I woke up with the feeling that the day had already started wrong.
It wasn't physical exhaustion. It was the awareness that we were approaching something that could no longer be ignored. The pattern was clear. The path too. And the further we went, the fewer common monsters appeared.
That didn't reassure me.
I left the mansion while the sky was still dark. I found Elara already outside, leaning on the gate, idly fiddling with a small mana crystal between her fingers.
"You didn't sleep either," she said.
"Not much."
Soon after, Liriel, Vespera, Rai'kanna, and Lyannis arrived. No one needed to ask our destination. We already knew.
We followed the same direction as the previous day, tracking the horde's trail. The ground remained marked, fallen trees indicating the constant advance of that invisible army that didn't stop for anything.
The morning silence was heavy.
"It feels different today," Lyannis murmured.
Rai'kanna nodded. "I felt it too."
Liriel closed her eyes for a moment. "The presence is denser."
Elara adjusted the strap of her bag. "They've changed."
I knew what that meant even before seeing them.
After almost an hour of walking, we found the first signs. Deep claw marks on rocks. Trees uprooted from their base. It wasn't the kind of damage common monsters caused.
Vespera ran her hand over a broken trunk. "Brute strength."
"They're not the same as before," I said.
We advanced more cautiously.
The first one appeared without warning.
It came out from behind a rock formation as if it had been waiting. Tall, muscular, dark skin thick like burnt leather. Four long arms ending in curved claws. Small, alert eyes.
Rank A.
It didn't hesitate. It charged straight at us.
I drew my sword instantly.
The impact of the first clash made me realize this was different. It didn't back down. Didn't falter. Kept pressing as if my strike meant nothing.
Elara was already behind me, preparing magic.
Rai'kanna attacked from the side, hitting one of the creature's legs hard enough to shake the ground.
Even so, it continued.
"This isn't normal," Lyannis shouted.
Liriel cast a beam of light directly at the monster's chest. The reaction was minimal. It only turned its body, annoyed, but not weakened as other demons usually were.
Vespera took the opening that appeared and finally managed to cut off one of the creature's arms.
The monster roared.
But didn't fall.
I had to use much more force than expected to create space and finish it.
When it fell, silence returned for a few seconds.
Then we heard another sound.
Heavy footsteps.
More than one.
Elara's eyes widened. "There's more."
They began appearing from between the trees.
Two.
Three.
Four.
All the same.
All Rank A.
Rai'kanna rotated her shoulders. "Now the silence makes sense."
Lyannis assumed a combat stance. "They've replaced the front line."
Liriel took a deep breath. "This is a test."
I already understood.
The Fifth General was no longer sending common monsters.
He was raising the level.
"Tight formation," I said.
This time, there was no chaotic advance. We fought together, practically glued to each other.
The monsters attacked with absurd strength, without fear, without retreat. Every strike demanded full attention.
Elara had to use stronger magic than she had been using until now. Rai'kanna began attacking with heavier, less economical movements. Vespera had no room for mistakes.
Liriel continued trying to use her light, but it clearly didn't have the same effect as before.
Lyannis covered the gaps that appeared, preventing the group from being surrounded.
The fight lasted longer than any other so far.
And was much more exhausting.
When the last one fell, no one spoke for a few seconds.
I breathed heavily. Not from injury, but from the effort.
Elara leaned on her knees. "If this becomes the standard, it complicates things."
Rai'kanna wiped sweat from her forehead. "They're too resilient."
Vespera looked around. "And they were waiting."
Liriel confirmed in a low voice. "They knew we'd pass here."
Lyannis stared at me. "He's adjusting his troops as we advance."
I nodded slowly.
"He's learning from us."
We moved forward nonetheless.
And we found more.
Not in hordes. At strategic points.
Always positioned where the trail narrowed, where the passage was unavoidable.
They weren't wandering.
They were on guard.
By the third encounter of the day, we no longer fought with the same ease as before. Every battle demanded quick planning, total cooperation.
Fatigue was building.
When the sun finally began to lower, we stopped in an open area to catch our breath.
Elara sat on a rock. "This isn't extermination anymore."
"It's military advance," Vespera said.
Liriel stared at the horizon. "We're getting closer."
Rai'kanna rested her weapon on the ground. "And he knows exactly where we are."
Lyannis added. "And he's preparing the path."
I looked at the forest ahead.
The pattern was even clearer now.
First came the hordes.
Then the void.
Now the guardians.
Each stage pushed us toward the same destination.
And, for the first time, I was absolutely certain.
The Fifth General wasn't trying to stop us.
He was guiding us.