In the northeast corner of Aspiration City, the gray mist had already spread across half the forest.
Snow still fell from the sky, though less intensely, leaving the entire forest blanketed in white. It was deathly silent—yet filled with mortal danger.
Outside the forest, the knights of Aspiration City had already established a defensive line.
These magical beasts, once corrupted by the gray mist, would become far more bloodthirsty and frenzied—but at the cost of their rationality.
To counter this, the knights had set up walls, earth mounds, and trenches beyond the front lines to funnel the beasts into one area, where they could be ambushed and hunted.
On the front lines, the sentry knights dared not relax for even a moment.
Although no Abyssal Beasts had appeared yet, regular beasts—sensing the growing threat—would still occasionally rush out of the Black Forest.
The knights' current mission was to hunt down these regular magic beasts, preventing them from becoming part of the Abyssal Beast horde.
But as time went on, fewer and fewer beasts emerged from the forest. Rather than relieving the knights, this only made their expressions graver.
They knew that the next time beasts appeared… they would likely be the ones cloaked in that ominous gray mist.
Kevin patrolled the defensive line, inspecting for any weaknesses in the fortifications.
With the beast tide approaching, even the Chief Knight had donned his armor and taken to the front, determined to hold back the Abyssal Beasts outside the line.
"Look ahead!"
Just as Kevin reached a watchtower, he heard a sudden shout from a lookout stationed above.
Kevin halted and turned his gaze toward the Black Forest. There, he saw a gray shadow emerging from the snow and rushing toward the defensive line.
He swiftly removed the longbow hanging from his Rhyhorn's side and climbed the tower in quick strides. With a full draw, he aimed at the approaching figure.
As the shadow neared, Kevin finally saw it clearly—it was a Rattata. Its fur was dull, shrouded in wisps of gray mist.
An Abyssal Beast…
Kevin's eyes narrowed. He released the bowstring with a sharp twang. The arrow shot forward and pierced straight through Rattata's skull.
The small creature froze in place before slowly collapsing onto the icy snow. The gray mist surrounding its body quickly began to dissipate.
The lookout beside him let out a sigh of relief. But before he could say a word, more and more gray shadows began to appear at the far edge of the snowy field.
"So many beasts… Abyssal Beasts…" the sentry's voice trembled. "The Abyssal Beast Tide has begun!!!"
Wooooooooooooo~
Without hesitation, the lookout blew the horn. The sharp blast echoed through the entire knight camp, spreading far into the distance.
Pius was a patrol knight, and he had been the first to discover the Abyssal Beasts earlier.
Hearing the horn, he swiftly mounted his Rhyhorn. His Mightyena followed at his side, while a Starly perched on his shoulder. Together, they rushed toward the defensive line.
By the time Pius arrived, a large number of knights had already taken their positions, bows in hand.
However, none of them had drawn their bows yet. In this kind of battle, every bit of stamina was precious—they waited until the beasts drew closer.
So many Abyssal Beasts… Why has the Abyssal Beast Tide appeared even though the winter snow hasn't melted? Pius's thoughts were tangled.
Logically speaking, the heavy winter snow should have sealed off all routes, making it impossible for beasts to hunt.
But Abyssal Beasts didn't seem to follow the laws of nature.
Even when completely buried in snow, they continued to crawl forward, their movement uninterrupted, relentless.
Some of the slower Abyssal Beasts were fully buried, only to dig themselves out moments later and rejoin the horde.
A mass of beasts surged toward the defensive line. Rattatas led the charge, nimbly dashing across the snowy ground as if it were flat land!
With their advance, the gray mist surrounding their bodies began to merge into one continuous cloud, rolling toward the defenses.
This mist had a corrupting effect too. If ordinary beasts were engulfed in it for too long, they would also become mindless monsters!
"There's at least fifty of them…" Kevin estimated the number of Abyssal Beasts and exhaled.
But he knew all too well—this was just the beginning. More Abyssal Beasts would follow, stronger than the ones before.
"Archers ready… loose!"
Once the Abyssal Beasts drew close, the commander gave the order to attack. A barrage of arrows streaked through the air!
The nimble Rattata darted across the snowfield, weaving through the rain of arrows. Even with arrows embedded in their bodies, they kept charging!
The archers were using ordinary wooden arrows. Though these could pierce hide, they weren't strong enough to kill the beasts.
Iron arrowheads were precious, and the knights had chosen not to use them at the outset—first, they would wear down the beasts' stamina with wooden arrows.
Soon, the leading Rattata reached the defensive line. But just then, the ground before it suddenly collapsed—it fell straight in!
Moments later, a Rhydon burst from the earth. It raised a massive foot and stomped hard, unleashing a shockwave that sent several Rattata flying!
It was the move Heavy Slam. Once a Pokémon's strength reached a certain level, it had a chance of learning new moves. The higher the level, the higher the chance.
Chii! Chii! Chii!
The Rattata scrambled to their feet and charged at Rhydon once more!
This time, Rhydon used Rock Slide. A large boulder crashed down, striking a Rattata and driving it deep into the ground!
Chii! Chii! Chii!
Even with the rock pinning it down, the Rattata's limbs flailed wildly. It didn't stop struggling until death. They would never stop—not even in death!
Seeing this, Rhydon swung its massive tail and smashed it down onto the Rattata's head.
After the brutal strike, the Rattata's eyes rolled back as it fainted.
Yet the gray mist still lingered around its body—this meant it was merely unconscious, not dead.
Just then, a piercing whistle cut through the air. An iron-tipped arrow soared and embedded itself deep into the fainted Rattata's skull.
It made no sound, and the gray mist finally dissipated—signifying its death.
The knight who had fired the iron arrow let out a breath of relief. He quickly drew another one from his quiver and aimed at the next Rattata struggling to move.
(End of Chapter)