Borne gripped the shovel tightly, not daring to let his focus waver.
Every moment in this battle was filled with the threat of death.
The white-furred, long-tailed magic monkeys were agile and fierce, capable of launching deadly attacks from any angle at any moment.
The painful cries and the clash of weapons mixed with the howls of the magic monkeys, creating a battlefield full of despair and chaos.
The sounds around Borne constantly reminded him of the ferocity of the fight, far beyond what they had anticipated.
His eyes remained locked on the magic monkey before him, continuously swinging the shovel without a moment's rest.
Just as he blocked an attack from one of the magic monkeys, he caught sight of another lunging toward him from the corner of his eye, its sharp claws aiming directly at his throat.
"Damn it!"
Borne gritted his teeth, quickly ducking to dodge the attack.
He swung his shovel hard at the monkey's abdomen, managing to push it back with the counterattack.
The screams around him were growing more piercing, and Borne's heartbeat quickened.
The defensive line in the other trench might be collapsing, and more beasts could soon flood their side.
Harley, panting and covered in blood, spoke with a trembling voice, "They can't hold on much longer."
Dillon took a deep breath.
"We can only keep fighting.
That's the only hope."
Before Borne and his comrades could catch their breath, the second wave of attackers came at them like a tidal wave.
This time, they faced a group of larger, faster, blue-furred, four-armed magic monkeys.
These creatures let out low, menacing growls, swinging their sharp claws with terrifying speed and ferocity.
Borne immediately noticed that these blue-furred magic monkeys were vastly different from the white-furred ones.
Not only were they faster, but their four arms allowed them to attack from unpredictable angles, each one capable of striking from multiple directions simultaneously.
"Damn it! Here comes the second wave!" Bush panted heavily, eyes wide with fear as he gripped his shovel tightly.
"Watch out for their four arms! Don't get surrounded!"
Borne shouted, trying to warn his comrades, but soon found himself deeply entangled in a difficult fight.
The four arms of the beast swung like whips, and Borne barely managed to react in time.
Instinctively, he raised his shovel to block two of the claws, but the other two arms were already swinging at him from the side.
Borne dodged as quickly as he could, but one of the claws still slashed deep into his arm.
Pain shot through his arm, but Borne gritted his teeth, swinging the shovel with all his might and striking the magic monkey in the chest.
The creature let out a vicious howl, stumbling back a few steps before quickly retaliating, its attacks becoming even more frenzied.
Meanwhile, his comrades were locked in equally desperate battles.
The multi-limbed attacks of the blue-furred monkeys made it nearly impossible to defend.
Despite their best efforts, the soldiers were accumulating more and more wounds.
Bush was nearly pinned down by one of the magic monkeys.
His shovel was knocked from his hands, leaving him in grave danger.
Gommenter rushed forward to help, swinging his shovel to drive the monkey back, but not without getting injured himself.
As the fight wore on, the ground became littered with more and more bodies of magic beasts, both blue and white-furred.
The narrow trench was now filled with corpses, and the pungent stench of blood hung heavy in the air.
Borne and his comrades were utterly exhausted, their bodies covered in more wounds than they could count.
Every injury throbbed with intense pain.
The trench was soaked in blood, and the ground had become slippery and treacherous with the mix of mud and blood.
With every step, blood and mud splattered, and the soldiers' boots made a sickening squelching sound in the bloodied earth.
Although the ten of them continued to fight with everything they had, their strength was nearing its limit.
They panted heavily, struggling to stay on their feet.
Fatigue and pain made it nearly impossible for them to stand.
The slick, blood-soaked ground made each movement agonizingly difficult.
Borne gritted his teeth, swinging his shovel with the last of his strength, smashing the head of a four-armed blue-furred monkey, its brain splattering everywhere.
His arms trembled from the pain, barely able to keep holding the shovel.
His clothes were soaked in blood—he couldn't even tell if it was his own or his enemies'.
Each time he swung the shovel, he could feel his body protesting, but he knew he couldn't stop.
The narrow trench reeked of blood and death.
"When is the reinforcements coming?!"
Dalton shouted angrily, his voice filled with frustration.
He panted heavily, his eyes brimming with exhaustion.
Just as Dalton's voice echoed in the trench, the third wave of attackers hit like a nightmare.
This time, it was a massive long-armed magic gorilla.
Its skin was as black as ink, muscles bulging ominously, and its strength was far beyond the previous beasts.
It jumped into the trench with a thunderous crash, mud and blood splattering everywhere as the ground seemed to tremble under its weight.
Borne's heart clenched at the sight of the colossal beast before them.
The long-armed magic gorilla's massive arms nearly dragged on the ground, bulging with terrifying power.
It roared, baring its sharp teeth, and the air around them seemed to thicken with its hostile presence.
"Damn it! It's even bigger than the last ones!"
Harley's eyes widened, his voice shaking with barely concealed fear.
The magic gorilla didn't give them a moment to react, immediately swinging its giant arms with devastating force, sweeping toward them.
Borne instinctively dove to the side, but the sheer force of the air displaced by the swing nearly knocked him off his feet.
He staggered, barely regaining his balance, his face covered in cold sweat.
Every soldier felt the urge to flee.
The sight of the massive magic gorilla had nearly broken their spirits.
Just as they were about to be consumed by despair, Captain Khazik suddenly leaped into the trench from above, wielding his own blood-soaked shovel.
Khazik's shovel struck the magic gorilla's back with tremendous force, causing it to let out a guttural roar of pain as its body twisted in agony.
Though the blow wasn't fatal, it disrupted the gorilla's attack, turning its enraged gaze toward Khazik.
"Hold on!
Reinforcements are almost here!"
Khazik roared, his voice filled with determination.
His eyes were cold and fierce, blood dripping down his forehead, but the fire of battle still burned bright in his gaze.
Hearing Khazik's voice, the ten soldiers felt a shock of hope replace their despair.
"Captain, we'll fight with you!"
The squad members responded in unison, their thoughts of fleeing squashed by Khazik's powerful attack and rousing words.
The magic gorilla swung its massive arms wildly, trying to crush anything that got close.
Khazik deftly dodged the attacks, striking the gorilla's ribs with another well-aimed blow.
The beast roared in pain, its movements growing sluggish.
"Finish it off!"
Khazik shouted.
In a final charge, each soldier found their target, raising their shovels high and locking onto the magic gorilla's vital points.
With a collective shout, the shovels came down, cutting into the beast's flesh and bone, its blood flowing freely.
The gorilla's movements slowed, its body swaying as if victory was finally within reach.
But just as they thought the battle was over, the magic gorilla launched a desperate final attack.
It lunged forward with its last bit of strength, moving too quickly for Bush and Gommenter to react.
Terror filled their eyes, but before they could move, the massive gorilla's body slammed into them with overwhelming force.
Their bodies were flung against the trench walls like rag dolls, the sound of the impact bone-chilling.
A shovel pierced through them, blood spurting from their wounds, staining the walls crimson.
Their screams echoed briefly, and then their bodies fell limp, blood dripping to the ground as their life drained away.
The magic gorilla let out a guttural laugh at the sight.
But its laughter was cut short.
The magic beast's enormous body finally collapsed to the ground, lifeless.
Blood poured from its wounds, soaking the trench further, as the air around them grew heavier.
The trench fell silent, broken only by the soldiers' labored breathing and the faint sound of blood dripping onto the earth.
They stood there, covered in blood, utterly exhausted, but there was no trace of victory in their eyes.
Outside the trench, the sound of reinforcements and hurried footsteps finally reached them.
Yet none of the squad members felt any joy or excitement.
They just stood there, worn out and burdened by an indescribable weight.
Borne glanced at the fallen Bush and Gommenter, his grip tightening on the bloodstained shovel in his hand.