At once, they formed a battle formation and rushed forward against the incoming hordes as a golden circle appeared on their heads. The golden circle illuminated them while the marks on their forehead shone brightly, giving them a special aura.

Boom!

The two sides attacked at the same time, followed by a deafening sound.

Huh!

A silhouette stumbled down from a dune, covered in yellow sand. After rolling for a couple of distances, he stopped rolling and stood up with some difficulty as blood splashed out from the corner of his mouth.

He groaned and looked at the blinding sun and staggered forward. He murmured some inconceivable words and held his chest, rushing forward.

The silhouette left a deep footprint on the sand as blood and sweat dripped from his face. This man was Howard.

The battle with the hidden settlement had taken a drastic turn, forcing them into a tight corner. It was through brutal battle did he have the chance to escape.

In the distance, a long metal beast lay under the scorching sun. Everywhere around the beast was quiet, leaving only the howling desert wind. The beast was the ark of Genesis.

Inside the ark, a few people sat in the conference room and were having a serious discussion.

"What do you think happened to the Beta team?" Merab asked as she stared at Nasir.

"I don't know but they should have returned a couple of hours ago," Nasir responded.

"Something must have happened," Kira said slowly as she looked at their faces.

Kira and Grandpa Philip had led two separate teams to search for the horde hideout but found nothing and returned to the ark, only to find the Beta team had yet to return.

"We can do nothing but wait and hope they are safe." Grandpa Philip said while his eyes never leaving the book in his hand.

Since they couldn't detect the horde's hidden place, he could only do something else and that was study blacksmithing.

The more he studied the book of knowledge on forging, the more pique and interest grew every second. He never knew the importance of blacksmithing not until he started studying the book.

Since earth never depends on blacksmithing for advanced weapons and with the use of grenades and assault rifles made by machines. The importance of blacksmithing was as good as none.

But now all the advanced technology has been lost due to the apocalypse. The demand for master blacksmiths was paramount to any camp to survive on the present earth. Moreover, the world is changing every day, who knows what would happen tomorrow if they couldn't defend themselves? From a deadly frost region to an extreme desert region. Nothing is predictable.

'After we find these hordes, I should start my forging career in earnest.' Grandpa Philip thought in anticipation.

"Quickly go to the East." Kira heard Justin's voice inside her head.

Kira didn't blink twice before she got up from her seat and dashed out of the ark.

Whoosh!

The Flesh-Eating Crow soared into the sky and flew toward the East at an extreme speed. Although, she didn't know what she was going to meet there. Nevertheless, she knew it would be related to their lost men.

After traveling for a couple of minutes, covering hundreds of meters. Kira saw a silhouette struggling to move. He was torn and his body was filled with grievous injury as blood sprouted from his mouth continuously.

'This is not good.' She thought and tapped her mount twice. At once, the Flesh-Eating Crow increased its speed.

Whoosh!

Howard heard a whistling sound from the distance and groaned. He shook the dizziness from his head and raised his head.

'God, I hope it wasn't the hordes.' He thought in panic.

He covered his face with his palm as the blinding sun flashed into his eyes. He saw the huge beast flying toward him at an extreme and thought for a moment before a light smile appeared on his face.

'Finally.' He sighed and fell to his knees. He had lost too much and thus, the journey so far was coming from his will to report their current predicament to the king. But now, he could relax as he knew the owner of the beast.

Whoosh!

"Where am I?" Howard murmured as he opened his eyes slowly. Previously, since he discovered the arrival of Kira, he had to carry the burden and lose consciousness. It took him a couple of seconds to regain his and realize where he was. It was inside the ark.

"You're awake.." Vera dressed in a white robe walked toward Howard with a light smile on her face. "How do you feel?"

"I have a message for the king?" Howard said with urgency. He realized that since he lost consciousness. He didn't have the chance to report the horde location and this was something he couldn't accept.

"I'm listening." Justin's voice echoed inside Howard's head.

Hearing this, Howard wasn't flustered and reported everything that happened.

"Well done."

Hearing this, a sigh of relief escaped from Howard's mouth and he closed his eyes to rest.

Justin sat on a couch and thought about what Howard just reported. He knew how urgent and dangerous the territorial battle was. Their enemy may choose to hide and not fight them head-on while also, they were in the open, knowing nothing about their enemy while their enemies could read them like an open book.

'According to Howard, this is just a small settlement...' He mused and raised his brow. 'Perhaps, this could lead us to their main hideout.' With this thought, he made a decision.

Susan and Chloe were busy studying the rune inscription when Susan halted her studying and stood up. Across her was Kira who was looking at her with a stern expression.

Both of them had just received a mission briefing from Justin and knew how important the mission was.

Those inside the conference room looked at Susan and Kira and when they saw their stern expression. They realized things were getting more troublesome. However, no one asked if the two were going on as they continued their thing as if nothing happened.

Whoosh!

Howl!

A beast howls in the sky as it travels at an extreme speed. On the back of the beast were two striking ladies. One was dressed in blue while the others were dressed in purple. The two beauties complemented each other as the howling wind swayed their hair.

"It should be there." Kira pointed to a stone pillar in the distance.

"Hmm" Susan nodded without uttering a word.

Thud!

Susan jumped down from the back of the beast from a high altitude. She landed on the ground and sent a couple of dust into the sky. Susan walked out of the dust unhurt with a calm expression on her face.

"Be careful, little sister." Kira's voice echoed in the sky as she departed.

"I will," Susan responded in a low voice.

Inside the underground settlement, a deadly battle was going on. Dead bodies littered the ground with debris scattering everywhere. The raging sound attack echoed everywhere, followed by the miserable how of the victims.

"Humans, you can forget about leaving here alive." A massive horde said in contempt as he looked at the frail humans covered in blood.

Nika and Pipe man looked at the tens of hordes in front of them with unsightly expressions on their faces. They regretted their impulsive action as they looked at their fallen comrades.

They thought the hidden settlement only had a few hordes with fewer third-grade beings. Unfortunately, they were wronged. There were hundreds of hordes, close to a thousand while the majority of them were grade one and grade two. Nevertheless, the number of grade three hordes was few. There were tens of grade three with tier four strength, making them extremely powerful.

In the presence of peak grade three hordes, Second Circle Exigence was close to weaklings. If not for the heavens' mark assisting them, all of them would have long perished. But heaven's mark could only help them a bit not change their precarious situation.

Now, all their hope was for Howard to deliver the message to the ark and send a Thirds Circle existence.

Nika looked at his men and gritted his teeth. 'We can't give up.' He clenched his fist and rushed toward one of the peak-tier third-grade hordes.

"Tyrant fist."historical

The peak-tier horde looked at the golden fist and smirked. He swung his huge hammer and met the golden fist.

Bang!

Nika stumbled backward with blood sprouting out of his mouth. Before he could realize what was happening, another hammer attack was already in front of him.

"Watch out!" Pipe man shouted.

Nika held his breath and bent his body at an impossible angle and crossed his arm on his chest, protecting his vital spot.

Bang!

Huh!

Nika was sent flying as blood sprouted out of his mouth. He crashed into a building and the debris fell on him. Seeing this, Pipe man and the other failed to breathe for a couple of seconds as their heart was racing.

"Die!" Pipe man snapped with veins protruding from his forehead. Although his mental power had almost completely drained and overusing it would hurt him. But now, he didn't care as he attacked the horde with fury.

Suddenly, a flash of lightning came from the distance illuminating the hidden statement, and forcing the hordes to halt their attack.