While their group was fighting in this area against the monster waves, the other groups, the awakeners in the city, and the defense forces were also fighting their own battles.More than half of the strong Awakeners were sent to Ruins in order to stop the monsters before they came here. Their intention was to lower the casualties.
Some groups were sent to scout the villages and check if there were any civilians left.
The battlefield was a cacophony of roars and clashing steel, with Adrian and the others locked in their own fierce struggle. Aria's arrows whizzed through the air, taking down the smaller monsters in quick succession, while Aurelius and Ren fought back-to-back, cutting down anything that came too close. Even as they fought, the tension in the air was thick.
Adrian swung his sword in a swift arc, cleaving through the last of the charging beasts. The creature let out a final screech before collapsing into the dirt, its body dissolving into mist as it vanished from the battlefield. He took a deep breath, wiping the sweat from his brow, his heart still racing from the intensity of the fight.
As the dust began to settle, his mind wandered, piecing together the fragments of what was happening around them.
'This is just the beginning...' Adrian thought grimly, his eyes narrowing as he recalled the event from the novel. The monster waves were only the beginning—something much worse was about to unfold. In the web novel, there had been a drastic turn of events, and it was happening right now.
He remembered it all too well: the forces sent to the Ruins to prevent further destruction, the scouting parties dispatched to villages, and the initial success in holding back the monsters. But it was all a façade. The true danger wasn't the monster waves—it was the ambush waiting for those who ventured too far.
'The Red Dragons Guild... and the third party who can somehow order the monsters to attack the city...'
Adrian's thoughts were interrupted by a sudden jolt through the ground. He could feel it beneath his feet, the unmistakable rumble of something massive approaching. He glanced around at his team, noticing the same look of unease spread across their faces. The roars of monsters in the distance grew louder, more menacing. But something was wrong—these monsters weren't coming from the usual direction.
"Adrian..." Aria's voice was quiet, filled with concern. "Do you feel that?"
He nodded, gripping his sword tighter. "It's the Ruins," he said, his voice steady but laced with urgency. "The Gold Tier Ruins have fully awakened."
Before Aria could respond, a piercing cry echoed through the skies. Dark figures appeared on the horizon, charging toward them with unnatural speed and ferocity. These weren't just monsters—they were being driven by something, controlled by a malevolent force.
In the distance, Adrian could see them: men with strange symbols glowing on their foreheads, commanding the creatures forward. Their eyes glowed with an eerie light, the same as the monsters.
'The men with the symbols... The cult-like group from the novel.'
The Red Dragons Guild had betrayed them, allying with this unknown faction, their members positioned at the Ruins to sabotage the defense forces. The sudden ambush had left the scouting and defense parties in disarray, and now, the monsters from the fully awakened high-ranked Ruins were charging directly toward Eldoria.
The weight of it all crashed down on them. The Gold Tier monsters were much stronger than what they had just faced—and worse, they were being led by these twisted individuals, all part of a plot to bring the city to its knees.
"Everyone, brace yourselves!" Ella's commanding voice cut through the rising tension. The seniors—Ella, Claire, and Ceil—stood at the frontlines, their expressions calm but deadly serious. Thankfully, those 4 could fight against the Gold Ruin monsters but they couldn't and would only hinder them.
Ella's silver eyes glowed with determination, her wind magic crackling around her as she prepared for the next onslaught. Claire twirled her staff, and Ceil readied her sword, each of them radiating power.
'They're the ones who'll lead the charge in this event', he thought, recalling how the trio had played a pivotal role in the original storyline. Their leadership and strength had kept the city from falling when all seemed lost. But this time... this time, things could be different.'
He wasn't a mere bystander anymore.
He might only be an extra in this world, but he knew the future, and with that knowledge came responsibility. He couldn't just rely on the original main characters to fix everything. Well, not that he had been doing it.
As the first of the new wave of monsters broke through the treeline, Adrian stored his sword back in the storage ring and whistled loudly.
After a few seconds, he noticed Dorian flying in their direction on Bane. He made a few gestures to Dorian which the man nodded.
Adrian watched as Dorian, riding atop his wyvern Bane, streaked through the air like a dark shadow. Bane's massive wings flapped powerfully, sending gusts of wind rippling through the battlefield. The ominous roar of the beast echoed over the chaos, but for Adrian, it was a sound of reassurance—a familiar signal that they weren't entirely outmatched.
Dorian locked eyes with Adrian from above, and with a nod of understanding, he guided Bane into a steep dive, aiming straight for the suspicious men with glowing symbols on their foreheads. The men controlling the monster horde were standing at the rear, directing the creatures forward like chess pieces on a board, oblivious to the impending attack.
"Now," Adrian whispered under his breath.
Bane unleashed an icy torrent from its maw, a chilling stream of frost that turned the air around it into a blizzard. The ground froze beneath its path, and the monsters caught in its wake let out a series of guttural cries, their bodies stiffening as the ice consumed them. In mere moments, the once fearsome creatures were reduced to frozen statues, their forms encased in jagged ice.
But the men with the glowing symbols—Adrian's real targets—weren't so easily caught. As the wave of ice drew nearer, the ground beneath them trembled, and a massive form erupted from the earth. S~eaʀᴄh the NôᴠelFirё.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
The Ruin Guardian.
A towering golem-like monster, monstrous being made of dark stone and crackling energy, the Ruin Guardian swiped its massive arm in front of the men, shattering the incoming ice before it could reach them. The wave of frost scattered harmlessly against the guardian's powerful defense, and the suspicious men quickly scrambled back, shielded by their protector.
Adrian cursed under his breath. 'The Ruin Guardian… it's as strong as I thought.'
The men with the glowing symbols sneered from behind their monstrous shield, their eerie eyes glowing brighter as they resumed their command of the monster horde. The guardian's presence made it nearly impossible to reach them directly. The creature was a force of nature, an unstoppable defender that Adrian recognized all too well from the novel.
'This is not bad...' Adrian thought, scanning the battlefield. The Gold Tier monsters were still coming in waves, but now they had the added threat of the Ruin Guardian and the mysterious faction pulling the strings. 'Now, we can switch to the next part of the plan.'