Chapter 53

What's happening to me??

No, that's not right!

The battlefield, we're still on the battlefield!

Those, those damned abyssal demons…

Amidst a state of confusion, Kozov barely managed to maintain his consciousness. When his consciousness reconnected with his body, a surge of unbearable pain immediately came from his arm, making the veteran warrior grit his teeth and wear a bitter expression.

However,

The intense pain helped Kozov quickly regain clarity in his mind.

Enduring the agony and the constant drowsiness, Kozov opened his eyes and looked ahead! As his vision gradually became clearer, his pupils suddenly shrank, trembling uncontrollably, and his face instantly turned horrified. An unparalleled fear wrapped around him like a monstrous abyssal snake, dragging him into the depths of despair.

This..,

This....,

'How, how could this happen??'

Kozov was already somewhat incoherent.

At this moment,

The once mighty and magnificent city wall that had stood tall before everyone was now in a state of utter disrepair! A massive gap, several hundred meters wide, had been blasted into the enormous wall, as if by some tremendous force! The steel-rock used to build the wall seemed to have been melted into magma under the terrifying heat, and the azure magical barrier had completely disintegrated, turning into countless blue magical particles that dissipated into the air...

Behind that section of the city wall, the defensive towers, high platforms, command posts, and even the residential areas further back had all vanished! Not even ruins remained, leaving only a scorched earth and raging flames. Accompanied by countless screams, cries of despair, and the bloodthirsty roars of the abyssal demons, a scene of purgatory-like misery unfolded...

Kozovfound himself in the midst of hell.

At the same time,

hecouldn't help but lower his gaze to look at his own arm.

His right arm,

Was now a mangled mess of flesh and blood, with white bones clearly visible. Clearly, he hadn't entirely escaped the explosion just now.

However,

Compared to others who were reduced to ashes, he was relatively lucky.

Gazing at the ashes drifting away in the wind not far from him, Kozovcouldn't help but clench his left fist tightly.

Those were his three closest comrades, as well as his most trusted lieutenants.

Now, they had turned into ashes under the crimson laser...

"Why did this happen?"

his body covered in bloodstains and black ash, bit through his lips, seemingly on the verge of a mental breakdown.

Just a few minutes ago,

They had been celebrating their success in repelling a wave of abyssal demon attacks, encouraging each other with high fives.

But a few minutes later,

A sudden red light separated them between life and death.

The incident happened so abruptly that Kozov still wore a bewildered look, staring at the broken city wall in the distance with incomprehension.

Why?

Surely there was a defensive magic array in place! The magic barrier was far from reaching its limit! Why did it suddenly collapse?! What was that red light that pierced through the city's protective array in an instant?!

Though the protective array had been gradually weakening in some areas, overall it remained quite sturdy!

How could it have crumbled in an instant?!

Even if bombarded by multiple high-level Abyssal demons, it shouldn't have collapsed so quickly!

Without a doubt, Kozov's heart was filled with anxiety, fear, sorrow, and confusion at this moment.

However, there was no time for him to dwell on these questions, as Kozlov soon realized a crucial fact:

Without the protection of the city's magic array, they had lost their last line of defense against the Abyssal demons.

"Roooaaarrrrrrr!!"

Accompanied by deep, bloodthirsty roars, endless Abyssal demons poured in through the massive breach.

A dark tide swept through, enveloping everything and heading straight for the battered soldiers, brandishing their sinister claws.

The soldiers, still in shock, were undoubtedly unable to resist.

In an instant, blood and gore filled the scene. The already hellish landscape was draped in a crimson veil.

After tearing apart the nearest soldiers, the countless Abyssal demons fixed their blood-red eyes on Kozlov not far away. The sight sent chills down Kozlov's spine and made him tremble uncontrollably, the urge to flee rising in his heart.

Faced with the black tsunami of demons charging toward him, Kozov took a deep breath.

He wanted to order a retreat, but if they abandoned their posts, the fortress would fall, leaving the northern borders of the Snowy Night Empire wide open.

Countless innocent lives would be subjected to the slaughter of the Abyssal demons.

He was a warrior of the Empire, and it was his duty to protect the people!

He couldn't abandon his post!

They had to hold on until reinforcements arrived!

Even if it meant sacrificing himself…

Glancing back at the remaining few hundred soldiers of the Eighth Corps, Kozov cast aside his fear, gripped his sword tightly, and shouted to those behind him:

"Brothers! Let's fight these beasts to the death!!!"

In the next moment,

At Kozov's thunderous command, the soldiers snapped out of their stupor, brandishing their swords and shields, and letting out passionate yet mournful cries. Together with their trusted commander, they bravely charged into the ferocious horde of Abyssal demons.

--

Elsewhere,

At the far end of Galros Fortress, after unleashing the Annihilation beam,

The snow-white giant wolf, also known as Limo, slowly dissipated the residual crimson energy from its mouth and surroundings. With a cold expression, it gazed at the smoke-engulfed fortress in the distance, seemingly admiring the results of its handiwork.

The sight of the humans' suffering and their hysterical screams only served to stir Limo's Abyssal demon instincts, filling her with even more excitement.

Driven by her destructive impulses, she even wanted to fire off a few more Annihilation beams at them!

However,

Her excitement didn't last long.

Limo suddenly paused, and an overwhelming sense of unease and apprehension washed over her like a flood, drowning out her bloodthirsty demon instincts and making the ferocious snow-white giant wolf bristle with fear.

'Could it be, did I...?'

After impulsively unleashing the Annihilation beam, Limo suddenly realized a very serious problem:

Her mother was also in the city! If she accidentally hit her mother, things would become really awkward!

Although it was impossible for her mother to be harmed by her own attack,

This blast would undoubtedly anger her…

And an angry mother was a terrifying thing.

Furthermore,

Her target was the 'heroine'…

'As long as I can eliminate her, even if Mother beats me up, it'll be worth it!'

At first, this was Limo's line of thinking.

But after firing the wall, the wolf-girl found herself trapped in a whirlwind of emotions.

She despised those who might threaten her mother's safety in the future, wishing to eliminate them as quickly as possible. At the same time, Limo was afraid of disappointing her mother, afraid that her mother would no longer care for her,

Afraid that her mother would abandon her!

If, because of this attack, her mother decided to abandon her in the future,

Then,

What would she do?

'I don't want that! Waaaaah~'

Limo shook her head furiously, regret filling her mind after her impulsive attack.

At this moment, the massive snow-white wolf lowered its head in shame, its tail drooping down to the ground, and its ears flattening. Enveloped by an air of gloom, it resembled a dejected puppy abandoned by its owner…

'I have to hurry and find Mother to apologize. Waaaaah~'

If she Apologized fast then maybe …

Maybe her mother would forgive her!?

With this thought,

The giant wolf skulked towards the Galros Fortress, one hesitant step at a time…