The beast tide was coming!
Although no monsters had yet been seen, the moment the first explosion echoed across the landscape, everyone stationed along the city wall of Huaihai went on full combat alert.
Smith leapt swiftly from the city wall, landing silently as Xi Congqing quickly returned to her assigned unit.
In the entire Executive Department, Smith was the only one who operated solo, without a formal team. That hadn't changed even now.
All eyes were focused on the dense forest line, roughly three kilometers away.
The explosion had originated from beyond that point—from one of the traps they'd painstakingly laid.
Its activation could mean only one thing:
The monsters had arrived.
"Boom boom boom..."
"Boom! Boom!"
Successive detonations thundered through the area, shaking the ground. They left no doubt—there wasn't just one monster. There were many.
Thick clouds of smoke and dust billowed into the air from the blast sites, the acrid scent of gunpowder spreading with the wind.
Amidst the noise and fire, entire clusters of trees fell, crashing to the earth.
Then, finally, a black line appeared on the horizon—at first vague, but soon taking shape.
It wasn't a shadow.
It was a solid, living wall—an overwhelming tide of monsters surging toward Huaihai City.
The beast tide had truly begun.
"All units to battle stations! Maintain discipline and follow all orders!"
Xi Yan stood tall atop the wall, issuing commands in a steady, calm tone.
Far beyond the three-kilometer perimeter, a mixture of supernatural mines and enchanted traps began to spring to life.
Leading the charge were swarms of first- and second-level monsters—low-intelligence beasts driven by raw instinct.
These lesser monsters rushed forward wildly, heedless of the danger. Driven by the sheer momentum of the tide behind them, they trampled each other and fell victim to the traps en masse.
But it didn't matter.
Their bodies became nothing more than stepping stones.
Those behind them surged forward, undeterred.
"These beasts... they actually know how to use cannon fodder tactics?"
Smith watched the scene, his brow furrowed in alarm. "They're sacrificing the weak ones to clear the path."
Dozens of carefully laid traps were now detonating prematurely—eliminated by swarms of low-level creatures.
But the traps had been designed for third-level monsters or higher. Using them on these low-grade monsters was a waste.
It was as if the beasts themselves understood this.
They were being organized—directed.
That realization sank in quickly for everyone watching from the wall. Their expressions grew grim.
If the traps couldn't stop the stronger monsters, what would?
"Stay sharp! Charge the cannons!"
Xi Yan's sharp command snapped everyone out of their daze. His voice cut through the rising panic like a blade.
All across the wall, teams of artillery specialists sprang into action.
Dozens of energy cannons swiveled into place, adjusting their aim to target the rapidly advancing front line.
As the barrage of explosions continued in the outer fields, the last of the traps were triggered. The ground was littered with broken trees and burning monsters.
But the tide didn't stop.
The forest floor shook as thousands of creatures stampeded toward the city.
Then—
"Buzz—!"
The Eight-Direction Formation roared to life.
Golden energy surged from hidden nodes buried in the ground, forming a massive radiant wall that sliced upward like a blade.
Dozens—no, hundreds—of monsters were cleaved in half the instant they touched it.
The golden wall of energy now stretched across the three-kilometer defense line, a shining barrier halting the unstoppable tide.
Temporarily, at least.
"Charge cannons—open fire!"
Xi Yan gave the next order without hesitation.
The cannon teams didn't delay. The muzzles adjusted again, and within seconds—
BOOM!
The first shell was launched. Flames burst into the air as it landed in the heart of the monster horde.
The explosion sent beasts flying in every direction. At least twenty or thirty creatures were reduced to ash with a single shot.
Smith stood near one of the cannons, watching as the shell landed and detonated. The power of these charged cannons surpassed even those he had seen in Tai'an City.
There were thirteen such cannons on the city wall. After one synchronized volley, hundreds of monsters were wiped out.
But to the beast tide, it was like a scratch—barely felt.
The monsters at the front were still just the expendable ones. Their job was to die. And they did, without hesitation.
The Eight-Direction Formation remained the crucial line of defense. It held firm for now, halting the advance of the monstrous army.
And while it held, the cannons above rained fire.
One round. Then another. Shells fell into the densest parts of the horde, maximizing their destructive power.
Eventually, the front wave of weak monsters had been all but wiped out.
And then the real threats emerged.
Third-level monsters.
"Activate Plan One! Open the gate—let the dogs in!"
Xi Yan's voice remained composed, but carried a steely undertone.
The teams managing the Eight-Direction Formation responded immediately.
They formed seals with their hands, and the seamless golden wall opened just enough to allow a portion of the horde through.
"ROAR!!"
A mass of higher-level beasts bellowed as they rushed through the breach, surging into the zone between the city and the defense line.
But this was intentional.
As they entered the kill zone, massive explosive crossbows along the city walls unleashed their payloads.
"Whoosh—!"
A single bolt sliced through the air and struck a monster mid-charge.
"BOOM—!"
The modified bolt exploded on impact, tearing the beast into pieces.
Each arrow was now equivalent to a small bomb. The results were devastating.
The number of monsters that made it through the formation breach was manageable—small enough to be eliminated without even resorting to the next layer of supernatural traps.
This was all according to plan.
The real battle, however, remained outside the wall—where the bulk of the beast tide still pressed against the Eight-Direction Formation.
"They're pushing harder," Smith muttered under his breath.
Despite constant bombardment from the cannons, the number of monsters didn't seem to decrease. If anything, it was growing.
Now that the horde had stalled, more and more monsters were congregating near the formation, smashing against it relentlessly.
It was clear:
The barrier wouldn't hold forever.
"We can't stop the entire beast tide with long-range bombardment alone," Smith said grimly. "This is just the beginning."
And he was right.
For a full thirty minutes, the formation held—golden light shimmering as monsters slammed into it again and again.
But slowly, cracks began to appear.
The ground trembled as one massive beast threw its full weight into the barrier.
Then another.
And another.
"Crack!"
Finally, the golden wall shuddered violently—and with a loud bang, a hole was torn open.
The formation had broken.
Monsters howled as they poured through the gap, charging directly toward the city like a flood let loose.
But they had no idea…
They were stepping into Huaihai City's real battlefield—the second and most brutal defense zone, prepared just for them.
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