Finally, they decided to get out of the cave. Menxolor had left his daughter inside, sleeping. He was one of the first to peek out, as he was one of the most powerful warriors.

They found that not only the corrupted beings in front of the entrance had disappeared, but that there was a separation of several meters from the others, which was clearly the result of a powerful spell that someone had cast.

It didn’t surprise them excessively, for they were capable of such spells themselves. They were more concerned with those beyond. There were thousands. And they were advancing towards them.

Maldoa couldn’t get out of her amazement. She now understood in part why there were so many generals and losts there. Yet, understanding it was of little use to her. The important thing was how to get them to survive, for it was clear that the corrupted beings had been ordered to attack them. Perhaps, the three of them could escape, but it wasn’t so easy for the Guardians of the North.

She didn’t hesitate. She pulled out a small item and activated it with a bit of mana. It was an emergency signal that had been entrusted to her solely in case Goldmi was in trouble. Not even if she was in mortal danger herself did she have the right to activate it. That’s how important they considered the elf, and that’s how important the current situation was.

Like fireworks, it flew into the sky and exploded. This would attract very powerful warriors, perhaps higher ups, and perhaps lead to the death of others that they might have saved. If she used it for no good reason, she could suffer more than just a reprimand.

“The generals have been killed. The losts are after you. We have to endure whatever it takes, reinforcements will arrive soon,” Maldoa shouted.

“Generals? Does she mean those evil creatures that run them?” asked Fily in a low voice. She was a young woman with purple skin and blue hair.

“I don’t know. Is it really possible to kill them?” Cohngyor, who was next to her, hesitated.

He was her fiancé, the man she loved. Neither of them were sure if they could have held out until then if they didn’t have each other.

“Go back to the cave!” Menxolor ordered.

They had come out to help whoever was there, or to fight one last time. Yet, the drelf’s words had given them something they had lost for some time.

The drelf, the elf next to her, and the feline were the first living beings they had seen in a long time, not counting themselves. This meant that the worst of their fears was unfounded, that evil hadn’t destroyed everything. There were people who were fighting against it. There was hope.

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

They didn’t rebuild the shield, but let those responsible for it rest. They couldn’t hold out for long anyway. It was better if they could recover a bit for a more critical moment.

Goldmi attacked the corrupted beings which were going to the front, but not to kill them, but to delay them. She consumed less mana like this, and she was slightly delaying the army of corrupted beasts. Plus, the wounded died as well, as they were trampled by those pushing from behind. They were unable to stay upright because of the wounds on their legs, and the rest simply followed orders and kept going, so they stepped over whatever was necessary.

The lynx kept attacking the flanks, many times pushing the victims in the middle of what looked like a stampede, so they were trampled too. She had lost count of how many she had killed, despite which there seemed to be no end.

Maldoa attacked with the most efficient spells she had. She was also trying to hinder them, to get them to kill each other.

Between the three of them, they managed to slow down the advance a little, but by no means stop it. To their frustration, they were soon at the entrance of the cave. And, as they arrived, they exploded in a huge Fireball. Many died, and many others were injured.

It didn’t take long for the losts to reclaim the empty space, to rush toward the entrance of the cave again. Many had fallen, but there were many more, more even than the eye could see.

Another Fireball, dozens more enemies were killed, and they advanced again. Another and another one. No less than ten spells had been cast.

“I only have mana left for two more,” Fily reported.

She withdrew for another to take her place. This time it was a kind of cloud that corroded corrupted creatures, and that would have had the opposite effect on living beings. Given the situation, it was very efficient, since, as with those attacked by the three who were outside, the damaged ones were crushed by those who came behind.

In addition to being efficient, it was also insufficient. It allowed them to buy a little time, but the mana was depleting much faster than they could recover.

There were spells that immobilized, that cut, that made them explode, that slowed them down. All of them efficient, but unable to change the reality of the battlefield.

They might have killed about 10% of their enemies, but there was another 90%, and they barely had any mana left for a few attacks. Everybody had kept a small reserve for one last offensive, which they knew would be insufficient. They intended to die there.

Meanwhile, abroad, the three were exhausted. They hadn’t stopped fighting, squeezing their resources, but it was hardly noticeable. Their enemies were too numerous. Even having raised several levels didn’t console the elf, who felt powerless. She fervently wanted to regain all the power she had had in the game, and to have her companions by her side. She was sure that the entire group could do it. Unfortunately, thinking about it was of no use.

Maldoa, too, felt powerless, though the feline didn’t, she didn’t have time for it. Even though she wasn’t attacked, she couldn’t be careless, or she could be dragged and rammed by her enemies. The lynx dosed her strength so as not to exhaust herself completely, but she also wished she could do more. The power she once had was present in her mind. She wanted to split them in two with a single attack.

On her side, Pikshbxgra had returned, but there was nothing the fairy could do except assure them that there were no more generals left. She was also looking sadly at that army that had once been living beings.

She rested tightly against Goldmi, so recovering from the effort and the miasma.