Chapter 205:Alpha.
The Alpha’s roar had barely faded when the entire ravine erupted into motion. Every beast moved at once.
The Cliff Stalkers vanished into the rocky walls like shadows, the Rock Climbers bounded from ledge to ledge with renewed ferocity and the Boulder Lizards abandoned their defensive positions and charged directly toward the convoy.
It was no longer a series of scattered attacks but a coordinated assault.
"They’re following its orders!" Someone shouted over the convoy radio.
The Alpha remained where it stood, simply watching. Its golden eyes calmly followed every movement below, as though judging the battle before deciding whether it needed to intervene.
Silver’s expression grew solemn.
"...It doesn’t think we’re worth fighting."
Ravenna tightened her grip on the steering wheel.
"Let’s keep it that way."
Another contractor’s voice echoed through the radio.
"Push through!"
"Don’t engage the Alpha!"
"If it joins the battle we’re all finished!"
The convoy leader reacted instantly.
"Full speed! Break through!"
Engines roared.
The convoy surged forward once again. Vehicles bounced violently over the uneven road as everyone committed to the only option left.
Escape.
The beasts answered immediately. Three Cliff Stalkers descended together. They ignored the trucks at the front; instead, they attacked the middle of the convoy where the formation had begun breaking apart.
One landed atop an armored truck, its claws punching through the roof before dragging a contractor screaming into the open. Another sprang toward a fuel transport.
Silver reacted immediately.
[Phantom Draw Lv3 Activated.]
Bang!
Bang!
Two bullets crossed the distance. The first shattered the beast’s shoulder and the second entered through its open mouth. The Cliff Stalker lost control and crashed beneath the wheels of another truck.
Silver had already turned toward the third.
Bang!
The bullet struck its eye, sending the beast tumbling sideways into the cliff.
The System quietly responded.
[Phantom Draw Lv3]
{Proficiency Increased.}
Silver barely registered it, there was no time. Another explosion shook the road. A Boulder Lizard slammed directly into the convoy’s rear vehicle. Metal twisted and glass shattered. The truck rolled onto its side.
"Rear convoy’s trapped!" Someone shouted.
Silver looked through the mirror. Several contractors had already jumped from nearby vehicles to help. Earth walls erupted from the ground, fireballs exploded across the road and ece Spears pierced charging beasts.
The veterans weren’t trying to kill everything. They were creating enough space for the convoy to continue moving.
Silver couldn’t help admiring them. This... Was experience. Everyone fought for the same objective; keep the convoy alive.
A Cliff Stalker suddenly landed directly on Silver’s hood, its claws tearing through steel as it snarled at him from barely two meters away.
Silver smiled coldly.
"You picked the wrong car buddy."
[Short-Step Lv2 Activated. ]
The world blurred. He appeared outside before the beast even reacted. His sword flashed upward.
[Space Slash Lv2 Activated. ]
The invisible blade severed both forelegs in one clean motion. The Cliff Stalker screamed, before it hit the ground, Silver thrust his sword forward. The blade pierced directly through its skull.
The beast collapsed lifelessly.
Ravenna had already matched his speed. She swung the passenger door open as the vehicle continued moving.
Silver stepped onto the running board before climbing smoothly back inside.
"...Again."
Ravenna sighed.
"I’ll complain later."
Silver laughed.
"I look forward to it."
The convoy rounded another bend. The Alpha still hadn’t moved, it simply watched, as if measuring them.
Then...It lifted one massive paw.
Silver’s heart sank.
"...It’s giving another order."
The Alpha slammed its paw against the ground. The impact echoed throughout the ravine. From countless cracks hidden within the cliffs, hundreds of beasts emerged. The ravine itself seemed alive.
Ravenna inhaled sharply.
"What the hell, how many..."
Silver answered honestly. "Too many."
Even the veteran contractors momentarily hesitated.
One escort captain immediately shouted, "Ignore everything except what’s in front of you! We’re breaking through!"
The convoy abandoned any attempt to kill every beast; instead, contractors concentrated solely on opening a path.
The strongest fighters moved to the front, shield users smashed charging beasts aside, elemental contractors unleashed continuous attacks to clear the road and marksmen targeted anything attempting to leap onto the vehicles.
Silver joined them.
His pistol rang repeatedly, every shot finding its mark. The Alpha’s golden eyes shifted toward Silver. For a brief moment, man and beast looked directly at one another.
Silver felt an unexpected chill. Those eyes, contained intelligence, thought not human intelligence, it was something frighteningly close.
The Alpha knew.
It recognized who among the convoy posed the greatest threat. For one terrifying second, Silver thought it would charge; instead, the enormous beast slowly stepped aside.
The road opened.
The convoy leader didn’t hesitate.
"Now!"
Every remaining vehicle accelerated simultaneously. The convoy surged through the opening like a flood breaking a dam.
The Alpha remained motionless as it watched them pass. It watched Silver’s vehicle disappear around the bend, then, it released one final roar.
None of the pursuing beasts followed, as though responding to an invisible command, they stopped. One by one, they retreated into the cliffs.
The battle ended as abruptly as it had begun. For several long minutes, no one spoke. Only engines echoed through the ravine.
Silver slowly lowered his pistol.
"...It let us go."
Ravenna nodded silently. Neither found that comforting, somehow, it felt far more unsettling than if the beast had chased them to the end.
Almost two hours after entering the ravine, sunlight suddenly flooded the road ahead. The cliffs gradually widened.
Fresh wind swept through the valley once more. One by one, the battered convoy emerged from the ravine and onto the open plains beyond.
Vehicles pulled to the roadside almost immediately. Several were barely drivable; windows had been shattered, doors hung crookedly from broken hinges and armor plating had been torn apart by claws.
Silver finally brought their own vehicle to a stop. For several moments, neither he nor Ravenna moved. The engine idled quietly.
Both simply breathed. Eventually, Ravenna looked at the side of their vehicle. Deep claw marks covered nearly every panel.
One window was cracked. Blood, both human and beast, streaked across the doors. Dust coated everything else.
Silver leaned back against his seat.
"...We made it."
Ravenna smiled tiredly.
"Barely."
Around them, contractors climbed from equally battered vehicles. Some laughed from sheer relief, others silently embraced teammates they had thought were dead while several medics immediately began treating the wounded.
A few bodies, covered respectfully with blankets, were laid beside the road. The convoy leader removed his helmet before looking back toward the ravine.
His face remained grim.
"We crossed it... and we’re still alive."
No one celebrated. Every survivor understood the same truth, the Yellow Zone had only just begun.