Meanwhile, far in the North, where the land stretched into cold plains and jagged ridges, a border town stood like a lone guardian against the unknown.
Its towering walls, built from thick stone reinforced with hardened mana-infused concrete, rose high above the ground, forming a barrier that had endured countless monster tides in the past.
The air was heavy.
Not with silence, but with noise.
Growls. Roars. Screeches.
The sound of monsters clashing echoed endlessly beyond the walls.
Dozens of creatures tore into each other in a chaotic frenzy, claws ripping flesh, fangs crushing bone, and bursts of mana erupting with each strike. It was a battlefield without order, without sides, where only the strongest remained standing.
On top of the walls, rows of archers in white uniforms stood ready, their bows drawn but not yet released.
They watched.
They waited.
They were trained not to act recklessly.
