The tank and brute burst from cover on the left flank, slamming into the rear of the second team before anyone could turn around. The brute caught the nearest Evolver with a shoulder charge that lifted him off his feet and drove him into the dirt. The tank pinned another against a tree trunk with his shield, pressing until the man’s weapon clattered from his fingers.

On the right, the two mages released simultaneously. A blast of wind knocked two members of the first team off balance, and a wave of fire cut off their retreat, boxing them in against the boulders.

The archer let two arrows fly. One struck a mage in the shoulder, spinning her around. The second buried itself in the thigh of a swordsman who had been reaching for his weapon.

Moon’s freed Evolvers swarmed from every direction, outnumbering the two teams nearly two to one. The ambush had been so sudden and so coordinated that by the time either team understood what was happening, half of them were already on the ground.

One of them managed to cast a spell. A fireball that streaked toward the archer. Moon intercepted it with a wind gush that scattered it mid-flight across the grass.

"Don’t kill them!" Moon shouted.

The fighting lasted less than a minute. Eight Evolvers. Pinned, restrained, disarmed. Some were cursing. Some were struggling. One was unconscious from the brute’s initial charge.

Moon moved between them quickly. He pulled out the vial and began the process. Potion first, then Cleanse. Some took two attempts. Some took four. One of them, a woman with a spear, took six before the shield finally appeared.

Moon didn’t give them long to process it.

"You’re free now. But we don’t have time. More teams are coming, and the base knows something is wrong." He looked at each of them. "You can either help stay with us and help, or go out on your own. Choose now."

Moon did not give them a chance to second guess, he needed as many soldiers as possible. By applying group pressure, those that were reluctant to join would also join.

It was a dirty trick to get their support, and their support won’t last long...but it was enough for the time being.

All eight chose to help.

Twenty Evolvers.

Moon looked toward the base in the distance. The sun was moving across the sky. Time was running out.

"How many Evolvers does the base have in total? Including those with us." Moon asked Frey, who was still standing off to the side looking dumbstruck by how quickly Moon was dismantling the base’s forces. 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

"Uh... around a hundred?" Frey responded after some thought.

Moon turned toward the Evolvers behind him. "Is this true?"

The tank shook his head. "No, it’s not."

Moon’s expression darkened instantly. His gaze snapped back to Frey, and the Runesmith flinched under the scrutiny of it.

"The correct estimate would be around eighty at most." The tank continued. "Many Evolvers died recently. The spirits left the pavilion in waves, sweeping the area, searching for something. A lot of people got caught outside when it happened and...others were used as bait."

Moon’s expression relaxed.

For a moment, he had assumed Frey was lying to him. Inflating the numbers to make the base seem more intimidating, or to discourage their attack. His mana had already been drifting toward the runes on Frey’s chest, his use was done anyway, he no longer needed him.

But that wasn’t it.

Frey had been with Moon before the spirits attacked. He simply didn’t know. The number he gave was the last figure he remembered, and events had moved on without him.

Moon pulled his hand back.

’I nearly jumped the gun.’

"So eighty total. We have twenty freed, and one killed." Moon did the math quickly. "That leaves roughly fifty nine inside or still out hunting. Minus the woman, Joseph, and however many are in her inner circle."

He looked at the tank. "How many does she keep close to her at all times?"

The tank shook his head.

Moon turned toward Frey, who also shook his head. "I only know about two."

Nobody knew exactly how many the woman kept close. Her inner circle was a mystery even to her own people.

"Alright. We’ll wait some more. If we can free a few more before moving, that’s ideal."

Time passed. Two hours went by in a blink.

During that stretch, only one more team appeared. Four Evolvers, walking back from a hunt with tired steps. Moon’s team intercepted them cleanly. Three were cleansed successfully. The fourth couldn’t be saved and was restrained with the others.

After that, nothing. The path had been empty for an hour with no movement.

"Seems like this is the end of it." Moon muttered, looking over his team. Twenty-two freed Evolvers stood around him, plus Frey.

He had hoped for more. But twenty-two was a force. More than enough to cause serious problems for whatever remained inside.

"We won’t attack today." Moon said. "Let’s rest. Get most of you in the right mindset. We’ll decide our next move tomorrow."

The group exchanged glances. Some looked relieved. Others looked eager. But all of them nodded.

They made their way to a nearby cave that the hunters used as an emergency shelter when they couldn’t make it back to the base in time. It was carved into the side of a rocky hill, the entrance narrow but the interior was spacious. The Evolvers had also expanded it over the months. Crude markings on the walls showed where teams had carved out sleeping spots and storage areas.

They entered and settled in. Someone gathered wood. Someone else struck a flame. Within minutes, a bonfire crackled at the center of the cave, casting warm light across the stone walls and the faces of twenty-two people who had been prisoners less than a day ago.

Moon sat near the entrance, his back against the wall, watching the fire, and his new group of soldiers.