Chapter 229: First Encounter with the Beast Horde

Returning to his room, Rod felt particularly gloomy. He wasn’t sure whether to sigh for the people of that simple village or for Silverwing and the others. Nightingale—right now, the most crucial thing was that woman. He didn’t know where she was. Rod hoped to find her as soon as possible to uncover the truth. He also knew that things might indeed be as the man in black had said—he had become a devil who committed every kind of evil across the continent, killing indiscriminately and craving blood like mad.

With mixed emotions, he devoted himself to training, spending an entire night in monotonous practice until he was awakened by knocks at the door. He stopped training, exhaled heavily, and went to the door. Opening it, he saw a figure standing there. Only then did he realize it was already dawn, with the sun casting its gentle light over the land.

“How did you get here?” Rod asked Horri in confusion. This guy always showed up unannounced. Coming here so early must mean something was wrong—or perhaps there was a new task for him to carry out.

“The beast horde has arrived!” Horri said simply, with a hint of bitterness on his face.

Those few words left Rod standing there in silence, stunned. The beast horde had arrived? It seemed too sudden. He hadn’t heard anything about it and had momentarily forgotten about it.

“Are they fierce?” Rod asked doubtfully.

“Extremely fierce. It’s already in full swing. There’s heavy fighting at the defense walls. The number is likely over a thousand, including imperial and sacred-grade magical beasts, with one quasi-divine-grade beast leading them!” Horri took a deep breath and whispered to Rod.

“Quasi-divine-grade!” Rod repeated in shock. He hadn’t expected it to come so quickly. From what he had learned the previous day, it should take some time for the beast horde to reach its peak—at least ten days before large-scale attacks and battles would occur. Magical beasts of sacred and quasi-divine grades were usually the main forces in such horde attacks, appearing only after things reached their climax—signifying the most intense battles.

Yet now, less than five days had passed since the horde started, and already there were sacred and quasi-divine-grade beasts. This made Rod sense something was amiss.

“What are your plans?” Rod asked Horri quietly. He couldn’t have come just to tell him this; there must be more tasks for him to accomplish!

“The lord wants you to get ready to set out. Help defend against the enemy forces there—it will count as part of your training. Your task is to kill at least twenty imperial-level magical beasts and one sacred-level magical beast! Once you complete this, you can return!” Horri said, looking at Rod with a wry smile and helplessly spreading his hands.

“Damn it!” Rod couldn’t help but curse upon hearing this. Twenty imperial-level magical beasts and one sacred-level one—forget about the sacred one for now; just twenty imperial-level beasts were already beyond his capabilities. Twenty! After all, the attack power of an imperial-level magical beast is no less than that of any imperial-level warrior. Even imperial-level warriors might not be able to defeat one, as their abnormally high attack and defense powers pose the greatest threat. And he was supposed to do all this by himself?

“Don’t worry. There are countless magical beasts. Twenty imperial-level beasts are just a drop in the ocean compared to an entire horde. You don’t need to worry about not having targets. If you want to grow, struggle. Struggling on the brink of death will bring you the fastest progress and the most direct improvement. Your techniques are too fancy and not practical enough. I believe completing these tasks will allow you to reach a new level!” Horri added, looking at Rod.

“What about you?” Rod asked in a deep voice after taking a deep breath.

“We have matters to attend to and won’t participate in this defense. We won’t worry about or interfere in these matters, unless it really comes to that!!” Horri explained, gazing into the distance as if preoccupied.

“Damn it! I get it! If nothing else, I’ll go get ready!” Rod replied gloomily, giving Horri a dismissive look before turning and heading inside without hesitation. He was upset, not because of the danger ahead, but because his life was being controlled by others, as if he had become someone else’s subordinate. Yet even so, he couldn’t find a proper reason to refuse or resist, forcing him to submit. This feeling made him miserable.

Watching Rod walk inside, Horri stood still for a moment before saying to Rod, who was backlit and packing his things, “Be careful! Don’t reveal your identity, and don’t be reckless. The horde is likely to last about a month. Make the most of this time—there won’t be many opportunities!” Without waiting for Rod’s reply, he walked straight away into the distance.

“A month? Maybe it’ll be faster!” Left alone, Rod glanced at the empty room and sighed silently before continuing to pack his things.

Having returned for less than a day, he had to leave again. With a wry smile, he glanced around the room, still feeling that familiar pull, then sighed and set his luggage aside. He had only returned yesterday, so there was nothing to pack—everything was already in his magic bag. After quickly washing up and putting on his mask, Rod set off outside. There were no farewells, no one to see him off. Dragging his somewhat lonely body toward the defensive wall, he felt a bit lost. Sometimes he really thought he could just give up this continent—abandoned by people, hunted by the empire, turned into a demon, unwelcome by all— and ignore all these things. But why then risk it? The beast horde was dangerous; it meant facing death countless times and suffering heavy losses. Going there would bring no benefits and only constant danger. Every time he thought about it, he sighed, but in the end, he overcame his hesitation. Partly out of curiosity and partly for the sake of cultivation, indeed, it was only after reaching this level that he realized the world was even larger than he had imagined, making him seem even more insignificant—a speck of dust in this vast world. To avoid being blown away by the wind, he had to become stronger. On the streets, although it was early morning, soldiers, mercenary teams, reinforcements, and independent adventurers could be seen everywhere. He even spotted a group of mages, which left Rod stunned. Truly powerful beings—ones he rarely had the chance to see in normal times, whose strength was beyond ordinary imagination. Tension and solemnity filled the streets and alleys; alarm sounds rang incessantly, seemingly reminding people at all times that danger was approaching and they were in a precarious situation. Few shops were open, stalls were deserted, and there were few wandering figures on the streets. Faced with danger, these people had either fled or chosen to stay. Following the route taken by the main force, Rod headed toward the defensive wall along the path he had taken before. From afar, he saw the towering city walls, hailed as the continent’s greatest natural barrier and first line of defense. They still stood tall and majestic, covered with a sea of people. The bustling crowds and noisy sounds could be heard from afar.

The surroundings were unusually bustling. Groups of soldiers emerged from inside from time to time and rushed away into the distance, while from afar, the wounded were also carried back to the camp from time to time. Suffering victims could be seen groaning everywhere along the roads, and a faint smell of blood spread in the wind. The sounds of fighting in the distance could now be heard clearly! As Rod approached, the shouts and screams merged together, sounding particularly harsh. The additional roars and howls coming from outside the city made one’s hair stand on end; standing on the ground, one could even feel it trembling slightly.

Following the main force and passing through the inspection by the soldiers at the second line of defense, Rod successfully made his way forward to the front line. Upon arriving in this area, the chaotic scene made Rod’s heart ache, causing him to frown. The smell of blood was overwhelming; many magicians who had just arrived here began to vomit before even engaging in battle. Blood flowed down the towering city walls like red waterfalls, gathering into streams on the ground, turning the walls bright red.

Piles of corpses were carried down from the city by logistics soldiers for disposal by the soldiers on the second front line. In the distance, fiery red flames surged upward like pillars reaching the sky, emitting thick black smoke and a foul, pungent smell—the scent of burning corpses. To avoid hindering combat and for convenience, they chose to burn the dead on the spot!

Lives were suffering, and souls were groaning. On this day, countless nameless souls would remain, along with ashes and dust of those who refused to give up. Many spirits would wander the skies with nowhere to go. Climbing onto the city walls, Rod was shocked by the chaotic scene—the intensity of the battle far exceeded his imagination. From east to west along the entire wall, at least tens of thousands of soldiers and personnel were stationed here. In the Collins Forest below the city, countless magical beasts had gathered, roaring, charging, and moving about. Their deafening roars, angry barks, heavy footsteps, and pungent smells filled the air. Magical beasts flying in the sky formed the first line of the magical beast army, fighting fiercely against humans. Magic spells were cast like dazzling fireworks, and flashes of swords and blades illuminated the surroundings like countless flashlights. Yet, beneath this splendid spectacle, lives continued to be lost.

Real war made Rod experience the cruelty of reality for the first time.