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Chapter 660  First Hostile Encounter (2)

Their voices were hushed, rising above the drone of the engine, their words carrying the weight of the anticipation and tension they were feeling.

The younger of the two, a fresh-faced recruit with bright, anxious eyes, turned to his more experienced companion. "Hey," he began, his voice unsteady, "what\'s the strongest Thaid you\'ve ever taken down?"

The older youth paused, his gaze fixating on the road ahead. His voice, when he spoke, was measured, betraying an undercurrent of apprehension. "Fereles."

The younger man\'s eyes widened, his apprehension mirrored in the older youth\'s eyes. "Fereles? I\'ve heard they\'re brutal. Very aggressive with the ability to conjure fireballs. That sounds... intense."

His companion nodded, a flicker of pride crossing his otherwise serious face. "Yeah, they\'re no joke. I took one down, though." He then redirected the question back to his comrade. "What about you?"

The younger man swallowed hard before giving an answer, "I... I took down some Grythoks with my party members."

The older youth gave a low whistle of admiration. "Grythoks... that\'s quite an achievement." He was aware these Thaids were nothing special, but he could see that the young man in front of him was much weaker than him and had much less experience.

He clapped his companion on the shoulder, a camaraderie-filled gesture that did little to dispel the tension.

The older youth, after a few seconds of contemplation, broke the silence. "I would like to know how the hell the guild master can be so strong at his age. Damn! He\'s five years younger than me and he\'s already running a whole damn guild."

The younger one nodded in agreement, his gaze distant. "I know what you mean," he admitted, "I train and hunt a lot, but I\'m still nowhere near as powerful as even a third of the guild master."

He paused for a moment. "I think the guild master must come from a wealthy family that provided him with body and brain-stimulating serums."

The older youth considered this. His brow furrowed in thought. "It\'s possible," he conceded, "But those serums have a lot of side effects. It\'s unlikely he could have used them without suffering."

The younger man didn\'t respond, but the thoughtful look in his eyes made it clear he was mulling over their conversation.

He seemed to wonder if he could ever become strong enough to at least lead his own party.

The silence stretched on, the drone of the engine the only sound filling the space between them.

Their conversation faded, their anxiety hanging in the air like a thick fog that refused to lift.

And so, they traveled on, each vehicle a small island of focused energy, moving through the forest that served as the gateway to their upcoming trials. T

he Nexthorn Vanguard was on the move, and the gravity of their mission weighed on each one of them.

***

Three hours into their journey through the forest, the atmosphere inside the convoy shifted.

Alina Hayes, a young woman with jet-black hair and emerald-green eyes who recently joined the guild, activated her communication device.

Alina had a brain crystal power that allowed her to manipulate Thaids and feel their presence to a certain degree.

However, since there were many ways to find Thaids through technology, her power was not that useful from that point of view, and since she could not subjugate Thaids, as she was still not strong enough and had few neural links, few wanted her in their guild.

But Erik did, as he saw the potential in this ability, especially if she increased the number of her neural links. It was an investment in her future.

Erik harbored many plans and, thanks to the system, he had the potential to develop stimulating serums. All he needed was to arrange everything, and her strength would surge.

"Guild Master, I sense a group of Thaids approaching us," she said, her voice tinged with urgency.

"They\'re moving fast, and I feel they are strong."

Erik\'s masked face turned toward the communication device. "Can you give me more details?"

Alina closed her eyes, focusing on her mana. "I believe they\'re a group of Erendus, but I can\'t be certain."

"Which direction?"

"From our right."

Erik wasted no time. He activated the convoy-wide communication system.

"Everyone, brace yourselves for combat. We\'ve got a group of Thaids closing in from the right, likely Erendus. Those among you with ranged brain crystal powers, prepare to deploy them. The rest of you, take your positions at the vehicle-mounted weapons."

He paused for a moment, letting his words sink in. "Just so you know, the mounted weapons won\'t do much against these creatures. But they can help keep them at bay, especially if our ranged fighters do their job right."

The convoy erupted into a flurry of activity.

Guild members scrambled to their positions, but it wasn\'t simple since they were on moving vehicles on bumpy roads. They checked laser rifles, grenades, and the heavy artillery mounted on the cars.

The tension was palpable; everyone knew that an encounter with Erendus—tauric Thaids with bone armor plating and a brain crystal power that increased their strength—was a dangerous proposition.

Erik positioned himself at the front of the vehicle, primed to leap into action and eliminate the beasts if they dared to venture too close.

He knew well that their initial encounter with the Thaids on this mission would lay the groundwork, setting the atmosphere for the entirety of their expedition.

Alina, meanwhile, took her position beside a mounted machine gun.

Her eyes focused, her senses attuned to the approaching Thaids.

A shiver coursed down her spine. In her current state, confronting these Thaids seemed an insurmountable task.

However, she didn\'t know the scope of Erik\'s true abilities. If she did, she wouldn\'t be so scared.

Kael, Mira, Aiden, and Lila also took their positions, their faces set in grim determination.

They had never faced these Thaids before and knew they were powerful. Even for them, this would not be just another walk in the park.

As the minutes ticked by, the surrounding forest seemed to grow quieter, as if even the birds and insects held their breath.

The hum of the vehicle engines and the occasional crackle of the communication devices were the only sounds that punctuated the heavy silence.

At that moment, a distant yet intensifying drumming sound permeated the surroundings, acting as the harbinger of doom, much like the grim tolling of a funeral bell echoing in the night\'s stillness.