Hera's group rushed towards the doorway. A couple of people from the Guild talked with the people who wanted to go back, while others seemed to be setting up camps by the portal. One man stepped above a rock wearing the Guild uniform. As he started speaking, his voice echoed as if it was going through a megaphone.

"Everyone, listen, Brinefront is in the middle of a monster rampage. Anyone who goes there won't be able to leave until it ends. We can't tell how long that will last. It can be half a day or a couple of weeks. Anyone willing to help can take a quest from the Guild and be rewarded according to your contribution. Before you get all excited, remember. Rampages are unpredictable. We can't tell if something stronger than the regular monsters will appear. If you know about the giant invasion, that was also a part of a rampage."

"We already know that. What's the reward?" A voice came from the crowd.

"5 000 gold for protecting the cities or camps during the attack. Any place that gets destroyed will deduct the pay for everyone. Plus, 30 to 100 gold per monster defeated. The type of monster will change the value of the kill. Also, you get to keep any loot you get, and any item found by the recovery teams after the rampage will be auctioned to those who took part in the defenses."

"How many can we expect to get?" Another voice asked.

"On the last rampage, 14 months ago, the average reward was 8 000 gold. And among the loot, there was a neckless that increases your mana regeneration by 30% and a Legacy map," the man above the rock said.

There was some murmuring around as Hera and her group tried to reach the doorway.

"Are you stupid? Why should we go there? If people can't come in, we can easily make 10k this week," a voice shouted to the side.

"You can decide later, but those who wish to stay can use the campsite here since we don't have enough rooms in the hotels in the city. We will have guards protecting the camps, meals, and any other basic necessities. You can use the showers in the Guild and for laundry..."

The man kept talking as most of the crowd headed to the side, wanting to get good spots in the camp. Several people headed out towards Brinefront. Hera and her group arrived at the line, and in a few minutes, a different guild clerk approached.

"Were you here during the announcement? A monster rampage is going on."

"Yeah, we heard. We want to help." Hera said. The waiting was making her anxious. Helena was a mage with no mana. How would she protect herself there?

"Ok, be careful, and don't bite more than you can chew. Stay close to the city and fall back to the Guild if needed. Well, they'll give you all the details there. Good luck and stay safe," the clerk said his farewells and moved to the next group.

"Are you guys really coming?" Hera asked the others.

"Of course, a knight never cowers while the people are in danger," Thomas replied, placing a hand on his chest.

"I'm a Merc. I always work for good pay," Runir snickered.

"I live there. I don't wanna lose my low rent house," Alex joked.

"You are not the only one worried about Lena, you know. Besides, Quinn would kill me if I didn't help," Blue said.

"Oh, so that is still a thing?" Alex poked Blue with her elbow.

"Maybe, maybe not. I'm not one to kiss and tell," Blue chuckled.

"Right. Making out in an alleyway by a trash can is much more classy," Alex rolled her eyes.

"We weren’t by the trash!" Blue protested.

"You actually were," Hera laughed, "Thank you guys," she said as they headed towards the doorway.

Hazelpond was in a much different state. The streets were less populated, and instead of people shuffling from one place to another, everyone was in a rush. People were yelling orders, carrying stone and wood around, and reinforcing the town's defenses. Hera sent a text to Helena asking where she was before heading towards their home.

Runir and Thomas split up to head to the Guild and gather information and the protection quest. As Hera was arriving at the house, Helena sent a text saying she was already inside the Guild and would be there until the end of the rampage. Since they were already close, Hera, Blue, and Alex headed to their home to make sure they wouldn't need anything from there.

From what Hera understood, the preparation for a rampage was similar to preparing for a natural disaster. People would evacuate their homes and head to a safe location with a few of their belongings. Depending on the city, people wouldn't even need to evacuate, but since Hazlepond was just a settlement, it didn't have the same solid structure as a major city like Brinefront. That created a greater need to reinforce the defenses. The walls were already sturdy and wide enough, but people were preparing traps around the city.

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In less than half an hour, the trio was back at the Guild, each carrying a small bag with a few clothes and some food. As they arrived, the first thing Hera did was to look for Helena. She was already with Runir and Thomas, discussing what they could do to help.

"Hera! I told you to stay there. Why are you here?" Helena complained as she saw her assistant.

"Last time you were in trouble, I did nothing to help. That won't happen again," Hera replied, staring Helena in her eyes.

"Honestly, what am I going to do with you?" Helena huffed.

"Well, for now nothing. We are here, and until the rampage is over, we can't leave. That's how it works, right?" Blue stepped in.

"Yeah, no use crying over spilled milk," Helena sighed, "Go to the reception and get the quest. See if they have anything urgent and set up your group as a team. That way, the Guild knows where to send you guys. The warning wave is over, and now we have just a couple of hours to get everything ready."

"First wave?" Alex asked.

"Right, it's your first time. A rampage always starts with a small wave of a hundred or so monsters attacking the various cities and camps around the room. The bigger the city, the more monsters are attracted to it. After that, we have around 3 hours to prepare, and then the rampage truly starts. We have to fend off constant waves of monsters for some time. The assault will continue around the clock, so we need to work in shifts," Helena explained.

Hera nodded, and they went toward the counter to get the quest. The clerk was dealing with a few groups. When it got to their turn, she quickly explained what they needed. The Guild was frantic, but no one seemed scared or worried. It was almost like the preparation for a festival.

"Ok, so take the quest and go to one of the defense positions. Please don't chase the monsters. Wait for them to come to you. If you see a flare, fall back to the second line of defense. It probably won't happen, but keep it in mind."

"So, it's not dangerous?" Hera asked.

"Well, it is. I mean, monsters will be attacking, but everyone here can fend for themselves, and if it gets too dangerous, we can call the cavalry. On deeper layers, rampages are much scarier, but here we can expect just a nice haul. And if we need reinforcements, they are really close," the clerk replied.

"Since this happens frequently, why don't we have traps already?" Blue asked.

"Mostly for safety. We place the traps everywhere, and now everyone knows we fill the place with traps. Later, we will have to clean everything up so no one gets hurt by the traps. The reinforcement for the walls is just troublesome to keep after this, so we just keep it in storage. Anyway, you guys go here, at defense point H," the clerk pointed to the map of the city. Point H was to the east, in the road that followed the ocean, "You will have more people there, and someone will be in charge of the flares. If things go south, you shoot it and retreat to the point H2."

"Right, and the quest?" Runir asked.

"Oh sure, my bad. It's been a while since people asked about this. Here you go," the clerk sent a file with the quest and the map of the city to everyone's table.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Monster Rampage - Brinefront

Protect the city from the waves of monsters that will attack the settlements. Any damage to the structures of the room will be deducted from the basic reward for all participants.

Rewards: 5 000 gold

Killing a monster will give you increased rewards based on the type of monster.

Giant Frog - 20 gold

Giant Toad - 25 gold

Petite Crocodile - 30 gold

Giant Chameleon - 45 gold

Prism Pangolin - 50 gold

Giant Newt - 60 gold

Giant Crested Newt - 70 gold

Giant Snapping turtle - 100 gold

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"Wow, there are a lot more monsters than I expected," Blue said.

"Tell me about it. Those turtles are nasty," Runir sighed.

"Very well, then. With the preparations completed, let us go to our fort and ready our defenses," Thomas said.

The group headed to the area marked as H on the map. According to the clerk, they had a bit over one hour before the rampage would start. Hera kept thinking about the people near dungeons.

"Hey, Thomas. What happens with the people in the settlements? Like near dungeons and stuff? And what about people who are out in the wild?" Hera asked.

"I have no knowledge of how things work here. But in the Carpon Caverns, the monsters ignored those away from settlements. By the dungeons, they also had to defend against the villainous monsters that targeted the areas."

"So, the monsters only go after places where people live or stay?" Alex asked.

"Exactly. From the tales that I've been told. If you are out in the wild, the monsters that are a part of the rampage will ignore you completely, but the other will still be as dangerous as you expected," Thomas explained.

"What if you try to get to a city?" Blue asked.

"At some point, the monsters will turn towards you. Alas, I believe someone with a keen mind would be able to reach a keep before being swarmed by the beasts," Thomas said.

As they arrived at the designated spot, they meet the other people who would be a part of their squad. Two hunters, one using a bow and another with a two-handed sword. A couple of mages and a few fighters, as well as one controller, one crafter, and one healer. In total, there were 15 people in the group, counting with Hera’s group. Looking around, they found the leader of the team.

"Hey, girls. You are here for the party?" Cassandra said to the group.

"Hey Cass, you are the head honcho here?" Alex smiled.

"The one and only. Good thing. My spells are mostly long range. That way, I do my job and help the front lines," Cass called a man over, "This is Kenny. He will be the leader of the vanguard. If you are going to fight at close range, you listen to what he says, ok?"

The group nodded. They started to hear about the strategy. Anyone with long-range spells would either be by the wooden walls or above on a few wooden platforms put on the top. Along the walls a couple of floodlights had been set up, it would help greatly during the night. People who would be in melee combat had to stay behind the traps. Cass recommended Alex not focus on her hide skills. Since there were many monsters coming around, it would be easy for her to be discovered and be affected by the debuff. They set up everything. Blue and Thomas were part of the vanguard that would focus on attracting the attention of the monsters. Alex and Hera would stay in the back with the ones focused on dealing damage. Runir was near the wall with the mages, the crafter, and the other healer. Even with the veterans feeling excited by the rampage, Hera had no idea what to expect.

With a resounding roar, coming from dozens of creatures, Cass yelled from the back, "Everyone get ready. They are coming!"

Hera gripped her weapons as the horde of monsters rushed from the treeline.