I kept my voice steady as I finished explaining to the captain.
"...then I saw the horde forming near the eastern treeline. Frostfang was leading them, it seemed, already agitated. I knew we didn't have time, so I ordered the driver to ride straight here at full speed. And they started chasing us, appearing in plain sight."
The captain's grip tightened on her sword hilt. "You made the right call. If they'd reached the gates unprepared—"
A deafening ROAR cut her off.
Our heads snapped toward the battlefield just in time to see one of the figures twist mid-air, Frostfang's frostbreath grazing past them in a glittering arc—before their staff came down like a hammer on the beast's skull.
The sound echoed across the snow.
I barely stopped my lips from twitching.
Darn it, I told them not to overdo it!
The four figures—no, the Turtle Brothers—moved like a well-oiled machine, dismantling Frostfang with the same casual ease as if they were sparring with me in Virion's playground.
And that idiot Ralph just had to easily dodge Frostfang's frostbreath mid-air, just to land a flashy finishing blow.
Thankfully, they at least remembered the rest of the plan. As the lesser monsters turned tail and fled, the Turtles let them go, there was no need for unnecessary slaughter.
Out of the corner of my eye, I studied the captain. The guards were greenhorns and wouldn't suspect anything, while her...
She's probably experienced enough to reach this position.
Her expression was a mix of awe and suspicion, her scarred cheek twitching as she watched the cloaked figures.
It seems like we both shared the same idea.
"...Who are these guys?" she muttered.
Oh, if only you knew.
I forced a shrug. "No idea. But we're lucky they showed up."
Because nothing said "subtle diversion" like four maniac turtles beating the ever-loving snot out of a monster that was supposed to be a deadly threat.
I kept my expression neutral, while inwardly, I hoped the other part of the plan would work too.
The captain exhaled sharply beside me, her grip still tight on her sword.
"...Aren't they a bit ruthless?" she muttered, watching as one of the Turtles—probably Ralp the Reaper—landed another brutal strike on Frostfang's ribs.
I forced a chuckle. "That guy's skin must be tough."
"Or maybe they've got a grudge against monsters."
The captain nodded slowly, though her eyes remained narrowed—half-believing, half-doubting.
Her breath hitched as if discovered something.
I followed her gaze just as a wave of pressure slammed into us, thick enough to taste—like biting into frozen metal.
Frostfang's body convulsed.
Its crimson eyes burned with sudden, unhinged madness, the pupils shrinking to pinpricks. The jagged ice crystals along its back cracked—then regrew, twisting into dark, venomous green shards that pulsed with a deathly aura. A crystalline armor spread across its fur, encasing its limbs in jagged plates in a mere moment.
The roar wasn't just sound. It was a force, rippling outward in a visible shockwave that sent snow exploding into the air, pushing away the turtles in the process.
From the forest, answering howls and screeches erupted—not the panicked retreat from before, but something new.
The captain's face paled.
"EVERYONE, GET READY FOR AN ATTACK—!"
At her words, the cheering crowd fell silent in an instant.
Every head turned toward the horizon, faces tense with dawning horror. They had seen Frostfang's transformation—watched as its body twisted into something darker, more vicious. The air itself seemed to tremble with its rage.
No one doubted the captain's warning. Not when the evidence was right there, roaring at them with glowing green crystals jutting from its back like a forest of poisoned spears.
I squinted at the battlefield, my mind racing.
So, they want to use our staged attack as cover, huh?
It was clever, really.
But still predictable.
Turn our distraction into a real assault. But I hadn't expected them to hijack the very monsters we had lured in. Then again, controlling beasts wasn't unheard of—abilities, relics, talents, mutual agreement—there were plenty of ways.
They didn't take the bait.
The bait, of course, being me.
After discussing with Dono, we'd planned a possibility where the culprit would strike at me in the chaos, revealing themselves when they thought I was vulnerable. But they were smarter than that. Or more cautious.
Or maybe they just preferred letting monsters do their dirty work. While waiting for the right moment.
Now? Now there was still a chance—a higher one. Because if they were controlling Frostfang or the other monsters, they'd have to be close. Close enough for me to identify them.
After scanning the guards one time, my gaze flicked back to the battlefield, where the fight had reignited with brutal intensity.
The Turtles had recovered quickly, already regrouping as Frostfang—no, whatever thing it had become—lashed out with renewed fury. Its crystalline claws tore through the air, each swing sending jagged spikes of dark green ice erupting from the ground.
I didn't know if this was corruption, near-death evolution, or outright being controlled.
All I knew was that I pitied the poor guy.
It was going to suffer a lot today.
The momentary silence shattered as a shrill voice cut through the air.
"L-LOOK! Behind them!"
A young guard—barely more than a recruit—stumbled back, his sword clattering to the ground as he pointed past the ongoing battle. His face was ashen, lips trembling.
The captain and I were already looking at it.
At first, there was only the distant, skeletal outline of the winter forest—a dark smudge against the endless white. Then movement. A ripple, like a black tide surging forward.
No, this wasn't a tide anymore.
Hundreds of monsters poured from the forest, their forms distorted by the snowfall but unmistakable in their fury. Snow wolves the size of horses, their fur matted with frost. Hulking trolls wielding jagged ice clubs. Swarms of razor-winged bats blotting out the sky like a living storm.
And at their head, four figures.
They were probably the Alphas.
The captain's grip on her sword turned white-knuckled.
"W-What in the world-?!"
...I really told them we shouldn't overdo it.
📢 Bonus Chapters Alert! 📢
This week, we're unlocking 4 EXTRA CHAPTERS thanks to your insane support last week!
🔥 100+ Golden Tickets → 2 Bonus Chapters
⚡ Nearly 1000 Power Stones → 2 More Bonus Chapters
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