The soldiers continued fighting with all they had, but this time, they had all slight smiles on their faces. They had all accepted that they would die that day, but their fate changed. They would get to see their families again, they would get to see the sun rise tomorrow.
However, what made them happy the most was that the sacrifice of their comrades would be worth it. They had set out to buy time, and they had accomplished their mission, being alive was just a bonus. From the 250 soldiers who had left Galor that day, only 63 will return home.
Khaos watched in awe as his master approached from the horizon. He was as big as the mountains behind him, his footsteps shaking the ground even though he was still two kilometers away. His master was, of course, Ronan, the Defender Captain whom Khaos had met back in his home city.
Ronan had promised Khaos that if he managed to enroll in the Black Academy, he would make Khaos his personal disciple, and with Khaos' unprecedented talent, Ronan was more than happy to fulfil his promise.
"I should really get that Law when i reach the Law realm". Khaos mumbled.
The Law he was talking about was Ronan's law of size. When Khaos had asked his master about the specifics of how it worked, Ronan replied with; "I can get big", and that was the most Khaos could get from him.
Only when the Black Academy Defenders were a Kilometer away did Khaos notice the dozen Cultivators flying around Ronan, and soon enough, they arrived.
"You did well". Ronan's voice boomed through the surroundings. It even caused ripples in the air and shook the vegetation. "We appreciate your sacrifice, now you can go back to the city if you wish, we will take it from here". He said as his team laid waste to the beasts. Most of them were common class beasts and Defenders in the Resurgence realm could sneeze them to death.
While, his team took care of the fodder, Ronan began walking towards the direction where the beasts came from, opposing the tide. He was looking for the portal Alpha, which was the strongest beast, the one which determined the class of the portal itself.
"Master!" Khaos said as he landed on Ronan's shoulder. Zara also did the same on the other shoulder.
"Khaos". Ronan whispered, but considering that his vocal cords were as big as Khaos himself, that whisper was loud enough to be heard a hundred meters away.
"What are you two doing here?, Kira told me you two were on a quest which exempted you from portal duties". Ronan said, casually crushing tens of beasts beneath his feet as he walked.
Kira was an instructor at the Academy, the same instructor who had held the enrollment test back then, and also Zara's master. Zara had literally cried for a week straight to get Kira to accept her. Zara had been jealous that Khaos was getting special training from a Defender.
Kira was not a Defender herself, but she was in the same Realm as Ronan, although not nearly as powerful.
"Yes we are, the quest was in Galor city, actually i think our investigation caused this portal to appear" Khaos answered.
"What?" Ronan and Zara said simultaneously.
"Well we were called to investigate some mysterious disappearances...."
"Hold it right there kid, you will brief me and rest of the Black Academy board when we get back. For now, duty calls". Ronan said as his gaze focused in front of him.
Standing half a kilometer away was a 50 meter tall beast with four legs and blue stone-like skin. It had one eye on it's head and large bat-like ears. "Khaos what is it?" Ronan asked.
Khaos took a good look at the beast before answering; "Rare Class, Ice Synchronised Frost Leopard; Single eye variation".
"Well done, couldn't have identified it better myself". Ronan said as his body shrunk until he was 50 meters tall, matching the height of his opponent.
"Since you two have not had your lessons in a while, we cannot let go of this chance. Take care of as many Uncommon Class beasts as you can in the time it will take me to kill Frosty over there. Khaos you are limited to water and earth, while Zara, you can't use your bow". Ronan said.
"Copy that master", Khaos jumped down into the tide of beasts below him. The Common class beasts were all dead, only the Uncommon Class ones were left, and they were obviously stronger.
As Khaos landed, he punched the ground, and the terrain two meters around him softened for a second before hardening up again. However that second was enough for some beasts to sink into it, becoming stuck when the earth hardened again. Khaos capitalized and used a blade made of earth to decapitate heads.
He managed to kill four of them before a tail knocked him away. Khaos tumbled on the ground, a few meters away from the 'road' made by the beasts. The beast which had hit him was a meter tall pangolin with a fluffy tail, while it's body was covered in brown scales.
Uncommon class beasts had a sliver of sentience in them, and unlike their Common class comrades, they had the ability to break off the path if a human was close by, and that's what the pangolin did as it charged at Khaos.
Khaos waited until the beast was close enough before erecting a meter tall earth wall. The pangolin tried to stop by ramming it's short legs onto the ground, and Khaos used that opening to pierce it's head. Strangely enough, as soon as the beast died another one broke off the path and charged for Khaos.
This time it was a 1.5 meter tall ostrich covered in red feathers. It's long legs were armoured by a substance similar to bone and it's beak was as sharp as a sword. The ostrich was faster than the pangolin, and it easily jumped over the earth wall Khaos had created before shooting it's head forward.
Khaos narrowly dodged the incoming beak and quickly grabbed onto the extended neck with both hands before snapping it. The then swung the body of the ostrich, using it as a meat shield for the incoming spikes behind him.
The next beast to come after Khaos was a half meter tall porcupine.
Without moving from it's position, the porcupine sent out another volley of spikes when the first one was blocked, however khaos just threw the body of the ostrich at the porcupine. Alas the ostrich was too heavy and Khaos not strong enough, the ostrich body landed a meter shy of the porcupine.
The porcupine then jumped on top of the ostrich since it's view of Khaos was obstructed. As it did though, it was impaled by a dozen earth spikes, killing it on the spot.
Seven down', Khaos thought as he used an earth wall to block the charge of a blue pig.