Even the tied-up beast captains looked confused. This wasn't part of the plan.
Then, light exploded to the east—five hundred meters behind a thick wall of trees.
Boom.
The ground shook. Birds scattered. The leaves rustled wildly.
And from that clearing, more beasts began pouring out.
Hundreds.
Maybe more.
This wasn't a scouting party.
This was a full beast army.
Their armor glinted in the moonlight. Their weapons were polished. Their formation was clean.
At the front stood a tall, muscular beast—not as bulky as Garuum, but with a sharper, more refined aura. A commander.
He stepped through the gate, sniffed the air… and stopped.
His eyes locked onto the scene ahead.
A ruined camp.
Dozens of his soldiers are lying motionless in the dirt.
Captains are tied up like livestock.
The smell of cooked meat still lingered in the air.
His eyes widened.
He rushed forward. "WHAT HAPPENED HERE?!"
Silence answered him.
He stormed closer.
