29 Morale High

*ROAR*

Different kinds of roar and shrieks resounded and assaulted the unprepared within the camp. However, panic could not be seen inside as every single soldier grabbed their armors and armed themselves with their choice weapons. However, their response was a bit too late as the fastest among the monsters have already started to tear soldiers apart with their claws and their maws, moving from left to right, weaving through the sea of tents. Tiger-like beasts called Striped Madness, a monster of a beast that stands three meters and measures 15 feet long with red stripes on its fur that became its signature feature that gave its name opposed by the deep orange fur it has. Its fangs grew almost two feet and eyes that glowed green with energy. It was a terrifying beast and this beast had four others with it that were tearing the camp apart now. With it was a different monster that also boasted speed surpassing what any ordinary human could achieve. They are the Grey Steelfang Wolves. Grey Steelfangs hunt in packs of 15 at the minimum and doesn't play around with their prey unlike the Striped Madness. The Grey Steelfangs hunt for food, not for fun and they mean business when they show themselves to their prey. They specialize in ambushes and chases that wear their victims down while harassing them for an easy kill. Never risking themselves and the pack in the process. Each pack was led by an Alpha that stays in an elevated place to oversee the hunt and issue orders through howls and barks. They have intelligence that could rival a learned general in making strategies. It goes to say that each Alpha has the battle experience of a hundred hunts and battles. Each Alpha cannot be messed around without intending to sacrifice a few people in the process. These two monsters that were fast enough to outrun the rest of the horde have begun tearing the camps apart and blood and gore had spread already in the first minute that they arrived.

The whole camp fell into a mixture of chaos and order as these two hunters began preying on the soldiers.

Clay closed his eyes the moment that the monsters arrived and awaited the first blood to be spilled. And unlike the other camps that refused Caltec's advice from Jon, their mercenary camp was not surprised and was even well prepared to receive any sort of surprise attacks by fortifying their position and leaving the prisoner alone currently. They figured, this guy shouldn't be able to escape right now, we must put everything we got to repelling these monster attacks.

"Damn! I must calm down. Calm down." Jon said in murmur while arriving close to the cage where Clay was kept. Mor was there and he heard Jon, asking,

"Jon, how was it?" Mor asked as if thinking this will make Jon more relaxed, because he became as stiff as a stick the moment, he heard the roars.

"As you can see, it was too late Mor. We must defend this spot so that our mercenary order can be carried off without penalty. If we can't in the end, then that answers the question; what are we really made off?" Jon was feeling nervous the entire time like a professor was watching his test paper while doing his tests, making him afraid of making mistakes. And a single mistake in this defense would end his life. Thus, his fear is justified.

*hoot*

Clay heard their conversation and whistled to them beckoning to them with his head like some gangster calling out a prey. Jon and Mor were on alert and did not want to have a chat with Clay now so they did not move an inch from their spot. They were nervous, very nervous. However, this does not impede Clay's playfulness and tells them, "You two should just go and fight without fear for your life. I got you covered. HAH!" He then shouted a single HA, and chuckled when he got his face down and closed his eyes. That was the condition for activating Overpower as a buff to allies. The despondent air around Jon disappeared while Mor had a look of confidence on his face instead of his nervous look. As if Clay's words had affected them and they believed him, although, they did not, but they seem to do because of the sudden change in their morale.

The fighting intensified and the casualties skyrocketed when the head of the horde arrived at the scene and overwhelmed the entire camp. Caltec's mercenary group were situated close to the ends of the west side of the campsite and so they became the last one to be overrun by monsters. There were fighting here and there but they were manageable enough to allow them to not to have casualties yet. The stronger ones are tired out and whittled down from the east, the center and then they die from their hands when they get to their camp. Their morale was higher than usual because of that. Jon and Mor along with their captain Caltec, already faced a few monsters on their own and defeated them without much resistance. However, when the main horde arrived, hell broke lose and the death toll increased by the second.

Clay was monitoring the entire situation with his eyes closed; however, he was paying more attention to the status of three distinct individuals. He found promise in them in nurturing these three. The captain was well respected and feared at the same time while Jon was intuitive and Mor was a blank slate that can be molded however he needed. He wanted them to grow more and experience a fight for their lives and observe them like that for now before taking them in.

(V: This where I think the story will really change for better or worse.)

Clay was not a warrior, at least not yet. With one of the Ultimate Series in his pocket, and it being Ultimate Comprehension, it goes to say that any skill that he wants to learn will be easily acquired and mastered. Be it sword, spear, fists, knives, blades, magic, crafting, and so on will be so easily mastered that he'd be godlike to the likes of the ordinary mortals. What Clay wants to do is to live without being bothered while doing what he wants. And for him to do that would be to find people he can rely on to do his work for him. That way, he'll be free to be as leisurely as he can be.

While monitoring the situation, the Minotaur finally arrived at the scene and Clay got a better look at it. Stats, looking monstrous enough made Clay doubt if they'd survive without assistance, but that wasn't a problem even if Clay didn't move any muscle except his eyes.