The sun had barely risen when Rifi, Kaelin, and Serra left the gates of Hepestus. The city behind them still slept, its walls casting long shadows on the road ahead.

Kaelin walked at the front of the group, his gaze fixed ahead, every movement measured. Serra followed beside Rifi, her pale blonde hair tied back, her eyes constantly scanning the surroundings. They moved in silence, each lost in their thoughts.

"We're not going to see much action until we hit the border," Kaelin muttered after a while, breaking the quiet. His voice was steady, but Rifi could hear the edge beneath it. "But things have been off lately. More patrols disappearing, and some of the villages have been abandoned. Never seen it like this before."

Serra nodded, her gaze sweeping the forest on either side of the road. "The beasts have been more aggressive too, invading ghtough the border. Like something's driving them out of their natural territory."

Rifi's fingers flexed at the mention of the beasts. His lightning mana surged slightly in response, a familiar crackle running up his arm. "Let's hope we don't run into anything too big before we reach the legion."

But Rifi knew better than to count on that. They were traveling through dangerous lands. The western border had recently been very unstable, with the city-state's forces constantly fending off attacks from wild beasts, mercenaries, and occasionally, rival city-states seeking to stake a claim on the mana-rich veins running through the region.

Just a few years back the western border was one of safest areas of Hepestus right after the east border, but recently it seemed that no where was safe. In the week Rifi spent in Hepestus report were coming in from everywhere about beasts and suspicious movement, with the western border being the main problem spot.

They continued in silence for the next few hours, the road gradually shifting from smooth cobblestones to rough dirt paths as they ventured further from Hepestus. The forests grew denser, the canopy above blocking out the harsh sunlight, casting everything in a cool, muted green.

The first signs of trouble came at midday of the next day. Rifi was the first to sense it—a faint resistance in the air, a disturbance of his lightning mana that his senses picked up. He stopped suddenly, holding up a hand to signal the others.

Kaelin and Serra stopped immediately, their gazes shifting to Rifi.

"What is it?" Kaelin asked, his voice low, though his hand already rested on the hilt of his sword.

Rifi closed his eyes briefly, feeling the electric hum of his lightning mana prickling beneath his skin. "There's something… wrong up ahead. The mana's off. It feels like—"

Before he could finish, a deep rumble echoed through the trees, followed by the sound of heavy footsteps. The ground beneath them shook slightly, the air thickening with a sense of danger. Serra's hand instinctively went to her blades, her blue eyes narrowing as she scanned the treeline.

Rifi barely had time to react before a burst of fire mana was coming through the trees to their left, with extreme speed. The creature obviously sensing them and already making its move. It was already moving to wards them with incredible speed, closing the distance of few hundred meters in just barely seconds.

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It was a beast like none Rifi had ever seen before—its skin was a mottled gray, and its eyes glowed with a sickly green hue. Thick, jagged horns jutted from its head, and its claws tore deep furrows into the earth as it charged toward them.

"Move!" Kaelin barked, diving to the side as the creature barreled toward them.

Rifi dodged in a blur of lightning-quick movement, his body reacting on instinct as he felt the crackle of his mana surging through him. Serra was already in motion, her blades flashing as she sprinted toward the beast's side, aiming for a quick strike to its exposed flank.

The creature roared, its head swinging toward her with unnatural speed. It was fast—faster than any beast of its size should have been.

Serra barely managed to duck beneath its claws utilising her wind mana to push away, rolling out of range just as Kaelin charged from the opposite side. His sword flashed in the dappled sunlight just before it glowed red fire erupting all over it, aiming for the creature's neck, but the beast twisted at the last moment, its thick hide deflecting the blow, the flames quickly sizzling out.

"Its only a tier 7 beast but this thing's not normal," Kaelin grunted as he pulled back, his eyes narrowing at the green glow in the creature's eyes. "It's like it's been corrupted."

Rifi didn't need any more confirmation. The way the beast moved—the unnatural speed, the sickly green glow—it all pointed to one thing: something or someone had altered this creature, driving it to attack with more aggression than usual.

"We can't let it run havouc inside the border," Rifi said, his voice firm as he summoned the lightning mana in his core, his sword at the ready. Sparks danced along his arms and the sword as he prepared for his next move.

Serra darted in again, her blades flashing as she sliced at the creature's legs, trying to slow it down. The beast howled in pain, but it didn't stop. It charged forward, heading straight for Kaelin, who stood his ground, sword raised.

But before the creature could reach him, Rifi struck.

In a blinding flash of speed, he moved to the creature's side, his lightning-enhanced speed allowing him to land a precise strike. His hand crackled with energy as he slammed it into the beast's side, sending a pulse of lightning through its body.

The creature let out a deafening roar, stumbling as the electricity surged through it, its movements becoming sluggish.

"Now!" Rifi shouted, stepping back as Kaelin and Serra moved in unison.

Kaelin's sword found its mark this time, slicing deep into the beast's neck. Serra followed with a quick, brutal slash across its hind legs, severing the tendons. The beast collapsed to the ground with a final, shuddering growl, its massive form twitching as the green glow in its eyes slowly faded.

Corrupted or not, a tier 7 beast had no chance against three battlemages working together. For a moment, there was only the sound of their heavy breathing and the distant rustling of the forest.

"That wasn't just a random attack," Serra said, her voice tight as she cleaned her blades. "Something's controlling these creatures, naturally they dont wenture this deep and especially they dont attack unless provoked."

Rifi nodded, his gaze fixed on the beast's lifeless form. "Whatever it is, it's pushing them toward the city."

Kaelin sheathed his sword, his expression grim. "This confirms what Felix suspected. The borders aren't just unstable—they're being manipulated. The question is by what or by whom."

Rifi stood over the fallen beast, his mind racing. The corruption in the creature's eyes, the unnatural aggression—it was too much of a coincidence. The enemy wasn't just after the city's resources. They were trying to weaken it from the inside, using beasts as weapons.

"Something tells me that wont be easy to answer, but we need to move now," Rifi said, his voice steady but filled with urgency. "If this is happening here, there could be more of these things closer to the border."