Chapter 495:Thousands.

Chapter 495: 495:Thousands.

The first creatures appeared approximately forty minutes later.

They emerged from the forest in small groups, running across the open farmland toward the settlement.

Silver stood beside Peter on the northern wall, watching through a pair of military binoculars.

At first, he identified several Tier One grazing beasts; small creatures with thick fur and short horns. They were running faster than it looked like.

A few seconds later, another group appeared, then another creating a sort of massive horde.

Peter frowned.

"Those aren’t predators," he said.

Silver nodded.

"No."

Captain Ross stood beside them asked, "should we open fire?"

Peter shook his head.

"Not yet."

The creatures continued approaching.

Silver watched carefully.

Their movements were erratic; several stumbled, and one collapsed but the others didn’t stop and run 9ver the falling ones.

A few moments later, a larger beast emerged from the forest.

A Tier Two predator.

Its dark fur was matted with blood, and several wounds covered its flank. Silver expected it to attack the smaller creatures; instead, it ran alongside them.

The soldiers along the wall began murmuring.

"What the hell?"

"Is that a predator?"

"Why isn’t it attacking?"

Silver lowered the binoculars.

Ravenna stood beside him, her expression grim.

"They’re terrified," she said to him without looking at his direction.

He nodded with a frown forming on his forehead.

"Yeah."

The creatures reached the settlement’s outer farmland and several ran directly toward the northern wall.

A soldier raised his rifle but Peter immediately shouted.

"Hold your fire!"

The soldier hesitated.

"Sir?"

"Hold!"

The first beast reached the wall but it didn’t attack. Instead, it turned sharply and ran along the perimeter, searching for a way around.

Several others followed.

One collided with a broken fence and continued running despite the blood pouring from its shoulder. Another stumbled into a drainage ditch, struggled free, and disappeared toward the eastern hills.

Silver watched silently.

These creatures weren’t interested in Hollow Creek. They were trying to get past it.

Captain Ross swallowed.

"Well, that’s not normal," he quietly said, his tone filled with surprise.

Peter nodded.

"No."

Then Mina’s voice came through the communicator.

"Sir."

He immediately answered.

"Go ahead."

"The vibrations are increasing."

"How many signatures?"

There was a long pause before Mina replied.

"I don’t know." Her voice sounded strained. "Too many."

Silver looked toward the forest.

The rumbling was growing louder, and now he could feel it beneath his boots.

The first evacuation convoy departed shortly afterward.

Two buses, three military transports, and several civilian vehicles moved slowly along the southern road, carrying injured residents, young children, and elderly civilians who couldn’t safely shelter inside the settlement.

Silver watched from the northern wall as the vehicles disappeared beyond the southern checkpoint.

It wasn’t enough, not even close. Hundreds of civilians remained gathered near the evacuation stations, waiting for instructions. Others refused to leave their homes, some were too frightened to move and several families had become separated during the emergency preparations.

Helena’s voice sounded through the communicator.

"Silver, we have congestion near the central market. Can you assist?" She said in a winded voice.

He looked toward Peter who nodded.

"Go."

He activated Short-Step.

[Short-Step Lv3 Activated.]

His figure disappeared from the wall, and a moment later, he appeared near the central market, where several hundred civilians had gathered around the main road.

The situation was deteriorating rapidly; people were shouting, children were crying and a man was arguing with a soldier who refused to allow his vehicle onto the evacuation route.

Silver approached.

"What’s happening?" He asked.

The soldier looked toward him.

"Sir, this man is blocking the road. He insists on taking his truck, but it’s overloaded and the engine keeps stalling."

Silver looked toward the vehicle.

It was an old cargo truck filled with furniture, crates, and several frightened family members.

The driver looked desperate and completely frightened.

"My family can’t stay here!" He shouted, but his voice seemed to break at the end.

Silver nodded.

"I understand," he calmly said.

"Then let us through!" The man said in desperate tone.

He looked toward the road where several evacuation vehicles were waiting behind the truck and exhaled.

"Listen. Your truck is blocking everyone else."

The man opened his mouth but he raised a hand and stopped him.

"I know you’re scared. But if this road becomes blocked, nobody gets out."

The man hesitated.

Silver continued.

"Take your family to the evacuation station. Leave the furniture."

The man stared at the furniture, his eyes watering.

"That’s everything we own," he quietly said.

Silver’s expression softened.

"I know."

For a moment, neither spoke, then the man looked toward his family. His wife was holding a crying child.

He closed his eyes, then nodded.

"Fine."

He stepped aside.

The soldier immediately directed the family toward the evacuation station.

Silver turned toward Helena who was standing near the intersection, coordinating several students and military personnel.

"How bad?"

She sighed.

"Worse than expected."

He nodded.

"Any injuries?"

"Mostly minor. But people are panicking."

He looked toward the crowd.

"Understandable."

Helena rubbed her forehead.

"We need more time," she whispered.

Silver glanced toward the northern wall where the rumbling getting louder.

He shook his head.

"I don’t think we’re getting it," he said with a grim voice.

The main beast tide appeared just before sunset.

Elias saw it first.

He was standing on the communications tower when the northern forest suddenly seemed to darken.

At first, he thought it was a shadow moving across the trees, then the trees began shaking, branches snapped, birds erupted into the sky and a vast cloud of dust rose above the forest canopy.

He activated his enhanced vision and the distant landscape sharpened.

For a moment, he couldn’t understand what he was seeing, then his stomach tightened.

There were thousands of beasts of different species moving together in a massive, chaotic stampede.

Small creatures ran between the legs of larger ones, predators crashed through herds of herbivores, armored beasts smashed through trees, flying creatures circled overhead, screeching as they attempted to escape the chaos below, and behind them, the forest continued moving.

He immediately activated his communicator.

"All units! This is Northern Observation! Visual confirmation of the main migration!"

Peter answered.

"Estimated numbers?"

He swallowed and looked through the binoculars again before lowering them.

"Thousands."

Silence filled the communication for a few seconds, then Peter’s voice returned.

"Repeat."

Elias stared at the approaching mass.

"Thousands, sir. I can’t count them. They’re filling the entire northern corridor!"

The emergency sirens intensified.

Captain Ross’s voice thundered across the settlement’s loudspeakers.

"All civilians, proceed to designated shelters immediately! Defensive personnel, report to your assigned positions! This is not a drill!"

Silver stood near the northern gate beside Ravenna. He could see the dust cloud rising above the forest.

His expression became serious.

Ravenna slowly drew her sword.

"Silver."

He nodded.

"I see it."

Caleb approached, his hammer resting against his shoulder.

"That’s..."

He stopped.

Silver looked toward him.

Caleb swallowed.

"That’s a lot."

Rowan stood beside him, his face having gone pale.

Mina crouched near the ground, her hands visibly trembling.

Silver looked toward her.

"Mina?"

She raised her head, her expression frightened.

"Silver," she called in a small voice.

"Yeah?"

"The ground..."

He frowned.

"What about it?"

Mina swallowed.

"It’s shaking everywhere."

Silver looked toward the forest.

The rumbling had become a continuous roar... and then the first wave emerged from the trees.