Silas couldn’t meditate for longer than half an hour.

Just as he was beginning to gain a little more control over the revolting Shadowheart, a thunderous chorus of roars shattered his concentration.

He did not need anyone to explain what was happening. The next wave had arrived, and it had come far sooner than expected. Nor did it lack numbers or variety compared to the first one.

This wave, however, brought a new breed of monsters. Amid the countless creatures advancing toward the outpost, seven massive figures stood out from the rest.

They were scarlet-colored bears covered in thick armoured plates that protected most of their bodies. Each one towered nearly ten meters tall and possessed four muscular legs ending in long, curved claws capable of tearing through steel.

"These... these are Scarlet Armoured Bears."

As soon as Silas joined his teammates, Lara spoke in a low voice. For once, the confidence and excitement she usually displayed whenever discussing monsters were nowhere to be found.

"The weakest of them are C-grade. They’re extremely difficult to kill because of their armour, and defending against them isn’t easy either. Their claws release ethereal attacks that follow each strike and can crush most defences with ease..."

Her gaze drifted across the battlefield before the apprehension in her eyes slowly transformed into something entirely different.

"I want to tame one. No, I want to tame all of them."

"Shut up."

Darius rolled his eyes.

"Can’t you see how terrifying they are? They’re C-grade, one whole grade above us. Taming one won’t be easy."

"But..."

"You can try taming something else and help us survive first..."

Alfred was interrupted before he could finish. One of the bears had reached a cluster of monsters standing in its path. Without slowing down, it casually swung a paw. A colossal spectral claw materialised in the air and descended upon the crowd, and dozens of monsters were crushed instantly.

There was no need for a second attack. None of them had survived the first. The bear continued forward without pause, trampling the mangled remains beneath its feet as though it were walking over soft clay.

The sight caused Alfred’s words to die in his throat. Judging by the expressions around him, everyone was thinking the same thing; these bears were quite terrifying.

"What... what do we do now?"

Darius turned toward Silas and Cher.

"Shouldn’t we stay inside the shield?"

It was the most logical solution he could think of. Against monsters like those bears, the protective barrier seemed to be their only hope. However, Silas disagreed.

"We can’t do that unless you’re willing to drain most of our crystals on a single wave." 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

Darius froze before looking toward Cher, hoping she would oppose him. Instead, she nodded.

"Silas is right," she said quietly, her eyes fixed on the approaching bears. "If these monsters only appear once a day, fighting behind the shield would make sense. But nobody knows whether they’ll return in the next wave or appear in every wave after this."

She did not need to elaborate further. If they relied on the shield to stop the bears, their crystal reserves would be exhausted long before the day ended. And once that happened, the outpost would be lost.

None of them was willing to accept that outcome.

"So..."

Alfred cleared his throat, but didn’t dare to say what he had in mind.

"We’ll fight as usual," Silas said calmly. "The difference is that we won’t waste time dealing with the other monsters. We’ll need a different strategy."

He crouched and used his dagger to draw on the ground.

"Cher won’t be very effective against the bears."

The statement landed like a bomb. And Cher gave Silas a questionable look.

"You’ve seen how thick their armour is. Your beams are powerful, but against monsters a grade above us, they’ll barely do more than a scratch."

"Then what am I supposed to do?"

Cher frowned, though she trusted that Silas would not exclude her without reason. As expected, he already had a role prepared for her.

"Instead, I need you to circle us. Create a perimeter large enough for us to fight the two bears heading directly toward the outpost."

While everyone else had been focused on the bears themselves, Silas had noticed something important. There were seven bears in total, but only two were moving directly toward their position. The remaining five were advancing elsewhere.

Since they lacked the strength to kill even a single bear, dividing their attention would only guarantee failure.

"I’ll use the controlled version or the berserk version?"

Cher had decided right on the spot to name her abilities according to how she used them. Silas chose not to comment on the rather simple names.

"Start with the controlled version," he said. "If that isn’t enough, unleash the berserk one. Just make sure we stay outside its range, and withdraw immediately if you can no longer hold the monsters back."

Cher could already feel the pressure that responsibility carried. Still, compared to what awaited the others, her task was arguably the safest.

Silas then turned to Lara.

"You’ll focus on taming monsters. Send your tigers to assist Cher, and if you manage to tame anything else, send them to her as well."

"Only Cher?"

Lara blinked in surprise. Her gaze moved from Darius to Alfred before finally settling on Silas.

"What about the three of you?"

"We’ll have to handle the bears ourselves."

Silas sighed, fully aware of how unrealistic that sounded.

"Besides, none of this matters if Cher can’t hold back the monsters and clear enough space for us to fight. Your priority is helping her hold the line for as long as possible."

He gave no one the chance to object. The plan was riddled with flaws, and he knew it. Unfortunately, there was no time to use the help of the Time Mind World and search for a better solution. The bears would reach the outpost alongside the monster wave within minutes.

Turning to Darius and Alfred, Silas hesitated briefly.

"Which one of you is faster?"

To his surprise, Darius answered immediately.

"Neither. You’re the fastest among us."

Silas blinked, then nodded. Considering how long Darius had fought beside him, the observation was hardly surprising.

"Then I’ll be the one dancing with the bears."

Alfred frowned.

"Wouldn’t it be better if I tried to block their attacks?"

"You can’t."

Silas’s answer was immediate.

"None of us can. Those claws will tear through anything we have. Our only chance is to avoid them."

"There has to be another way."

A sense of unease settled in Cher’s chest. For reasons she could not explain, she wanted to take Silas’s place. He silenced her before she could speak.

"There isn’t enough time to find one."

A bitter smile appeared on his face.

"I’ll keep both bears occupied for as long as possible. During that time, Darius will search for weaknesses in their armour using his ability. Alfred, stay nearby and step in if Darius gets into trouble or if any monsters break through Cher."

Even Silas could tell how terrible the plan sounded. Still, standing around debating would accomplish nothing. Without another word, he moved toward the edge of the shield.

Then others followed. No one tried to stop him. None of them had a better idea.

"Let’s go."

The moment they stepped beyond the barrier, Silas sprinted toward the two incoming bears.

The others scattered to carry out their assigned roles, while Cher attacked first. A brilliant beam erupted from her hands and swept across the front ranks of the advancing monsters. She guided it back and forth several times, cutting through creatures and slowing the momentum of the horde.

At the same time, Silas launched his daggers. Together, the two of them easily overwhelmed the monsters at the front. But the bears were another matter entirely. The front bear casually swung a paw, then a deafening metallic screech echoed across the battlefield as all five daggers were knocked aside and sent flying through the air.

Had Silas reacted a moment later, he would have lost his weapons before the battle had truly begun. And Cher’s attack fared no better. The bear did not even bother dodging.

The beam struck a thick armoured plate covering its back, producing little more than a thin trail of white smoke and a faint scorch mark. When the light faded, the armour remained completely intact.

"Tsk."

Cher gritted her teeth.

"I’ll clear the battlefield. Good luck."

Her frustration quickly turned into violence. She redirected her attacks toward the surrounding monsters while the dozen tigers rushed forward to support her.

Silas barely noticed any of that. The moment his daggers returned, he launched them again and charged toward the front bear.

ROAR!