When Zachary was still deep in thought—
BOOM!
A massive hole suddenly burst through the wyvern's chest.
Blood sprayed out as the force tore straight through its body, leaving a gaping cavity where its core should've been.
Zachary's eyes widened.
Even the wyvern looked confused.
Its body staggered slightly—
Then collapsed.
Thud.
"Zachary!"
A familiar voice called out, frantic and filled with worry.
"…Wha—?" Zachary muttered, still trying to process what just happened.
As the dust slowly settled, the figure became clear.
"Mom!?" Zachary exclaimed.
Mackenzie rushed toward him without hesitation, pulling him into a tight hug.
"Are you okay?" she asked quickly, her voice tense, scanning him for injuries.
Zachary froze for a second—
Then realized something.
His undead.
They were still out in the open.
Subtly, he gestured with his hand.
The black circles formed beneath them.
Dark tendrils wrapped around their bodies—
And pulled them down.
Gone.
Mackenzie finally pulled back, still holding onto his shoulders, her expression serious as she checked his condition.
Zachary exhaled, catching his breath after the sudden rush of everything.
"I'm fine…" he said, though his voice was still slightly uneven.
There was no time to say more.
"Move!" a hunter shouted nearby.
Both of them turned.
Other high-level hunters had already joined the fight, engaging the remaining monsters with overwhelming force.
Zachary and Mackenzie ran together, the battlefield around them slowly being taken back.
The battle didn't slow down.
If anything—
It got worse.
High-level hunters clashed with monsters across the field, explosions of mana and impact shaking the area every few seconds.
Roars, shouts, and the sound of metal colliding filled the air, blending into something chaotic and overwhelming.
It felt endless.
Zachary followed Mackenzie as she led him away from the center of the fight, moving quickly through the chaos until they reached a relatively safer spot near the edge of the battlefield.
"Stay here," she said firmly, her tone leaving no room for argument.
Before he could respond—
She was already gone.
Back into the fight.
Zachary stood there for a moment, watching her disappear into the crowd of hunters and monsters.
The way she moved—confident, controlled—it was clear she belonged there.
Unlike him.
Or at least—
That's what it looked like.
His gaze shifted.
Not far from where he stood, a group of low-ranked hunters struggled against a single monster.
Their movements were messy, uncoordinated, barely holding it back as they tried to survive.
No one was helping them.
The stronger hunters were all occupied.
Zachary exhaled slowly.
"…Come forth… Barnacle."
The ground beneath him darkened.
A black circle formed.
Barnacle rose from it, silent as always, standing beside Zachary like a shadow given form.
Zachary didn't say anything else.
He just tilted his head slightly toward the struggling hunters.
That was enough.
Barnacle moved.
It vanished from Zachary's side, its figure blurring as it dashed forward at unnatural speed.
Then—
SLASH—
The sound cut through everything.
Clean.
Sharp.
For a brief second—
The battlefield went quiet.
The monster—
Split.
Falling apart before it even realized it had been struck.
The low-ranked hunters froze.
Their weapons still raised.
Their eyes wide.
"Is that… a knight?"
"It killed it in one hit…"
"Wait—is that another monster!?"
Their voices overlapped in disbelief.
Barnacle didn't respond.
It turned its head slightly—
Looking back at Zachary.
Zachary gave a small nod.
Permission.
That was all it needed.
Barnacle moved again.
This time, it didn't stop at one.
One slash.
Another.
Then another.
Five high-ranked monsters fell in quick succession, their bodies collapsing before they could even react.
The hunters around them could barely process what they were seeing.
But in the chaos—
Mistakes still happened.
A swordsman-class hunter, mid-fight, unleashed his ultimate attack toward a monster.
A wide, powerful slash of energy tore through the air—
But the monster dodged.
The trajectory changed.
Zachary saw it.
Coming straight toward him.
He didn't move.
Not because he couldn't—
But because—
A blur crossed his vision.
For just a fraction of a second.
Then—
BOOM!
The attack slammed into a nearby pillar instead, sending debris flying outward.
Zachary blinked.
Then looked forward.
Barnacle stood there.
Between him and where the attack had been.
Its sword still raised slightly—
Having intercepted it.