Skyler’s fingers tightened around the weapon in his hand. With every swing, another dark creature fell before him.
Although the future of Eldoria remained uncertain, he knew one thing clearly—only by surviving and defeating the first wave would they have the time to grow stronger, prepare themselves, and face the second wave of chaos that would soon follow.
Two more days passed in a sea of blood.
Although countless dark creatures still remained to be slain, the endless stream of monsters pouring from the dark void had decreased. Without new enemies emerging, their numbers gradually began to decline, and the pressure on the battlefield eased.
Compared to the first two days—when Skyler and his group had yet to join the battlefield—the number of casualties had decreased significantly. The arrival of the six young warriors had completely shifted the course of the war, giving the exhausted defenders a chance to catch their breath and continue fighting.
They only needed to hold on for a few more days. A few more days, and the creatures that had suddenly appeared and sought to devour their planet would be completely eradicated.
Yet, amidst the growing smiles spreading across the battlefield, a pair of eyes stared at the brilliant ash-brown-haired figure in the distant sky. Those eyes darkened—not with fear, but with uncontrollable rage.
Hearing Professor Moore’s voice calling those from her group to gather, Jenny lowered her rage-filled eyes. Her long, dark hair, which had remained unkempt for days, fell forward, hiding her expression.
Her fingers dug into her palm until blood trickled down, yet she continued muttering under her breath.
"No... No, you aren’t supposed to shine so brightly. I should be the one. Yes, I should be the one there. Not you... someone who was supposed to be worthless..."
No one noticed Jenny’s condition as she turned around and followed the other students in her group. She quietly stood at the back, hiding the turmoil raging inside her.
Professor Moore inspected the students. Seeing that they still had the stamina to fight, he gave a small nod before speaking.
"Follow Vice Principal Doris and head to the third line of defense. Some soldiers there have fallen, and they need reinforcements."
He sent them because, even without Max, this group of fourth-year students from Class A was the strongest in their academy. Moreover, Moore had personally taught Class A, so after watching them fight for several days, he was confident in their strength, experience, and ability to handle the battlefield.
As the group of Class A students moved toward the third line of defense, Monica and Elena glanced back at Jenny, who had suddenly fallen to the back of the group.
They frowned when they saw her head bowed but didn’t think much of it.
On the way, they met Professor Sinclair and Ohm, who were injured and returning. Even Professor Hawthorne was with them, being carried back by two students while wailing in pain. It seemed that one of his legs had been torn off by one of those creatures.
Monica smirked when she saw him.
"He deserved it for acting arrogant and constantly making things difficult for us."
Elena’s eyebrow twitched at her words.
"Don’t speak like that. Regardless of his past actions, in times like these, he didn’t run away. He stepped onto the battlefield and risked his life to protect others. That alone is something worth acknowledging."
However, Monica’s smirk only deepened.
"So what? Does fighting in a war erase everything he did before? No, it doesn’t. He still deserves what happened to him."
She glanced toward the injured Professor Hawthorne with cold, smiling pink eyes.
"It’s a pity he didn’t die and get swallowed whole. At least then, our planet would have been rid of some of its filth."
Elena frowned deeply.
"Watch your words. The battlefield is already filled with death and despair. Why hold onto old grudges and resentment?"
Monica chuckled softly and changed the subject as she turned her gaze toward the distant sky, where many figures continued fighting. Her pink eyes briefly passed over Charles before finally settling on Skyler.
"Anyway, I never expected Jenny’s useless brother to become someone this powerful."
Elena fell silent at her words.
She didn’t look toward Skyler, but the deepening frown on her face revealed the conflict swirling within her heart.
The two, along with the group, reached the area where they were supposed to fight.
However, when Elena looked back, she was surprised to find that Jenny had vanished.
"Where did Jenny go?"
Monica shrugged.
"Who knows."
Elena glanced around, looking for Jenny, but there was no sign of her anywhere.
She indeed had a hunch that something was wrong. Following the instructions they had received before joining the battlefield, she was supposed to contact a professor immediately if any student went missing. However, amidst the chaos of the battle—where they hadn’t even had the chance to bathe, let alone wash their faces, for days—the matter completely slipped her mind.
The battle continued. Amidst the endless bloodshed, the corpses of the grotesque creatures piled higher and higher. Yet even in death, they remained a threat, as their decaying bodies released a dark liquid that eroded everything around them, poisoning the land with every passing moment.
Still, just as everyone had hoped, within three more days, the battle finally came to an end. Most of the invading creatures had been wiped out. Although the massive dark void still hung in the sky, slowly expanding like a festering wound, no new dark beings or grotesque creatures emerged from it.
For the first time in days, those who had been fighting for their planet without rest were finally given a chance to breathe.
Skyler and the other five youths, however, did not stop. While everyone else collapsed from exhaustion, tended to the wounded, or organized groups to clean up the battlefield, they continued hunting down the remaining dark creatures. Behind them, others burned the decaying corpses to ashes, preventing the corruption from spreading any further across the already devastated battlefield.