I was the last one to get on the bus. All the seats in the back were already taken, so I had no choice but to sit in the front row. The officer in charge came by to check our names and hand out energy supplements. I ate mine without much enthusiasm, then leaned my head back and closed my eyes.I hadn’t slept well in days. Any break—even just a few hours—I had to make the most of. When I woke up again, the bus was driving past an unfamiliar village. I knew it was nighttime because it was dark out, but I had no clue what time it was.I glanced out the window and saw the driver following a military vehicle. The symbol on it was different from Siram’s—proof we were already in Soriar. After passing through the village, the bus turned onto a dirt road and followed it for about fifteen minutes before stopping.We got off the bus in order. My eyes scanned the makeshift barricade built in the open field—probably one of the last lines of defense before the monsters could reach the village.I st
I sat on the base floor, leaning my back against the wall. From where I sat, everything looked under control, but my sharp ears could still pick up the chaos coming through the radio in the control room. Only two out of the four bases had managed to suppress the invasion, and Base Two seemed to be in the worst shape.“Here, eat something,” Liam said, sitting next to me and handing me a granola bar. I gladly accepted it as I kept observing the scene in front of me.Day turned to night. Campfires lit up the sand where the monsters’ bodies were burned, disappearing for good. Before long, William returned with the guards, carrying the witches’ corpses. A curious crowd gathered to watch the bodies being tossed into the flames.“Call the heir now!” I heard Sam shout from the control room. Just like that, the calm turned back into chaos.I stood up and lined up with the other lead warriors, while the rest of the guards—those not on patrol—took position in front of us. William stood in the ce
That said, I took off running, following my own trail to find the way back. When I reached the ogre, two wolves in human form were already rescuing the injured one. Luckily, he was safe. I kept going until I reached the base and felt a wave of relief when I saw that things seemed to be under control. The first thing I did was rush over to my students. They were helping the rest of the guard finish off the remaining monsters.“Thank God you’re okay!” I said, shifting back into human form.“Eliza, what happened to you?” Liam turned to me, his eyes locking on the burn on my arm.Before I could answer, William showed up behind me. I didn’t brace myself—never imagined he’d do what he did. As I turned toward him, he punched me in the face. I stumbled back and hit the ground.“Don’t you know how to follow orders? Who the hell said you could act on your own?” I was completely stunned. His eyes were blazing—a mix of anger and worry. “You drove me insane! I couldn’t just abandon the group to go
Balls of fire started flying straight at me. Flames spread rapidly around me, cutting off my path. The moment I realized both witches were fire elementals, I focused on finding a water source I could use to my advantage.I kept running until I caught the scent of moisture. My ears followed the sound of rushing water, and I sprinted toward it. A narrow stream was flowing from the forest down toward the sea. It wasn’t wide, but it had a strong current.I slowed down, shifted back to human form, and yanked off my jumpsuit. I needed full mobility if I wanted any chance of beating them without serious damage. I dodged the spells flying at me while I finished stripping down, then threw myself into the water, shifting into wolf form mid-air.I dove deep, soaking my fur completely, then swam back up and paddled to the edge. The witches were now right in front of me. My heart was racing, my body slightly trembling. I couldn’t afford to hesitate. Drawing on everything I’d learned, I dove into a
I kept scanning the battlefield, ears on high alert. Every now and then, Lisa made me glance at the heir, clearly worried about how he was doing. A sudden movement caught my eye—a dark figure touching the fence in a more remote corner. It was, without a doubt, an elemental witch. All witches are considered highly dangerous monsters.“The fence is going down,” Lisa and I realized at the same time.“Students, shift into wolf form! Now!” I rushed forward, nocking an arrow to my bow. “The fence is coming down! Red-level monster to the right!”My shout reached the heir’s ears. As soon as he looked at me, I fired an arrow at the witch. Given the distance, she easily dodged it, but at least it drew the wolves’ attention toward the danger. The heir seemed to issue a command that made the wolves shift formation.I took a deep breath, trying to keep it together. Behind me, all my students had already taken their wolf forms. A loud crash followed as a block of earth smashed through the fence whe
After half an hour, I started getting anxious. I had been through simulations with my dad and knew the theory inside out, but I’d never been in a real coordinated battle before. I started wondering if I was really cut out to lead this. I couldn’t communicate mentally with my unit yet, so my voice was the only tool I had—and that made everything a lot harder.Anyway, the plan was just to provide rear support, so if we did end up in combat, someone from the higher command already ahead of us would take over.Minutes felt like hours as the tension built. The fighting was getting fiercer, with nearly all strategic points now under attack. Red-level monster alerts started flooding in, which only made things worse.“Eliza, do you copy?” Arthur called through a private channel on the radio.“Loud and clear,” I answered.“Up ahead, the road will split in three. Your unit needs to break off now. Head left. You’ll be supporting Base One—it’s the only spot not yet engaged in direct combat.”“Got