Kumodesu

After bringing everyone inside, I rushed back out to assist in the fight. Though I was a researcher, no one knew that I had once been an assassin, so the skills I possessed were more than suitable for combat. I hurled a fireball at a Gatisor that was threatening a soldier nearby.

"Thanks!"

The soldier quickly turned back to thank me before dashing off again.

I didn't reveal too much of my identity, only helping soldiers who found themselves in difficult situations. My main objective was to protect the tent.

But the Gatisors just kept pouring out. The battle had only just begun, yet we already had casualties. The soldiers lacked leadership and a clear strategy.

The Vice Director was already fully occupied with the mutated one, so he had no capacity to manage the battle.

This couldn't go on.

I used a detection skill to scout the frontline. Since that earlier explosion, there hadn't been any signals from there.

What surprised me was that the Commander and Vice Commander weren't seriously injured. Instead, they were locked in a fierce battle with another mutated Gatisor. The other soldiers were still holding off the lesser Gatisors.

The number of Gatisors had exceeded the original estimates, now over a hundred. That meant no reinforcements could be expected anytime soon.

I turned to check the Vice Director's condition.

He was faring better than expected, though it was still a stalemate. Both sides were injured.

There was no one left to rely on.

I couldn't hesitate any longer.

I cast another skill—[Blade]—and launched it, the sharp energy slicing straight through a Gatisor's head.

This skill, [Blade], was one of my strongest assassination techniques. After killing its first target, it automatically locked onto the next, continuing its rampage.

"Those still able to fight, regroup and move the wounded to the rear! Don't let them split us up!"

I shouted orders.

No one objected—everyone rushed to obey. They knew they couldn't survive alone. Quickly, teams of three to five regrouped, rotating in and out of the fight.

We'd lost twenty already, with even more wounded. Now, fewer than fifteen could still fight.

One [Blade] wasn't enough.

I summoned another skill—[Iron Chains].

Two sharp chains shot out from my body, supporting the blade in slaying enemies.

While maintaining control of the chains, I treated a few injured nearby. Their wounds were mostly healed, but the SP loss was immense and couldn't be replenished quickly.

"Form units and activate [Fighting Spirit]!"

[Fighting Spirit] was a skill all soldiers were required to learn. When used in unison, it granted them enhanced power to keep fighting.

The Gatisors, realizing their comrades were dying one after another, began focusing their attacks on me. A sharp earthen spike flew toward me, but I dodged in time.

Too fast!

Though my reflexes were sharp, if too many attacks came at once, I wouldn't be able to avoid them all.

I activated my [Stealth] skill and began personally assassinating enemies.

I moved rapidly, sneaking behind a Gatisor and driving my blade into its neck, killing it instantly.

Thanks to their poor eyesight, and with [Stealth], I could easily close in and strike.

But the Gatisors had begun focusing their attacks on the tent, launching spike after spike until a whirlwind destroyed it entirely.

I had to eliminate the ones casting wind skills.

I changed targets.

Ten minutes had passed. We were still holding out, but fewer than ten people could fight now.

There were only about thirty Gatisors left here, including the one battling the Vice Director.

We might make it.

I was drenched in blood—some mine, most theirs.

I fell back briefly to heal myself and glanced at the Vice Director.

He was in worse shape than I was, but the mutated Gatisor had lost a leg.

I had to help him. If he could finish the fight quickly, we'd have a chance.

I readied my blade, waiting for an opening. When it came, I launched the blade—fast and deadly, it pierced the creature's neck instantly.

The Gatisor staggered back, howling in pain.

The Vice Director seized the chance to launch a flurry of attacks.

That should be enough support.

Just as I was focused on his battle, a Gatisor charged at me like a mad beast.

I stepped back and tried to restrain it with my chains, but just as they bound it, the creature exploded.

The explosion wasn't massive, but it killed everyone nearby. I was blown away, the chains destroyed.

A self-destruct skill?

So that was what caused the earlier explosion.

But not all of them had this ability—otherwise, the whole area would've been obliterated.

I staggered to my feet, intending to heal, only to see another Gatisor charging at me.

Another suicide attack?

I quickly used [Stealth] to vanish.

The Gatisor lost its target and stood confused—until I delivered a fatal strike to its neck.

With their weak vision, and my stealth, I could still ambush them.

That was my best option now: stealth kills.

But this couldn't continue.

I had to help the Vice Director kill the mutated one—then together, we could clear the rest.

I made my way toward him, eliminating any Gatisors I encountered.

But midway through, my [Stealth] failed. I missed several attacks and took counter-damage.

Then I realized some Gatisors were using wind to detect my location.

[Stealth] only hid me visually; it didn't erase me from the world. So being discovered was inevitable.

Now I was exhausted.

Any more fighting and I wouldn't survive.

But I couldn't give up.

There were people I had to protect, and if I didn't act, the Vice Director might die.

I didn't want to use this skill, but I had no choice.

I activated [Nightmare].

This skill let me absorb the grudges of the dead to temporarily boost my strength. But if my mind wasn't strong enough, those grudges could consume me.

I drew on the hatred of the dead Gatisors. Their resentment was immense, but my power recovered somewhat.

I fought to keep from drawing in too much.

This should be enough.

I summoned my dagger again and vanished into stealth.

At this point, being detected didn't matter—they couldn't keep up with my speed.

I quickly took out three more Gatisors before changing direction.

While moving, I kept an eye on the Vice Director.

Thanks to my earlier strike, he now held the advantage, but it still needed to end sooner.

I couldn't last much longer. If I used [Nightmare] again, I'd lose control.

I ignored the lesser Gatisors and ran toward him.

But they didn't let me go easily, launching long-range attacks as I fled.

One spike struck my side.

The wound wasn't deep, so I pushed through.

The mutated Gatisor, sensing trouble, began charging a new attack in its mouth.

A sphere of energy was forming.

Was it planning to annihilate the entire area?

The Vice Director, realizing this, launched sharp paper talismans at it, but the creature ignored the damage and kept charging its skill.

"Vice Director!"

He turned to me, then saw the Gatisors chasing me. With a wave, he killed them with more talismans.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. Can you kill it now?"

"Not yet—but once it fires that attack, I can."

I paused, then asked, "No way to interrupt it?"

"It activated a skill that nullifies all status effects. Only physical damage works, and I won't make it in time."

So the only option was to take the hit.

"I'll block it. Then you finish it."

"No!" the Vice Director shouted.

"If we don't, everyone dies."

"You'll die!"

"I won't."

"Don't be stubborn!" he snapped.

I just smiled.

"I can help!"

A voice rang out from behind us. We turned to see Alger Klvest, bloodied but standing.

"How's the front line?" the Vice Director asked.

"The Commander and Vice Commander are safe, but they couldn't get back in time. They sent me instead. I ran into resistance on the way."

The Vice Director quickly briefed him.

"I have a protection skill. I can boost Loyral's defense for the attack."

The Vice Director hesitated, but time was short. He sighed.

"Do it—but don't die."

"Understood."

Alger cast his skill on me, and I felt my defense double.

What a terrifying ability.

"This lasts five minutes. After that, all fatigue and damage will hit you at once—be careful."

"I understand."

I activated my own skill.

A massive shield appeared before me—[Wrathful Shield]. It could block any attack, but I'd still take one-third of the damage myself.

"I'll help too."

The Vice Director cast another spell, boosting my defense even further.

Everything was ready.

I focused entirely on the mutated Gatisor, prepared to receive its final blow.

Its eyes locked onto me. A moment later, it fired the fully charged energy sphere. It tore through everything in its path, pressure mounting as it neared.

A second later, it collided with my shield, triggering a massive explosion that left even the conscious ones reeling.

"Vice Director!"

I called weakly through the smoke. He had already dashed forward.

The mutated Gatisor, now completely drained, tried to escape. But the Vice Director unleashed a paper talisman with all his strength and severed its neck cleanly.

"It's finally over."