Chapter 548 Siege 15
Zion followed, ascending with them, while Maxwell remained at the frontline, holding the line and providing support.
Without pause, Zion began issuing orders.
He quickly assessed the situation; one glance was enough to tell him this siege wasn’t isolated. If the eastern wall looked like this, then the others were surely faring no better.
He deployed the remaining warriors, some to reinforce the eastern wall, others to scatter across the camp and support the most pressured points.
Then, after personally ensuring the mages would reach Archmage Elric, Zion made his decision.
He would move to the other walls.
Maxwell... would be enough to hold this one.
Just as Zion landed atop the wall, ready to move, his gaze caught a familiar figure waiting on the platform.
Addison.
She had already seen that Maxwell was fully engaged on the eastern front, locked in relentless combat against the monsters and wild animals. There was no opening to speak with him, not yet. So instead, she turned her attention to Zion.
But Zion didn’t approach her immediately.
After what had happened at the mountain clearing, he couldn’t afford even the slightest lapse in caution. He had already decided that he would personally see the five mages delivered to Archmage Elric before doing anything else.
Because now, he was certain.
There was a spy among them.
He hadn’t voiced it outright, but the signs were too clear to ignore. The sudden mountain fire at their target location, appearing just moments before their arrival, couldn’t have been a coincidence. Someone had tipped off the enemy, giving them enough time to destroy the Night Luminous Daisies and sabotage their attempt to open the teleportation portal.
And when that plan failed...
The monster tide began.
Zion’s eyes darkened slightly.
To counter this, he had already taken precautions. He paired the warriors in twos, sending them to different locations so they could watch each other. If one of them was the spy, the other would act as a restraint, a witness. Any suspicious movement would be seen, and reported.
After all, if the spy tried to silence their partner, it would only confirm everyone’s suspicions.
Even without saying it aloud, Zion knew the sharper minds among them had already pieced things together. And now that suspicion existed, it would keep everyone on edge.
That was enough for now.
Which was why he wasn’t worried about sending warriors to reinforce other sections of the wall.
But the mages...
That was different.
What they carried wasn’t just important; it was essential. The success of the teleportation portal depended on them. And if the spy grew desperate enough, there was a chance they might make a move as a last resort.
That was a risk Zion refused to take.
So before anything else, before speaking, before moving to another battlefield—
He would make sure the mages arrived safely.
But the moment Zion saw Addison, he knew she had something important to say.
Without hesitation, he reached for her, pulling her along as he moved to personally escort the mages. There was no time to stop. With Archmage Elric overseeing the preparations, that was the safest place for them. Only after ensuring their delivery could he afford to listen.
So Addison followed at his side as they moved quickly through the camp.
They didn’t stop until the mages were safely handed over.
Only then did Zion turn back, guiding her toward the tent, his focus finally shifting fully to her.
"Addie," he said immediately, his voice low but urgent. "What’s wrong? Do you have something to tell me?"
Addison was surprised by how quick-witted Zion was, how he seemed to grasp everything with just a glance upon arrival. Perhaps it had become second nature to him, a habit forged from being stationed on the frontlines of the war between werewolves and vampires. Or maybe... he had only ever seemed like a dork around her before because she had been too blind to see clearly.
But she had no time to dwell on that now.
Pushing those thoughts aside, she didn’t question him further and instead went straight to what mattered, her voice edged with urgency.
"Zion... I don’t know if you noticed, but the monsters and wild animals attacking us are not acting normal. They’re frenzied... agitated."
She took a breath, steadying herself as she continued. "Earlier, I joined the fight against the ogres. During the clash, a massive cloud of dust covered the entire area and forced everything to pause. But in that moment... I noticed something."
Her gaze sharpened. "When the dust settled, the creatures weren’t the same. They looked disoriented, dazed even, like something had been cut off. The madness in their red eyes dulled, almost as if whatever was driving them had suddenly disappeared."
She clenched her fists slightly. "That’s when I realized... There might be something in our camp attracting them. Something that’s triggering this frenzy."
Her expression darkened with frustration. "I tried to find it, but I wasted too much time. I don’t even know what I’m looking for; it could be powder, a plant, anything. The search range is too wide, and without a clue..." She exhaled sharply. "It felt like searching for a needle in a haystack. Completely useless."
Her eyes lifted to meet his. "But one thing I’m certain of, whatever it is, it’s drawing them here through their sense of smell."
Zion fell silent after hearing her, his expression darkening as he sank into deep thought. He carefully ran through every possibility, eliminating them one by one, until, reluctantly, he arrived at the same conclusion.
Addison was right.
But that was precisely the problem.
Even if her deduction was correct, they were still left with nothing concrete to act on. Whatever was drawing the monsters and wild animals in wasn’t something any of them could detect. It could be anything, a seemingly ordinary flower by the roadside, a patch of grass, even a rock. It didn’t have to be something as obvious as powder.
In fact, if their enemy truly intended to kill them, they wouldn’t use anything so noticeable. No one would simply scatter powder around the camp and risk it being discovered. No... they would choose something subtle. Something that could blend in so naturally it would never raise suspicion.
Something that would never be found.
Zion’s jaw tightened at the thought.
To locate the source, they would have to turn over every inch of the camp, inspect every object, every surface, every detail. But that was impossible. They didn’t have the manpower... nor the time.
Which left them with one pressing question—
What options did they have left?
"Did you notice anything else?" Zion pressed, his gaze fixed on Addison. "Anything at all, even something that didn’t seem connected to the monster tide?"
Addison hesitated for a moment before answering.
"The livestock... they’ve been poisoned. Their insides are deteriorating rapidly. Some have already died from bleeding from all seven orifices." Her expression tightened at the memory. "The veterinarians and doctors are working together to treat the rest, and about half an hour ago, they made a breakthrough."
She paused, thinking. "Other than that... nothing—"
Her words faltered as something surfaced in her mind.