The moment Anna started chanting, the entire battlefield turned icy cold. The Tier 3 monster that had been tearing through everything froze in its tracks.
Boom!
Anna's staff struck the monster, shattering it into countless chunks of ice. As the mist cleared, an ethereal beauty emerged, causing gasps of surprise from almost everyone.
"Big Sister Anna!" some of the ladies and even a few of the young men shouted, relief washing over them as they saw her. With her arrival, a glimmer of hope sparked among the fighters.
"Everyone, focus! The monsters aren't our real enemies!" Anna's voice rang out across the battlefield, her words clear and commanding despite her gentle tone.
"What?" Everyone, except for Lily and Kilian, was shocked by this revelation. Lily, however, smiled faintly. She glanced at Kilian before speaking up.
"It's true. The monsters are running from something. Big Sister Anna, what should we do?" Lily asked, making sure to show respect. Anna was a Level 6 Ascended, while Lily was Level 4. Though Lily was strong, she had no interest in challenging Anna for leadership.
Anna was surprised. The young lady who addressed her was just like her—an Ascended, but from the Felin Family. Lily was also considered a Fairy in their city, but for her to defer to Anna so easily was unexpected.
"Sister Lily, how about we work together to create an opening for the monsters? If we can push them in one direction, we might gain the upper hand and maybe even find a way to escape," Anna suggested, swinging her staff as she spoke. Ice shards flew across the battlefield, turning monsters into statues and chunks of ice.
"That's a good idea, but the monsters are coming from all four entrances, and the fifth one still has some Tier 3 monsters. How are we going to drive them back?" Lily asked, her mind already working on a solution.
Anna paused, thinking quickly. "We'll need to concentrate our forces on one entrance. If we can break through there, we can lure the monsters away from the other side. It'll give us a chance to regroup and plan our next move."
Lily nodded, considering the plan. "I can take a group to handle the Tier 3 monsters at the fifth entrance. If we can clear that area, we can create a safe path for the rest to escape."
Anna agreed quickly. "Alright, the rest of us will cover the other entrances and keep the monsters distracted. Let's move fast before more show up."
She raised her voice, calling out to everyone. "Let's work together to hold the four entrances while Sister Lily and the others break through the fifth!"
Anna's voice carried a command that made everyone stop in their tracks. Whether they were fighting or running, they turned to follow her lead. Even though hundreds had already died, there were still thousands left, each one determined to keep fighting.
Lily, Kilian, and a group of Master Stage experts headed straight for the Tier 3 monsters, cutting them down with precision. With everyone now following orders, it didn't take long for them to gain the upper hand.
"Everyone, lead the monsters to the fifth entrance!" Anna's voice rang out again. In less than twenty minutes, Lily and her team had cleared the fifth path. Anna's orders went into effect immediately as those with wide-area attacks started controlling the battle's flow.
The mindless monsters, struck down or killed before they could react, were funneled toward the fifth path. Slowly but surely, their numbers began to dwindle.
"Now's the time! Kill more monsters and level up quickly—the real battle is just beginning!" Anna's command seemed to ignite a fire in everyone. Like they were possessed, they surged forward, slaying monsters with renewed energy.
Lily, who has now leveled up to Level 5, watched Anna with newfound respect. "She's a natural-born leader," she thought to herself. Though Lily was known for her intelligence, she lacked the natural leadership qualities Anna possessed.
Despite her recent setback in Sunlight Forest, Anna stood her ground, commanding the battlefield with precision and determination. She was focused on minimizing casualties, and even though many of the fighters had their own pride, they all respected her authority.
In less than twenty minutes, they had killed more monsters than they ever had in their entire lives. Most of them leveled up, while others were on the verge of it. They were incredibly happy when the last monster fell, but that joy was short-lived.
Suddenly, from all four entrances—and then the fifth—a voice boomed, "KILL!"
Thousands of zombies poured in, bone swords in hand, their eyes glowing red with hunger for blood and flesh. The sight was terrifying. Some of the surviving humans froze, their minds blank with fear.
Even Anna felt a cold chill. She and Lily had suspected that someone was behind the monster tide, directing them through the entrances. But now, seeing the zombies, they realized they were wrong. The monsters hadn't been herded there—they were running in fear, just like them.
The hunger in the zombies' eyes was menacing, and to make matters worse, there were thousands of them swarming in from all five entrances.
"Everyone, charge toward the fifth entrance! Their numbers are fewer there!" Anna commanded, her voice cutting through the panic. The number of zombies coming from the fifth entrance was indeed smaller. It seemed the monsters they had led there earlier had managed to thin out the zombies a bit.
"Rainbow Flames Volley!"
"Ice Vortex!"
"Infinity Slash!"
Shouts erupted across the battlefield as the young men and women fought desperately for their lives. Behind them, thousands of zombies closed in, moving with terrifying speed. In front of them, more zombies blocked their path, determined to keep them trapped.
Before the apocalypse, humans had always imagined zombies as slow, mindless creatures—nothing more than empty shells driven by hunger. But when the apocalypse descended, those fantasies were shattered. The zombies that emerged were anything but slow.
These creatures were fast, and unlike the mindless monsters people had once imagined, these were vicious and cunning. They had a grim intelligence, devoid of emotion. When the apocalypse hit, humans found their worst enemies weren't just the Monster—but the fellow humans who had turned into Zombies
Now, blocking their way were those same humans—friends, neighbors, people they once laughed and talked with. But there was no talking now. No laughter. Only a desperate struggle to survive.
"Charge through, everyone!" Anna's voice rang out, cutting through the chaos. "If we manage to break through, we can escape!"
The battle intensified. Attacks flew in every direction as everyone fought for their lives. The air was thick with the sounds of clashing weapons, the groans of the undead, and the cries of the living. Blood splattered across the ground as more zombies fell, but for every one that died, more seemed to take its place.
Lily fought beside Anna, her face set in grim determination. She swung her sword, cutting through zombies with fierce precision. Beside her, Kilian unleashed a barrage of flames, burning the creatures to ash. But still, they kept coming.
"Keep pushing forward!" Anna yelled, her voice hoarse from shouting. "Don't let them surround you!"
A young man to her right screamed as a zombie latched onto his arm, its teeth sinking into his flesh. He managed to pull away, but the damage was done. Blood poured from the wound, and his face went pale with fear. He knew what was coming.
"Keep moving!" someone shouted, pulling him forward. There was no time for hesitation. No time for second thoughts. It was fight or die.
The zombies pressed closer, their bone swords slicing through the air. One of them lunged at Anna, but she sidestepped, driving her staff into its skull. It crumbled to the ground, but there was no time to celebrate. Another was already coming.
Lily gritted her teeth, using every ounce of strength to keep her blade swinging. Sweat dripped down her face, her muscles burning with exhaustion. But she couldn't stop. Not now. Not when they were so close.
Kilian's flames flickered, threatening to go out. He was running low on energy, but he forced himself to keep going. If he stopped, they were all dead.
"Just a little further!" Anna urged, her voice trembling with strain. They could see the fifth entrance now, just beyond the wall of zombies. Freedom was within reach, but the path was still blocked.
The zombies were relentless, their eyes glowing with that terrible hunger. A group of them charged forward, knocking a few fighters to the ground. Panic surged through the ranks as they struggled to get back up.
"Don't give up!" Anna shouted, pushing her way forward. "We can make it!"
Lily and Kilian fought their way to her side, their faces grim but determined. Together, they unleashed a final, powerful attack, cutting down the zombies blocking their path.
For a brief moment, the way was clear.
"Now!" Anna screamed. "Run!"
They didn't need to be told twice. The survivors surged forward, racing toward the fifth entrance. Zombies snapped at their heels, but they didn't look back. All that mattered was getting through.
"Where do you insects think you're going?" Just as the surviving members were about to charge through the entrance, a sneering voice echoed from one of the mountains. The entrance was wedged between two towering peaks. They froze in their tracks as soon as they heard it.
"Everyone, get back!" Anna shouted, but before she could finish, a blood-red bone sword swung in a wide arc, sending a deadly wave of blood energy toward those at the front.
"Ice Queen's Blessing, Ice Wall!" Anna commanded, quickly raising walls of ice to shield them. The blood arc slammed into the ice, shattering it instantly. Those nearest to the wall were struck down, killed on the spot. The luckier ones were thrown back by the shockwave, coughing up blood as they tumbled through the air.
"A Zombie Captain," Anna muttered, her grip tightening on her staff. "I'll hold him off. Everyone else, get ready to run."
"Sister Anna, that's a Tier 3 zombie about to break through! You can't face it alone!" Lily protested, stepping up beside Anna. Kilian followed, his sword ablaze with flames. Mark and Kay joined them, ready to fight.
They all knew the stakes. If they didn't kill the zombie within the next two minutes, the others from the four entrances would close in on them, and then it would be over.
"Then we attack together," Anna declared, preparing to strike when, out of nowhere, a sword pierced through the chest of the Zombie Captain, killing it instantly.
"Looks like I made it to the party just in time," a voice called out from behind the Zombie Captain. Anna immediately recognize the voice.