The Chimera Beasts continuously marched forward from one side, while the army marched forward fearlessly from the other.
For everyone, this was one of the most important fights of their lives. Everything depended on this.
Thirty platoons.
An army consisting of around a thousand soldiers.
Soon, they were close enough.
There was no time to think about strategies.
The Chimera Beasts attacked anyone in their sight. They outnumbered the army, yet somehow, the battle remained balanced.
Many soldiers formed small groups, helping each other cover their weaknesses so they could defeat the Chimera Beasts efficiently and quickly.
And the Chimera Beasts kept coming.
Endlessly.
On the other hand, there were also those who faced the Chimera Beasts one-on-one, quickly moving from one target to another after defeating them.
This created a balance within the army itself.
Arak, Solreth, Zhyragos, Xelvaris, Kael, Cyrus, Darek, Orin, Alex, and Darius were among the few people capable of facing a Chimera Beast alone and defeating it without taking much time.
While others fought in pairs or groups, these individuals moved through the battlefield on their own.
The war continued.
For around half an hour, the battle raged on.
Yet the Chimera Beasts seemed to be never-ending.
None of the army had taken any major damage.
The constant support from the backline kept everyone in check, making sure the soldiers could continue fighting.
But something else had started to affect them.
Mental fatigue. It wasn't physical exhaustion. They could still fight. Their bodies were still capable of moving. But mentally, it felt like an endless cycle.
Defeat one Chimera Beast.
Another one comes. Defeat that one. Another appears. And then another.
They had clearly estimated the number of Chimera Beasts very wrongly.
Lila was grouped with Rok and Sera.
Drakar and Adrian were fighting as a duo.
Doran was in a group with Junith and Sylra.
And even as the mental fatigue started to take over, they continued fighting.
For the experienced and strongest members of the army, it wasn't much of a problem.
But they could see it.
Many soldiers had started to mentally tire out.
Something had to be done.
It was becoming visible in their movements.
Yet it wasn't one of the strongest members of the army who uplifted everyone.
It was Doran.
He also noticed everyone getting tired.
And it annoyed him. He wasn't angry at the Chimera Beasts. He was angry at the army.
In his mind, one thought kept repeating. "I don't get it. Why do they seem to be getting tired?"
At one point, that frustration reached its limit.
Doran looked at Junith. "It can't be like this. Sorry, I will be back."
And then, he released some of the power from Moltenheart, his hammer.
He charged forward.
One by one, he started smashing his hammer into any Chimera Beast that came close to him.
It didn't necessarily kill every Chimera Beast he hit.
But that wasn't the point.
Doran created a scene.
A scene that caught everyone's attention.
Even the mindless, rampaging Chimera Beasts seemed to stop for a moment as Doran continued charging toward each one of them.
Then... Doran once again released "Molten Seal!"
He jumped above a group of Chimera Beasts and brought his hammer crashing down onto the ground.
BOOM!
A massive shockwave spread across the battlefield, blasting the Chimera Beasts away.
Several were defeated in the single strike.
But a few survived.
And Doran suddenly found himself surrounded by Chimera Beasts.
He realised it instantly. His nerves finally calmed down. He immediately ran to escape them.
But instead of looking afraid, he laughed as he made his way back.
Everyone witnessed it.
His laughter didn't stop.
Then he shouted loudly "This is what I dreamed of when I wanted to become an adventurer! This is awesome!"
And that was it.
Something snapped inside everyone.
The mental fatigue that had been weighing down the army suddenly began to disappear.
They remembered why they were here.
They remembered what they were fighting for.
And to follow that momentum, Arak raised his broadsword. "Erupting Annihilation!"
A huge amount of lava erupted from his attack, launching countless lava balls toward a large group of Chimera Beasts.
The lava struck them.
Their bodies melted.
Even the ground beneath them melted from the immense heat.
A few of the other top members followed Arak, using large-scale attacks of their own.
The battlefield erupted with power.
The army saw it.
And they followed.
A fire had been ignited within everyone's heart.
A fire that now seemed like it wouldn't extinguish until the war was over.
And so... The fight continued.
The army against what seemed like an endless number of Chimera Beasts. The war marched forward.