At the north gate, a large bonfire was lit up, casting flickering shadows on the tense faces of the hired mercenaries and the Magi.

Beneath their nervous eyes, however, one could see the glint of greed. Just thinking about the amount of resources they would be able to harvest from the beast corpses made them excited. The mayor of Stratford, an old man with long white hair and a beard that reached till his chest, stood on a makeshift platform, rallying the people gathered with words of courage. "Brave warriors, the night of the full moons is upon us yet again. You have been hired because of your prowess, your bravery, and your reputation as the finest mercenaries money can buy. "You fight not for a kingdom or a cause, but for the reward promised to you. Let me reassure you that the reward will be as substantial as it has been in the past. Eighty percent of all materials harvested from the magical beast corpses will be distributed to you all."

He paused for a moment, gazing into the cold and calculating eyes of the people that he had hired, and continued, "The townsfolk will look to you as their protectors and your actions tonight will determine the fate of the town.

"Show them the skill that has earned you your reputation. Show them the power of seasoned warriors who fear no man or beast. Fight with the ferocity that has brought you this far.

"And when dawn breaks, and the wolves lay vanquished at our feet, you will be hailed as heroes and rewarded handsomely for your bravery!"

Upon hearing the words of the old mayor, the mortal mercenaries erupted into a frenzy. "OHHH!!"

Meanwhile, the Magi's eyes gleamed with a mix of greed and determination, nodding in approval. As long as there were benefits to be had, they would gladly put in the work for them. The town council, which consisted of four seasoned Magi, began instructing the mercenaries and the hired Magi on which positions they had to take for tonight's battle.

Art, Aiden, and Eleniey who were standing not far from the makeshift platform, glanced at the old mayor and couldn't help but admire his public speaking skills.

The old Magus's speech was brief and he used the most apt words to encourage and motivate the mercenaries and the Magi present.

"Alright, let's head to the north wall." Kenley pointed at the wall right in front of them and added, "We'll be stationed at the top of the wall."

"Are we not going to engage in close-quarter combat?" Art asked with an involuntary sigh of relief. He was under the impression that he would have to fight the beasts head-on.

Wagner chuckled lightly, "No, that's for the mercenaries. Us Magi can provide the greatest help as long-range support."

He paused for a moment and then added, "Of course, there are still some Magi who specialize in close-quarter combat. If they wish to, they can join the fray too. Nobody's going to stop them."

As the group climbed the stairs and made their way to their designated station, Aiden suddenly thought of something and asked, "But those mortal mercenaries can't opt to fight from the top of the city walls, can they?"

Wagner shook his head as he replied matter-of-factly, "Of course not. But don't look down on them just because they can't wield mana. They have far bigger balls than most Magi."

He suddenly looked at Eleiney apologetically and added, "Uh, forgive my wording."

Eleniey didn't mind it. She asked curiously, "And what about the residents who have taken up arms?"

This time, it was Kenley who answered, "The Mayor as well as the town council have restricted them within the town walls. They are to only fight the wounded wolves who manage to make thier way past the walls."

This sounded reasonable, but for some reason, Eleniey found this whole thing very peculiar. She couldn't quite put a finger on it.

After everyone had taken their positions on the wall, they anxiously stood with bated breaths, gazing in the direction of the Weeping Woods.

Wagner took out his curved daggers from his storage ring. He looked at the blades as if they were his lover. His lips curled into a wide smile as he stated, "As twilight fades into the night, the shadows come alive."

He then glanced at Kenley and nodded. "Good luck, Brother."

"You too, Brother." Kenley patted the young man's shoulder.

Eleniey noticed this interaction and wondered to herself, Brother? Hmm, seems like they must be very close.

As the last light of the day faded, the Weeping Woods came alive with an ominous rustling. The ethereal light of the full moons cast a soft glow at the edge of the forest where one could see shadows prowling.

The air grew cooler and the snow fell thicker, covering the ground in a layer of white that would soon be trampled by the chaos of the battle. The tension was almost tangible as everyone awaited the inevitable clash.

And then it happened.

A sinister cry of a primal beast echoed in the dark woods and reverberated through every nook and cranny of Stratford.

HOWL!!

Then, like a wave breaking upon the sandy shores, the first wolf emerged from the tree line, its eyes glowing with bloodlust.

A moment later, a hundred more followed, their shadowy forms appearing from the dark woods. And then, the beasts kept emerging from the forest like an endless wave.

Seeing such an astronomical number of beasts rushing toward the town wall, Art was flabbergasted. "S-So many!"

Aiden couldn't help but nervously gulp. "H-How are we going to fight so many of them?!"

Eleiney, on the other hand, tightly clenched her fists. Her eyes flashed with fear and panic and she muttered under her breath, "Can we... beat them?"

Kenley looked at them and spoke encouraging words, "Believe in yourself. You can do it."

Wagner chimed in with an excited peal of laughter, "Don't worry about anything else, we got your back. Hahaha!"

The children recalled the harsh training that Adam had put them through. Gradually, they started to calm down when they began to realize that sparring with their mentor was far scarier than dealing with the beas tide before them.

Aiden, Art, and Eleniey simultaneously closed their eyes and took deep breaths, entering the optimal state for casting spells-tier 3 brainwave state of conciousness.

When the trio opened their eyes again, they were flashing with ruthless determination. They were ready for battle!