"What do you think it is?" Elysian asked, his voice low and tense.

Hugo's expression turned serious, his eyes scanning the darkness beyond the camp's perimeter. As if on cue, a soldier came running towards them, his face etched with urgency.

"Captain! There are night tooths approaching from the north," the soldier reported breathlessly.

"How many?" Hugo asked, a thoughtful look crossing his face.

"Around twenty, maybe more," the soldier responded quickly.

Hugo nodded, his demeanor shifting seamlessly into a more relaxed attitude. He turned to Elysian with a glint in his eye. "What do you think? Do you want to have a go at them?"

"What are night tooths?" Elysian inquired, his anxious expression turning to curiosity upon seeing the captain's carefree attitude.

"Well, night tooths are canine creatures, roughly the size of a small dog, native to Grimwold," Hugo explained.

"From your reaction just now, they don't seem dangerous," Elysian continued, his curiosity piqued by their uninvited guests.

Hugo's expression sobered. "I'd like to stress that all creatures from Grimwold are dangerous. This close to the frontier, you need to always be careful. You never know what kind of monster might decide to come out." He paused, wanting to impart that clear lesson. "It's just that night tooths are one of the dangers here that we're used to. But you're right, I'll admit they're not as dangerous compared to others. Their bites and claws might be painful, but they're rarely fatal."

"So they're just like any beast in the forest then?" Elysian sounded unimpressed by his first encounter with a creature of the Great Forest.

Hugo scoffed at the young noble's question. "If they were just like any other beast, how do you think Grimwold got its reputation as one of the most dangerous places on the continent?"

"You've got a point there," Elysian conceded, nodding his head.

Hugo's eyes gleamed with a mix of amusement and seriousness. "Let me tell you what makes night tooths unique, boy. They have an ability called Mist Shift. This allows them to dissolve momentarily into mist, avoiding attacks and slipping through obstacles."

"An Eldron?" Elysian was surprised by the revelation, his eyes narrowing in interest.

Hugo chuckled. "All creatures inside the Great Forest are Eldron, boy. Every last one of them."

"It seems these night tooths are not something to be taken lightly," Elysian muttered, contemplating the potential danger such beasts could pose. "No matter how I look at it, their ability is quite formidable."

"Indeed they are," Hugo nodded. "But compared to other creatures here, they're manageable enough, especially for trained soldiers rather than civilians. I don't know how much you know of the military, but our armor and equipment aren't something you could just order from any blacksmith. They're all crafted with formations designed to make us function as a united unit."

Elysian's eyes widened before he nodded in recognition. "I remember now. Are you talking about armaments?"

Hugo smiled, impressed. "You seem to know quite a lot."

'Of course, I know about armaments since I was a merchant in my past life and sold them in droves. I just wasn't expecting the supposedly impoverished Ironspire military to be using them, given how expensive they are.'

Elysian simply said, "Just a little."

Hugo laughed. "I know why you're surprised. You're probably wondering how we can afford such absurdly expensive equipment."

"Yes," Elysian admitted, nodding.

Hugo's grin turned predatory, his teeth gleaming in the firelight. "Why do you think Ironspire is so poor? You might think poorly of your father because of how impoverished Ironspire is, but what choice does he have? We're at the frontier with dangers all around. It doesn't help that we're far from the capital and our closest neighbors are our political opponents."

Elysian wanted to argue back, but as he considered it more thoughtfully, he decided to remain silent. He realized that while he had his own opinion on the matter, Hugo's argument also stood on solid ground. This revelation made him understand that their current predicament might not be as simple as he'd previously thought, but a complex issue involving many stakeholders and conflicting interests.

"I see," Elysian said thoughtfully. "So the military expenditure is a necessity in your opinion."

"Exactly," Hugo nodded, his expression softening. "But it's not just an opinion; it's the truth. Your father's decisions might seem questionable at times, but not in this case. Instead of being destroyed by the horrors of the frontier or becoming puppets in the games of higher nobles, we've become one of the most powerful military forces in the kingdom." The captain smiled at the young noble. "This, my boy, gives us the power and voice to chart our own path."

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This perspective made Elysian see the problem in a new light. It didn't necessarily mean it was the best decision or even the right one, but it was a decision he could understand.

Hugo considered the silent young noble for a moment before continuing, "Back to our earlier discussion, the armaments our soldiers are wearing have a formation called—"

"Battle Link," Elysian finished unconsciously, earning a surprised glance from the officer.

"You know about formations too?" Hugo asked, astonished that a boy like him possessed such knowledge.

"Hmm," Elysian considered his response carefully, realizing he had spoken thoughtlessly. "Just a little," he said, smiling enigmatically.

Hugo scrutinized the young noble's response for a moment before dismissing it. "Since you know the name, do you know what it does?"

'Of course. It's the most common formation used by soldiers and the cheapest. Cheap and common, however, doesn't equate to being ineffective. It just means it's the most cost-effective and practical formation utilized to make weak soldiers into a formidable group that can stand against powerful cultivators. In my opinion, it's a must for soldiers to have this formation on top of others.'

"Yes," Elysian answered back. "It's a formation that links people together as a single unit, fusing their power into something much greater."

"That's right," Hugo nodded his head approvingly. "Most of our veterans here are already cultivators, though at a low level..."

"Let me guess," Elysian interjected, smiling before stating the obvious. "Aura-imbued weapons are quite effective against the Mist Shift?"

"Yes," the captain laughed heartily. "Even those who aren't cultivators can now have their weapons imbued, likening them to a cultivator. Isn't that great?"

"I can see now why you aren't worried," Elysian considered for a moment before continuing, "With Battle Link, I don't see these night tooths posing any real danger to your men."

Hugo scoffed at the boy's statement. "Out here, far from the Great Forest, you're right. But near the Grimwold itself?" He shook his head gravely. "Just imagine thousands of those things running towards you like a relentless wave. If we aren't careful, only our bones would remain."

"Thousands?" Elysian's eyes widened at the revelation.

"Yeah, thousands," Hugo nodded, sharing the young noble's horror. "And that's just outside the Forest itself. Imagine how many are inside Grimwold, in its depths. Hundreds of thousands? Millions?"

"F*ck," Elysian cursed, realizing that if something like that attacked Ironspire itself, nothing would remain. Even with his previous might at his very peak, millions of night tooths were something he couldn't fight against.

"Yeah, f*ck," Hugo repeated, chuckling grimly upon seeing the terrified face of the young noble. "Now you realize the ever-present danger our city constantly faces. And that's just one of the many terrors inhabiting that forsaken place."

Elysian looked at the captain for a long moment, his mind racing. "If what you say is true, why is Ironspire still standing?"

"Well, lucky for us, the creatures there seldom leave Grimwold. And if they do, it's only a few of them," Hugo responded. Anticipating the boy's next question, he continued, "And don't ask me why. I also don't know the reason."

The gravity of the situation settled over Elysian like a heavy cloak. He had known Ironspire was in a precarious position, but he hadn't fully grasped the magnitude of the threat until now. It wasn't just about politics or resources; it was about survival against an incomprehensible force of nature.

'Damn it! Just when I thought the worst enemies we could face were some powerful nobles in a small kingdom. I never imagined we were facing a potential catastrophe that no one was even talking about.

If the night tooths are just one of the lesser dangers in that forsaken forest, I can't even fathom what world-ending monsters might be hidden within its depths. So close to Grimwold, if nothing changes and if we don't drastically improve Ironspire's power, our destruction is all but certain. And I have a bad feeling about the Endless Mountains too. People say they're simply uninhabited, but what's so simple about mountains where nothing lives, not even animals or trees? It should be impossible. There must be a reason for it. There must be something there. I know there is. And it's so close to Grimwold.

What do I remember happening in this continent in the future? After Ironspire's fall, I wasn't keen on following the news about this place. I just satisfied myself with occasional gossip. But from what I can recall, it was gripped by some terrible wars that nearly destroyed it. Then again, Northcrest has always been at war since its earliest history. But those usually happen near its center and don't really affect Thorin much, being at the periphery of the continent.

Whether it happens or not, we really need to prepare. Even at my peak in my previous life, I would be powerless to stop this alone.'

"Boy, are you alright?" Hugo asked, observing intently the sudden silence of the young noble.

"Hmm?" Elysian was lost in his thoughts for some time, not noticing that everyone was staring at him. "Ah, I'm sorry," he said, shaking himself out of his reverie.

Hugo's brow furrowed with concern. "You looked like you were a thousand miles away." Suddenly, he grinned before adding, "Don't tell me you're scared."

"Scared?" Elysian repeated, trying to discern if the captain meant what he thought. When he saw the teasing smile of the officer, the boy laughed at the absurdity of that. "Maybe I am," he responded, raising a brow in challenge with a predatory smile of his own.

"Ha! You've got no pride. You're shamelessly admitting you don't have any balls, boy," Hugo continued to tease him, his grin growing even wider. "Why don't you prove yourself before these men so that you'll earn their respect?"

"I don't want to, Captain. I have Bran and Osric for that," Elysian glanced at his two companions, who nodded without hesitation. Even the usually timid Bran instantly agreed with full determination in his eyes, as if he had something to prove.

'Good. It seems this brat has started to grow up now. With his talent, I can't imagine how high he could fly.'

"Aren't you shameless, letting your people work for you," Hugo snorted playfully at the brazen arrogance of the young noble.

"I am. That's why I'm a noble," Elysian countered, standing up. "Why don't we go and let Bran and Osric dispatch the night tooths already? Else, your man there will collapse."

Hugo glanced at the soldier who had brought them the news. The captain sighed when he saw how pale the man looked. It seemed he wanted to remind them of the urgency of the situation but was afraid to interrupt their banter.

With that, Hugo and Elysian went to where the night tooths were approaching. The young noble had no trouble seeing in the dark. When he caught sight of the creatures, he immediately activated the Eye of Sacraeon.

image [https://i.imgur.com/OK7G3y8.png]