The air in the stormbringers settlement was charged with anticipation as John hurriedly relayed Kaya's orders. The urgency was palpable, spreading through the camp like wildfire. Within a mere fifteen minutes, every member of the stormbringers had gathered in front of Kaya’s wooden lodge, their faces a mix of apprehension and uneasiness.

Kaya stood at the entrance of the lodge, a formidable figure under the gentle moonlight shine. Her red hair, vibrant and wild, danced in the wind, casting an almost ethereal glow. Her amber eyes, sharp and unyielding, blazed with a controlled fury that commanded attention. She held her spear with a firm grip, the weapon alive with faint arcs of electricity that seemed to mirror her own intensity.

As John approached, he confirmed that all members were present. Kaya nodded, her gaze sweeping over the assembled crowd. She could see the worry in their eyes, the uncertainty that had taken root since the last attack. But beneath that, she also saw resolve, a determination to protect what they had built.

Kaya took a deep breath, stepping forward.

"ATTENTION!!"

she shouted, her voice cutting through the murmurs like a blade. Instantly, silence fell over the crowd, all eyes locking onto her.

With a voice that was both commanding and melodic, Kaya began to address them.

"The blank-eyed humans have appeared again," she announced.

The revelation sent a ripple of shock through the gathered stormbringers, and a low murmur of concern and anxiousness started to rise.

Kaya’s spear struck the ground with a resounding crack, a burst of electricity surging outward.The noise commanded immediate silence.

"Do not panic," she continued, her voice steady and strong.

"This might be our chance to purge those monsters in human skin and seek revenge for our fallen comrades."

She paused, letting the weight of her words sink in.

"A few days ago, we were caught off guard by their sudden attack. We paid a heavy price: the lives of ten of our own." Her voice carried a mix of grief and anger, resonating with the crowd.

Faces in the assembly hardened with resolve, the memory of lost friends and comrades igniting a fire within them.

Kaya raised her hand, and the crowd quieted once more. "Prepare yourselves as much as possible," she commanded. "Whether we defend our settlement or launch the first strike, we must be ready. We will not suffer any more casualties if we can help it."

Her words hung in the air, charged with determination and authority. The stormbringers, driven by their leader’s unwavering resolve, nodded in agreement. Their expressions were set with determination, their previous worries replaced by a shared purpose.

"Disperse and prepare," Kaya ordered. The crowd began to break apart, moving with newfound urgency to their respective tasks. Teams formed quickly, each member knowing their role and the importance of their contribution.

Turning on her heel, Kaya walked back into her wooden lodge, her mind already racing with strategies and plans. She knew the coming days would test them all, but she was determined not to let the stormbringers fall.

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Inside the wooden lodge, Kaya once again ordered John to gather all the team leaders to her lodge. Time passed, and John finally managed to gather them all. Kaya stood in the center of the room, her fierce amber eyes scanning the assembled leaders. All of the team leaders she knew were present except for those of the Azure Bird and Black Tortoise teams. There were eight leaders present, each bearing a look of concern and determination.

John closed the door behind him, signaling the start of the meeting. Kaya took a deep breath and began. "We have a grave situation on our hands," she announced. "I need your opinions on how we should proceed."

The first to speak was Alex, a young man around 18 years old, the leader of the Steel Owl team. "We should strike first," he proposed firmly, his voice ringing with conviction. "Taking the initiative is our best advantage. If we wait, we risk being overwhelmed."

Greg, the older leader of the Honey Badger team, immediately raised his hand in objection. "I disagree," he said, his tone measured but firm. "We don't know enough about their numbers or capabilities. A direct attack could be suicidal. We need to gather more information and fortify our defenses."

Alex's face twisted in frustration as he turned to Greg. "That's nonsense! Everyone knows that striking first gives us the upper hand. Waiting around will only make things worse."

Greg met Alex's gaze with a calm but unyielding stare. "Rushing into battle without proper intelligence is a recipe for disaster. We can't afford to make mistakes."

The tension in the room escalated as the two men glared at each other. Unexpectedly, Cassandra, the leader of the Red Fox team, stepped forward.

She was clad in a red mage robe, her demeanor calm yet commanding. "I argue that defense is our best strategy," she said. "We can plant traps around the settlement and whittle them down. Fighting them on our terms gives us the best chance of survival."

Alex sneered, his eyes narrowing. "You think traps will work on those monsters? That's delusional. We need to take the fight to them."

Cassandra's eyes flashed with irritation. "If you're so confident that an attack will work, are you willing to take responsibility for any losses?"

Alex's face reddened with anger. "That's not the point! We need to act before they do!"

Cassandra smirked, her gaze icy and unyielding. "Oh? It seems you're scared now that the responsibility is on you."

The argument quickly escalated, with other leaders beginning to voice their opinions. The room filled with a cacophony of raised voices, each leader passionately arguing their case. For fifteen minutes, the debate raged on, the air thick with tension.

Kaya stood at the center, rubbing her temples, the throbbing in her head growing more intense with each passing second. She had hoped for a more productive discussion, but the leaders' bickering was getting them nowhere.

Finally, she had enough. "Silence!" she commanded in a cold, authoritative tone, her voice low but reverberating through the air. The leaders immediately fell silent, a chill creeping down their spines. Kaya let the silence linger for a moment, allowing the tension to settle.

"If we keep arguing like this, we'll reach no conclusion," she said, her voice steady and commanding.

"I will take matters into my own hands." She turned her gaze to Jason, who had been standing quietly at the back of the room. "Jason, what is your opinion?"

Jason straightened his back nervously, feeling the weight of the room's attention on him. "I believe defense is the best choice," he said. "We don't know how strong or numerous they are, so it's safer to prepare and defend our settlement."

Kaya nodded, considering his words. "Where did you encounter the blank-eyed humans?" she asked.

"Northwest from here," Jason replied.

Kaya absorbed the information silently, then turned back to the leaders. "Which of you have encountered the blank-eyed humans?" she asked.

Three hands went up, Alex, Greg, and Cassandra.

"Alex, where did you last encounter them?" Kaya asked.

"The west," Alex said, his voice steady. "But my team eliminated the threat."

"Greg?" Kaya continued.

"Not far from here, in the east, about four hours ago," Greg replied. "There were too many of them, so we didn't engage."

Finally, Kaya turned to Cassandra. "And you?"

"Yesterday," Cassandra said. "We couldn't purge them completely. We were forced to retreat due to exhaustion and low mana."

Kaya took a deep breath slightly frustrated, her mind racing with the new information. "It seems they are spreading out, covering multiple directions. This is more serious than I thought."

The room fell into a heavy silence, each leader processing the gravity of the situation.

Kaya's eyes blazed with determination as she addressed them once more.

"We will prepare for defense, but we won't sit idle. We will gather more intelligence. We cannot afford to be caught off guard again."