would stand a good chance against a Shadow Winged Tiger, but both men were so determined to claim the kill that they kept interrupting each other. In the end, the Shadow Winged Tiger managed to escape.

 

This tiger, cunning as it was, immediately fled into Darkwind Ridge. At the time, neither Locke nor Black Crow thought twice and pursued it, still fighting one another as they went.

 

What they failed to consider was the large number of high-level beasts residing in the Yin Wind Mountain Range, some of which were Sacred Beasts, notorious for their fierce sense of territoriality. Humans causing chaos in their domain enraged these creatures, leading to the massive stampede.

 

Many lives were lost in the beast tide. No one had anticipated such an event, including the two culprits, Locke and Black Crow. Usually, any disturbance involving over a hundred magic beasts is considered a small-scale tide, while a thousand or more marks a large-scale one. Large tides typically occur only during peak beast tide seasons.

 

In comparison, Tris Town faces numerous beast tide attacks each year, and large tides like this one occur only once or twice annually, often resulting in significant casualties—even with organized defenses.

 

Given these circumstances, it was natural for everyone to be too terrified to even think about fighting back, and equally natural for many lives to be lost. Those who survived were indeed fortunate.

 

Now, it was safe to say that both the Black Wolf and Raven mercenary groups had "lost both bride and soldiers." Not only had they failed to capture the Shadow Winged Tiger, but they'd also suffered significant losses. The Black Wolf and Raven groups had been closest to Darkwind Ridge when the tide broke, so they bore the brunt of it. Most hadn't even had a chance to escape before they were crushed underfoot, not because they lacked strength but simply because they were trampled to death.

 

After the horde, both mercenary leaders looked grim. Even Raven, usually hiding behind a cheerful mask, wore a face as dark as Commander Locke's.

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