Preparations

It was the day of the awarding ceremony, everyone in the Grand Magical Academy was busy preparing for the festivities. This was one of the rare opportunities when the students get to enter the Royal Castle. Rhald being one of the recipients of the award as well a new Grand magician had arrived early for instructions regarding the program. Meanwhile, his friends were still at home getting ready for the event.

"Where is Ellie? She should be back by now." Terrick said nervously.

"Don't worry. You know she can't turn down the chance to show new healers around town." Althea replied. "Though you are right, she is cutting it a little too close." She checked the clock function of her crystal interface.

"Guys, she is a big girl. She knows how to get to the castle by herself." Bryce responds while fixing his bowtie in front of the mirror.

"Are the twins here yet?! Vane promised me he will let me borrow one of his cummerbunds." Terrick tried to change the subject.

"We are here! Sorry, Terrick! Someone took a little too long in the bath today." Lest eyes Vane with a stinky eye while her gentle giant of a brother sheepishly grinned while scratching the back of his head.

"It's fine. I'll call Ellie." Althea finally admitting that she was a little worried.

*Hours ago*

A guard was running towards a certain office building near the dungeon gate. Because of the dungeon being closed for so long, many of the adventurers and staff that were normally there have decided to go on vacation or conduct business elsewhere until the dungeon opened again. There were only a handful of people around.

A guard leaning over a glowing pillar was scratching his head wondering why his friend suddenly left. He ran after him. He opened his mouth to shout his friend's name but blood spurted out of his mouth instead. He thudded to the floor as his eyes rolled over to the back of his head. Behind him were a legion of monsters: imps, goblins, gnomes, kobolds, trolls, and a couple of werewolves.

As the parade of monsters marched out of the dungeon, they killed everyone on sight. The handful of vendors who lingered were quickly dispatched. One guard was beheaded with a giant shuriken while he was running away. The screams of the few people still left in the little town were heard. The town was overrun by monster in less than 10 minutes. Even a quaking fat man in a white suit who was hiding under his table was found and slaughtered. By the break of dawn, the monsters have killed all the humans and have begun set up camp.

The monsters organized themselves by troops and companies. Commanders were chosen based on strength and brutality. There were also monsters prepping their battle gear while others were were sharpening their talons, fangs, and claws. The Generals- the strongest of the monsters finally enter through the dungeon portal. A gargoyle walks out of the dungeon portal followed by a giant golem, a scorpion halfling, a shadow, a couple of girls, and, finally, an Arachne with red hair and white body. Each one was more powerful than the one before. By the time the Arachne passed through the portal, the air around the monster camp was beyond oppressive. The weaker monsters had to organize themselves further away.

The Commanders convened with the Generals and when the preparations were completed, the Arachne pointed her finger to the direction of the Capital. Their beast march began shortly before mid sun (noon). This time, she was in a palanquin with four sturdy-looking Orcs serving as carriers for each end of the carrying pole. Her generals were marching in a line in front of her while the two girls flanked her from the back along with some of the most elite fighters and magicians in the whole monster army.

Once the march began, the gargoyle flew high up into the sky and began to screech. The sound waves were heavy with mana and it seems to dampen sound. The air turned thick with static and the sky became blood red. The gargoyle flew down and landed on the sizable shoulders of the golem.

Ellie was busy ushering a handful of new Healing magicians to the healing springs just outside the Capital. Her skin began to prickle from the density of mana in the air. "Was this from the Healing springs?!" She thought to herself. "No, it can't be." She has been to the Healing springs many times before and she has never felt this sensation.

She activated her mana sensing to focus even more acutely to the source of the mana. She turned to the general direction of the crackling mana only to find that the horizon is a deep shade of red and it is creeping closer overhead. She tries to call her friends through the crystal's communication function but all she was getting was static. "They have jammed communications! I need to get the word out to the Capital!" She didn't know who "they" were. But she knew that the academy and the castle had to be warned. Before she could turn, some of the stronger grants in the Healing springs were right next to her. They, too, have sensed the unsettling magic in the air. "We need to get a word out to the Capital and get the students out of here!" They confirmed her thought. All of them decisively agreed.

The five new magicians were still C rank and had little to no battle experience. Ellie quickly instructed them to return to the Academy and to raise the alarm. They left post haste along with the tourists, non-combat employees, and other clients of the Healing springs. There was little time to prepare but the strongest of the grants stayed with Ellie in hopes of buying the Royal City enough time to prepare for whatever is coming.

In total, 13 grants stayed along with Ellie most of them were B rank adventurers but not all of them had battle experience. The three Earth grants created multiple Earth walls. Four Water grants diverted water from the springs for battle, while the Fire and Wind grants held various positions on top of the newly created fortification wall. Three of the strongest adventurers stood by Ellie's side in the front line. She did not know when the enemies will arrive but from her mana sense she could tell there was a lot of them and they were moving fast.