"Such bad timing." Bale gritted his teeth

Suddenly, Bale's bracelet chimed sharply.

Not the standard alert. An incoming emergency call.

He turned slightly and accepted it without hesitation.

The hologram flickered into existence and immediately wavered.

A shaky, distorted figure came into view, the projection unstable, lines tearing across the image as if the signal itself was under attack. The man's face was pale, eyes wide, breath uneven.

"Impossible…" the man said, voice trembling as static bled into every syllable. "Bale, there's another dungeon. Another dungeon just appeared and the beasts inside are already breaking out…"

"What?!" Bale snapped, the word tearing out of him before he could stop it.

For a moment, his mind went blank.

Another dungeon.

Another outbreak.

That had never happened.

Not once in recorded history had two dungeon outbreaks occurred simultaneously within the same operational zone. The system didn't work that way. The world didn't work that way.

He could barely hold the first one together as it was.

Two?

The available manpower wouldn't be enough.

No matter how he reorganized the squads, no matter how perfectly he optimized rotations, there simply weren't enough high-ranked adventurers to cover two active S-Ranked breaches at once, especially not with civilians still trapped in both zones.

Bale's teeth ground together.

"Send me the coordinates of this new dungeon!" he shouted, fury bleeding into his voice. "Send me everything you have, now!"

The holographic figure jolted violently.

The image twisted.

Then, A harsh, distorted screech tore through the projection, sharp enough to make several nearby operators flinch. The man's mouth opened as if to speak again, but no sound came out, only static, shrill and overwhelming.

The hologram shattered into fragments.

The call dropped.

"…Damn it."

Bale slammed his fist down onto the ruined console beside him, metal warping under the force as cracks spread through its surface. The impact echoed across the command floor, sharp and violent.

Things were spiraling fast.

Before he could issue another command, before he could even draw another breath, his bracelet beeped again.

This time,

It wasn't an alarm.

Bale froze for a split second, then tapped it.

A compact data panel appeared, lines of numbers scrolling rapidly across the holographic display. Coordinates. Movement vectors. Mana signatures.

And one confirmation line.

Bale stared at it.

Then exhaled slowly, a tight knot finally loosening in his chest.

"He got my message…" Bale murmured, relief threading through his voice despite the chaos around him. "And he's okay. Thank goodness…"

Then Bale called Bruce. The connection went through instantly.

Bruce was still speeding toward the outbreak, now riding atop Ash's back as the dragon cub tore through the skies with insane speed, wind screaming past them as buildings and streets blurred beneath.

"How far are you, Bruce?" Bale asked, his voice tight.

Bruce couldn't help but frown.

He could hear it, the urgency in Bale's tone, sharper than before, heavier than it had been moments ago.

"I'll be in the vicinity in a minute," Bruce replied calmly, eyes fixed ahead.

"Good," Bale exhaled, relief bleeding through despite himself. "The Guild has the dungeon under control for now, but things got out of hand. A second dungeon appeared right behind the academy grounds."

Bruce's brows knit together.

"I'll send you the coordinates of the dungeon portal," Bale continued quickly. "Please help us handle that one. Reinforcements are still on the way, but they won't arrive in time."

Bruce didn't answer immediately.

"Ok"

"Thanks for the help..." Bale said before cutting the call.

Seconds passed.

And soon Bruce arrived...

"I'm here," he said calmly

Ash descended sharply, wings folding as it cut through the air and dropped toward the battlefield.

The sight below came into view.

Multiple Awakened were already engaged in fierce combat, fighting desperately against waves of mutant wolf beasts. The streets near the academy grounds had been torn apart, cracked asphalt, shattered storefronts, overturned vehicles. Mana flares erupted everywhere as skills collided with snapping jaws and clawed limbs.

They were holding the line.

Barely.

Formations had been set up hastily, defensive arcs formed by shields, barriers, and overlapping skill zones as Awakened fought with everything they had to prevent the beasts from breaking through and flooding into the academy grounds beyond.

Fortunately, thanks to rapid communication through ThornTech smart bracelets, the Awakeneds in the vicinity had received the alert early. Evacuation orders had gone out immediately, and defensive units had converged faster than normal.

Casualties were present, that was inevitable, but minimal.

As Ash's massive shadow swept over the battlefield, several Awakeneds glanced upward instinctively.

"What the fuck is that gigantic beast?!" someone shouted, voice strained mid-fight.

"That's definitely not a drake!" another yelled. "Drakes don't have that kind of presence!"

"It's not hostile!" a third barked quickly. "Focus! Finish your targets!"

They nodded and focused back on the fight...

The moment stretched. Then Bruce moved.

He leapt from Ash's back.

The air detonated beneath his feet as he descended, mana rippling outward in a controlled wave. He landed cleanly at the front line, boots cracking stone as pressure surged outward from his body.

Silence followed.

Not because the battle stopped,

But because something heavier had arrived.

Bruce stood upright, Red in its dagger form resting loosely in his hand, aura restrained yet unmistakable. He didn't look rushed. He didn't look panicked.

He looked like someone who had already decided the outcome.

The surrounding Awakeneds felt it instantly.

The pressure.

The calm.

The absolute certainty radiating from him.

Before anyone could even speak, Bruce's gaze sharpened.

His vision pierced through distance, walls, and bodies alike as Life Glance activated instinctively. Among the thousands of life forces within the academy grounds, one signature stood out immediately.

Lily.

Her aura was Steady. She's unharmed and safe.

A fraction of tension slipped from Bruce's chest.

He turned his head slightly. "Ash," he said calmly.

The dragon cub hovered overhead, golden eyes locked onto him.

"Help the adventurers and nearby Awakeneds. Once the outbreak here is handled, go meet Lily inside the academy grounds."

Ash rumbled in understanding.

It nodded.

Then its wings snapped open.

Bruce exhaled slowly.

With Ash here, his confidence in the adventurers holding the line rose significantly. He had already issued a silent command earlier—the shadow wolves had slipped into Ash's shadow, concealing themselves completely, ready to reveal their presence if the situation deteriorated further.

This battlefield was no longer fragile.

It had layers of defence lying in wait...

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