Vortex Origins
Chapter 72: The second creature wave - 1

Chapter 72: The second creature wave - 1

The ground whispered first. A small vibration. Almost nothing. But Ironhold had learned to listen. That quiet shift meant one thing.

Something was coming.

The tremor grew. Not a quake—too smooth. Too alive. It rolled through the dirt like a second pulse.

Then the sirens screamed.

Every tower lit up. Red warning glyphs spiraled across holo-screens. Drones zipped from charging docks, weapons blinking active. Defense turrets turned as targeting systems blinked awake.

Guards ran, rifles clutched. Orders flew through comms.

"Creatures inbound! South Quadrant perimeter breach!"

Another voice broke in, louder. Shaking.

"They’re here! Too many—too many for a second wave!"

Then a third, one that sounded like it came from someone watching death walk toward them.

"Boneflayers! Grievehowls! Rotback Drudges! And gods—Skynight Harrowers overhead!"

Even the air turned cold.

The Boneflayers hit first.

They tore across the dirt like meat made rage. Skin stripped. Muscle bare. Their jaws split wide, shrieking nonstop, ribcages rising like bellows with each step.

Behind them came the Grievehowls—thin and fast, bones sharp beneath tight, veined skin. They ran on all fours. No eyes. No hesitation. Their wails cracked windows before they reached the walls.

The Rotbacks dragged in last. Slow, massive, leaking rot that burned through ground and steel alike. Sacs on their backs pulsed and burst, spilling black clouds that clung to everything.

Then came the sky.

Skynight Harrowers dove through the smoke. Wings stretched thin, bones like blades. Too low. Too fast. One guard raised his rifle. Missed. His arms wouldn’t stop shaking.

"Skynights are descending! They’re targeting the reactors—they know where to hit!"

The line started to break. One creature dropped, then two more came behind it. A flood with no end.

Then it hit.

A single impact. Like a mountain falling sideways.

The far edge of the barrier cracked. Steel warped. The ground split open like something was clawing its way out from underneath.

Silence, for one breath.

Then a voice, barely more than a whisper, crept into the comms.

"...That’s not Tier 3."

From the broken ground, something pulled itself free.

Black plates covered its body, gleaming hot. Steam hissed from its joints. It looked carved from volcanic stone—too massive to move, but it did. Six legs slammed down, shaking the walls. Its head rose, sharp-edged, mouth pulling open not with a roar... but a deep, dragging moan that seemed to twist the air itself.

The comms went dead for a second.

Then one word broke through.

"T-Tier 4 confirmed. It’s The Obsidian Wretch..."

Every soldier stopped.

Even the air stood still.

A young guard stood frozen near the southern wall. His hands gripped his rifle, knuckles white. The massive shape in the dust loomed larger with every step.

"W–why is one of the strongest Tier 4s here?"

His voice barely more than a breath.

No one answered. Around him, gunfire roared. Screams broke like waves across the walls. And still, the creature kept coming.

————

Inside the Ironhold Command Hall, the walls pulsed red with alert glyphs. Screens blinked with feeds from every corner of the settlement.

One showed the southern wall buckling. Another showed bodies—scattered like broken tools across the ground.

Eir stood in the center, arms tight across his chest, watching the monitors without blinking. The other elders circled behind him. None spoke.

Captain Tim stood nearby, still as the stone walls around them.

Eir turned.

"So... when will the military arrive?"

Tim answered right away.

"They’ll be here shortly. Extraction forces and a suppression squad are en route."

One of the elders—Lane—stepped forward. Sweat lined his face.

"They better come fast. This isn’t a simple test wave. This is an incursion. We should send in the teams now."

Eir gave a short nod. His eyes didn’t leave the screens.

"Agreed. If we hit hard before they breach the gates, we might hold the line."

The comms sparked.

"Sir, we’ve got a problem! The north wall—it’s under attack too!"

Eir turned sharply.

"What?!"

Lane leaned closer.

"What kind of creatures?"

The voice came back, tight with fear.

"Confirmed visual: Ravagers, Spine Crawlers... and Tier 4s—The Scorchbloom Horror and the Wretched Dancer."

The room changed.

No one moved at first.

Then voices spilled over each other.

"They’re surrounding us."

"This is coordinated. That’s never happened before."

"We can’t defend both walls!"

"Three Tier 4s on the second wave—are we being targeted?"

The noise built. Sharp. Uneven. Close to breaking.

Then Eir raised one hand. His voice didn’t rise, but it cut through the room like a blade.

"Enough. Panic won’t save anyone. We hold this city. We buy time. That’s our job until the military arrives."

The room went still again.

Lucille stepped out of the circle. Her gaze swept the room.

"So how do we buy time against monsters like those?"

Augustin shifted his weight onto his staff. Old bones, but his voice held steady.

"We already know their weaknesses. The creatures are powerful, yes—but not unstoppable."

He looked to Eir.

"Send the right teams. With the right orders. No glory missions. Just survival."

Eir nodded once. The tension in his jaw didn’t fade.

"Then we bleed to hold this city. No more, no less."

Eir’s voice cut through the tension.

"Call all active teams. They need to mobilize—now."

The comm crackled.

"Already done, sir. They’re heading to the command hall."

Eir turned back to the monitors. Their glow cast pale light across his face.

"All of them?"

"Yeah. Every member on their teams. And sir... they’re moving fast. Real serious looks on their faces."

Eir gave a single nod.

"Good. Open the door for them."

The command hall shook with the deep grind of steel doors parting. Heat spilled through the opening, carrying dust

Ash. Max. Kael. Others followed—faces set, movements sharp. Their boots hit the floor like they’d already decided the fight was theirs.

There were strangers in the group. One guy had shoulders like stacked crates and arms that barely fit in his sleeves. Another barely reached Ash’s chest, but his eyes darted like a cornered animal. The third—Ash blinked. Three hats. All on the same head. No one mentioned it, and somehow, that made it worse.

Two girls stood just behind them, quiet but watching. One tapped her foot like she was counting seconds. The other didn’t blink.

Mia stepped in near the front.

"What the hell is going on out there? This is just the second wave, and it already looks like the end of the world."

Kaius, from Team Galeforce, scanned the room, jaw clenched.

"I knoe you said it’d be big, but this... this is insane."

Kael flexed his fingers. A grin stretched across his face like it had waited all day.

"Let them come. There’s a lot of them, yeah—but we’ve got more than numbers."

He gave a glance around the room.

"We’ve got me."

Alex scoffed, arms crossed.

"Oh, there it is. The classic Kael confidence. No surprise from my rival."

Kael blinked once, then broke into laughter.

"Rival? You wish."

The moment cracked. A thin line of ease passed between them. Then it faded.

Eir stepped forward. He didn’t raise his voice. He didn’t need to. The teams straightened as soon as he spoke.

"That’s enough."

He looked at them—each one—and for a moment, the fight outside fell away.

"I didn’t expect so many of you to respond this quickly. But I’m glad you did. We’re outnumbered. And this threat... it’s organized. That doesn’t happen by chance."

His gaze landed on Max. Just for a second. Then moved on.

"As you’ve probably heard, the southern wall is under attack. But so is the north."

A few glances passed between teammates. No one stepped back.

"They’re trying to split us. To break the line before it forms. But we won’t give them that."