Hugo followed Elysian's gaze, his body stiffening as he spotted the new threat. "By the gods," he muttered, reaching for his weapon. "Is that what I think it is? F*ck," he cursed, freezing where he stood, overcome by the monstrous sight before them.

The creature lurking in the shadows dwarfed the night tooths Bran and Osric had been battling. It was massive, roughly the size of a horse, with fur so dark it seemed to swallow light itself. Its enormous form was barely visible in the gloom, shrouded by a fog that clung to it like a second skin. Moonlight caught its eyes, making them glow with an eerie, otherworldly light. As the creature's gaze locked onto Elysian, a shiver ran down his spine.

"What the hell is that?" the young noble's mind raced as he struggled to calm his nerves. He glanced at the captain, his senses flaring upon noticing the fear that had engulfed the usually confident and cocky officer.

Hugo finally responded, his eyes reigniting with rage—not directed at anyone, but at himself for showing momentary weakness. "That's a night howler, boy, a night howler. An alpha of the night tooths." His voice was thick with purpose and determination. "It's one of the deadliest predators in the fringes of Grimwold. Few have ever survived its claws, and it always stays in the Great Forest. I've never heard of sightings outside it."

"Then what the hell is it doing here?" Elysian looked around, his heart sinking as he noticed countless night tooths prowling behind it, slowly encircling their group.

As if sensing the shift in atmosphere, both Bran and Osric glanced around, finally noticing the growing horde of night tooths. They immediately looked towards their master, seeking guidance. In that split second of distraction, a night tooth lunged at Bran, its claws raking across his arm. The servant let out a pained grunt but managed to bring his staff around, crushing the creature's skull with a sickening crunch.

The night howler's presence seemed to embolden the lesser creatures, their attacks growing more frequent and coordinated. Elysian gripped his weapon tighter, his mind racing to formulate a plan. They were outnumbered and facing a very dangerous foe—one that shouldn't even be here.

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

'Its rating is a D+ and a threat level of C. Sh*t, this is bad. If I'm not mistaken, its threat level matches my father's cultivation. Eldrons are usually stronger compared to human cultivators. There are plenty of instances where an eldron could only be killed by a group of cultivators of the same level. Being an alpha and leader of the pack, this night howler is incomparable to a normal eldron variant. I'm not even confident my father could take it on alone.

But...

But luck hasn't totally abandoned us. Eye said it's injured. If not, our fate would have already been sealed. We might be able to use this to escape that monster alive.'

When it registered that the Eye of Sacraeon was urging him to flee, Elysian grasped the true gravity of their situation. The artifact wasn't one to suggest retreat unless their predicament was truly dire.

'Eye, I won't abandon my people. I'll stand beside them even if Death herself were standing before us.'

Elysian's expression shifted from anxious surprise that had initially clouded his features as it melted away, replaced by a steely determination. His gaze sharpened, taking on the calculated intensity of a seasoned warrior—one who had stared into death countless desperate moments and emerged unbroken and alive.

"You two, retreat. Come here quickly," Elysian ordered, his voice steady and commanding while his eyes darted around, assessing their predicament with lightning speed.

Osric, seeing his friend wounded, fought with renewed vigor. He carved a path through the night tooths to reach Bran's side. "Let's go!" he shouted over the din of battle.

Bran nodded grimly, his face pale but determined. They retreated swiftly while fending off the pursuing night tooths, protecting each other's vulnerable sides. Though young and inexperienced, their constant sparring with Elysian had honed and sharpened their teamwork to the point that they could read each others movement.

"We need to fall back!" Hugo shouted to his soldiers, his voice cutting through the cacophony of growls and snarls. "Form a tight circle, protect each other's backs!"

Bran and Osric finally reached the relative safety around their liege, though how long it would remain that way was anybody's guess.

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

"Well done," Elysian nodded at his two companions, pride glimmering in his eyes. "Catch your breath. It's going to be a long night, and you'll need all your strength to survive this."

Before Osric could respond, a bone-chilling roar sliced through the night air. The night tooths froze, their heads snapping towards the source—the same direction where Elysian and Hugo had spotted those haunting, glowing eyes.

As the soldiers scrambled to follow Hugo's orders, the night howler took a step forward. Its massive paw left a deep imprint in the soft earth, a grim reminder of the beast's sheer size and power. Its eyes, gleaming with unnatural intelligence, seemed to assess the humans before it. Elysian couldn't shake that uncomfortable feeling as the creature's gaze bore through him.

With night tooths closing in and the night howler poised to enter the fight, the band of soldiers braced themselves. Though outnumbered by a horde of enemies, the eyes of the veterans were focused and fearless. It was a testament to their resilience, forged in this savage land where death was but a daily occurrence. The sight was both terrifying and awe-inspiring.

The air crackled with tension as human and beast faced off in the moonlit darkness, neither side willing to yield. The night howler's presence seemed to embolden its lesser kin as they moved forward as one. Gone was the unrelenting wave that attacked with abandon, fully consumed by rage and hunger. This was now a different enemy—one directed by a single will, fully focused on their doom.

"Boy, listen to me," Hugo said urgently, his eyes never leaving the looming threat. As a captain of many years, Hugo could clearly see they were at a disadvantage. No, not just at a disadvantage—it seemed the executioner had already placed the axe on their necks. "You need to get out of here. Return to Ironspire," he ordered. "We'll hold them here."

Elysian turned to look at the captain, his expressionless face a stark contrast to the grave situation they were in. "That won't be happening. I'm not the type to leave my people behind," he stated as if it were already decided. "Tell me, captain, you know these creatures better. How do you plan—"

"Listen here, brat," Hugo scowled, not appreciating how the boy disobeyed him at the worst possible moment.

"No, captain, you listen to me," Elysian interjected, his voice remaining calm as his eyes continued to survey their surroundings. "I'm not one of your soldiers to command. I came here of my own will, and I'll leave the same way."

"Then you'll die here, brat," Hugo responded loudly, fury lacing his voice.

Elysian noticed the soldiers glancing at them, surprised by the conflict behind them. "Then so be it," he said loudly for everyone to hear. "I am my father's son, captain. I'm no craven." As the young noble spoke, he could see respect blooming in the soldiers' eyes, like crimson flowers in spring. "The blood of the Ironheart runs through my veins. In this darkest of times, I won't abandon my people. I will bleed with them and stand victorious against these savage beasts."

The soldiers nodded at his words before returning their attention to the approaching danger.

Hugo could only grit his teeth, powerless to do anything when his attention was greatly needed elsewhere. "Brat, don't blame me if you're severely injured, maimed, or worse, dead," he growled, then turned to the other two boys. "If these two die, it will be on you."

Elysian glanced at his companions, who nodded, indicating their desire to stay despite the danger. "It would be on me," he confirmed before turning back to the officer. "Now, tell me captain, how do you plan to face this situation? Do you plan to kill that night howler?"

"Kill the night howler?" Hugo snorted in disbelief. "That thing could likely kill all of us alone."

"Then what? Do we just stand here until that creature eventually kills us?" Elysian asked, even though he saw in the officer's eyes that he hadn't given up yet.

"No, we will defend," Hugo answered, sighing in resignation. "We don't have any choice. But don't worry, we just need to hold out until dawn. Night howlers are nocturnal creatures. They hate sunlight, just like the night tooths."

Elysian was surprised to learn this and quickly asked, "Is sunlight lethal to them?"

"Sadly, no," Hugo answered. "And we don't really know the reason. There are many theories. One is simply that they're nocturnal creatures, but many believe it's because their ability to turn into mist doesn't work well in sunlight."

"If you had a choice, what would you want to do?" Elysian asked, noting the officer's earlier reluctance to simply stand their ground as enemies approached from all directions.

Hugo sighed, the weight of their predicament evident in his voice. "If I had a choice, boy, I'd run," he answered, his words a stark reminder of their powerlessness. "I'd run to our main force at the frontier, surrounded by strong walls where we'd be safe from these beasts."

"Run?" Elysian echoed, mulling over the captain's response. "That would be an idiotic move, Captain. We'd be picked off one by one."

Hugo shot the young noble with an irritated look. "Do you take me for a fool, boy? I'm not talking about running blindly like idiots. I mean a strategic retreat. We'd move slowly, defending our flanks while those on the sides try to kill any creatures attempting to encircle us. I know it's risky, but I don't like the idea of being surrounded when we don't even know their numbers. Worse still, all this death might attract even more dangerous creatures."

Elysian considered the officer's plan. "Both options are equally risky," he conceded. "But I'll defer to you, given your greater knowledge of this area."

Hugo snorted. "We don't have a plan, boy. Staying here is our only option now, since that alpha would surely slaughter us if we move. However, even if we stay, our chances are only marginally better."

Suddenly, the night tooths' assault began in earnest. "Hold!" Hugo shouted as the clash erupted. "Use your bodies! Don't let them push you back, or our formation will crumble." As the soldiers managed to defend against the initial onslaught, the captain barked another order: "Attack!"

Elysian watched from the sidelines, silently observing as the battle unfolded. He marveled at the soldiers' performance. They were true veterans—machines that defended and attacked with precision, never missing their mark. Pride swelled in his chest; these were the soldiers of their city, standing strong in the face of overwhelming odds.

But beneath that pride, a deep sorrow took root. Elysian could already see how this would end—in their death and doom.