The sound of explosions had become a part of the base’s atmosphere.
More than a day had passed since the siege began, and no one had found a chance for real rest.
Only one day had passed, but it felt like an eternity.
In the internal corridors, doctors with pale faces were moving the wounded on mana stretchers.
The screams of pain, the smell of blood, and the sound of medical equipment colliding were all mixed together.
Mages were sitting on the ground one after another, absorbing mana crystals with trembling hands. Many of them no longer even had the ability to cast a simple spell.
They were forced to absorb the mana crystals that were part of the base’s emergency reserve with the most impure methods, they absorbed them faster, but for such crystals, which could each give 5 mana stats, they would only receive 1 or 2 stat points.
In normal circumstances, this was a great loss, the difference of one or two points might not seem like much, but for awakened ones for whom obtaining such stats was very valuable, losing even one unit was like an arrow to the heart.
But in the current situation, they had everything except enough time, and they had to become stronger as quickly as possible, no matter what.
The logistics staff were continuously transporting ammunition, scrolls, and potions to the top of the walls.
No one knew how long this situation would continue, no one knew how long they could hold out.
At first, they thought they could hold out for a week without problems, but after one day, they realized that if they could hold out for two more days, they would be lucky.
On the massive walls, deep cracks had appeared.
Several watchtowers had completely collapsed, and engineers, under the rain of enemy spells, were using mana and reinforced stones to carry out emergency repairs on the destroyed sections.
On the highest part of the wall... the level 37 commander—the woman in charge of this base, Commander Elizabeth—was still standing.
Her silver armor no longer had the shine of the first day. Parts of it were broken and covered in monster blood, yet her voice remained firm and a source of hope.
"Third unit, fall back!"
"Mages on the west side, provide cover!"
"Recharge the defensive crystals!"
Her commands were broadcast across the battlefield without interruption. If she fell... perhaps the entire defensive line would collapse within minutes.
A few hundred meters away... Kael’s group was still fighting on one of the toughest defensive lines.
Bren was holding his massive shield against a new wave of Ironhorn Marsh Drakes.
But his shield no longer looked like before—dozens of deep cracks covered its surface.
Bren’s hands were trembling from the pressure, and the veins in his neck were bulging out from under his armor. Every strike that hit the shield pushed him back several steps.
Rhea moved through the corpses with labored breaths, her clothes almost completely covered in blood. The left part of her armor was broken and her arm was wounded, but she still held her sword firmly.
Zak no longer had his usual smiles.
His daggers disappeared into the shadows again and again, splitting the throats of monsters, but the fatigue was clearly visible on his face.
Elias downed his last bottle of mana potion. His belt was almost empty. He was now forced to choose between treating people.
Not everyone could be saved. He was not the base’s only healer, but the others were not in better condition either, the number of wounded was increasing every moment.
Many of the healers were also completely occupied with support skills and had no time to heal.
Kael was also fighting the enemies with devastating lightning, and his mana was barely holding on. Looking at his reserve, he realized only two mana crystals were left for him.
He was one of the most important mages on the attack line and could not afford even a moment to regain his strength, or the tower he was defending might fall.
Rhea severed the head of the last Thunder Spine Serpent in front of her with one strike.
The serpent’s head fell a few meters away. She rested her sword on her shoulder and said with her usual tone.
"So where is that bastard?"
Bren frowned without turning his gaze.
"Who?"
"The same bastard who robbed us and took half the monster’s corpse."
"Lian?" Kael looked at her.
"I thought he loved showing off. Did he hide?" The girl continued with a sneer. She had no good view of that boy, even though he had saved them, she believed it was not worth paying him three times the plant’s value.
Half the monster’s corpse was enough, and this was even confirmed by the national awakened center’s laws.
Zak said nothing, his gaze scanned around, even he could not find Lian’s presence.
Kael did not take his gaze off the battlefield and was silent for a few seconds.
"No... I don’t think he ran away." He then said quietly, but even so, no real trace of him could be seen. He had been absent for a whole day.
At that same moment... one of the commanders suddenly shouted with all his might.
"Look behind them!"
Everyone instinctively turned around, and right at that moment...
BOOOOOM!!
A massive explosion shook the horizon. Several kilometers behind the monster army... the sky was suddenly split by blue streaks of lightning.
The lightning spread through the sky like the branches of a giant tree.
The next moment... dozens of Thunder Spine Serpents exploded simultaneously.
Their long bodies were torn apart among the lightning, blood and metallic scales scattered in the air.
The ground beneath the feet of thousands of monsters trembled. For the first time since the siege began... the orderly formation of the monster army was disrupted.
The monsters that had been advancing in an orderly manner until moments ago suddenly looked around in panic.
Roars intertwined, the rear ranks broke apart.
In the heart of those explosions... a shadow moved among the monsters. No one could see his face, only... wherever that shadow appeared...
Death followed.
Thunder Calamity.
This time Lian had set no limits for himself. Mana flowed from his body like a flood.
Countless strands of lightning were released from his arms, each bolt hitting one monster and then jumping to the next.
The lightning danced among the ranks of Thunder Spine Serpents.
One...
Two...
Ten...
Twenty...
The massive serpents exploded one after another, their screams lost in the thunder.
A few Ironhorn Marsh Drakes charged toward him with their armored bodies.
Lian did not even stop, and with one punch...
Thunder Calamity.
The compressed lightning exploded like a massive cannon, the first monster’s skull shattered, and the shockwave threw three other monsters into the air.
Their multi-ton bodies fell on the rear ranks, completely breaking their order.
Lian kept running, and every moment, with every new stat he gained, he added them to strength and mana. With each passing moment, he became stronger and stronger.
He could not hold them back, he had to keep getting stronger to break the military formation of the monsters.
Only then would his plan work.
For the monsters... he was just a fading shadow, and every time he appeared... several more corpses fell to the ground.
The monster army fell into confusion. Some were still attacking the walls, while others ran toward the rear.
Some searched aimlessly around. The previous commands were no longer being executed, and their orderly formation had completely collapsed within minutes.
Commander Elizabeth, level 37, did not waste this opportunity, and raised her sword.
"Now!"
At that same moment... all the mana cannons fired simultaneously.
Dozens of glowing projectiles split the sky, and the remaining mages also released their last reserves of mana.
A rain of fire, ice, lightning, and wind blades fell on the disoriented monsters.
Explosion after explosion, and hundreds of monsters were destroyed within seconds.
Rhea stared at the distance with wide eyes, watching the blue lightning exploding one after another behind the enemy army.
Her lips moved slightly.
"That..." She was silent for a few moments and then whispered in disbelief.
"That’s the same crazy guy..." Only one person in the base besides their captain could use lightning.
"I told you he didn’t run away." Kael gave a very small smile.
On another part of the wall... Seraphina had also forgotten the battle for a moment.
Her eyes fixed on those unfamiliar lightning bolts. She had never seen Lian fight before, but a feeling told her it was him, and she quietly whispered.
"Lian..."
But not everyone was happy seeing that scene.
A few kilometers away... on top of a black hill... the Abyssal River Drake stood motionless.
Its massive body cast a shadow over the battlefield like a dark mountain, and its gaze separated from the base walls.
Its red and golden eyes fixed on one point, the place where the lightning was constantly exploding.
Its pupils slowly narrowed. It sensed a familiar smell, and it... had finally found the attacker.
Lian was still advancing among the monster army.
Every second, several monsters fell, but suddenly... a heavy feeling settled on his body.
[ Abyss Veil duration has ended ]
????
Lian’s face turned ugly upon seeing this notification. He had been so immersed in battle that he had completely forgotten about this.
And suddenly, his sixth sense screamed with all its being.
Danger.
Danger of death.
Lian instinctively raised his head, his gaze falling on that distant hill.
But... the Abyssal River Drake was no longer there, and its place... was completely empty.
And he suddenly felt the presence of death beside him!