Chapter 288: Beyond the Borderline

An hour passed, and Enzo ordered the Monster Hunters to get ready.

They would be the first to set out, while the Demon Hunters would follow behind them and offer assistance throughout the battle.

However, when Enzo heard the Demon Hunters assure them that they would help the Monster Hunters later, he announced that there was no need to do so.

He shouted, "We will take care of the monsters. There’s no need for you to get involved. You need to conserve your energy."

His words invigorated the Monster Hunters while earning the admiration of the Demon Hunters.

Truly, the brother of their much-admired Guildmaster.

Their admiration for the Grant brothers grew even stronger.

After an hour of ceaseless announcements from both sides, with information being disseminated through communication devices from those who remained in other villages, the Monster Hunters finally set off in the late afternoon.

The scorching heat earlier had exhausted them, compelling Enzo to mobilize his forces later in the afternoon.

It was inevitable, as most of his Guild members were accustomed to the cold environment of the North.

Although some of his Guild members came from other provinces, especially Mirefall Province, he still had to make adjustments due to the environmental disadvantages.

The Demon Hunters followed closely behind them, maintaining a safe distance to give the Monster Hunters enough room to maneuver while fighting against the monsters.

Eventually, the Monster Hunters came across the monster tribes that had invaded the southwestern province.

Goblins, Kobolds, Gnolls, Orcs, Centaurs...

Although these tribes were not united, they attacked with full force when the humans invaded their territory and appeared determined to annihilate them, seemingly coordinating with one another.

Even then, these monster tribes were annihilated before evening arrived.

It was inevitable, as the strongest members of the monster tribes were only B-rank.

The overall casualties among the Monster Hunters numbered fewer than ten, with most of them resulting from simple carelessness.

Mistakes happened, and Enzo did not blame those who had survived.

He did not allow his members to rest, as they were relaxed enough to travel a few more kilometers beyond the monster tribes’ territory.

Eventually, they reached the border, where their world seemed to change drastically.

The vanguards on the front line stood frozen on the ground before suddenly turning around, their faces filled with terror.

The Monster Hunters’ support immediately cast spells one after another on the vanguards, confirming that they were physically healthy.

Enzo did not need to order them to halt, as the others immediately made way for him and Dominic.

When the vanguards realized there was space for them to retreat, they immediately fell back and heaved a huge sigh of relief when they noticed that their world had returned to normal.

Enzo asked in a domineering tone, "Speak. What happened?"

A B-rank Fortress Knight, knowing that he was the squad leader who had experienced the same phenomenon, replied, "Reporting to the Guildmaster. We suddenly experienced something like a hallucination, as if we had arrived in another world."

Enzo’s eyebrows rose.

He asked, "Describe what you saw in clear detail."

The Fortress Knight nodded and swallowed hard before continuing.

"Beyond there... the sky was no longer the same."

His voice remained steady out of discipline, but the uneasiness in his eyes was impossible to conceal.

"There was no sun."

The surrounding Monster Hunters fell silent.

"There was no moon either. No clouds. Not even stars."

He looked toward the southern horizon, as though even staring at it from a distance made him uncomfortable.

"It was simply... dark."

He clenched his fist.

"Not the darkness of night, Guildmaster. It was different. There was no sense that night had fallen. It was as if the sky itself had never known light."

Dominic gazed past the Fortress Knight, and his face turned solemn.

Even he could not perceive what lay beyond the border, causing uneasiness to creep into him.

The Fortress Knight continued.

"The ground changed as well. The grass disappeared. The soil became dark and dry, almost black in some places. The air felt... heavy."

He paused.

"Then we realized that we were no longer seeing the Southern Frontier."

Enzo narrowed his eyes.

"What did you see?"

"An entirely different world."

The Fortress Knight took a breath.

"There were enormous mountains in the distance. Some of them appeared to be burning, but there was no ordinary fire. Their surfaces glowed red beneath the darkness. There were forests as well, but they were unlike any forest within the Empire. The trees were twisted and enormous, with branches that seemed to reach toward the sky."

His face grew grim.

"And there were monsters."

When the Monster Hunters heard him mention monsters, they instinctively tightened their grips on their weapons.

"Not the monsters we’ve encountered throughout the Southern Frontier."

The Fortress Knight shook his head.

"They were stronger."

"How strong?" Enzo asked.

The Fortress Knight hesitated.

"B-rank... at the very least."

The surrounding hunters exchanged glances.

"Some of them were clearly stronger than that."

Dominic finally spoke.

"How many?"

"We couldn’t determine their numbers."

"Because of the darkness?"

"No."

The Fortress Knight’s face grew pale.

"Because we were surrounded."

Silence descended.

He continued.

"When we first saw them, we thought they were ordinary Orcs."

"Orcs?"

"Yes, Guildmaster."

His eyes remained fixed on Enzo.

"But their bodies were completely different. Their skin was dark, almost black, and faint red light seemed to flow beneath it. They were much larger than ordinary Orcs."

"They should be Ashen Orcs," said the Former Emperor, who walked toward them alongside Max.

Ever since they had noticed the sudden halt of the Monster Hunters and realized that something had gone awry, they had both decided to check what was happening.

Max was honestly surprised, but he remained quiet as he and the Former Emperor glanced at the Fortress Knight, who nodded uncertainly.

"We don’t know what they were called. But there were dozens of them."

"And the others?"

"Gnolls."

His voice lowered.

"Dozens of them as well. Their bodies were covered in dark fur, and their fangs were enormous. They moved silently despite their size."

He paused again.

"There were also Ogres."

That finally caused several Monster Hunters to tense...