The inferno hit like standing inside a blast furnace. Stanley's Fenghuang form blazed overhead—a screaming comet of liquid gold and crimson fire that carved through the Varglid wall like a hot knife through butter.

  His melody wasn't just beautiful—it was haunting. A dirge of death that made my soul ache with recognition. The ring of fire that exploded outward ignited the larger creatures—and liquefied the rest. Dozens of grotesque aberrations melted into steaming black puddles.

  "Holy shit," someone breathed behind me.

  The Guardians roared approval as their leader thrust his sword skyward. A runic concept crashed over me—Dauntless

  Then we were charging.

  The barrier parted like water, and we slammed into the nightmare. Razor claws, whipping tentacles, gnashing teeth—a hurricane of death that wanted to shred us alive.

  Winchester sang through Varglid flesh, light-aspected mana making the blade cut like concentrated starlight. But the mana drain was brutal. Around me, Strikers leaped over Guardian shields in flowing arcs, their weapons carving precise wounds. They weren't going for kills on the bigger ones—just crippling shots.

  They didn't need kills.

  Fire, ice, lightning, and every element imaginable rained from the Arcanist line. Thea and Malcolm's boomsticks barked like thunder, each shot vaporizing clusters of Glids.

  A fist the size of a fucking wheelbarrow caved in my ribs.

  My armor flared, stiffening against impact, but the mana I threw up was laughably insufficient. Sharp pain lanced through my left arm as I went airborne, crashing through Guardian ranks and skidding to a stop against the tower's barrier.

  The Varglid that hit me was a monster. Roughly a head taller than the others, with club-like hands, sickly green neon pulsed along its dark hide like infected veins.

  Red was already moving—a crimson blur with murder in his eyes. The brute brought down both fists in a thunderous smash that sent street chunks flying like shrapnel, but Red was too fast.

  And he was smart. Not just attacking—kiting. Maneuvering the massive Varglid, turning its broad back toward me.

  I drew Winchester back, shoving desperate light-aspected mana into the blade, adding a pulse of mana burn for good measure. The heavy glaive left my hand like a guided missile.

  THUNK.

  The concentrated light, amplified by mana burn velocity, sheared through thick hide like it was paper. The Varglid toppled forward, already dissolving.

  "Nice throw!" The helmeted Guardian stepped beside me, casually severing a creature's arm as it tried to capitalize on my recovery. His sword work was art—economical, brutal, perfect.

  I nodded thanks as I recalled Winchester, but we still had hundreds of the damn things crawling over each other to reach us.

  Then I saw Maris fight.

  A deep purple aura surrounded her like liquid shadow as she danced through the horde. They swung at her, threw themselves at her in waves—only to be obliterated by dark-aspected blasts from her glowing sword.

  She wasn't just fast. She was impossible. I lost sight of her multiple times. Even Valor couldn't track how she moved from one area to another.

  "What happened to being able to dodge anything?" Cass spun her sword, grinning as a severed tentacle writhed at my feet.

  "Fuck off. Have you seen Maris?" I pointed as she bisected two Varglids, disappeared, reappeared near another, and cleaved it in half with purple energy.

  "You should see my mother," Cass said, handling a set of Glids with casual efficiency. "She's beaten Maris four times that I can remember."

  My jaw dropped. If Maris could handle dozens alone, and Grace could annihilate a hundred instantly... Maybe this wasn't as hopeless as it looked.

  In minutes, we'd carved a path toward the harbor. Most remaining enemies were regular Glids—manageable.

  Maris dropped her aura, jogging over with a smug expression. Black gunk smeared her face and robes. She breathed hard but looked untouched.

  "That should be enough. I need to join the Oathbound and other Archons—"

  A bone-shaking roar split the air. The sky lit purple, lightning arcing through storm clouds.

  Dread pressed down like a physical weight. Valor contracted to barely two meters around me. The air felt thick, charged. The remaining Glids and Varglids burst into purple flames, dying in shrieking agony.

  What had been a desperate battle became an eerie calm. Only rain and my thundering heartbeat remained.

  Everything shook. The tower's barrier flickered as purple light filled the sky with a deep, resonant buzz. Another massive beam from Gu Li.

  "Teams, you have your missions! Guardians, set up a beachhead!" Maris leaped toward a tall building, disappearing from sight.

  You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

  Thea and Malcolm jogged over, looking as confused as we felt.

  Dozens of armored Guardians lined the tower steps as a gap opened in the barrier. Dara stood at the threshold, with a slight smile on her face as she watched us.

  "We've got a fuckin’ walk ahead of us," Thea said casually. "No time to stand around. Academy protocol—we bring anyone we find to the front door. Other entrances are locked down."

  The helmeted Guardian leader met my eyes through his visor and nodded before barking orders. Whoever he was, the others jumped when he spoke.

  We rushed down the stairs—then Thea stepped onto the railing and jumped, landing twenty meters down on a nearby roof.

  "You coming?" She called through the rain.

  Cass and I exchanged uncertain glances, but Malcolm hurled himself over with determination. He landed unsteadily while Red followed with cat-like grace—even though he was a dog, tongue lolling in a goofy grin.

  Shrugging, Cass and I followed. Wind rushed past as I shoved mana into my legs. The impact felt surprisingly gentle. A week ago, this drop would've broken my ankle. Now? Like hopping off a few stairs.

  Thea leaped from rooftop to rooftop with insulting ease. We kept up, but Malcolm was clearly pushing himself harder.

  Thea noticed. "Aw, shit-baskets, sorry. Forgot you guys were Seekers. We're headed over... there..."

  She pointed through the rain toward tall buildings as gold and blue energy lit the sky. The explosions revealed Gu Li's colossal silhouette rearing up, blasting another violet beam through buildings. He roared as light flickered around him.

  Another thick white beam roared from the Tower's peak, cutting through Gu Li and vaporizing rain.

  The vibration knocked us flat. Debris rained down from the impact zone.

  "Gaia's tits, that thing is huge!" Cass bellowed.

  "Fuck-sticks..." Thea's tone held genuine shock.

  "Mother said we shouldn't approach it..." Malcolm wiped mud from his armor.

  "They assigned us to the fuckin’ staff dorms right next to it," Thea said. "Most aren't even proper Runebinders. Doubt they're still in the buildings anyway."

  Our rescue zone was practically next door to that rampaging nightmare.

  "So what's the plan?" I asked.

  "We're heading that way. Find survivors. But not too damn close."

  We dropped to street level, jogging toward the massive monster.

  A horde of Glids charged from an alleyway—no Varglids this time. Red and I braced, ready for another fight.

  Threads of molten plasma suddenly lashed out, slicing the creatures into neon-streaked goo.

  I stepped back involuntarily. Thea extended her hand, palm out like Malcolm's attack stance, but wore a bracer flaring with weird symbols.

  "Whew! Those pack a fucking punch." She shot Malcolm a toothy grin. "Your Seal and mine? We get along real nice. When this shitshow's over, you're definitely working for me."

  Malcolm looked bewildered as she started moving again.

  "Did she just... copy my magic?" he asked, hurrying to keep up.

  "Is that even possible?" I jogged through the rain. "Don't see many of those bracers in La-Roc."

  "Theoretically," he replied, still stunned. "If she understands the core runic concepts, maybe. But the mana drain would be massive."

  We'd cut through a courtyard into another alley when Red barked and skidded to a halt.

  "Red found people!" I pointed to a collapsed building entrance. "In here!"

  Cass spun, sheathed her swords, grabbed a chunk of debris, and shot-putted it across the street like it weighed nothing.

  The front awning—a massive slab of stone and splintered wood—had crushed the entrance. Cass jammed her hands under it and heaved. To my shock, it actually budged. She was straining against literal tons.

  "You gonna fucking help or just stare?" she grunted.

  "Oh fuck, sorry!" I blurted.

  We both put our backs into it, armored gloves struggling for purchase on rain-slicked stone. For the first time since healing Erik, I really a mana burn.

  "On three, everything you've got," I counted. "One, two... three!"

  I ignited the quickest burn I could manage. A green aura flared around Cass too, and together we launched the debris into the adjacent wall.

  Cass beamed. I stared in shock.

  "If you can do it, so can I," she said, playfully punching my shoulder.

  Thirty people emerged from the opening—all shapes and sizes, blinking in the rain.

  A Russet Vildar, who seemed to lead them, gasped. "Oh, Instructor Glass! Thank the roots. We had to split up after that... that thing appeared."

  Thea's expression turned conflicted. "Where?"

  The Vildar pointed up the street, directly toward Gu Li. "They said they'd try for the tertiary lecture hall up that way."

  "Shit-baskets..." Thea weighed options. "Alright. Winters, Valerian—you two take this group back to the Tower. When you get there, stay put. Ben, Red, and me are gonna check that lecture hall. If things get shitty—and they will—we'll leg it back fast as we fucking can. Got it?"

  Cass opened her mouth to protest. Thea cut her off with a look.

  "I'm not asking. No one goes anywhere alone. You and Malcolm can handle a Varglid if one shows, and Ben's mana beast can find people. Go."

  Cass hesitated, meeting my eyes. I gave a slight nod. Splitting up sucked, especially for a trip toward that monster, but Thea sounded confident.

  Cass sighed, shifted into command mode. "Gaia's tits... Alright, everyone sticks together! I'm taking point. Malcolm, you've got our back. We move quick, so keep up!"

  Thea sniffed dismissively as we watched them leave.

  "They'll be fine," she said, jerking her chin toward Red and me. "This next part's gonna suck for us though. Think you two can keep up?"

  I nodded hesitantly. Thea took off like a rocket, vaulting obstacles and wall-kicking to maintain momentum. Cass was fast, but Thea existed on another level. I was constantly amazed at how Vildar moved like gravity was optional.

  A familiar tug at my mana coalesced into Ted, somehow riding Red as he bounded beside me.

  "Alright, kid," Ted said clearly over the rain. "Got some juicy info you and the crazy lady need to hear."

  "Oh, now you help?" I panted.

  Ted scoffed. "Kid, what the fuck am I gonna do out here? But I found something. When that big lizard mentioned freaky runes consuming spirit energy, he meant it literally. Hollowflame burns souls like you burn mana. Except instead of coming back, it's just gone. Can burn through a whole soul, leaving nothing. Fucking terrifying shit."

  I had little time to process that chilling thought before we burst into another courtyard.

  Horror show didn't begin to cover it.

  Piles of mangled creature parts littered the ground—Voltghasts, Glids, unidentifiable chunks of flesh and bone. Among the gore, several bodies lay still. One wore Monster Hunter armor, but most were in Sylvarus robes.

  They weren't moving. Valor wasn't reporting injuries.

  Just... absence.

  Thea skidded to a halt, her manic energy draining away. Red's tail tucked between his legs as he let out a soft, mournful whine.

  "What... the fuck?" Thea breathed, uncharacteristically subdued.

  It looked like a slaughterhouse. First time I'd seen anyone not make it on Ark, despite all the life-or-death shit I'd survived. One of these bodies could easily be me.

  "Was this... Varglids?" My voice trembled.

  Thea shook her head, scanning the carnage.

  Valor flared. Icy danger washed over me.

  A lithe purple-and-black Varglid stepped from an alleyway, casually carrying two struggling Voltghasts—one in each massive claw. Lightning crackled around them, striking the aberration's oily skin. It seemed completely unbothered.

  It dropped one Voltghast, pinning it with a foot. With its free hand, it tore the other in half. The ripping sound sent shivers straight up my spine.

  The creature reached into the twitching remains and pulled out a shimmering mana core, popped it into its mouth, and chewed with a sickening crunch like breaking bones.

  As it chewed, violet eyes looked up and locked directly onto us.

  The remaining Voltghast beneath its foot let out a keening wail of terror.

  "Oh fuck," Ted whispered, dissolving into multicolored dust.

  The Varglid smiled a wicked grin.