Michael levelled up, but he ignored the notification, dismissing it with a wave of his hand. Right now, he had no patience for interruptions—he needed to stay focused.
He landed next to Liam, watching the flames that had killed the Titan Spawn in hordes. Incredible! He would have kissed those ants if he did not fear they would explode in his face.
"How long will those flames last?" Michael asked.
"More than an hour," Liam said, his eyes reflecting the flames. "I should think."
"So, after all that, we have brought only one hour for ourselves."
Liam gave him an odd look, as if trying to guess whether Michael was being serious. "Did you forget we killed hundreds of those things in the process? Our struggle was well spent."
Michael nodded. "We did, didn't we? Those were one useful ants."
Michael paused, before adding, "How Many Titan Spawns do you think the second trench will kill?"
"Not half as much as those flames, that's for sure."
Michael sighed deeply. That answer was one thing didn't want to face—he wanted to keep his hope alive, but he knew what Liam said was the truth. He feared the small flicker of hope burning within him wouldn't last long.
Don't think about it, Michael. You will survive this. You must!
"Do you think we will survive this night? I don't know if—"
"Did you sense that?" Liam interrupted abruptly, his head snapping towards a point beyond that fiery ring.
Michael followed Liam's gaze and felt a surge of Mana being channelled from that direction—a force, one that made the air crackle.
"What do you think they're doing?" Michael asked.
They can't quench the flames, can they?, He thought.
"It's hard to say, but hopefully they won't—"
A massive boulder suddenly hurtled through the air from beyond the burning ring, crashing into the flames with a deafening roar. The impact sent a shockwave rippling through the ground—a mini-earthquake.
Before Michael and Liam could react, two more boulders flew through the air, landing on either side of the first. The impact opened a clear path through the barrier of flames.
Titan Spawns streamed through the newly created opening, many of them burned by the flames but still pushing forward, relentless and suicidal.
Some didn't make it through the gap, falling into the trench, screeching as they plummeted to their deaths. Yet, others, burned to death mid-march. Michael shivered at the sound of their death rattles.
A good number, however, managed to cross the first trench, escaping the flame they deserved to burn in.
"This is bad," Liam said. "This is really, really, bad. Michael, we have to do something. We have to stop them."
Six more boulders fell from the sky, opening two more paths for the Titan Spawns to pass through.
"Liam, quickly draw upon my Mana. Let's destroy those pathways. Maybe this strategy will do them more harm than good."
Michael opened his Magicore for Liam to draw upon—the threads of energy flowing between them. Liam pulsed with energy as he drew on his Mana.
Together, they synergized [Whispering Arrow], not one, not two, but over a dozen. Each arrow targeted the boulders to destroy the pathways it had opened.
One by one, the boulders crumbled under the assault of the arrows. The explosions of stone were followed by the screeches of the Titan Spawns falling into the flames. Michael and Liam worked in tandem, their combined spell work breaking the enemy's advance.
The Titan Spawns that managed to pass through the first trench met their death in the second trench—trying to jump over it—which was lined with wooden spikes. None of the Titans survived the fall, their massive forms impaled and broken by the traps.
The ones who had enough intelligence to not try to jump over the trench were met by the volley of arrows from the archers positioned on the rooftop behind them.
For every boulder Michael and Liam destroyed, another one took its place. It seemed they were evenly matched.
This was now a battle of attrition. Whichever side could outlast the other, maintaining their Mana supply would emerge victorious. At least, that's what Michael liked to believe. Who knew what resources the enemy had.
***
Isha stood atop a hill alongside Castra and Nairobi, watching the distant fire-light that belied the rain. The air was thick with the scent of burning wood and the distant howls. The village was lost, and with it, who knew how many lives. They had failed. Again!
This wasn't fair. Why did she have to suffer from so many failures and deaths?
Isham, please, show me what to do.
"We are too late, aren't we?" Nairobi said.
Castra turned to each of them, giving them a reproaching glance. "Too late? Can't you feel the Mana in the air? What are you, Mana-blind? The villagers are still fighting back, and they have Mages with them. At least one Mage and a High Practitioner from what I can feel. But if we don't act quickly, it might indeed be too late."
Isha's heart lifted slightly at Castra's words. There was still a chance. The village still stood. Maybe she wouldn't be a failure this time.
Thank you, brother.
She turned to Castra. "What's our plan, then?"
Castra's expression hardened. "Isha, Nairobi," she said. "You will join the village's defenders and help them deal with Titan Spawns."
Castra paused, her eyes narrowing as she turned in the direction of the battle for reasons Isha could not understand. Castra let out a heavy, disgruntled sigh before she spoke again. "I will take care of the enemy Mages."
"What are you waiting for? Go, go, go, move," Castra said.
Isha had no choice but to use [Flight] skill and fly in the direction of the village, Nairobi, right behind her.
"Not again," Isha heard her master muttering. "I hate killing people who are so much weaker than me."