A few minutes later, the caravan reached the entrance to a narrow mountain pass.
Feyn, the most experienced member of the guard team, sensed something amiss. He abruptly raised a hand, and his warning whistle tore through the valley's silence. "Careful! Grayrock Maned Wolves on the slope to the left! Prepare for battle!"
He clearly possessed some kind of special perception ability. Its range and sensitivity were far inferior to the Dark Eye, but from this close, he could still catch the aura fluctuations of the lurking monsters.
The caravan instantly fell into brief chaos. The drivers hurriedly pulled tight on their reins, while the workers frantically searched for cover or grabbed the clubs at their sides.
Manager Hawk remained relatively calm. Having traveled as a merchant for years, he had seen scenes like this many times before. He shouted, "Guards! Move up! Protect the goods and livestock!"
The well-trained guards acted at once. More than twenty men swiftly formed a loose defensive formation in front of and alongside the caravan, pointing their spears and swords toward the slopes.
Bal gave a low growl and stepped to the very front of the group. With a heavy thud, his enormous Tower Shield smashed into the muddy ground like a solid wall.
The muscles all over his body bulged, and a faint yellow-brown glow shimmered across his skin. This was likely one manifestation of his awakened ability.
Feyn vanished from where he stood like a ghost. The next instant, he appeared atop a higher rock to the right of the caravan, his short blades drawn. His hawk-like gaze locked onto the movements on the right slope as he shouted, "There are enemies on the right too! Watch out for a flanking attack!"
Several archers accompanying the caravan immediately drew their bows and