Jared waited atop the northern wall of the fort, keeping an eye out for any approaching avian monsters.

  His team was still away on missions, guiding newbies and seasoned Adepts as they fought roaming hordes of monsters, so he was left with nothing to do. Given his brand of mana and the destructive potential of his class, leaving was also not an option, for a strong third-threshold monster approached.

  It's still hard to wrap my head around this stronghold, he idly wondered, turning around for a moment. All things considered, while the fort was pretty large, there was nothing special about it. Forged out of stone, the central building was only two stories tall, with a wide roof designed for a certain barrier mage's operations.

  The walls were over a hundred meters away from that building, and even now, he could feel the different types of barriers in place. From the roof, invisible yet barely perceivable threads extended to the wall, covering the whole fort in a net. The threads were, by Jared's standards, excessive and gigantic, but they got the job done perfectly when lightning flowed through them.

  He had seen that happen twice. It worked like a charm on dumb birds.

  While the stronghold was strong and remarkably safe even when overwhelmed by monsters, it was the speed at which it had been built that left him speechless. The moment the Exalted, Melvine, and Lev had returned, all of the non-combatants got to work.

  Stone was summoned out of storage rings in mind-boggling quantities, and given that it was stored in the form of bricks, Lev had wasted no time in erecting towering walls with the help of his barriers.

  Even now, after Stone Shapers had arrived and constructed proper defenses, there were still many of his barriers inside the walls, their enchantments combined with the stone.

  "Everything alright?" Lev's voice suddenly reached Jared through a local communication relay.

  "Yes, sir," he replied, knowing the mage didn't like to be addressed that way, though he still allowed it. "Just bored."

  "Bored," Lev repeated with a chuckle. "It's funny, isn't it? We're out here, in the middle of nowhere, and constantly attacked by waves. And yet, boredom is gradually becoming a concern. Fortunately, we have a guest coming to entertain us soon."

  I don't think we should be taking third-threshold monsters so casually…

  Jared didn't voice that thought. Who was he kidding? He had seen the way Lev and the princess dove into battle, their auras reflecting their excitement. Sure, the approaching monster was estimated to be above level 600, but the human monsters on his side were only going to take it as a challenge to overcome.

  And, as tiring as it was to admit, their attitude had rubbed off on his team, too. Rosy, in particular, had improved the most, and her frequent spars with the barrier mage encouraged her to no end. Her logic was that if a mage could enhance a single skill to such a degree, why couldn't she do better with her ridiculous class?

  The best and worst part was that it actually worked. By now, Lev was hard pressed to keep up with her, and even using his evolved flames barely let him break even. Rosy took that victory with grace and gratitude, and in turn, continued to spar frequently to let the mage get better at controlling his elements.

  Such thoughts continued to swirl in his mind as he got off the wall and made his way into the stronghold. He passed through the initial hallway, moved past the meeting and strategy rooms, and instead ascended to the second floor.

  Acknowledging the Adept archers and scouts manning the windows, as well as the non-combatants keeping track of all the barrier cannons and normal cannons, Jared moved up the stairs to the roof.

  The moment he stepped out of the stairway, his world changed. Instead of the sky, a blue dome now dominated his vision. Tables were arranged neatly along the dome's edges, holding different kinds of cores and arcane tools, tinkering with equipment. Most of them were destructive.

  "How many of them broke this time?" Lev asked, not looking up from the sword he was working on. It positively radiated fire, heating up the entire bubble by merely existing.

  "Surprisingly, only two of the disks were lost when the monsters grabbed them. Several more need maintenance, but they are still serviceable," Jared replied distractedly, already holding the replacements.

  [

  Razorwhirl - Rare

  Enchantments: Durability, Sharpness, Kinetic Enhancement, Elemental Infusion

  ]

  "Elemental infusion?" he asked aloud. "I'm assuming it is concentrated around the edges?"

  "Mhm," Lev mumbled, handing him another five of the normal disks. "Let the best users of lightning and wind use these. Ask them to observe the results of the infusion. The enchantment should automate the imbuing."

  Jared didn't linger after that. The barrier mage had already returned to his crafting, though he knew that Lev would never ignore him if he asked a question. Everyone was aware of the boy's freakish Perception by that point.

  The fort's basement was fully illuminated and enchanted. One of the first tasks the non-combatants focused on was installing concealment wards on the bottom floor. Apparently, while the number of monsters that could burrow through the ground was low, the damage they caused was always higher for obvious reasons.

  Most of the basement was used as storage for cores, stones, and other harvested resources. There were only a few rooms, and near the stairs was his destination.

  Knocking on the large office doors, Jared waited to be called inside. A pulse of mana opened the doors, and he bowed his head respectfully.

  "Jared, my friend," Grand Strategist Wayne commented with a polite smile. His bearing was relaxed yet prepared, borne of centuries of experience. A neatly trimmed white beard matched his immaculate uniform and the combed hair, making him radiate an aura of authority. "Take a seat."

  This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  [Strategist - Level 422]

  He has gained a level, Jared noted, sitting down opposite the man. "Training is progressing smoothly, sir. The stone shapers have a surplus of exercises because of Hunter Lev's barriers, and the non-combatants are slowly adapting to the difficulty of the disks. Jonah's team has gained the most levels so far— a collective 43 of them in total."

  "And what about the hunter himself?" The Strategist smoothly continued. "Does Lev intend to join the fray?"

  "Given the amount of mana I could feel in his bubble, sir, I don't think there's any point in him stepping into the field."

  Wayne just nodded once with a smile. "Reminds me of Alec's young days. He was more feral than Lev, though his performance also outclassed everyone else. Combat crafters, I tell you. All of them are the same."

  Jared just chuckled politely, which didn't escape the strategist's notice. Before the conversation could continue, one of the dozen or so communication crystals on the table lit up. Wayne accepted the message and didn't get the chance to reply when another crystal lit up.

  Wayne picked it up and sent some mana to reply when another crystal beeped, this one the largest and most intricate on the table. Jared just looked on questioningly as the strategist eventually listened to every crystal's message before glancing back.

  "It is time. Your team and Isabella's team are both on their way, and the tarantula is also passing the first wards."

  That was all Jared needed to hear before he quickly sprinted back up. Gravity mana enveloped him, and a few leaps were enough to jump over the wall and land on the grassland beyond.

  A single push was enough to launch him to the west, where he could feel the exposed auras of his team. Not far to his left, another team approached, this one noticeably stronger than his own.

  "Did you guys get the message?" Jared asked, joining them in jogging back to the fort.

  "We did," Lorene replied. "Want to wait for the princess?"

  Seeing no reason not to, they all slowed down. Isabella noticed that and sped up, reaching them in a few short bursts of fire.

  "Yo," she greeted, very much unlike a princess. "Seems like there's no need to plan. Any last-minute changes? The monster is pretty strong, but you're free to swap roles and try out different combinations of attacks."

  "Nothing of the sort, Isabella," Lorene replied, the most casual with the daunting woman in front of them. Jared still didn't know how she could act so informally with the famous fire princess, but then again, no one else in his team was as chummy with Lev as Jared.

  "Alright. Mana?"

  "All full," Jared replied this time. "Lev is most likely not going to join, so it will be up to us to create openings for him."

  Isabella scrunched up her nose in mock distaste after hearing that. The fort was a few hundred meters away, close enough for her to hurl a small fireball at the roof. It was easily blocked by an invisible shield.

  A distinctly confused pulse of mana reached them, demanding answers. Isabella raised a brow before shouting, "FUCK YOU!"

  The confusion only rose before the impression morphed into something hard and long, facing upwards.

  Jared facepalmed with an amused sigh, just as several people from both teams burst into laughter. Isabella herself cackled the loudest, and he had to admit, the sound was very pleasant to the ears.

  Then he remembered that she was a Duke's daughter and quickly banished those thoughts.

  "Alright, let's get moving," Isabella said, still smiling. "Who wants to engage first?"

  "Rosy and I will move in first and create an opening. Keep an eye on your communication stones, though that job will also likely fall on my shoulders. Be prepared for ranged support."

  Jared's words were easily accepted as they flew to the monster. Given the speed at which the tarantula was moving, they only had to move for less than a kilometer before the monster became visible.

  It really lived up to the name.

  [Giant Tarantula - Level ????]

  The spider was the largest monster Jared had ever seen. It was like a walking guild hall, shaking the ground with every step despite the distance. The speed at which it drew near was also disturbingly high, and he prepared his skills to intercept it.

  A pulse of gravity traveled close to the ground to the edge of his range. It settled there, spread out over a large area for the monster to step into.

  The tarantula either didn't notice it or ignored it entirely, rushing into the trap. The gravity mana first imploded, tearing up the ground the monster stood upon, then exploded, pushing it back down and solidifying it. Utilizing the monster's weight, the dual attack buried several of the monster's long limbs deep into the soft ground.

  Rosy was on it in a blink, her sword carving a deep gash on the front leg. The tarantula spat a large blob of acid at her, but she was too fast, dodging it with ease and leaping to one of the back legs. Once again, her heavy greatsword buried itself in the limb, hitting something vital as blood sprayed out of the wound.

  Too late, she noticed the web dripping venom rushing towards her, formed and fired in a split second. Isabella's whip was already there, tearing through it and letting Rosy escape.

  Jared acted next, several of his dark lances rushing towards the spider's face. It jerked out of the way, protecting its eyes as they missed. He didn't let the negligible damage dishearten him, knowing the main damage dealer was not amongst them.

  Asta's wide lightning sprays enveloped the monster, slowing it ever so slightly. Whips of blue fire rushed through the crackling zone, wrapping around the already damaged limbs.

  A loud, piercing screech announced the effectiveness of the tactic, making the monster curl up.

  Then it jumped.

  Jared could only retreat and watch in astonishment as it tore through the air, right towards Rosy, who was running away as fast as she could. Zack was also a few dozen meters away, too far to help.

  Then the sky turned orange as a thick beam, considerably larger than the first one Lev had ever launched, landed on the spider's side. The force behind it was just enough to make it veer off track, and the explosion blocked any other visual indications of the damage dealt.

  Another loud screech confirmed that the beam was effective. The sound was loud enough to disperse a large portion of the flames, at which point Zack and Rosy rushed in again.

  They danced around its limbs, getting slashes in whenever they weren't at risk of being squished. Isabella's whips were always present whenever the monster tried to splash the warriors with its web.

  Lorene and Asta's attacks accomplished nothing, and Jared didn't partake in the assault either. The cost to damage the monster was too high, and frankly, unnecessary.

  His point was further proven when the monster tried to jump again, only for a wave of his gravity mana to make it slam back to the ground. Far from disoriented, it dashed away, reconsidering its stance.

  That's when the barrier mage contacted him again. Jared tilted his head a little, memorizing the instructions, and moved.

  A lance of gravity mana formed as he flew higher and higher. Lorene pushed her wind sphere on top of the monster, putting external pressure on its body to slow it down. Asta also threw a charged zone of lightning at it, further stunning it.

  Then he launched his lance downward. It tore into the body with great difficulty before exploding, locking the monster in place. Lev immediately took advantage of that as his beam landed on the first one's wound.

  This time, the monster's screech was one of agony. Lev didn't let up and fired another beam, this one even brighter than the one before. A large explosion drowned the spider's wails before they halted abruptly. Jared himself only saw a streak of blue, and when the impact cleared the flames, the cause of several notifications was also revealed.

  The tarantula was pinned to the ground, a magnificent glaive buried accurately in its head. It still crackled with remnants of lightning as a foul odour wafted off the monster, just as smoke rose from the deep wound in its head.

  A level 605 monster, dead just like that.