The swarm of green wolf-ants surged forward not as individual beasts but as a single, living entity with a shared purpose.

Their massive forms blurred into streaks of green as they charged from every direction, shaking the ground beneath them like a storm of living steel. Clawed limbs dug into the earth, propelling them forward with terrifying speed.

The sharp clicking of their mandibles sent chills down spines, and in that instant, before anyone could catch their breath, the first wave crashed against their formation like a tidal force threatening to obliterate everything in its path.

Mina was the first to face this onslaught. She planted her feet firmly, her small frame standing resolutely before the others like an unyielding wall.

With a thunderous boom, her gigantic shield slammed down as the first few wolf-ants collided with it, claws scraping against its surface and sending sparks flying in all directions.

The sheer force pushed her back half a step, but she held firm, arms trembling under pressure yet wearing an excited grin as she shouted, "Come on! Is that all you’ve got?"

Just then, another beast leaped toward her head only to be intercepted by Brutus. With a roar, his massive frame collided with the creature mid-air, sending it crashing to the ground with a heavy thud that kicked up dust and debris.

Leona moved like a shadow along the frontline, her eyes sharp and focused. She constantly adjusted her position without uttering much, guiding the flow of battle silently.

Her blade flashed as she intercepted one beast trying to slip past Mina’s guard; with a clean strike across its side, she forced it to retreat with a low growl.

"Hold the line; don’t break formation," she urged calmly but firmly. Though steady in tone, her tight grip on her weapon revealed her awareness of how dangerous this situation truly was, these creatures were behaving less like wild animals and more like trained soldiers probing for weaknesses.

Behind them stood Sage for a brief moment, scanning the battlefield where everything seemed to slow down in his perception. Every movement and shift became clear in an almost surreal way.

Without hesitation, he raised his hand slightly; a small flame flickered into existence at his fingertips,simple and ordinary at first glance but when he flicked his fingers forward, it shot out like cannon fire.

The fireball tore through the air with a sharp whistle before crashing into the center of the swarm and exploding violently enough to make the ground shake. Flames burst outward in all directions as several green wolf-ants were thrown back violently; charred smoke rose from their scales.

The others sensed it right away, something was off. That fireball didn’t look or feel like any ordinary one. 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

Even Brutus, who was busy blocking another attack, couldn’t help but shout, "Boss, what kind of fireball is that?!" as he shoved a beast aside with a grunt.

Sage remained silent, his gaze locked onto the battlefield. He raised his other hand, and thin blades of wind began to form around him, initially invisible until they shot forward in sharp arcs, slicing through multiple beasts with clean precision.

The sound of flesh being cut echoed as the creatures staggered and quickly regrouped.

But then something strange happened. Sage’s eyes narrowed as he noticed a shift in their movements. The next wave of creatures didn’t rush in blindly like before; instead, they spread out slightly, subtly altering their paths to avoid the areas where the fire had just exploded and the lines marked by wind blades.

Their attacks became more precise and targeted, one darted low to aim for Brutus’ leg instead of his chest, while another circled around to test Leona’s flank. In that moment, Sage muttered under his breath, "They adjusted already..."

Another heavy impact reverberated through the air as Mina slammed her shield forward once more, successfully blocking three beasts at once.

Their combined force pushed her back slightly, cracking the ground beneath her feet. Gritting her teeth, she shouted, "Hey! Stop hitting the same spot!"

Despite the pressure, she was clearly enjoying herself; her arms shook but her stance remained solid. Meanwhile, Brutus let out a sharp grunt as one of the beasts managed to slip past his guard for just a moment. Its claw scraped across his armor, leaving a deep mark that changed his expression instantly.

He stepped back half a step and muttered, "Damn... that actually went through..."

His voice turned low and serious as he realized these creatures were not something they could easily dismiss.

Leona quickly moved closer to fill the gap, her tone calm yet sharper now as she said, "They’re not just testing; they’re looking for openings. Don’t give them any."

Her blade flashed again as she forced another beast back. Yet even as she spoke, the pressure mounted; more green wolf-ants pressed forward in overwhelming numbers, their movements synchronized like a living wall slowly closing in around them.

Sage didn’t stop casting spells; his hands moved in quick succession as he conjured and unleashed powerful magic. Fireballs exploded like bombs while waves of wind blades sliced through the air.

A small spark of lightning jumped from his fingers and struck one of the beasts with a sharp crack that made it convulse before collapsing. Still, despite this onslaught, the swarm did not falter or retreat; instead, they adapted and learned from each attack.

Behind him, Gregor and Vanthrice fought alongside other attackers, their strikes fast and precise as they capitalized on every opening created by the frontline.

Blades flashed and bodies moved in perfect rhythm to cut down any beast that got too close. But even they felt an unsettling pressure building up, the swarm refused to thin out as expected; their coordination only tightened over time.

Gregor couldn’t help but mutter under his breath, "This is wrong... they shouldn’t be this coordinated..."

Sage heard him and shared his concern because he had witnessed it firsthand: how the beasts avoided repeated attacks and shifted their focus strategically while continuously testing their formation.

As another wave crashed against Mina’s shield with a thunderous boom echoing across the plain, Sage exhaled slowly. The calm expression on his face remained intact but the light in his eyes grew colder, he finally understood what they were up against.

"This isn’t a normal beast fight..." he murmured quietly to himself.

His voice was low but clear as another spell began forming in his hand; the air around him stirred slightly in response to his will while ahead of him, the swarm pressed forward without hesitation, each movement becoming more refined with each passing second.

"They are learning."