The journey continued the same for four more days. Thankfully, none of the monsters they had to fight were as strong as the Orcs. Worryingly, however, the number of monsters they had to fight kept increasing. Oftentimes, they never stopped when encountering a horde, just letting the mages attack the monsters from afar. The monsters usually stopped chasing them after getting tired and taking too many losses or injuries. Some of them were more stubborn and dealt with by the melee combatants.

The nights were much more perilous than before. The caravan was ambushed twice every night, but they were prepared for it. No losses occurred during their travels. The bronze teams were tired and unable to properly sleep at night. The days were filled with non-stop fighting for survival, only getting worse as they got closer to Windkeep. By the fourth day, even the merchants were using every tool they had. Mages adopted an extremely conservative approach to using mana, keeping it always over half the maximum capacity. Lev had a massive advantage over others. His 25 base attribute points in wisdom, 50% increased capacity, and 20% increased regeneration allowed him to use his abilities more freely.

The swiftly increasing levels of the bronze team greatly eased their burden, allowing the combatants to fight for longer before getting tired or running out of mana. Thankfully, no one lost any limbs, and Kayla’s healing patched up all other injuries. The presence of a support mage like her proved invaluable.

The situation kept getting worse. On the fifth day, the melee fighters were running along with the now much slower caravan, constantly defending it from hordes or stray monsters. The area felt off, and the general mood reflected it. Everyone expected something massive to happen at any moment, even more so when the monster density reduced drastically during the second half of the day. They picked up the pace and only rested for a few hours.

Finally, on the sixth day of entering the Roaming Wilds, they spotted Windkeep. Everyone heaved a sigh of relief when they first spotted the walls in the distance. Two Iron rank teams were dispatched to escort them safely to the gates when they were noticed from afar. They appreciated the gesture even if they didn’t need it.

As they got closer to the gate, Lev realized that the walls here were even taller than WhiteFall. He could not guess the exact height, but the nearly 10 meters thick walls were made even more imposing by the multitude of archers manning the top and the slits present throughout the walls at fixed intervals. A squad of guards and people in green robes made their way to them long before they got to the wall. Lev identified a person in green robes out of curiosity.

[Caretaker - Level 79]

The caretakers undid the straps of the horse harness and pulled the animals aside, checking them for any injuries before feeding them and letting them rest. The guards were already taking account of the merchants and their goods, particularly impressed by the lack of casualties. A short interrogation followed, and they were let in after a few minutes. Lev’s addled mind barely paid attention, tired but amused at the horses getting treated better than humans. He couldn’t blame them, as he would’ve done the same. Horses were precious.

Lev’s perception allowed him to pick up more details as they got closer, especially the unusual amount of defenders on the walls. He was too tired to really think about it, and seeing how they were ignoring the newcomers, he ignored them, too. The gates were dark gray and imposing, positively brimming with mana from its enchantments. They were let in without delay.

Windkeep was beautiful. The people were vibrant, moving around with purpose, while some observed their group. The buildings and houses were much more tastefully built and decorated compared to Whitefall. The streets were narrow, with the buildings tightly packed together, probably because of the constant breeze. The breeze in question was flowing through his hair at all times for a few hours now. Lev still enjoyed the sensation. The streets were packed with people of all shapes and sizes. The population seemed even higher than Whitefall. After the vacant space between the city and the walls, mostly residential buildings could be seen. A fountain was situated in the middle of a large crossroad after they had walked for 10 minutes, turning left to get to the Hunters Guild as soon as possible.

The Hunters Guild Hall looked almost the exact same from the outside, and Lev found the same interior with minor differences. The bronze teams waited by the chairs and tables while the iron team talked to the clerk. When they finished their report, the clerk signaled a runner to confirm the status of the caravan. Ten minutes later, the runner returned with the same details, signifying the completion of the quest. Three coin pouches were handed over to the iron team. Peter checked the contents before giving the clerk a nod. With that done, one of the mages gave a pouch to the other bronze team while Peter made his way toward Lev’s group. He scanned their faces before speaking.

“Do you know why we took two bronze teams with us instead of another iron team?” When they all shook their head, he continued. “Because it’s a cycle of generosity. Whenever someone hits iron or gold rank, they take newbies along to show them the ropes. It ensures that the first experiences of most new teams are in safer environments. It’s also because of this long-standing tradition someone taught us the ropes of escort quests. And now, we helped you through the same cycle. Remember this, and make sure to show the same kindness to others. Humans haven’t survived thus far by being selfish. You have a good team keeping your back.”

With that soft reprimand, Peter gave Lev the pouch he was holding and left the guild hall with his team. Looking inside, Lev counted his payment.

40 additional bronze coins. Probably for a job well done. Definitely not for that stupid risk.

Informing his friends about the payment, they sat at one of the few tables strewn about. After just relaxing in silence for ten minutes, Lev got up.

“I’m gonna go look for the Guildmaster and deliver the letter. Wait for me here.”

Lev walked up to the clerk who had marked their quest as complete. With a practiced smile, the clerk asked him.

“Welcome to Windkeep. How may I assist you.”

“I want to see the Guildmaster.”

The clerk raised a brow. “And why do you want to see him?”

Lev showed the letter to the clerk, who scanned it for a stamp. Seeing the stamp from Whitefall’s Hunters Guild, he motioned for Lev to follow him. On the second floor, they passed a few rooms before stopping in front of ornately decorated wooden doors. A male voice told them to enter after the clerk knocked twice. The clerk stayed outside and waited for him to move in.

The Guildmaster was a well-built man with black hair and light skin. He was slightly taller than Lev, with considerably more muscle. He observed Lev for a moment and pointed towards a chair.

“Greetings Guildmaster. I just arrived with a caravan from Whitefall and was told to give you this letter.” Lev politely introduced himself and put the letter on the table. The Guildmaster grabbed the letter and opened it.

“Well, this is a surprise. I was expecting a request of sorts, not a recommendation letter.” He scanned Lev once again, evidently more interested. “What Level were you when the caravan departed.”

Lev thought for a moment. “19, I think.”

“And you’re already Level 46. Makes sense with the current conditions.” The Guildmaster nodded. “Hakim is not easy to please, yet he approves of you. What element do you wield?”

“Barriers,” Lev replied, a little wary.

The Guildmaster paused. “Barriers… What sort?”

“Arcane.”

“Show me,” The Guildmaster challenged. Lev was getting nervous now. There would be no Oriana in Windkeep to save him. Tensely, he formed the strongest barrier he could manage.

The Guildmaster observed it closely. “What else?”

Lev made the barriers spin at maximum speed. With the large increase in intelligence and higher leveled skills, the barriers produced a much higher sound from spinning. The Guildmaster remained silent, gauging the barriers before a smile finally found its way on his face.

“You will have to forgive me, young man. Hakim hasn’t issued any recommendations for a long time now. I needed proof to make sure that the letter was not forged. It wouldn’t be the first time.” He stood up and offered his hand to shake. “My name is Shawn. I am the Guildmaster here in Windkeep. If it was in my control, I would apologize about the rough welcome, but alas, it’s just you being unlucky.”

Lev was still happy about avoiding any sort of trouble when that thought froze. “What? Why?”

The Guildmaster looked at him oddly. “You aren’t aware? A wave is forming, and it is expected to be at least a 6, likely to be a 7.”

Lev urgently jogged his memory, recalling what Oriana had taught him. “The city will go into lockdown?”

The Guildmaster looked thoughtful. “That remains to be seen. As you are no doubt aware, there are far more hunters in Windkeep than almost anywhere else. The scale for monster waves we use is a little skewed. What would normally be an 8 or 9 is a 7 here. We will get through just fine. I would recommend joining the patrols to reduce monster numbers whenever you can.”

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“I see. Thank you for explaining.” Lev bowed his head slightly.

“Of course. It’s not every day we get to nurture strong adventurers. Come find me if something is troubling you.”

As Lev descended the stairs, a part of him was suspicious. Both Guildmasters had looked happy to see a mere bronze team aiming to be adventurers. Surely, there were many of them out there. Lev banished those suspicions, even his tired mind not allowing him to believe that Oriana would let harm befall his team.

When Lev returned to his friends, he found their heads drooped and eyes barely open. Days of traveling with the threat of monsters and ambushes hanging over their heads had made them sleep poorly. Finding the first Guild-sponsored Inn, they rented two rooms. They showered and changed into casual clothes before promptly falling asleep.

****

They slept through the evening and night, waking up at dawn feeling much better. Ordering breakfast, Lev got roasted meat that looked absolutely delicious. Digging in, he found that it tasted as good as it looked. Devouring the meal in a minute, he waited for his friends to wake up. The first to join him was Jack, who looked fresh like he had been awake for a while already. A few other tables were occupied, but the room was quiet.

“Meat? Really?” Jack asked once he noticed the remains of Lev’s devouring.

“Yeah, why?” Lev replied as innocently as he could manage. Jack just shook his head and sighed, making Lev continue. “Come on, it has been a while since I have eaten meat this delicious.”

“Just like you will eat it at every chance you get.”

“I am putting points into constitution. I’ll be fine,” Lev muttered under his breath, which Jack picked up on.

“Wait, surely you aren’t putting more points in it to be able to eat more meat without drawbacks?” Jack questioned incredulously.

“N-no?” Lev responded, much like a liar would. Jack just rolled his eyes in response. Twenty minutes later, Amelia and Kayla were next to them. Their choice of breakfast was a nice stew with bread. Lev made sure to dump the bones from his meal beforehand. Jack had already eaten his meal before Lev and was lying in his room to pass the time.

It took the girls fifteen minutes to finish the generous meal. They sat there for another half an hour as Lev informed the party about what the Guildmaster had told him. They had no plans to take any quests immediately, so they decided to join the patrols. Lev and his friends simply could not sit still while monsters were gathering by the thousands.

Donning their armor, the group made its way to the Hunters Guild. The clerk manning the reception table was different. She looked up when she felt Lev approach.

“Hey. I was told there would be patrols we can join.” Lev greeted casually. The clerk looked him and his friends over before bringing out a map.

“What level of monsters can you guys reliably handle.” She asked bluntly, trusting them enough to not overstate their abilities and sign their deaths.

“Around 60, more or less.” Lev looked toward his friends, who nodded. That was impressive for a team mostly below level 45. The clerk didn’t show anything on her face.

She pointed at the east of Windkeep, where it was mostly grassland with small forests in between.

“In an hour, a group with one iron team and four bronze teams will start patrolling this part. The patrol will return to Windkeep after four hours, where you may let another team take your place or keep going. It is recommended to stop after one round, but the final choice is up to you.” She explained.

Lev and his friends signed up for one of the patrols and waited. In 45 minutes, they stood next to 14 bronze-ranked hunters and four iron-ranked hunters. The patrol overall consisted of 22 Hunters. The iron team stepped up, and a warrior spoke loudly.

“Any questions before we start?”

No one had any, so they started moving toward the city gates. The patrol was going to stop during their run after two hours. After a 10-minute rest, they would trace back their steps. Clearing their specified area, they would wait for another hour before restarting the patrol. If the fighting was not too intense, Lev intended to join the second round as well.

Lev’s jaw dropped as he stepped through the gates. The two carts waiting for them looked beautiful. Not because of any decoration but because of the majestic look overall. The carts were wide and bound to two horses each, the integral parts completely covered in metal. They were roofed, like all carts, but these had space for mages and archers to poke out of and launch their attacks. They looked like small mobile fortresses.

His friends watched in amusement as Lev observed their cart from every angle, taking in its fortified wheels and sturdy structure.

It's like a medieval tank. Lev surmised in wonder.

The iron team gathered everyone together for one final check, seeing if they missed anyone scheduled to ride with them. Names were spoken, and hands were raised like they were kids sitting in a classroom, but that only made it funnier. There were smiles all around, even from the iron team. The preliminary check was complete, and the teams boarded the carts with an even split among both. Lev and the group were lucky enough to not be separated and ended up in the same cart.

Before long, they were moving eastward, looking for any monsters wanting to challenge them. The first horde they found was big, almost fifty monsters. They were mostly goblins and hobgoblins, but the patrol did not even stop. Mages readied their spells, and archers nocked their arrows. Once they were within range, all attacks were let loose.

Lev’s manipulation range was an impressive 23 meters by now, and he prepared six barriers. Even without Kayla’s buff, his attributes were high enough to form six barriers, even if it took a lot of effort to reliably control them. The carts never stopped moving, and soon, the surviving horde of goblins was upon them. The first thing Lev noticed was the four fireballs flying toward them, so he intercepted two of them. The remaining two were detonated by water bolts colliding with them. Lev got a nod from the iron team’s mage in his cart before the mage started charging a spell. It took less than two seconds, and with an incredibly bright flash, a two-finger-wide bolt of lightning fell in the middle of the horde before chaining to other monsters nearby. That single attack took out both of the shamans.

Lev could tell that the mage had not poured all he could into the attack, probably to conserve mana and let others earn experience. The carts circled the horde in a wide arc, letting the ranged attacks mow it down in two minutes. Without sparing any effort for the corpses, they continued the patrol. Mana accelerated monster decomposition, retaking the corpses within weeks if they were not eaten first. It was a blessing, considering the sheer amount of monsters roaming the plains.

The area was teeming with monsters. Goblins, Hobgoblins, Trolls, Orcs, Hornstrikers, and the occasional wolf packs and thornlings. The fourth horde they faced was much bigger but with a low average level. The carts stopped close to each other, intent on standing their ground and facing the horde head-on. The melee fighters grabbed their shields and formed a wall, with the tanks -Lev’s mind automatically translated the word for defensive fighters to tank- forming a line and the more offense-focused warriors a step behind them. Mages readied their spells, and archers nocked their arrows, ready to unleash hell on their enemies.

The iron team leader gave the order to hold their attacks until the goblins were in medium range. As soon as the half of the horde was only seventy-five meters away, the order reached them.

“FIRE!”

Fireballs, water bolts, a beam of hot light, lightning, boulders, and a wooden dart flew from the carts. The first few rows were instantly decimated, turning the air into a bloody mist with limbs flying around. More projectiles were launched with varying charge times, thinning the horde further before it made contact with the frontline. All shieldbearers activated their skills in preparation, taunting the enemies and hitting as many as they could with wide attacks of their large weapons.

Lev, limited by his manipulation range, stood on a floating barrier slightly behind the frontline. With him and Amelia getting Kayla’s buff, now that she could buff multiple people, he formed six barriers and applied his skills. Seeing how everything was under control, he focused on any monsters trying to circle them or attack occupied combatants from their blind spots. As he was assisting the frontline, an icicle flew towards him at an incredible speed, seeking to end the exposed target. Lev barely managed to bring a barrier in front of him, and the icicle pierced through the defense but got stuck halfway in.

The fighters tensed after witnessing that powerful attack. The voice of the iron team’s mage standing on the cart reached him. “Block any more range projectiles with your constructs. I will try to locate the caster.”

Nodding his assent, Lev peeled his eyes for any more projectiles, paying close attention to the surroundings of his friends. His perception pulled his attention to the right a moment before the attack came, allowing him to block the next icicle effortlessly. Before he could signal the mage, an incredibly loud bolt of lightning struck the general vicinity from where the attack had originated. The area, including the caster, was decimated as Lev’s vision turned white from the flash.