'I don't like this at all...'

The group continued marching through the city's desolate streets. Noah felt as though they were marching through a graveyard.

Occasionally they would come across large piles of bones. This was disturbing enough, but what was even more unsettling, was that some of the piles appeared relatively fresh, with small bits of flesh still clinging to the bones.

While keeping their distance for now, countless monsters stalked Noah's group. Some scaled the walls of buildings, leaping from one rooftop to another, while others skulked in the darkness of the shadows, at the far ends of the streets.

"Jeffrey..."

"Yeah, I know." The towering werehuman's demeanor was uncharacteristically somber, which made Noah even more nervous than he already was. "My bad. This city is more dangerous than I thought, but it's too late to turn back now. We have to push through."

Noah nodded, his unease wasn't solely from the monsters stalking them, but from a deeper, more ominous sensation. It was as though something far more sinister lurked in the shadows, watching their every move. And if he could sense it, Noah was certain that Jeffrey could too.

There was an eerie silence hanging in the air, the only sounds coming from their footsteps. Jeffrey was leading their formation in his hybrid form. Noah was in the center, with Steve shadowing him closely. The swift and agile Claws was acting as the rearguard, in the back.

As they pressed farther into the heart of the city, the monsters grew bolder, their growls, howls, and hisses echoing closer and closer.

Noah tightened and loosened his grip on his bone gauntlets while surveying the monsters. Leaping atop the rooftops were muscular, monstrous ape-like creatures, with white fur, four yellow eyes full of bloodlust and fangs that looked as though they could shred through armor.

On the weathered walls of the ancient buildings, scaled another group of monsters, their six limbs clutching on to the concrete. Their hides appear to blend with the surroundings, making it difficult to discern the creatures' features.

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The last group of monsters was on the street level, slithering about. The creatures' bottom part was like a snake, with brown colored scales, but their upper bodies appeared like those of deformed humans. Their slit-shaped pupils seemed to harbor an insatiable hunger.

'If you're so hungry, why don't you guys eat each other?'

Noah hardly considered himself to be an expert 'monsterologist', but in his time beyond The Arc's walls, and during his military service, he had never seen different monster species cooperating, aside from the pack of creatures infected and enthralled by other, smaller monsters which had dug into their bodies.

'I got a bad feeling...'

While keeping an eye on a group of monsters at the other side of the street, Noah heard a heavy thud. Turning his head around, he saw one of the monstrous apes, right beside him. Steve immediately thrusted his Greatsword forward, impaling the muscular monster. The creature howled and continued advancing forward in defiance, as the blade protruded from its back, coated with blood.

The skeletal warrior reacted by withdrawing his blade and swinging it upwards, sending the ape's head flying in the air. There was a moment of silence as the decapitated head rolled down on the ground and then all hell broke loose.

The hordes of monsters hissed and growled as they all charged at the group. Jeffrey towered over the humanoid snakes that were swarming him. Every time he kicked, or punched, monsters went flying through the air, lifeless and broken.

Claws, on the other end of the formation, also faced the monstrous snakes. The undead reptile was lunging from one creature to another, swinging its claws with abandon, seemingly relishing the challenge of taking on a horde of monsters.

Noah raised two of the slain snake monsters, their flesh evaporating into green embers, leaving only the skeletons to join Claws in battle.

That was all Noah had time for, as the monstrous apes were targeting him. They jumped down from the rooftops, shattering the ancient pavement and charged forward, while howling furiously.

Steve stepped forward, engaging the bulk of the monsters. The undead warrior slashed his Greatsword, cutting down one of the apes, while another savagely pounded him in return. The powerful strike slammed into Steve's chest, denting his already torn plate armor and pushing him backwards with tremendous force. His feet scraped against the pavement, leaving behind deep furrows. The skeletal warrior balanced himself and immediately struck back at the monster.

A monstrous ape lunged at Noah, raising its massive fists in the air, ready to slam them down. Noah swung upwards with his right arm. The claws of his bone gauntlet had carved into the monster's broad chest, like a hot knife through butter. As the striking motion continued, the claws shredded the creature's neck and head, before it collapsed lifelessly on its back.

To anyone who may have gazed at this short exchange, it would have appeared as though the monster's upper body had instantaneously been reduced to a gooey, red mess.

Even Noah himself was taken aback by this outcome.