Magus Reborn

115. Beast wave (5)

Amyra’s breath caught as a vision seized her mind, unbidden.

In it, a monstrous figure hovered after her, its massive body covered in dark, vein-like streaks pulsating with hostile energy, reminiscent of the twisted spiders that inched closer towards them. Screams echoed all around her, distant but deafening, blending with the chaotic roar of battle. Her feet stumbled backwards as a tremor shot through her body. She barely suppressed a shudder, her hand instinctively gripping the hilt of a dagger she carried for safety.

In front of her, Killian was a blur of motion. The spiders lunged, shooting webs and venom in every direction, but Killian met them with crackling bolts of lightning.

His technique flashed through the battlefield like a thunderstorm— arcs of blue light danced off his fingertips, splitting the air and finding their mark in the spiders’ abdomens. Each strike hit with surgical precision, exploiting their weak points, as his speed kept him out of their grasp. Despite the overwhelming numbers, he seemed to thrive in the chaos, dodging their flailing legs and retaliating with relentless strikes.

Amyra’s gaze wavered, her hands trembling. She stood rooted to the spot, her chest heaving with shallow breaths. She wanted to run— everything in her screamed to flee. But the cold stone of the wall pressed into her back, trapping her.

Her eyes darted around, searching for an escape, but everywhere was engulfed in battle.

Ahead, the mana cannons roared, obliterating clusters of enemies in blinding flashes, while Enforcers and Mages tore through the remaining creatures. Even the frays fought bravely alongside them, their claws drenched in the blood of the beast tide. No one noticed her. No one had time for her.

Her heart sank as she glanced skyward. The storm above raged— Kai’s flames clashed violently with the dark energy coming off from the brood mother, Vermorga. The battlefield’s very air felt alive with the destruction approaching the walls.

He’s not coming to save me this time, she realised, the bitter truth settling in.

Killian glanced back at Amyra, his voice tight but reassuring. "Don’t worry. I’ve got this." He spun, his sword slicing through two spiders with swift arcs of lightning. But then a leg—thick and fast—slashed through his shoulder, and before he could react, another spider barreled into him. The impact sent him crashing into the wall with a sickening thud.

Amyra’s heart leapt into her throat. "Killian!" she screamed, rushing to his side, her hands glowing with weak, flickering mana. She pressed them to the gash on his shoulder, trying desperately to heal the wound, but her first-circle spell was barely enough to close small cuts, let alone something this deep.

Her fingers shook as she poured everything she had into the spell, her voice trembling with whispered incantations, but the wound was too large. The blood kept pouring.

Killian groaned, struggling to rise, but his body wouldn’t cooperate. The spiders closed in, their deformed forms surrounding them, pincers clacking in unison as if in some twisted celebration. Amyra froze, fear rooting her in place as her breath hitched in her throat.

Killian, wincing in pain, tried to shove her behind him. "Amyra, move!" His voice was strained. "I... I can still fight." But his limbs betrayed him. His injuries were too severe, and the spiders pressed forward, hungry for their victory.

One of the creatures hissed, launching a web that struck Killian, pinning him against the wall. He let out a shout and moved to break off the webs, but they didn’t even shake.

His arms were bound, and no amount of struggling could break the sticky threads. The spiders screeched at that, their eyes gleaming as they closed in. Killian’s head lolled to the side, meeting Amyra’s terrified gaze. "Run... Save yourself. Don’t—" he gasped, his voice desperate. "Don’t stay for me. Go!"

Her eyes welled with tears as she shook her head violently. "How can I run? I don’t want to leave you!" The words barely escaped her lips, her voice cracking under her fear and helplessness.

At that moment, another memory flashed through her mind— voices yelling at her to run, the faces of those she’d abandoned before moving like ghosts. But before she could react, another spider reared up, its mouth glowing with dark energy, venom swirling with deathly mana. The creature’s aim was fixed, and it fired straight at Killian, ready to finish him off.

Without thinking, Amyra threw herself in front of him, her body acting on pure instinct.

The venom splashed across her chest, seeping into her skin like molten poison. Killian’s eyes widened in horror. "What are you doing?! That’s venom mixed with dead mana!" He struggled harder against the web, trying to break free— grab his sword to tear it apart. His voice came out hoarse with panic. "You need to find Lord Arzan... He’ll know how to make an antidote! You have to go!"

Amyra’s body trembled, partly from the venom coursing through her veins, but mostly from the flood of emotions overtaking her mind. She shook her head, eyes distant, as cruel memories flashed before her. Her clan… The only part of her that was left. "No... I won’t run," she whispered, her voice cracking. "Not again!"

The black lines creeping up her arm suddenly halted, then began to retreat. It happened almost too quickly for Killian to grasp what was happening. A soft, golden glow radiated from within her, spreading across her skin like a shield.

Killian’s eyes widened in disbelief. "Amyra… what—?"

Even the spiders paused, their legs twitching in hesitation as they stared at the light now wrapping around her. They had no understanding of what they were facing, the usual hunger in their eyes momentarily replaced by confusion.

As the spiders lunged to finish her off, Amyra’s gaze sharpened, her voice rising above the chaos. "You fiends… can’t kill me!" Her voice was fierce, but there was something deeper— a resolve she hadn’t felt in years. The golden light erupted from her, expanding in a brilliant wave that swallowed everything around her. It gave off a heat, burning away everything in its path.

The spiders screeched in agony, their legs flailing as the light consumed them, searing away their dark forms like paper in flame. A few of them tried to run, but the light was far quicker, devouring before they could escape.

Amyra’s mana surged uncontrollably, raw and unrefined, drawn from the depths of her soul, pouring out as if it had a mind of its own. It wasn’t just power— it was the release of years of guilt, fear, and the pain of running. And then, in an instant, it was too much.

Her body collapsed, the golden glow fading as quickly as it had come.

But in those final moments, before her eyes closed, the screams of her clan echoed in her mind again. She remembered running, helpless. But this time, she had stood her ground— this time, it had been different.

***

Ragnar’s breath came in ragged gasps, his grip on his mace tightening with every swing. Since the day he first picked up a weapon and began raiding merchant and noble caravans, he’d faced his share of close calls. There were a few moments when he thought he might die—especially that time he’d been captured by Arzan— but nothing compared to the suffocating dread he felt now.

Before, survival had seemed like a question of luck, skill, and brute strength. But now? Now, death felt inevitable.

Vaeliths—scaly, with thick hides that shimmered in the dull light, claws as long as daggers— rushed at him in waves.

They were Grade 2 beasts and their screeches filled the air, adding to the chaos around him. Ragnar brought his mace down with a fierce shout, slicing through the closest creature.

Blood sprayed across his armour, and the monster collapsed at his feet, twitching. But it was only one of many. No matter how many he cut down, more replaced them, their numbers seemingly endless.

He stepped back, eyes scanning the battlefield.

To his left, Gorak and other mercenaries were locked in combat, their faces set in grim with one goal— kill as many as possible. He had seen them with the blessed Mage before, but back then, he hadn’t gotten a chance to see how strong they were. Now, he could say that even without Arzan being there that night, the mercenaries would have been a hard challenge for his men.

Gorak’s enchanted axe whirled like blurs, hacking through anything that got too close. His team members weren’t far behind, using their weapons to hold the line. Especially the elven archer who had chosen to follow her team instead of being on the walls like the other archers.

Every once in a while, a blast of flame or ice erupted from behind, carving a path through the horde, but it was never enough. For every monster they felled, two more took its place.

On his right, Ragnar saw fellow barbarians— his people. Their war cries echoed over the din of battle as they fought with a wild, savage fury.

Blood-soaked and battered, they swung their heavy weapons with reckless abandon, relying on sheer brute strength to mow down the monsters. Some had already fallen, their bodies trampled beneath the endless tide of beasts, but those still standing fought on, undeterred by their losses.

The guards who were known as Enforcers dotted the battlefield, their more disciplined movements contrasting with the chaotic style of the barbarians and mercenaries.

Their steel-clad forms moved in well-rehearsed patterns, cutting through the weaker monsters with surgical precision. But even they were struggling to hold the line.

Ragnar clenched his jaw, forcing himself to focus.

He had to push forward.

A sudden growl rumbled through the battlefield, making the hairs on Ragnar’s neck stand on end. It wasn’t like the others— this was deeper, more primal, raw, hungry! His eyes darted toward the sound, and before he could fully react, a beast lept out from behind the horde of monsters.

This one was different. Larger. Its massive body was highlighted from the other beasts, each step sending tremors through the ground. Covered in a thick, stone-like hide, the creature shimmered with a dull, sickly gleam under the dim sky. It had a presence that made even the vicious Vaeliths pause.

A Grade 3 beast. This was no ordinary creature.

Ragnar’s breath caught in his throat as the beast, known as the arsenic bear, let out a roar that shook the ground beneath him. Its roar reverberated through his bones, sending a pulse of dread through his body.

The arsenic bear was infamous in the wilds— its hide was said to be as tough as stone, and its breath carried a venomous miasma, capable of poisoning anything in its wake.

It was larger than any beast Ragnar had faced before during the battle, its jagged hide shimmering with a toxic green hue as if its very blood was laced with poison. And then, without warning, it pounced.

Ragnar barely managed to roll out of the way, the ground where he’d been standing now cracked and smoking from the sheer force of the impact. The arsenic bear’s claws were like jagged boulders, each swipe heavy enough to shatter a shield.

"Damn," Ragnar muttered under his breath, quickly regaining his stance. His weapon felt too small, too fragile in the face of such a creature.

He watched as the bear turned, its glowing green eyes fixed on him, drool dripping from the corners of its mouth.

The beast roared again, rearing up on its hind legs. It was easily twice his height now, its thick, muscular frame covered in ridges of armor-like hide. Ragnar clenched his weapon tighter. His heart raced, but he didn’t back down.

He couldn’t.

The arsenic bear charged again, its claws cutting through the air, aiming for death. Ragnar dodged, barely avoiding the razor-sharp talons, and swung his weapon. Sparks flew as his mace clanged against its stony hide, but the beast didn’t even flinch. Its thick hide was like a fortress, absorbing his attacks with ease.

The bear swung a massive paw at Ragnar. He raised his weapon in defense, but the sheer force of the blow sent him flying back, skidding across the ground. He groaned as he pushed himself back to his feet, his arms shaking from the impact.

Behind him, Gorak and the mercenary team were holding their own against the horde of smaller monsters, but Ragnar’s focus was locked on the arsenic bear. This was his fight. The bear’s claws scraped the ground, and its eyes narrowed, glowing with a sickly green light as it prepared to strike again.

Ragnar’s muscles tensed. He could feel the anger boiling inside him, the fire in his chest growing hotter. The Lombards were warriors— fighters who thrived in battle, and he wouldn’t let this beast best him.

He tapped into that rage, the very emotion that fueled his people’s martial arts, and surged forward. His speed increased, his strikes sharper and more precise as the anger coursed through his veins. His mace struck the beast’s side, and this time, he felt it bite into flesh.

The bear let out a pained growl, thick, green blood oozing from the wound.

But Ragnar had no time to celebrate. Before he could land another strike, another creature pounced at him from the side, its fangs bared.

For a split second, Ragnar’s heart stopped. He had no time to dodge. But before the beast could reach him, a golden light engulfed the battlefield.

It swallowed Ragnar and the beasts whole, and just like that, everything around him faded into a blinding light.

***

Kai gritted his teeth, his eyes locked on the abnormal form of the brood mother, Vermorga. Its legs, massive and spindly, thrashed violently as it tried to tear its way through him, its monstrous bulk inching closer to the city.

His hands moved to weave another spell, but for a brief moment, he got distracted as a strange golden light flared near the city walls, but he had no time to dwell on it.

Vermorga screeched, and Kai responded with a torrent of spells. Lances of flame shot from his hands, precise and deadly, each one aimed at the creature’s vulnerable joints. Wind cutters followed, slicing through the air and biting into the legs of the beast, their sharp edges intended to immobilise it. But no matter how much damage he inflicted, the spider surged forward, relentlessly.

This should be working, he thought, frustration building as his fiend fire—the very spell that was supposed to incinerate its corrupted form— licked along its body but failed to consume it.

Normally, the flames would devour anything tainted by dark mana, reducing it to ash. But the brood mother’s corruption had reached an unnatural peak. Every wound he managed to land was swallowed by waves of dark mana, the injuries closing faster than they were made.

He cursed under his breath as another swipe of its leg sent debris flying, forcing him to dodge. No matter how many times he attacked, the creature regenerated, its monstrous form swelling with each pulse of corrupt energy.

Kai’s mind raced. If this thing wasn’t killed soon, the entire forest would fall. He could already sense it— the creeping corruption spreading beyond the battlefield, into the heart of the Sylvan Enclave. From there, it wouldn’t be long before the kingdom itself was at risk.

He briefly thought of the Archine Tower and their Mages. From what he saw of them, he doubted even they would be able to hold off against the brood mother. Not with most of their Mages having no battle experience.

A dark thought crept into his mind: How the hell did Lucian manage to unleash something like this? But it was another matter he had no time to dwell on. The brood mother’s repulsive form loomed larger with each step, its corruption twisting the air around it, foul and suffocating.

His mana reserves were pulled out faster than he’d anticipated, each spell pulling more energy from his core as he unleashed strike after strike. The Vermorga hissed, dark mana erupting from its wounds before they sealed shut as if mocking his efforts.

Its voice slithered into his mind, cold and menacing. "Submit… or in death, you will serve me."

Kai gritted his teeth, ignoring the words. Like hell, I will.

He unleashed another barrage—more flaming lances, more wind cutters— but it was becoming painfully clear that his usual arsenal wasn’t enough. He could feel it. His [Inferenal chains] hadn’t been able to hold it around and if he got too close, the venom, webs and the projectiles on his back would be able to injure him.

He had higher-circle spells— ones that could potentially bring the creature down— but his body wasn’t prepared for the toll they would take. A part of him dreaded thinking about what would have happened if he fought the spider at third circle, but fortunately, he had made a good decision.

If I push to a fifth circle spell, I might kill it… but I’ll burn myself out completely. I might be able to do two of those spells before my reserves end.

The thought clouded in his mind. His mana reserves were half full, and casting a spell of that magnitude would leave him defenceless, drained to the point where he’d be unable to fight if anything went wrong. And something always went wrong.

Fortunately, he still had one plan remaining.

The Vermorga was too close now, its massive body inching closer to the city walls. Looking back, over eighty percent of the beast wave had been obliterated by the defenders’ relentless efforts, but the brood mother? It was something else entirely— a walking apocalypse.

As it advanced, the remaining guards, Enforcers, and Mages watched in wide-eyed terror. Some took hesitant steps back, the reality of what they were facing sinking in. Even Balen, always confident in own strength, looked on with uncertainty, and Orion beside him gripped the railing of the wall, his face pale.

Kai’s voice cut through the growing panic. "Everyone fall back! Get behind the walls!" His command rang out over the battlefield. "We can’t stop it here! You all know what to do!"

The defenders hesitated for only a moment before retreating, following his command without replying back. The Vermorga, with its unholy regeneration and sheer size, was unstoppable out here. The walls of the city were their only hope, but even those won’t hold. They had no choice, but to run back to safety.

Kai cursed under his breath. Retreating wasn’t what he wanted to do, but it was the only sane option left.

Before everyone retreated, the last of the beasts were torn apart by the defenders’ final attacks as they threw all the explosive potions down at them with a batch of Syphon stones. They reacted violently in the explosion, causing it to spread and engulf more remaining beasts. The frays and Enforcers picked up anyone that was injured as they ran towards the gates.

Balen turned the mana cannons toward the approaching brood mother.

A jolt of powerful mana blasted through and struck the creature, making it roar in fury, but it barely slowed down. Dark tendrils of mana pulsed from the beast’s wounds, healing as quickly as the damage was done. Balen barely had time to dive as Vermorga retaliated, hurling a mass of projectiles in his direction.

Kai reacted instantly, summoning a gust of wind to catch Balen in mid-air and throwing him safely back towards one of the refugee shelters.

"Balen, Run! Your job is over. I will handle everything from here!"

Without any reply, the minotaur pushed himself up and ran alongside others towards the back end of the city.

With that done, Kai’s eyes fixed on Vermorga as it rammed into the wall with full force, shattering a massive section of it as it clawed its way into the city. The wall that had taken so long to fix and strengthen was broken in a matter of seconds.

The beast bellowed in victory, its twisted, monstrous shape looming large and casting a vast shadow across the streets. It turned its many eyes towards Kai, its voice dripping with malice.

"Human," it growled. "You’ve done well to destroy my forces, but more of my children will rise. I will take control of more beasts, and you—all of you—will serve as my army as I consume this world. You’ve already surrendered by retreating your forces. You deserve a good death."

Kai hovered in the air, seemingly unmoved by the brood mother’s threats.

Webs came at him, trying to hold him at one place, but the white flames flared up, the wind propelling him backwards as Vermorga followed. More attacks came at him as it crunched the corpses of other beasts to chase after him, but Kai was too quick for it.

"Why don’t you surrender? Your forces already have!" It roared, standing still.

A smirk crept onto Kai’s face before he burst into laughter, a sound that echoed across the battlefield, drawing confused glances from the beasts.

"Yes," he admitted. "My people retreated, and we lost the wall. But it wasn’t because I accepted defeat or surrendered. It was to make sure no one else gets injured."

The brood mother’s many eyes narrowed. "What are you saying, human?"

Kai pointed downward. "Look where you’re standing."

The brood mother glanced down, and for the first time, its massive body stiffened. Below its feet, an intricate summoning circle had been carved into the ground, glowing faintly with arcane energy. Balen and Orion had worked furiously to complete it, following the detailed diagram Kai had provided. Runes pulsed with power, encircling the Vermorga and locking it within.

Kai floated in front of the creature, his gaze cold and calculating. "I hoped my spells would be enough, but I had a feeling you would be a tough nut to crack, so I prepared this. This circle is connected to other planes— realms where creatures far more deadly than you exist. And you know a thing about them, they’re always hungry for a fight."

The brood mother screeched, thrashing against the summoning circle before rushing towards him, but it was too late.

Kai began chanting, his voice low but firm— he made sure not to mess up a single syllable. "Vorathis Mal’kara Astrala Nasham Eranda!"

As the final words of the fifth circle summoning spell left his lips, he pricked his finger and let a drop of blood fall onto the circle.

The ground trembled as the summoning circle lit up in brilliant, fiery red. Tendrils of light spiralled around the brood mother, snaking up its legs and binding her in place. Kai was already out of it by a few paces and the magic of it didn’t affect him.

The Vermorga roared, struggling violently, but the rules of the summoning circle were absolute. It locked anyone who had been in the circle until a pact was made or the summoned creature was sent home.

It was a neat trick that Kai had thought of. If he wasn’t strong enough to deal with a Grade 6 mana fiend, then he was just going to call someone who was able to do so.

The whole circle thrummed with power as a portal opened and the finale of the beast wave began.