Adam clenched his jaw until the muscle stood out clearly.
There were rats in his territory.
Damn rats.
He hadn't expected the Kingdom of Aragon to be the first to make a move... but there they were, taking advantage of the tide of monsters from the Demon Forest to weaken them from within.
Damn opportunists.
The situation was escalating into something much more dangerous than a simple attack by beasts.
And he knew it.
Even so, he hadn't anticipated a move from Aragon so soon. And if they had taken the first step... he couldn't rule out Kamelot doing the same.
There are too many variables now.
His knowledge of the future was no longer an absolute advantage.
He had clung to the idea that remembering events would allow him to control the board.
But the world was not a fixed story.
Destiny did not follow a script.
Everything was constantly changing.
And he had just confirmed it.
He sat up with a long sigh. There was no time to dwell on things; he had identified the problem and now had to find a solution.
Adam looked at the knights for a moment before giving orders.
"Form a group of four and go report the situation to Lucas and Alaric; tell them that rats from the kingdom of Aragon have infiltrated and that they should be on the lookout for any anomalies. Of course, don't forget, if you see anything, don't hesitate to use the warning flares."
"Yes, young master!"
He watched them form as he left the makeshift tent; now he had to move to another area to provide support where the rank I and II monsters were attacking.
...Although he also had another reason for going to those areas: to gain EXP.
Because, despite the tide of monsters, it represents a danger; it is also a great opportunity to become stronger.
After leaving the makeshift tent, he took one of the horses and headed straight for the battle zone.
...
The southwestern part of Arkham had been the hardest hit. Hours earlier, scouts had reported sightings of silver wolves and mud boars, creatures of rank I and, in the worst cases, rank II.
For a trained knight, they were no serious threat.
For ordinary soldiers... it was another story.
The silver wolves hunted in packs and targeted the flanks. The mud boars, on the other hand, charged relentlessly until they broke bones or improvised walls. Even a single mistake could cost several lives.
Adam advanced through the cobbled streets as the rain pelted his helmet with a constant patter. The horse's gallop echoed between the closed facades.
Thanks to his mana perception attribute, he sensed several hidden presences behind doors and windows.
Citizens, watching and waiting.
In times of crisis, fear always found cracks to peek through.
Adam pulled on the reins.
The horse sped up, splashing water with every stride.
If the reports were correct, the real problem would not be the beasts...
Not long after, he reached the area where the soldiers were resisting, as best they could, the onslaught of silver wolves and mud boars.
The wolves moved in circles, looking for a weak spot in the formation. The boars, on the other hand, charged without strategy, relying on their mass and their skin hardened by the murky mana that ran beneath their flesh.
A dangerous combination.
Adam wasted no time in dismantling it.
He circulated his mana through the internal channels until it was concentrated in the sword. Above his head appeared the Wheel of Mana Dharma, spinning slowly like a silent omen.
He gathered strength in his legs and propelled himself forward, tearing up chunks of the soggy ground.
A silver wolf noticed him. So did a wild boar.
Too late.
The sword came down in a clean arc.
The wolf's reinforced neck, capable of withstanding ordinary spears, split open as if it were paper.
[You gained 1 EXP]
The body fell into the mud with a heavy thud. Adam ignored the notification.
He spun around.
The boar charged, convinced that its rush would be enough. Many soldiers had died trying to stop that mass head-on.
Adam didn't.
A single slash.
A bow of mana cut through the air.
The boar's body split into two perfect halves.
[You gained 1 EXP]
For a second, the nearest soldiers stopped retreating.
The pressure had shifted.
Adam didn't stop.
He took advantage of the momentary distraction to eliminate as many monsters as possible.
He moved from side to side, slashing and decapitating silver wolves and mud boars. Notification windows appeared and disappeared in his vision, quickly piling up.
Around him, several soldiers stood frozen by the sudden chaos.
Adam glanced at them out of the corner of his eye.
"What are you doing standing there?! Defensive formation! Now!"
The cry rang out across the rain-covered field.
The soldiers finally reacted.
Adam refocused on the enemies.
Silver wolves and mud boars of ranks I and II.
Creatures that, under normal circumstances, would not pose a serious threat to a Novice Knight... but in a group they were capable of tearing through even poorly positioned steel.
He leaped to one side, dodging a furious charge. The claws of a silver wolf tore through the air where his neck had been a moment before. Those beasts had enough strength to tear an ordinary man in two.
They were not opponents to be underestimated.
He took advantage of a slight opening.
He breathed.
He changed his stance.
Above his head, the Wheel of Mana Dharma spun with an almost imperceptible sound. The bluish glow darkened until it turned black, and the mana surrounding the blade of Repentance took on the same hue.
Adam felt the change instantly.
The black stance.
More aggressive. More unstable. More lethal.
Without hesitation, he executed the Gallant Horse fencing technique.
His figure blurred for an instant.
The next moment, he was already among the silver wolves.
The black blade of Repentance traced a dark line in the air. The only thing visible was that trail of mana moving among the beasts... and the bodies falling one after another before they even understood what had struck them.
When the movement ceased, the mud was covered in blood.
In a matter of seconds, most had died.
The few remaining fled into the forest.
The field fell silent.
But the silence was short-lived.
Adam sensed a violent fluctuation of mana approaching.
Heavy and hostile.
He turned his gaze toward the edge of the forest.
The trees parted abruptly.
Then he saw it.
A silver wolf nearly four meters tall emerged from the rain. Its long, wet, white fur glowed with an unnatural, faint radiance.
The pressure it exuded was unlike anything he had ever felt before.
Adam knew it instantly.
A damn Rank III monster.