With the help of the boars, the group finally arrived at the foot of the mountain range.

  "Woah! Now that we're up close, these mountains look even more massive!"

  "This area has plenty of trees and a river nearby. It's the perfect place to build our home."

  "It's thanks to us beastmen that we made it this far into the forest. Avoiding monsters was only possible because of our scouts and abilities. Without us, we never would’ve reached this deep."

  Elder Ulganar stepped forward, his voice firm. "Everyone played a role in getting us here. But don’t forget—our real work begins now. Let's start building our home! But first, we should have a feast to celebrate."

  "Since it’s almost nighttime, we should eat quickly. We don’t want to attract monsters with too much noise," Lakan said.

  Elder Ulganar turned to Lakan, his expression serious. "Lakan, I need to speak with you. Come to my tent at midnight."

  Lakan whispered to himself, "What could be so important for the Elder to be this serious?" Then he nodded. "I’ll be there, Elder."

  As the first day came to an end, the children, women, and elders had already gone to sleep. Meanwhile, the warriors of each race had gathered at Elder Ulganar’s call.

  "Is everyone here?" Elder Ulganar asked.

  "Yes, Elder! All twenty warriors in our group are present. This is our only fighting force, as we prioritized getting the children and women to safety during the escape," Thorgana reported.

  Elder Ulganar’s eyes narrowed as he noticed her. "Why are you still awake, kid? I thought I asked Dalangpan to handle this."

  "Sir Dalangpan passed the task to me since he was busy making stone weapons. Though I don’t know why he’s making them now. When I went to check, he was already asleep—I guess he was exhausted from crafting," Thorgana explained.

  "You should rest as well, child. Your task is done. Thank you for your service," Elder Ulganar said.

  Thorgana hesitated, clearly anxious. She wanted to stay and be part of the meeting.

  Lakan noticed her concern.

  "Elder, I want her to stay," Lakan said. "She’s capable when it comes to managing people. She was the one who surveyed our group and gathered valuable information about our numbers and strengths. That’s why I believe she should be involved in future meetings as well."

  Elder Ulganar studied Thorgana for a moment before nodding. "If you vouch for her, then I’ll entrust her with a role in our group. What is your name, young one?"

  "I’m Thorgana of the dwarf race. Thank you for allowing me to be of help, Elder," she said respectfully.

  With that, the meeting began. The topic, however, was terrifying.

  "Since we are all gathered here, some of you—especially the beastmen and demonkin—may already know what I am about to say," Elder Ulganar said, his expression grave.

  The younger ones, sensing the weight in his voice, grew uneasy. The experienced warriors, however, remained silent, already expecting the news.

  "The children and teens may not be aware of this, or may have never faced it firsthand," Ulganar continued. "But we will soon be facing a monster wave."

  Some of the younger warriors had heard the term before but had no real experience dealing with it. A monster wave was a one-week event that occurred once every year, during which monsters became extremely aggressive, attacking anything in sight.

  Across the continent, entire territories prepared for this event in advance. If left unchecked, it could lead to catastrophe.

  "A monster wave is a catastrophic event. If we don’t prepare, we’ll suffer massive losses. That’s why I want us to plan quickly and make all the necessary preparations to minimize casualties. If anyone has suggestions, raise your hand," Elder Ulganar announced.

  "I want to train the warriors on how to properly fight monsters. I've experienced this before. We should also equip them with the armor we looted from the knights and adventurers," Zarik suggested.

  "Me too!" Baloga added.

  "Alright, I’ll leave that to you two since you’re our best warriors. The red moon is already up, which means we have five days to prepare. We need all hands on deck. What about the rest? Any suggestions?" Elder Ulganar asked.

  The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

  "Elder, we definitely need to fortify our base against the monster attack. I suggest that all the orcs cut down trees for barricades," Drogath proposed.

  "Good. Barricades are essential. Since they’ll be our first line of defense, they need to be sturdy," Elder Ulganar agreed.

  "Umm… I have a suggestion," Thorgana said hesitantly, raising her hand.

  The others turned to her in surprise. A young and timid dwarf, she wasn’t someone they expected to provide a strategic idea.

  "What is it, young lady?" Elder Ulganar asked.

  "I suggest we melt down the swords and forge spears instead," Thorgana said.

  The experienced warriors were momentarily stunned—not because it was a bad idea, but because it was brilliant.

  "That’s a great idea! We need reach when fighting from behind the barricades, and swords are poorly suited for that. Well done, Thorgana!" Zarik praised.

  Thorgana flushed at the unexpected compliment. A moment of silence followed as all eyes turned to Lakan, waiting for his suggestion.

  Lakan, lost in thought as he sorted through a flood of ideas, lifted his head and blinked in confusion.

  "Umm… why are you all staring at me?" he asked.

  "We’re waiting for your suggestion," Elder Ulganar said.

  "I have a few," Lakan replied.

  "Then hurry up and say them! You’re making us wait," Baloga scoffed.

  Lakan took a deep breath and spoke with authority. "First, all of your ideas are great. Not only should we consider them—we must implement them. Now, for my plan: I suggest digging a moat and planting spears at the bottom. It’s a tried-and-true defensive strategy."

  Baloga frowned. "We don’t have time for that."

  Lakan smirked. "Did you forget? We have the best diggers in our group."

  The others looked at each other in confusion. Lakan chuckled at their puzzled expressions.

  "I’m talking about the boars," he clarified.

  "Ahh! That’s genius! That’s my man!" Baloga cheered.

  "If the boars handle the digging, we can finish the moat in no time."

  "A solid plan—taking advantage of the boars' abilities is smart."

  The group quickly acknowledged the effectiveness of the strategy. However, they were still expecting more ideas from Lakan.

  From the sidelines, Orrin, who had been quietly observing, finally spoke. "Is that all you’ve got, Lakan?"

  Lakan shook his head. "No. I also suggest positioning our base at the foot of the mountain to take advantage of the high ground. Additionally, I want a portion of the logs the orcs are cutting for the barricades set aside—we can roll them down the slope if we get cornered. It’ll help us regain momentum in battle."

  Elder Ulganar nodded. "You really think outside the box, Lakan. Now, what about the others?"

  Lakan raised his hand again. "Elder, I’m not done yet."

  Elder Ulganar raised a brow. "You have more? Then proceed."

  Lakan turned to Orrin. "Leader Orrin, as I mentioned before, the terrakins will be the backbone of building our home here. But I want to ask—would it be possible to establish an animal communication network?"

  Orrin blinked, a faint blush creeping onto his face from the compliment. "What do you mean?"

  Lakan smirked about how easily embarrassed terrakin is. "A system where animals relay orders or information. Ideally, using birds or insects."

  Orrin’s eyes widened. "Ahh! I see where you're going with this!"

  Lakan nodded. "From what I heard back when we were imprisoned, monster waves come in multiple waves over the course of a week. That’s why we need an early warning system to counter them by using animals and make the beastman search for the base of the monsters—and also do paralyzing powder that was use on knights work on monsters?."

  Orrin replied, "Yes, that was their original purpose. Since we Terrakin are often targeted by monsters, we created the powder to repel or kill them. But we can’t produce a large amount. Even with help gathering the ingredients, it still takes a day or two to prepare enough for a week's use. Plus, we need to consider the numbers of monsters in the waves."

  Lakan nodded. "That’s alright. Just make as much as you can. As for the dwarves, they're still going to make the weapons, but I also want them to build a pillbox below the base. Since they are skilled in construction, they can ensure the pillbox won't collapse because of the monster. That’s all the strategies that I’ve come up"

  The meeting members was stunned because for a small amount of time thinking Lakan come up with several strategy. The members tried to think of a mishap for the strategize Lakan but they could not think of some.

  “You really are a brilliant strategist, Lakan! How do you come up with such clever plans?”

  “Ah! You overestimate me,” Lakan said with a chuckle. “I’ve been influenced by my father’s brilliant mind—he’s a great strategist. I’m still not at his level, but I’ve helped him with tasks assigned by the Viscount’s soldiers. I guess being in that environment really shaped me.”

  “Nah! Even with that, a normal person couldn’t develop a mind like yours. You really are a genius.”

  The meeting members, witnessing Lakan’s brilliance, acknowledged his plan and began to trust him as the leader of their group.

  "I guess I’m placing my fate in a reliable man. Even in a child’s body, he’s already a man," Elder Ulganar whispered, his voice tinged with admiration.

  A smirk crossed his lips as he watched the group quickly accept Lakan as their commander.

  "With this, only a few of the beastmen will still try to sabotage Lakan’s succession as Commander," he muttered, his expression darkening. "Ah! Why do they still refuse to trust my judgment?"

  "With this, the plan we’ve come up with is finalized," Elder Ulganar declared. "Tomorrow, Zarik, Thorgana, Drogath, and Lakan will take charge of their respective strategies. Does anyone have any suggestions to add?"

  "For those who won’t be fighting, we should still arm ourselves just in case," one of the members added. "We’ll also hunt for animals to secure food. That should be all."

  The meeting was a success, the plan firmly set in motion. But beyond the flickering torchlight, in the silent corners where shadows stretched long, unseen eyes watched and unheard voices whispered. Decisions had been made, but not all had been included. And in the absence of those left behind, something unseen stirred—a ripple in still water, a shift in the air. The true consequences of this night had yet to unfold.