‘Where did it come from?’
Joonbum became curious. There were multiple possible theories. He had never seen such a creature, but he wasn’t sure if it was from another planet. Maybe the monster was from another time, like the distant future or from the past.
‘Would it have been better if it was something that we can talk to?’
Joonbum shook his head. The monster had a terrible stench even from a distance. Even the Guardians that were usually calm in most cases were now agitated. However, something about the monster gave him relief.
“Do you think it’s better this way?” Doral asked, seemingly having understood what Joonbum was thinking. Joonbum smiled bitterly.
“Yeah. I was thinking it’s good that it isn’t a highly intelligent being.”
“It’s not that easy.”
Joonbum looked at the nervous Doral. All of the Ainos around him were behaving pretty much the same.
“That monster is more than that.”
“IT’S COMING OUT!”
Another came out through the Gate. It was similar-shaped, but skinnier than the previous monster.
“It’s quick.”
The new monster moved quickly. As it exited the Gate, other monsters, big and small, came out behind.
“There are a lot.”
“They’re all different colors.”
“Look, they’re entirely different.”
The monsters all had different skin colors and varying shapes. They were certainly not the same species. Some seemed to be old and weak but had faced dire consequences as they stepped out of the Gate.
Old and weak monsters that stepped out from the Gate were immediately attacked by the other monsters and were torn apart. The ground was scattered with pieces of meat and blood.
“Ugh…”
“Hmm…”
Some Ainos moaned at the sight. Monsters were devouring down their own kind, but it seemed that they had been doing that all this time.
“We should get rid of them.”
“Those monsters… they can be a huge threat.”
“I agree.”
“It’s too dangerous.”
Many Ainos began talking in unison. Unlike Joonbum, they were quicker to understand the danger of the newly-arrived monsters.
“I agree too.”
Joonbum nodded. He, too, had noticed how vicious those monsters were. It seemed they were also quick to adapt to their new surroundings, meaning they could potentially be even more dangerous.
“We’ll clean them out.”
As Doral made the decision, a sudden horn was heard and everyone turned towards the Gate. Hordes of monsters had begun surging out from the Gate.
“FIRE!”
The Ainos quickly reacted and immediately fired their arrows. The monsters that were struck fell to the ground and everyone fell silent for a second. However, the monsters quickly got up. Even if an arrow penetrated their necks, the monsters roared as if the arrows didn’t do any harm and began charging again.
“FIRE! They must die at some point! Have no fear!”
The Ainos shouted and began firing arrows like rain from the sky.
It was chaos.
“Hmph!”
Joonbum let out a breath and fired his arrow. It struck a monster’s head but did not kill it. The monster, rather than lying on the ground and dying, turned to Joonbum and eyed him.
‘It has intelligence!’
He could see that when he looked into its eyes. Also, their reactions proved it as well.
“They are using the bodies!”
Someone shouted. The arrows fired by the Ainos were very accurate, but as monsters held up their dead to block them, it wasn’t possible to strike down their targets.
Monsters were still pouring out from the Gate, but Joonbum and the Ainos managed to hold them back, successfully killing most of the monsters. The multiple barriers that were set up proved to be useful. However, Joonbum and Doral did not lighten up.
‘It’s not slowing down.’
The number of monsters pouring through the Gate did not decrease at all, and the bodies were now piling up like a wall.
“Damn those bastards!”
“By the Gods…”
As the bodies piled up, the monsters began hiding behind them to avoid being hit by arrows. Since the arrows were fired from higher ground, it was hard for them to stay completely hidden, but it proved that the monsters were intelligent.
“This won’t be easy,” Joonbum mumbled.
Doral shouted, “Fire the black signal flare and ask for reinforcements!”
“Already, sir?”
“Black? That is for the worst scenario…”
“Sir, we have the upper hand here, there’s no need…”
Everyone seemed to be shocked by Doral’s order but Doral shouted again.
“It’s my order as the Commander of the Ainos Guards! Send the message to all tribes to prepare for the worst!”
“Yes, sir!”
Everyone bowed as soon as they heard the word ‘order.’
“Sir, the trench is being filled!”
With more monsters coming through, the dead bodies were now being dropped into the deep trenches.
“WHAT!”
“HEY, WATCH OUT!”
“LOOK!”
“KILL IT!”
One of the monsters suddenly charged and jumped high into the sky. Its purpose seemed to be to jump across the fifteen-foot-long trench. However, it jumped so high that it looked like it would really be successful and the Ainos frantically fired arrows to stop it.
“Got it!”
The monster dropped into the trench as someone shouted. But more monsters followed it and began trying to jump across.
“First squad! Block them! Second and Third squads continue focusing on the ones coming through the gate!”
There was no answer, but everyone got to work. As they kept firing more arrows, it seemed like the number coming through the Gate was starting to dwindle.
“Is it almost over?”
Someone shouted, but as he finished, monsters coming through the Gate increased again.
“What is that?!”
A giant head came out from the Gate and roared as an arrow struck its head. But it didn’t seem to bother it that much.
“Look at that!”
A giant body soon followed afterward. It was a thirty-foot-tall monster with gray skin. Arms that were as thick as tree trunks waved about as the monster roared. It was so loud that it shook the mountain range.
‘Cyclops?’
Joonbum thought as he watched the monster. It didn’t have a single eye like the monster from myths, but it looked quite like it.
‘If it had a club and a rag to cover the lower portion of its body…’
Joonbum looked at the monster’s lower body and noticed dangling flesh in between its legs. Joonbum quickly drew his bow and shot the arrow.
-GWAAAAARGH!
“UGH.”
“Ooooh.”
The monster screamed in agony and the Ainos who saw it cringed. The monster began wildly destroying everything around it, killing whatever monsters that were in the vicinity. The other monsters who were hiding behind the bodies had to scatter and flee from the giant one’s attack and fell prey to the arrows.
“…Did you do that on purpose?”
“Uh… it was noticeable, so…”
“I see.”
The arrows were fired again.
