Beggar Cultivation System

Mathias appeared above Belthias City, his robes and hair fluttering in the intense wind as he stared at the Alphas charging toward the walls.

"These damn monsters… they're already running, but they still think of destroying this city," Mathias muttered, a frown on his face.

He glanced toward the other sides of the city and noticed that the pressure wasn't as heavy compared to the south and west.

And judging by where the Alphas were coming from, it seemed the south gate would bear the brunt of their wrath—if any of them managed to get past the Headmasters.

"Evacuation outside the city isn't a good idea," Mathias murmured as he looked down to where citizens were already lining up in front of buildings that held hidden underground chambers.

These chambers were reinforced with Protective Arrays and Defensive Talismans created by skilled Array Masters.

Mathias had immediately ordered their construction after what happened to the previous Mayor, Klown.

With these chambers, the people had a secure place to hide while the city was under attack.

The previous Mayor hadn't even considered building such defensive measures—probably because he himself had been the threat that endangered everyone's lives.

Fortunately, Mathias had no intention of repeating that man's mistakes—especially not after Klown aligned himself with the Devils.

As he was reflecting on this, a loud explosion suddenly echoed from the south. Mathias turned in its direction and saw a massive, long water serpent clashing with the Alphas.

The other Headmasters had also unleashed their Astral Projection Techniques against the Core Creation Monsters, trying to eliminate them.

But they had only managed to take down a few before more monsters emerged from the forest.

Now, at least ten Alphas were battling the four Headmasters.

They could hold the line—for now. But it was obvious it wouldn't be long before the monsters broke through.

These weren't ordinary beasts. Core Creation Monsters possessed intelligence, and some could even speak in human tongue.

The Headmasters had to eliminate a few quickly—before the others slipped past them.

Mathias watched for a few more seconds before deciding on his next move.

He spread his senses, and several talismans appeared around him, floating mid-air.

"Array Masters, attract the monsters surrounding the city," Mathias ordered. "The rest of the soldiers and Cultivators will assist in driving them back. Kill any who approach the walls."

"Mayor," a voice suddenly came from one of the floating talismans.

"Head Array Master, speak," Mathias replied.

"That move will surround the entire city. There are already at least ten Core Creation Monsters out there, and we suspect more. If we're surrounded, it could mean the destruction of Belthias," the Head Array Master warned.

"Head Array Master is right. This is not a good idea, Mayor," another voice added, rough and concerned.

Some of the talismans remained silent, while others echoed their unease.

Mathias simply smiled. And once they had all voiced their opinions, he finally spoke:

"They're not here because they want to stampede our city. They're here because they're running—escaping from something.

Belthias is merely an obstacle they want to destroy along the way."

His words left the talismans in silence for a few moments.

Then, slowly, voices of agreement began to emerge.

"Alright, we will execute your instructions as soon as possible," the Head Array Master said.

"We'll do as you say," the Head of Security added, followed by the other department heads.

"Good." Mathias waved his hand, and the talismans disappeared.

Not even a minute had passed when a shift occurred in the battle outside the city.

At first, the soldiers and cultivators had focused all their efforts on holding the monsters in one area, preventing them from wandering or breaking through the lines. But now, the battlefield was spreading.

Instead of trying to kill the monsters directly, they were luring them—either by creating blockades or taunting them into changing direction. Different strategies, but all with the same purpose.

The Headmasters, after killing a few of the Alphas, began drawing the Core Creation Monsters around the city, baiting them away from the walls.

In their wake, explosions erupted. The ground was torn apart. Monsters died—and so did people. Destruction followed destruction.

Mathias watched it all unfold as Belthias was slowly engulfed by a storm of dust, fire, and smoke.

The barrier surrounding the city trembled violently, rippling with force until cracks began to appear.

But before those cracks could spread, the Array Masters stationed on the walls quickly acted, using their abilities to patch them up.

Crack—then repair. Crack—then repair. A relentless cycle that drained the Qi from the Array Masters.

Fortunately, another array was operating in the background, constantly gathering Qi and feeding it to those on the wall, allowing them to keep up their work.

"Good," Mathias muttered with a nod. He rose higher into the sky, and once he saw the full scope of the battlefield, he summoned the talismans again—this time to speak directly with the Headmasters and Nathan Kleinford, who was still in the middle of the fight.

"What's up? What's up?" Master Popo's enthusiastic voice rang out from one of the talismans.

"How are the Alphas doing?" Mathias asked.

"These guys are persistent," Axton said. "Persistent, but also hesitant. Looks like your plan is working."

"That's good to hear," Mathias exhaled, a bit of relief in his voice.

"Let's kill a few more. One of them's bound to break off—then the rest will follow," Elmo added.

"Must be nice floating up there above the city, huh, Mayor?" Nathan's playful voice came through next.

"Yes," Mathias replied half-heartedly, leaving Nathan speechless.

The Headmasters laughed before the talismans went silent again.

Mathias continued to observe. Soon enough, he noticed something—things were becoming quieter. The monsters had begun to follow the ones running.

As one Alpha fled, the others followed—until all of the monsters stopped fighting the soldiers and cultivators altogether.

What followed was chaos, but not destruction—a swarm of monsters circling the city in madness, yet never crossing the barrier. And then, as if drawn by an invisible force, they turned and rushed into a distant forest, disappearing from sight.

Silence returned.

Then came the cheers—shouts of excitement from soldiers and cultivators alike echoing throughout the city.

Flashes of light and blurs of movement appeared beside Mathias, and the Headmasters, along with Nathan Kleinford, materialized.

"Everyone did a good job," Mathias praised, a rare smile on his face.

"Now that they're gone..." Axton trailed off, turning his gaze toward the direction the monsters had come from. "I wonder if he managed to find out what's really going on."

The others turned their attention to the forest as well.

"Let's just hope it's not something that'll destroy this city," Mathias said bitterly.