The first few figures beca clear through the thick fog of approaching dust like dark blurs moving across the dead landscape. Then more followed them. Then more after that.
Within just a few seconds, the scale of what was coming to them beca horrifyingly apparent to everyone present.
Everyone there had experienced their fair share of combat against the Spike Beasts, but nobody could have prepared for this.
This wasn’t just a large group, but quite literally a flood of endless beasts covering the horizon. Quite literally every single remaining Spike Beast gathered together in this horde.
A black-grey tide of bipedal bodies, spikes, claws and killing intent surging over the broken earth at a terrifying speed. That was what the hundred of so Awakened faced.
The dead trees in their path were effortlessly snapped apart underfoot, even the upright ones didn’t stand much of a chance against them.
"S-spike Beasts..." Soone muttered.
Their confirmation was like poison. Complete panic and pandemonium erupted throughout the basin.
"How many are there!?"
"What the fuck is this!?"
"Thousands! There are thousands of them heading for us!"
"No way... there’s just no way!"
That rough order that had been built over the past several hours collapsed in an instant. So Awakened instinctively backed toward the sealed lair, as though being closer to it ant safety. Others turned around entirely, looking for any route of escape that didn’t involve engaging that incoming wave of beasts.
Rohan stood rooted to the ground. He was no fool — there was no escaping this. Nowhere in the Spike Beast Gate was safe from this horde. ’Except for the inside of this lair, maybe.’
The whole point of gathering at the centre had been that all routes outward were too far, and the beasts were coming from the direction most groups had approached from. Even if they fled now in a disorganised panic, the Spike Beasts would catch up to them at so point, or they’d just starve to death.
There were no edible beasts to feast on in ergencies in this gate — the only species in there were the Spike Beasts and their at was toxic, full of deadly minerals and tals that could kill even in tiny amounts.
Elane’s breathing grew shallower beside Rohan as she realised sothing that could affect the entire outlook of their situation.
"They’re herding us..."
All points led to that one conclusion.
The waystones were destroyed. The Spike Beasts disappeared, and the lair was sealed tightly shut.
And now, once every surviving Awakened still inside the gate had converged here, the beasts returned in one massive wave.
Rohan could see them already starting to surround them instead of charging directly in like the mindless beasts they are.
’They’re being controlled... Every last one of them.’ Being able to control a few beasts was scary enough, but facing up against a power that could control thousands of them all at once petrified him.
This was no coincidence. This whole gate had been shaped into a trap
Just what had he and Elane stumbled into!? All this from an impulsive decision to enter a gate for extra training and to find Elane a Genetic Armant?
"God dammit, people, get your shit together!"
The scarred man from earlier climbed onto a boulder and shouted at the top of his lungs to gather everyone’s attention.
"Don’t lose hope and your sense of sanity just yet! We still have over a hundred Awakened gathered, each with dozens, hundreds of kills to back them up! We can beat this horde if we keep working together — not if you all run around pissing your pants out of fright."
Much of the haste and panic began to stall. The approaching horde was still five kilotres or so from them, coming closer by the minute.
"Do you want to die like sissies? Forever rembered as the pitiful Awakened who cried for Mommy in their last monts? Or do you want to co out the other side of this knowing you faced off a horde of thousands of beasts and survived? This will be a story for the future generations, I tell ya that!"
His words were harsh, but they got the point across flawlessly.
However, so people still felt the inescapable dread deep in their hearts — Rohan included.
’The mont that horde launches a volley of spikes, over half of us will die.’
There was no way all of them could dodge thousands of spikes falling on them at once. Only those with strong enough defence, or with shields to cover them, could survive a volley like that.
’There’s no point trying to hide my Firestone Skin anymore either.’
Rohan’s fingers tightened around the shaft of his spear, feeling his skin harden. Nobody around him reacted to the sudden move that he’d kept hidden until now. They were all too focused on the horde to care.
All around him, the other Awakened were going through similar changes. Panic hadn’t disappeared completely — far from it — but the scarred man’s words had at least forced enough people to stop acting like headless chickens and start thinking properly again.
Groups reford, and weapons were summoned.
Archers and other ranged users were already beginning to spread out and launch projectiles at the approaching horde. There was no need for aiming or accuracy when the target covered such a wide area.
Sobody started shouting for strength-type awakened to gather in one section. Another for shield users to spread out and cover as many people as they can in the inevitable mont the opposing force fired a volley.
It was a ss, but a functional one now that most people got their act together.
And still, Rohan could not tear his eyes away from the approaching horde.
Five kilotres beca four.
Four beca three.
The endless flood of Spike Beasts didn’t slow. Their black-grey bodies stread over the dead land in waves, dust barely starting to settle in their wake.
The rumbling underneath everyone’s feet had turned into a booming by now, drowning out every other source of sound for a dozen kilotres.
Elane stood to Rohan’s side, visibly scared, but bow in hand and constantly shooting spike-arrows into the air.
"...I can’t even see the end of it yet." She spoke loudly.
Rohan was close enough to hear her, and it didn’t make him feel any better.
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