Rebirth: 100 Days Before Doomsday

From the deeper parts of Crimson Forest, four Class 3 Monster Beasts surged forward.

And they qere accompanied by dozens of Shadow Beasts. Each of these creatures looked more terrifying than the last. Now, there were more beasts than warriors.

Grace barely had time to process the sheer number of enemies before a sharp whistle echoed through the battlefield. It was Davian's signal.

"Formation A!" he commanded.

The warriors from Starfall immediately shifted their positions, tightening their ranks to form a defensive barrier between the Class 3 Beasts and the injured. Meanwhile, the warriors from Starship and Country C braced themselves, holding back the relentless Shadow Beasts.

Grace's mind worked rapidly. They were vastly outnumbered. If this kept up, they wouldn't last long.

The Class 8 Monster Beast let out a guttural snarl. It was the one orchestrating the attack, controlling the lower-ranked beasts like a general commanding an army.

If she could take it down, the tide of battle would shift.

But how?

Its skin was like armor. It had absurd regeneration. And worst of all, it was fast... faster than her.

She needed more than just brute force.

[Master, if you want, I can take care of the matter.]

This time, the voice that filled her head didn't belong to 2025, but the dragon. After years of cultivation inside her space, it had long surpassed Class 11. Not only that, but it was about to enter Class 12 very soon.

Being such a powerful beast, it could indeed easily end the army of Shadow and Monster Beasts. But...

"It's still not the right time for you to come out." She replied through her shared mindlink with the dragon. "I know that you have been waiting for so long. Wait for the day I will face an enemy much more powerful than me, I'll let you protect me then."

She just heard a huff from it, but there was no further discussion on the matter. They both knew that it was just a matter of time before the world would get to meet with it.

Taking in a deep breath, she closed her eyes for a brief second and into her thought-creation power. The air around her crackled as she envisioned what she needed - massive, unyielding chains of pure energy, strong enough to restrain even the strongest of beasts.

A surge of power exploded from her body. From the ground, glowing silver chains materialized before snaking through the battlefield with lightning speed.

The Class 8 Monster Beast let out a startled snarl as the chains coiled around its legs and neck, tightening with unrelenting force.

For a brief moment, it was immobilized.

"NOW!" She shouted.

Davian didn't hesitate. He surged forward with his twin blades. He aimed for the beast's joints, places where even the toughest armor would be weak. His blades bit into its flesh, carving deep gashes that this time didn't heal immediately.

Grace seized the opportunity and called upon her water element. She thrust her hands forward, and a torrent of high-pressure water erupted from her palms, slamming into the beast with the force of a hurricane.

The water crashed into its wounds, preventing them from closing. It did have a weakness. Its regeneration was linked to its internal energy. If she could disrupt its flow, it wouldn't heal as fast.

"Keep the pressure on!" she ordered.

One of the Class 3 Beasts, a giant horned serpent, lunged at her while she was focused on the Class 8 Beast.

But before it could reach her, a massive root shot out from the ground, wrapping around the serpent's body and slamming it into the earth with bone-crushing force.

Her nature element.

She didn't stop there. She reached deep into the earth, calling upon the forest itself.

Vines erupted across the battlefield, wrapping around the legs of the charging beasts and tripping them before they could reach the warriors. Thick roots shot up, creating temporary barriers against the flying monsters, knocking them from the sky like swatted flies.

The warriors around her began regaining ground as the tide shifted.

Davian delivered another brutal slash across the Class 8 Beast's chest, forcing it to let out an enraged howl. The moment its mouth opened, Grace clenched her fist and the chains around its neck tightened further, choking off its roar.

"You are not leading this battle anymore," she said coldly.

With a final push, she summoned all her remaining power.

The sky darkened, and a massive wave of water surged into existence above them, hovering ominously.

The Class 8 Beast's eyes widened. It struggled violently against the chains, trying to escape. But it was too late.

Grace thrust her hands down and the water crashed down like an unrelenting tidal wave. The battle area was consumed in its sheer force, sweeping away the Shadow Beasts and the lower-ranked monsters in its wake.

The Class 8 Beast fought against it, claws digging into the ground. But the moment its feet lost their grip, it was done.

The flood engulfed it, slamming it into the earth with an impact that shook the battlefield.

When the water finally receded, the monstrous creature lay there. They were stunned, weakened, and vulnerable.

Davian didn't waste time. With one final strike, he drove both of his glowing blades straight into the skull of Class 8 Beast.

A shudder ran through the beast's body. And then, it finally fell silent.

For a moment, no one moved. Then, as if a string had been cut, the remaining beasts stopped attacking. Some tried to flee, while others hesitated, their movements suddenly unsure without the Class 8 Beast's commands.

That was all the warriors needed.

"NOW!" Kevin guided.

A final wave of attacks was unleashed as the warriors moved to take down the beasts. Within minutes, all the remaining beasts were killed, not a single was allowed to flee.

The battle was over.

Grace exhaled heavily, feeling exhaustion settle into her bones. Their surrounding was a mess with bodies of beasts scattered across the blood-soaked ground, and dozens of trees fallen around as a result of the fierce battle.

But they had successfully completed the hunt.