"Still not dead after all this, what kind of ghostly thing is this!"

A huge fist - or rather, the thick trunk of a mist tree spirit - slammed down heavily, forcing the two to dodge backwards.

The attack came from the mist tree spirit, split in half by Tiran's sword. It seemed that being cleaved in two didn't hinder its movements; at least, judging by the powerful wind generated by that punch, which could make one's face go numb, its strength hadn't diminished in the slightest.

And what was more deadly was...

"Hiss... I hate these slimy bastards the most."

Amidst a series of cracking sounds, the mist tree spirit's two halves did not repair along the remaining connecting tissues. Instead, they moved apart, tearing their bodies in two.

The severed parts quickly regenerated healing tissues, visibly dividing and growing at an astounding speed, transforming into two independent entities in the blink of an eye.

Not only Aya and Tiran in the front, but also the Magic Guild members and the Dark Knights standing on the sidelines were dumbfounded. No, no, no, no matter how you look at it, this was too outrageous. Mist tree spirits are not slimes, and even the top-tier monsters of the nature class with their regeneration abilities should follow some basic rules.

But before they could react, the two split mist tree spirits had already circumvented Aya and Tiran in front of them, taking big strides towards Beacon City.

Although their running speed was less terrifying due to the weight reduction after splitting, they still exuded a strong sense of oppression.

"Wait, is that thing shedding stuff while it runs? What the...?"

Indeed, in addition to approaching Beacon City, the split tree spirits were still shedding tree seeds from their branches. Given that Beacon City was surrounded by a fertile plain, these seeds, brimming with life force, grew into tree people ranging from several meters to over a dozen meters in height upon hitting the ground, following the two colossal entities in their advance.

"Things are getting out of hand..."

At that moment, the smoke and dust from the advancing army of tree people outside the city walls were spotted by the city guards on the watchtowers. The alarm bells rang through the city, and the caravans queuing up for inspection at the city gates were swiftly ushered inside the city. The heavy gates closed slowly, while the ships in the harbor began departing for safety.

The stationed soldiers on the city walls stood ready, but when they caught sight of their adversaries, they were taken aback.

What is this? An onslaught of beasts?

Having just concluded the war with Maston, Beacon City was still in the process of post-war recovery. Now, another attack was causing unease, adding immense pressure on the stationed troops. If these monsters were to breach the city, the prospect of returning the city to prosperity after a second round of destruction would be bleak.

Yet, someone who felt the oppressive weight of the tree army marching forward more acutely than the soldiers was Johannes.

"I'm dead, I'm dead, I'm dead! Vera, you scoundrel, you've tricked me again!"

Theurg tugged on the reins, steering his mount to the left just in time to avoid a tree person's foot coming down over his head.

These creatures' speed was simply too fast. Despite Johannes urging his horse to run faster with all his might, they were overtaken before reaching the base of the city walls.

Fortunately, these creatures seemed to lack the desire to attack individual humans. Their primary target was the city itself, which spared Johannes and Vivian temporarily.

However, being ignored while caught in the midst of the advancing tide of tree people was no safer than being directly targeted. Johannes felt like a fragile egg rolling in a crowd, at risk of being trampled with a single misstep.

A sudden chill passed over his head as a dark shadow loomed. Johannes cried out in alarm and instinctively yanked on the reins to stop his horse.

The horse reared up violently in response, narrowly avoiding being struck by the foot that came down less than two meters in front of them. However, the abrupt movement caused the two people on its back to tumble to the ground, while the horse neighed and galloped away.

Stunned, Johannes took two seconds to register his current situation before hastily pulling Vivian, who remained unconscious, to her feet and fleeing.

As a mage, fleeing with Vivian on his back was no easy feat, especially under such perilous circumstances. Having dodged a few close calls, Johannes found himself disoriented, surrounded by dense smoke and the towering figures of tree people shaking the ground beneath him.

"Damn it... It's now or never!"

With no safe ground to stand on, there was only one option left.

Running while holding the broken reins in one hand to secure the Queen on his back, Johannes activated his novice lightness spell and brute ox strength, tensing his nerves. With a careful look at the approaching tree people, he gritted his teeth, sprinting in the opposite direction as they advanced.

Attempting to outrun this wave of tree people at their fastest relative speed was simply impossible. With his short legs, staying a second longer in this place would significantly increase the risk of being trampled. Carrying the Queen, the survival odds of this plan neared zero.

Therefore, Johannes' goal was not to flee.

"If I can't beat them, then I'll join them!"

Spotting a pillar-like foot of a descending tree person, Johannes didn't dodge, but instead charged forward. As the foot landed, he leaped, hurling himself with Vivian on his back.

This gamble paid off as the tree person's rough skin and woody texture provided numerous natural handholds, allowing Johannes to secure his grip and stabilize himself.

"Heal... Healing spell..."

Although the gamble saved their lives, the impact and rough tree bark still stung.

As the numbness from the collision faded, a tearing pain shot through various parts of his body.

Surveying the scratches and cuts on his arms, shoulders, and thighs, Johannes was relieved to find no long spikes embedded in his flesh. It would have been humiliating to impale himself on a spike while saving his own life.

After healing his wounds, Johannes sighed in relief. He reluctantly removed a short dagger affixed to the side of his boot to carve out a more convenient grip, ensuring he wouldn't be thrown off while the tree people advanced. He stole a glance at Vivian, still lost in her dreams.

"She's a remarkable beauty like the Silver War Maiden... Hmm, I did save the Queen's life, so even if we fail in the end, I shouldn't be executed."

Clutching onto the leg of the tree person, Johannes couldn't help but smile wryly.

Now, what should he do next? Uncertain of the situation outside, he decided to observe as the horde of tree people reached the base of the city walls, looking for an opportunity to slip away to the docks.

Banging his head against the tree trunk a couple of times, Johannes gazed skyward, praying, 'Goddess, I don't want to die in a place like this. It would be too humiliating to be crushed by a resurrected tree.'

"I hope that guy doesn't die either...," he muttered, knowing that Sullivan, who remained inside the castle, was likely in a similarly precarious situation.