The Rusty Keg tavern, usually a lively hub of drunken laughter and rowdy boasting, felt different tonight. The energy wasn't gone—it had shifted, turning into something restless and uncertain.
Adventurers huddled in groups, their voices quieter than usual as they exchanged rumors about the upcoming subjugation. The presence of the Dawnstead Knights only heightened the tension, their armored figures stationed near the entrance like silent reminders of the mission's severity.
At a corner table, Belle and Kai settled into their seats, their plates untouched for the moment. The warm glow of the lanterns cast flickering shadows across the worn wooden walls, making the space feel smaller than usual.
Kai picked up a piece of bread and lazily tore off a chunk, glancing around the room. "Feels like a funeral in here," he muttered.
Belle, arms crossed, scanned the tavern, listening to the fragmented conversations around them.
"A monster horde appearing this close to town isn't normal."
"They say the monsters are acting strange… like they're being drawn to something."
"It's not miasma, right? If it was, we'd all be screwed."
She frowned, gripping her cup a little tighter.
Kai leaned back, finally looking at her. "So, how does it feel?"
Belle blinked. "What?"
Kai smirked. "You just got promoted to D-Rank, and now you're getting thrown into a large-scale subjugation. A little different from the easy gathering quests, huh?"
Belle exhaled, stirring her soup absentmindedly. "I don't mind. I just didn't expect it to happen so soon."
Kai took a sip from his drink. "Get used to it. The guild doesn't waste time once you start moving up. The stronger you get, the harder the jobs." He shot her a teasing look. "Not that you have to worry about that. You're still behind me, after all."
Belle arched an eyebrow. "Says the guy who's been D-Rank for how long now?"
Kai dramatically placed a hand over his heart. "Excuse me, but I like taking things at my own pace."
Belle shook her head, finally cutting into her food. "At this rate, I'll surpass you before the month ends."
Kai laughed. "Oh, please. I'd love to see you try."
Their banter was lighthearted, but the mood around them didn't change. The murmurs of the other adventurers lingered, weighing down the air.
Belle's sharp ears caught another voice from a nearby table.
"The knights are saying it's a mana overload… but monsters don't gather like that on their own."
"What if something's controlling them?"
Her grip on her fork tightened slightly.
Kai noticed her expression shift. He exhaled and tapped his fingers on the table. "Doesn't this remind you of something?"
Belle's gaze flicked to him. "What do you mean?"
Kai's usual playful demeanor was gone. He leaned forward slightly, lowering his voice. "The way the monsters are gathering. This isn't natural. It's like something's disrupting them."
Belle hesitated. The idea of mana overload affecting monsters was strange, but not impossible. Yet, she couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to it.
Mana, miasma… how much do I really understand about either?
Kai rested his chin on his hand. "If it's not miasma, what else could it be?"
Belle didn't answer right away. The truth was, she had been in the most miasma-infested place in the world—the Forbidden Forest—and survived without issue. If mana could also influence monsters, it raised a deeper, more unsettling question.
How much did mana affect her?
Kai watched her expression carefully, then smirked. "Don't think too hard about it. That's the knights' problem. Our job is just to kill whatever's in front of us."
Belle sighed, shaking off her thoughts. "You really have the simplest mindset, don't you?"
Kai grinned, popping a piece of meat into his mouth. "And it works, doesn't it?"
Belle exhaled, finally picking up her fork again. The subjugation was happening whether she liked it or not. There was no use overthinking it now.
For now, she would do what she had always done. Adapt, fight, and survive.
Meanwhile at the Dawnstead Barracks, the air was thick with tension as Vice-Captain Gale Valtor stood at the head of a large war table, studying a detailed map of the surrounding region. Small wooden markers and hastily pinned reports from scouting patrols dotted the surface, highlighting key locations where monsters had been spotted.
The knights gathered around were a mix of officers, squad leaders, and seasoned scouts, each one bearing grim expressions. The situation had gone beyond routine monster culling—this was something far worse.
Doran slammed his gauntleted fist onto the table. "We can't keep pretending this is a manageable threat. This isn't some seasonal migration or a stray pack of beasts. Something is stirring them up."
Gale remained composed, though his eyes never left the map. "Which is why we've already coordinated with the adventurer's guild."
Another knight, a younger officer, leaned forward. "Even so, we still don't know why this is happening. Monsters don't gather in hordes like this unless something is provoking them."
One of the scouts—a wiry man covered in dust from long hours of travel—cleared his throat. "Sir, we've consulted with the scholars at the academy, and they have a working theory."
Gale's gaze sharpened. "Go on."
The scout hesitated, choosing his words carefully. "We originally thought the monsters were simply agitated by something—a predator, an environmental change, maybe even territorial disputes." He shook his head. "But the scholars believe this is something far more unusual."
He placed a parchment on the table, detailing a complex magical diagram.
"This aligns with our earlier suspicion, they call it Mana Overload, a phenomenon where the natural mana in an area becomes unstable and begins to condense unnaturally. In normal circumstances, mana flows evenly throughout the land, but when an excess builds up in a single region, it creates a kind of 'pressure point.' This doesn't just affect spells or magic-users—it disrupts the balance of the environment itself."
A murmur spread through the knights.
A seasoned veteran, his arms crossed, frowned. "Mana doesn't just 'overload' on its own. It needs a source. Something—or someone—is causing this."
The scout nodded. "That's the academy's concern as well. Natural mana disturbances are rare, but they do happen—usually from ancient ruins awakening, failed large-scale magic rituals, or…" He hesitated.
Gale finished his sentence. "Or the presence of something powerful enough to distort the flow of mana itself."
The room fell silent.
Another knight, clearly uneasy, muttered, "If this keeps up, it won't just be the monsters acting strange. It could start affecting us too…"
Gale let that thought linger before straightening. "Regardless of the cause, our priority is containment. If we don't stop this before it escalates, Dawnstead itself could become a battleground."
His words carried weight, and the knights felt it.
After a brief pause, he turned to his officers. "Mobilize the knights. We march at dawn alongside the adventurers. We cannot afford hesitation."
The meeting concluded, but the unease remained.
The first light of dawn had barely touched the horizon, yet the Dawnstead Adventurer's Guild was already bustling with activity. The usual atmosphere of casual chatter and lighthearted banter had been replaced by a quiet intensity. The air inside the hall was thick with tension—adventurers checking their weapons, adjusting armor straps, and exchanging last-minute battle strategies. The scent of oiled leather, sharpening stones, and strong black coffee mixed together, an unmistakable prelude to combat.
Belle and Kai stepped through the guild's heavy wooden doors, immediately feeling the weight of the scene before them. Every adventurer, from fresh recruits to grizzled veterans, had gathered here for the same purpose. Unlike the usual free-for-all of daily quest selection, today the guild was operating like a war room.
The massive quest board at the front, which normally displayed dozens of small requests, had been wiped clean except for a single large notice, its bold letters impossible to ignore:
[URGENT SUBJUGATION QUEST – MONSTER HORDE NEAR DAWNSTEAD]
Classification: Large-Scale Subjugation
Difficulty: C-Rank (with risk of escalation)
Objective: Work alongside the Dawnstead Knights to eliminate the gathered monsters before they reach town.
Warning: Unusual monster behavior detected. Approach with caution.
Even seasoned adventurers who had seen their fair share of large-scale battles weren't taking this lightly.
Kai stretched with a dramatic yawn. "Man, it's way too early for this. Couldn't the monsters wait until noon?"
Belle ignored his complaint, scanning the room. "A monster horde isn't something you schedule, Kai."
Her sharp eyes caught the way some of the lower-ranked adventurers were fidgeting, murmuring nervously to each other. They were greenhorns, likely participating in their first large-scale subjugation. Even the veterans, those who had seen their fair share of bloodshed, wore grim expressions.
Belle could feel it too. The unease. The uncertainty.
Unlike most of these adventurers, she had already fought in life-or-death situations. She had faced horrors in the Forbidden Forest that made this quest seem almost routine in comparison. But still, something about this mission unsettled her. The monsters weren't just gathering—they were being drawn by something.
"Oi, you two!"
Alina, the guild receptionist, spotted them and waved them over, pulling them from their thoughts. She looked slightly more disheveled than usual, dark circles under her eyes, as if she'd been awake all night handling logistics.
"You're both here early. That's good," she said, scanning a list of names. "Since you're both D-Rank, you'll be placed in one of the mid-level strike teams."
Kai leaned against the counter. "Mid-level? That means we won't be on the front lines, right?"
Alina gave him a tired smile. "It means you won't be the first to engage, but you'll still be fighting. We can't afford to have anyone sit this one out." She glanced at Belle. "Since you were just promoted, this will be your first large-scale battle, won't it?"
Belle nodded. "Yes, but I'll manage."
Kai snorted. "Understatement of the year."
Belle elbowed him in the ribs, making him grunt in protest.
Alina chuckled, then continued. "You'll be working under a D-Rank party that specializes in coordinated combat. They'll be handling overall strategy, but you'll have individual combat freedom."
Belle absorbed the information quickly. A well-coordinated squad would be useful, especially for managing a large battlefield. Kai, on the other hand, groaned.
"Ugh, that means we have to follow orders. I hate that."
Belle shot him a look. "You ignore orders half the time anyway."
Before Kai could come up with a response, a voice interrupted them.
"So you're the two we'll be working with."
Belle turned to see a group approaching—a party of three adventurers clad in matching gear. They carried themselves with the discipline of seasoned fighters, yet they weren't much older than Kai.
The one who had spoken was a tall, broad-shouldered man with short brown hair, wearing reinforced leather armor and carrying a large greatsword. His expression was serious but not unfriendly. "Name's Rhys. I'll be leading this squad."
Beside him was a wiry man with short black hair and a confident smirk. His twin daggers were polished to a shine, and a few throwing knives lined his belt. "Taron. Scout and all-around survivalist."
The third member was a quiet woman with long silver hair and a calm demeanor, wearing a light robe with a staff strapped to her back. "Rena," she introduced herself softly. "Support magic."
Belle assessed them quickly. A frontline fighter, a scout, and a support mage. A well-balanced team.
Kai crossed his arms. "So, you're the babysitters they assigned us?"
Rhys sighed, rubbing his temples. "If that's how you want to see it, fine. Just don't slow us down."
Belle nodded. "Understood."
Alina handed them each a parchment. "These are the full mission details. Go over tactics with your group before departure."
Rhys took his copy and glanced over it. "We'll discuss formations and engagement strategies. Let's move."
Belle and Kai followed their new squad toward the briefing hall, the weight of the upcoming battle settling in.
As the guild prepared for the subjugation quest, the adventurers gathered in the briefing hall—an open area behind the main guild building, designed for large-scale tactical discussions. Wooden benches and makeshift tables had been set up, maps and scouting reports pinned to large boards at the front. The air was thick with tension as both adventurers and knights reviewed their roles in the upcoming battle.
The Dawnstead Knights' Vice-Captain, stood at the center, his sharp gaze sweeping across the assembled fighters. Alina and several senior guild members stood beside him, overseeing the operation's organization.
"Listen up," Gale began, his voice carrying authority. "This isn't just another monster hunt. The creatures we're facing aren't behaving normally. They're gathering in large numbers, more than we've ever seen this close to Dawnstead."
A murmur spread through the crowd, but Gale continued. "We don't know the exact cause, but the scholars from the capital's academy have provided a theory. They believe we are facing a Mana Overload phenomenon—a disruption in the natural flow of mana, causing heightened monster activity."
Belle's eyes narrowed slightly. So, the scholars have been researching this as well…
One of the older adventurers, a grizzled veteran with a heavy battle-axe strapped to his back, raised a hand. "What exactly does that mean for us?"
Alina answered this time. "Mana Overload isn't a common occurrence, but according to the academy's research, it results in two things: First, the monsters become more uncontrollable and aggressive, drawn toward the source of the instability. Second, the longer they remain in the affected area, the stronger they get."
A low curse came from a younger adventurer in the back. "So you're saying these things might be getting stronger the longer we wait?"
Gale nodded. "Which is why we move at dawn. If this continues unchecked, we'll be facing an even larger threat."
Alina unrolled a detailed map of the region, marking key points with small wooden pieces. "We've divided our forces into several units, each with a specific role in the battle."
Frontline Engagement Teams (Vanguard Units):
Led by high D-Rank adventurers, reinforced by knights.
Their role is to engage the monster horde first, drawing their attention and controlling the battlefield.
Composed of heavy armor fighters, spear-wielders, and shield users will hold defensive lines.
Strike Squads (Mobile Combat Units):
Smaller teams specializing in agility and precision attacks.
Assigned to eliminate stronger monsters that break through the vanguard's defense.
Composed of swordsmen, rogue-types, and skilled offensive mages.
Support Division (Ranged & Healers):
Positioned behind the vanguard, responsible for long-range attacks and maintaining team survivability.
If the frontline is breached, they will have to retreat strategically.
Composed of archers, elemental mages, and healers providing magical support.
The Subjugation Force (Final Wave Attackers):
Reserved for dealing with any unexpected threats or finishing off the remaining monsters after the main battle.
Composed of elite adventurers and specialized fighters, ready to intervene where needed.
Kai and Belle were assigned to this unit.
Belle studied the map carefully. Their unit was positioned near the center, meaning they had to be ready for anything. It made sense—the guild still wasn't entirely sure of Belle's full combat abilities, and Kai was known for his aggressive fighting style.
Gale folded his arms. "This strategy is designed to minimize risk and maximize efficiency. But understand this—if things spiral out of control, we improvise. No plan survives first contact with the enemy."
Several adventurers exchanged glances. They all knew that battles never went exactly as planned.
Alina closed the briefing. "Prepare yourselves. This will be a long day."
As the crowd dispersed, Belle and Kai remained behind, still looking over the map.
Kai tapped the area marked as their designated position. "So, if things go south, we're the ones sent in to clean up the mess?"
Belle nodded. "Basically. And since they still don't know what's causing the mana overload, there's a chance we'll be dealing with something unexpected."
Kai grinned. "I like the unexpected. Keeps things interesting."
Belle sighed. "You say that now…"
But deep down, she couldn't shake the feeling that this mission would be far more dangerous than anyone realized.
End of Chapter 19