Time ticked past 11:50 PM.
The dust made the air feel somewhat humid, and scattered raindrops fell, bringing a chill to the nearly month-long weather. Outside the international capital city, tens of kilometers away in the desert, a misty scent also rose.
“Everyone, speed up! Yela is about to launch a full-scale invasion.”
In the distance, dark dots were moving. Occasionally, Mokala soldiers on motorbikes were taking the elderly and weak who couldn’t walk to the international general hospital.
As the headlights of the motorbikes illuminated the scene, it was discovered that there were countless refugees rushing through the night. They were wearing tattered clothes to shield themselves from the rain, struggling to walk along this road, forming a long, winding line.
This road was also the only path for the Yela Army to advance westward.
In a skill-created ditch not far away, fifty to sixty figures buried themselves in the damp sand, with pale white formations faintly activated, concealing their auras. Their breathing also slowed considerably.
Leading them was the square-faced Mokala deputy commander. He also half-crouched under a cover, looking ahead with a solemn expression, tightly gripping a brass-colored beast-patterned long sabre. His fingertips, pressing against the blade, were slightly pale, and he didn’t even notice the strands of rain hitting his face.
“It’s me.” A woman’s voice sounded.
Suddenly, several dark figures streaked by, heading straight for them. Then, in an organized manner, like the original soldiers, they crawled onto the ground. The leading figure walked towards the square-faced commander, making a “rustling” sound.
Hearing footsteps behind him, he exhaled a breath of white air. The square-faced deputy commander looked at the dark figures and whispered, “Mora, have those alchemical items been set up?”
Tying the seabird ribbon on her arm, Mora, the woman who had met Su Jiu before, stepped forward a little, crouching beside the square-faced deputy commander. She whispered, “They’ve all been planted. As long as the Yela Army soldiers come within five meters of the ground, the [Dust Thunder] planted half a meter deep like landmines will sense them and detonate immediately!”
After tying her arm, Mora took out several small green bottles from her pocket and passed them to her companions, softly reassuring them, “With alchemical items like [Dust Thunder] at the Battle General level, their explosion is equivalent to the full force of a High-Rank Battle General’s attack. We’ve buried over fifty [Dust Thunder] in the Yela Army’s path, so don’t be too nervous.”
Beside them, another male Mokala deputy officer heard this and breathed a sigh of relief. He managed a slight smile and said, “With these fifty-plus [Dust Thunder], we can at least avoid direct contact with those thousands of soldiers. It shouldn’t be difficult to hold out until the Mokala from other regions can rendezvous with us.”
“Alas…”
Sighing, the square-faced deputy commander shook his head, but his expression showed no sign of relief. His two thick black eyebrows twisted like a centipede. Under the puzzled gazes of the officer and Mora, he said with a heavy voice,
“It’s useless. These can only hinder those Warrior Class soldiers who can’t fly. At most, after they try it once, they’ll realize that as long as they use fighter jets to bomb this area, they can clear out these [Dust Thunder] one by one. They don’t even need to clear them; they can directly pass us and bomb the city, forcing us to reveal ourselves.”
“Then do we have to face them head-on? The alchemical communication station sent a message that other commanders are still assisting civilians in retreating. It’s very possible we won’t get their support.”
The Mokala deputy officer couldn’t help but ask again. With their less than a hundred soldiers, they definitely wouldn’t be able to hold out until dawn, let alone with people helping refugees leave…
Mokala, unlike the Dragon Country’s Dragon Hunter organization and army, is not an official armed force of Aers. Aers has been in internal strife for years and has no unified government organization. Mokala is a civilian resistance organization formed under external pressure.
Therefore, their structure and support are far inferior to the Yela Army.
The square-faced deputy commander raised his eyes and scanned the somewhat immature faces of those lying on the ground. He turned his head and instructed Mora, “If it truly comes to a point where we must perish together, you lead those underage children and flee quickly… The future of Aers lies with you. If one of you becomes a War God Level, we will still have a chance to retake our land.”
“Teacher…”
Mora wanted to say something more, but the square-faced deputy commander waved his hand and gently said, “You are a university student who can participate in the world competition and bring glory to our country. You might become a strong Battle King in the future. You shouldn’t die on this muddy land, do you understand?”
“Rumble!”
Mora exchanged a look with the deputy officer and sighed. Just as she was about to speak, loud explosions like thunder suddenly erupted throughout the night sky. It was the sound of helicopters!
“This is the sound of [Dust Thunder] exploding and helicopter bombing. They…”
“They’re here!”
Immediately after, explosions continued incessantly a hundred meters ahead. The rolling sandstorms blew towards them, causing those crawling on the ground to look up.
And at this moment, at the site of the explosions, mushroom clouds rose into the sky. Beside the mushroom clouds, countless fighter jets hovered and flew. Several figures stepped through the air amidst the dispersing smoke and dust.
“Stop hiding! Playing these tricks, do you really think these tricks can stop Yela’s advance?”
“In five minutes, Yela’s fighter jets will destroy your various strongholds!”
Roars like thunder, mixed with external qi, echoed in every corner of the desert. At this moment, everyone raised their heads and looked in a certain direction, where two Battle King Level auras, like pillars of heaven, surged upwards!
“Five minutes? Where can we go in five minutes?”
“No water, no electricity, no food… Alas… If there are gods, can they look at us.”
The refugees still on the road in the distance became even more panicked and quickened their pace. Some stopped, turned around, and stared blankly at the densely packed army and fighter jets.
“Teacher, what do we do now? [Dust Thunder] only killed less than a hundred low-level soldiers.” Mora asked solemnly, gazing at the scene where the mushroom clouds dispersed.
“You take a few underage children and help them leave. Send them to the nearest international hospital. The Yela Army only suspects that members of Mokala are in the hospital. They probably won’t go on a killing spree.”
The square-faced deputy commander took a deep breath. Faint silver-white electric lights coiled around him, and under the cover of these electric lights, his long sabre also emitted arcs of electricity.
He was a professor at the best university in Aers, respected in any country. It wasn’t until Yela swallowed nearly half of Aers’ territory that he resolutely joined the resistance organization, Mokala, and was also placed on the enemy’s wanted list.
If the country does not act like a country, how can it be called a nation’s scholar?
“I’ll intercept these fighter jets!”
As he slowly stood up, his eyes turned completely white. The aura of an Initial Stage Battle King was no longer concealed and surged out directly! Then, he fiercely stared at the fighter jets soaring like vultures in the sky, madly charging his long sabre.
“Those who are not underage, come with me and take these refugees away.”
Looking at the retreating back of the square-faced deputy commander, Mora gritted her teeth, also stood up in shock, and rushed towards the refugees, no longer caring about being discovered.
Watching Mora, who had gone to help the refugees leave, the square-faced deputy commander nodded slightly, took a deep breath. He couldn’t act immediately. The enemy was waiting for the time; he was also counting down in his heart. Giving these refugees another minute might save one or two more lives.
“One minute left.”
As everyone was on high alert, a neat shout suddenly came from the distant ground. Immediately, those on the road saw yellow-green figures emerging overwhelmingly in the distance. This special colored military uniform made it easy to recognize who they were – the Yela Army!
“Thirty seconds left…”
Looking at the densely packed soldiers like dark clouds pressing down on the city, the refugees’ faces filled with despair. They watched the yellow-green torrent surge directly from the southern part of the desert towards them.
Finally preparing to encircle the direction of the refugees, judging by the momentum, Yela probably intended to completely bomb those cities, no longer caring about civilians, or perhaps the targets of the bombing were civilians.
Taking a deep breath, the square-faced deputy commander seemed to move with thunder. His figure flickered and turned into a silver light, shooting towards the sky and standing level.
With eyes as cold as ice, he looked at the Yela Army on the desert like a locust plague. Powerful external qi surged from his body.
“Sizzle sizzle…”
Silver-white electric arcs covered half the sky, interfering with the fighter jets in the sky, causing their bodies to catch fire, and several fighter jets crashed on the spot.
“Hess, stop your futile resistance! Stop being a university professor and become a terrorist. Today is your death day!”
Just as the square-faced deputy commander’s aura surged powerfully, a cold laugh suddenly erupted from the sky not far away. Immediately, two auras comparable to his also surged forth.
“Tonight, those beasts who are willing to shelter you terrorists will cease to exist.”
As these two auras appeared, a sound of breaking wind followed closely. Finally, under the gaze of countless eyes, the former colonel, accompanied by a deputy officer, stood with their hands clasped a hundred meters opposite the square-faced deputy commander Hess.
“Hahaha!”
Feeling the pressure coming at him, Hess tightened his grip on his sabre, then laughed to the sky again, staring intently at the colonel and saying word by word, “Silpi, even if I die, I’ll take you down with me…”
“Heh heh, with you, an Initial Stage Battle King who only recently advanced? Ten seconds left.”
“Nine!”
Colonel Silpi said with a faint smile, looking at the refugee convoy like a dragon. A murderous intent flashed in his eyes, but he still lowered his head and looked at his watch. He didn’t want to lose the “justice” of this war because of his own actions.
“Eight!”
“It’s gone… everything’s gone…”
Amidst the army’s neat marching steps, everyone looked at the sky in despair. Even if an Initial Stage Battle King was powerful, he couldn’t fight against two Initial Stage Battle Kings. Moreover, comparing the forces on the ground, Mokala was like stars compared to the bright moon against the Yela Army.
After more than a month of war, these refugees of Aers were no longer afraid of death. Sometimes, death was even a release for a few.
“Three!”
“Do gods truly exist…”
Glancing at the old man praying with his hands clasped beside her, Mora then turned her head to look at the sky, biting her lip tightly. A wry smile appeared on her lips.
“God! It’s an envoy of God!”
“It’s golden feathers! It’s an angel under the Lord of the Gods!”
Just as countless people were in despair and resigned to their fate, golden leaves suddenly began to fall over a large area from the direction of the refugees. From a distance, they looked like the fallen feathers on an angel’s wings.
Then, as if by tacit agreement, the crowd parted. A figure in a black cloak passed through the refugee crowd, dragging a giant scythe as tall as herself. The giant scythe plowed deep marks on the ground.
“Ding…”
Taking light steps, she approached the army. The rain wet her silver hair, flowed over the gilded mask, and fell on the black collar, but did not hinder her pace.
“This Priest’s aura is also at Battle King Level, and it’s extremely powerful.”
The commotion here naturally attracted the attention of the three in the sky. The square-faced deputy commander Hess looked at the black figure in surprise. Silpi, opposite him, looked at the figure with an uncertain expression, then coldly warned,
“I don’t remember Aers having a Grand Priest of this level. I hope you will not interfere with a national war. Tonight, Yela intends to completely capture those western cities.”
Ignoring Silpi’s warning, the figure waved her sleeve. Pale yellow light surged from her giant scythe, bringing with it strands of healing energy to the injured civilians.
“You go.”
Seeing the black figure continue to move forward, Silpi’s eyelid twitched. He nodded to his deputy, who understood and turned into a blue stream of light, landing in front of the black figure.
The latter held a short black blade in his hand, narrowed his eyes, and, using rather formal English, once again warned Su Jiu, “Can you understand what we are saying? Tonight, the Yela Army will surely trample this place. This is an unchangeable fact. It’s useless even if you save these civilians!”
Looking at the Yela deputy blocking her path, Su Jiu paused, slightly raised her head, revealing a pale and exceptionally beautiful half-face, and said calmly,
“Then, for this night, I will stand guard for them.”
