9: Shall I Lend You My Shoulder?

Black Iron Forest.

In just a few minutes, Alan alone killed fifty or sixty green-skinned beasts. The explosive power of the three-star black iron warrior completely overwhelmed the green-skinned beasts, crushing them mercilessly.

"Hiss..."

Only a few green-skinned beasts remained, and they had already been frightened by Alan, dropping the sticks from their hands.

The human in front of them seemed more like a monster than they did. With cries of fear, they turned and fled into the darkness. However, Alan wouldn't let them escape easily.

"You won't escape after killing so many of my classmates"

His figure moved, and Alan instantly disappeared from his original position.

A running green-skinned beast suddenly felt its shoulders sink, suppressed by an irresistible force.

Snap!!

Its short arm was torn off, the wound gushing blood and green fluid splattering through the air.

"Hiss..."

The green-skinned beast didn't have time to let out its last cry of pain.

With a single punch, Alan smashed the ugly head of the green-skinned beast, its green blood staining his arms.

He turned around, his eyes cold like the god of death, and stepped towards the remaining green beasts.

At that moment, if the green beasts could speak, the most they would say is, "He is a real demon!"

When the last green-skinned beast was killed by Alan, the ground was covered in red and green, and the air was filled with a pungent smell of blood, making one feel sick. It was cold and eerie.

"Congratulations on swallowing a one-star green beast!"

"Congratulations, you have successfully been promoted to a four-star black iron warrior!"

"Congratulations, you have obtained a special skill: night vision!"

"Night vision is a special skill that allows you to see clearly in the dark. The range of night vision depends on the strength level of the evolver."

The pleasant voice of the system rang in Alan's mind, but he didn't feel any joy.

He felt extremely sad and remorseful. It was different from the sudden crisis during the day. Although he watched his classmates die in front of him, Alan didn't feel any remorse at that time.

But now it was different. Alan looked at the dead bodies scattered on the ground, as well as his injured classmates. A deep sense of self-blame welled up in his heart.

"Maybe... It's all my fault!"

"I shouldn't have brought them out!"

"I shouldn't have been self-righteous and thought I could protect everyone!"

"I shouldn't have let them pay for my selfishness!"

"Their deaths were all caused by me."

As the self-blame grew, it eventually turned into an uncontrollable wave of negative emotions.

Negative emotions erupted, and Alan's psychological defense was instantly shattered. He became filled with decadence and lack of confidence.

"No!"

He let out a roar full of deep regret. Alan turned around and ran towards the forest.

"Alan!"

Sofia and Olivia rushed out at the same time, trying to catch up.

The director looked at the three people running out, his face filled with despair.

"Could it be that I did something wrong?"

In the battle, the human side was almost unilaterally crushed. Originally a team of one hundred people, now less than half remained, many of them wounded.

Among them were more than 20 seriously injured individuals. The doctor was sweating profusely as he treated the wounded, but his current methods alone couldn't prevent death from approaching.

"How...?"

"director, the injuries of the few of them are almost identical. They were all hit by the green beast head-on. The tree root hit their chests, breaking all their bones. Many bone fragments were lodged in their internal organs. Even if Alan himself tried, I'm afraid he wouldn't be able to save them."

"Is there really no way?"

The director's voice trembled.

"No!"

The doctor turned his head, unable to bear looking any longer. He still needed to maintain his composure. After all, there were still many students with non-serious injuries who relied on him for treatment.

Before long, the seriously injured students could no longer resist the approach of death. In the end, they left their lives in the Black Iron Forest forever.

Cries merged into one. Grief filled everyone's minds.

The director looked at the lifeless bodies, tears streaming down his face, and silently said, "Don't worry, no matter what, I won't let your corpses lie exposed in the wilderness!"

Soon, under the director's leadership, the students used various tools to dig up the hard ground and carefully placed the corpses of their fallen classmates in the pit.

"May you rest in peace!"

A handful of soil was sprinkled, symbolizing the passing of a life.

After facing this ordeal, the number of the entire team dropped drastically, and in the end, less than 30 people remained, including seven or eight wounded.

Alan ran wildly all the way. The branches on both sides quickly retreated, and he didn't know how far he had run.

When he finally stopped, a majestic mountain appeared before him, blocking his path.

Boom!

The four-star black iron warrior struck with all his strength, and the hard mountain wall was as fragile as tofu.

Punch after punch, Alan thoughtlessly vented his suppressed anger until the mountain wall in front of him turned into rubble, and countless gravel scattered on the ground. Only then did Alan stop attacking.

"Huh~"

Alan let out a long breath. He stood there, motionless for a long time. As he heard footsteps behind him, he turned his head and saw Sofia, who had followed the sound.

"Alan?"

Sofia called softly. Alan didn't say a word, just lowered his head silently. Suddenly, a tear flowed from the corner of Alan's eye, across his cheek, and fell to the ground.

"It's all my fault. I've hurt my classmates."

Finally, facing Sofia, Alan let go of all pretenses, allowing his suppressed emotions to be released.

Sofia looked at Alan, who cried like a child who had made a mistake. She felt a pain in her heart for no reason.

She wanted to reach out and hug him, to comfort him, but in her heart, she hesitated.

"Sofia, Sofia, why are you always so timid? Why do you always hesitate when it matters most? Don't be afraid, there's no one else around!"

Perhaps it was self-suggestion, but it gave Sofia great confidence and encouragement.

Suddenly, Sofia placed her hand on Alan's shoulder. He was taken aback. Sofia spoke assertively, "Why don't I lend you my shoulder?"

"Ah?"

Alan's expression darkened, and he immediately lost the desire to cry.

"Your way of comforting others is really unacceptable!"

"Ah, ah, anyway, are you feeling better now?"

"That's right."

Upon Sofia's command, the light elf swiftly swung its staff, launching balls of holy light one after another, striking a wounded green-skinned beast.

Despite its small size, the light elf's holy light balls, each no larger than an egg, packed a tremendous amount of power. This was especially effective against creatures like the green-skinned beasts, who were naturally fearful of light. Each strike dealt double damage.

"Hiss..."

The green-skinned beast let out a shriek and lost its life force. As per the laws of nature, all of its energy flowed into Sofia's body.

"I can feel a force coursing through me, it's so strange," Sofia remarked with astonishment. A hint of envy flashed across Olivia's face. She, too, wished to become an evolutionary like Sofia.