Chapter 547

Addison nodded, understanding what the warrior was trying to convey. At the very least, it meant she could focus her attention elsewhere; she no longer had to divide her thoughts across every wall.

And so, she pushed herself to work faster.

She couldn’t afford to wait for Zion and Maxwell to return. There was no telling how long that would take, and by then, it might already be too late.

She had to find it herself.

But no matter how determined she was, or how desperately she searched, time slipped through her fingers.

Hours passed.

And still, nothing.

She couldn’t find the source.

Meanwhile, the toll of the battle grew heavier with each passing moment. The injured came and went in waves, some barely able to stand, others collapsing the moment they were brought back. Many had already pushed beyond their limits, so much so that even their wolves could no longer heal their wounds. They had exhausted too much energy, stretched themselves too far.

They had been holding the line for hours without rest.

And now, their exhaustion was catching up to them.

“Princess… our defenses are on their last legs. The northwest is requesting reinforcements, and the eastern side is close to being overrun now that the warbear has withdrawn from exhaustion…”

The warrior Addison had assigned as her messenger and scout had returned once more, delivering his report with urgency.

Meanwhile, Addison remained crouched in the hay, searching tirelessly for any clue she might have missed. Sweat clung to her skin, her shirt damp and sticking to her frame after hours of relentless effort.

Out of respect, the warrior kept his gaze lowered, fixing his eyes only on the back of her head as he spoke, his expression disciplined and composed despite the gravity of the situation.

Hearing the report, Addison frowned and stilled, her hands halting mid-search.

Doubt crept in.

Had she been wrong from the very beginning? Was she chasing nothing but a suspicion, wasting precious time searching for something she didn’t even know how to identify, while leaving the battlefield in the hands of the other Alphas?

Her jaw tightened as she bit down on her lower lip.

She had to decide.

Return to the front lines and take command… or continue searching for the unseen force attracting the monsters and wild animals in.

For a moment, she remained there, caught between two choices, torn, uncertain, and painfully aware that either path could determine the outcome of the battle.

Addison swallowed, bracing herself to make a decision—

“Princess!!!”

Another warrior came rushing in, his voice ringing out, trembling with unmistakable relief.

“Alpha Zion and Alpha Maxwell have returned!” he reported breathlessly. “They came in from the eastern side with their teams and are cutting straight through the monster lines. Because of them, the pressure on the warriors and the Alpha stationed there has eased. They’ve even managed to pull back several exhausted fighters who were on the verge of being killed. Some of them could barely dodge anymore… their legs were already giving out from exhaustion.”

He spoke quickly, almost animatedly, unable to hide the surge of hope in his tone.

From his report alone, it was clear that Zion and Maxwell had turned the tide on the eastern front.

Hope… had finally appeared.

In truth, even before their arrival, reinforcements had already been stretched thin. About an hour ago, a handful of mages had been dispatched to support the warriors at the walls. But there were only so many who could be spared.

Most of the mages were still with Archmage Elric, working tirelessly to complete the preparations for the teleportation portal. The scale of it was enormous; it had to be large enough to accommodate everyone, so the workload was overwhelming. And with the situation outside growing more dire by the minute, the pressure on them was only intensifying.

Everyone… was being pushed to their limits.

Aside from the mages, the doctors and veterinarians were under just as much pressure. Several of the poisoned livestock had already died, and identifying the toxin proved far more difficult than expected. To counter it, they first had to determine its nature, its composition, and its effects before they could even begin formulating an antidote.

Dozens of animals had already been lost.

Thankfully, about half an hour ago, they seemed to have made a breakthrough. Since then, they had been working relentlessly, racing against time to refine a cure, hoping to save what remained of the livestock before they could be transported back to the Royal Capital.

Now that Zion and Maxwell had arrived, it felt as though Addison had been spared from making that impossible choice.

But only for a moment.

Even as doubt lingered, which was gnawing at her, making her question whether her suspicion had been wrong from the start, she knew she couldn’t stop now. Their arrival might relieve the pressure, but it didn’t solve the real problem. At best, it was only a temporary fix… like plugging a leak without addressing the source.

If she wanted this to end, she had to find what was drawing the creatures to the camp.

Otherwise, all they could do was endure, hold the line until the teleportation portal was completed.

And that… would still take time.

Even with Zion and Maxwell escorting the five mages back, it would be at least another two hours before the portal could be fully activated.

Two hours.

In their current state, that was an eternity.

Either way, she only had two choices.

So she chose to keep going.

Addison straightened from her crouch, then changed course. Before continuing her search, she decided to head for the eastern wall and meet Zion and Maxwell. Levi, her third mate, was already doing his part, overseeing the loading of supplies onto the carts and ensuring nothing was sabotaged.

But with the situation worsening by the minute, she needed to speak with the other two as well. They had to be on the same page, and perhaps, they might see something she had missed.

Without wasting another second, she set off.

After several minutes of running, the eastern wall came into view, a towering barricade of logs. The air was filled with the deafening chorus of roars and snarls, layered with a deeper, more dominant growl that sent a shiver down her spine.

Zion.

Her heart skipped.

She climbed onto the platform, and the scene before her stole her breath.

A massive black wolf and a silver wolf tore through the battlefield from opposite ends of the frontline. They moved like forces of nature, cutting down monsters almost single-handedly as they advanced toward the wall.

Zion lunged forward, clamping his jaws around a warrior’s collar, not to harm, but to pull him out of danger, before tossing him back toward safety. Maxwell did the same on his side, swift and precise, saving those on the brink of collapse.

Behind them, warriors escorted the mages, keeping close as the two spellcasters chanted continuously. A shimmering barrier formed around them, protecting their advance, while the others hurled fireballs and water arrows at any creature that came too close.

Step by step, they pushed forward.

Until at last, they reached the wall.

The moment they did, the warriors carrying the mages hurried inside, rushing to deliver them to their destination.