They were calling for backup.
As soon as Reed realized this, his whole body tensed. He didn't need to understand the exact words being exchanged through the metal box—the urgency in the soldier's tone was enough. Reinforcements were on their way.
More of them? With those weapons? His pulse spiked. No chance we survive a second round like that.
His gaze snapped to Lannis, who was leaning heavily against a boulder, her face pale but alert. Her ribs were still cracked, her breathing uneven. She had tried to heal herself as much as possible, but she wasn't fully recovered. Not even close.
"Lannis, we need to go," he said, his voice low but urgent. "Let's regroup with Marek and the rest. They're still hiding in the crater, waiting out the shelling."
In the distance, the thunderous booms of magical or explosive shells still echoed across the landscape, though they had become more sporadic. The ground no longer trembled beneath each detonation, but the danger hadn't vanished.
"I agree," she said quickly, pushing herself off the rock with a wince. "Let's move before they zero in on us."
Reed crouched in front of her without hesitation. "Get on. I'll carry you."
She didn't argue. Within seconds, she was on his back, arms loosely wrapped around his shoulders, and Reed launched into motion.
Using his shadows to reinforce his legs, he sprinted across the ravaged terrain, weaving through craters and debris. Each stride carried him dozens of feet, boosted by the silent force of his gift. His cloak fluttered violently behind him, his feet barely making contact with the ground. It was like flying just above the earth's surface.
But every pulse of shadow that surged into his muscles came with a cost. His breathing grew heavier. His vision blurred at the edges. His heart pounded—not just from exertion, but from strain. He had already summoned and fought through several bouts of combat. His stamina was thinning fast.
Still, he didn't stop.
Eventually, the smoking ridges gave way to a broad crater—the one Hare had apparently designated as the temporary fallback point. It was deeper than most, with steep slopes on all sides that shielded it from most directions. A few wary heads peeked up at the edge.
They made it.
Reed descended into the pit, his boots sliding against loose dirt and ash. The cluster of group leaders, gathered near the crater's center, turned as he approached. Most of them looked stunned. A few blinked like they were seeing a ghost.
"Reed?" Juni said, disbelief clear in her voice.
Even Marek, who was lying on a makeshift stretcher made of summoned roots, straightened slightly, his eyes wide.
"I told you he went to find her," Marek muttered, nudging Hare beside him.
Reed knelt to let Lannis dismount, helping her sit among the others. Then, with visible effort, he steadied himself, breathing hard. A few drops of sweat rolled down his temple, and his hands trembled slightly.
"They're soldiers," he began, loud enough for the whole huddle to hear. "The ones attacking us—they're trained, organized, and dangerous. And they have ranged weapons that don't need spellcasting. Something mechanical, maybe. They point, and it fires instantly. It tore into my summon like it was made of paper."
Some of the group leaders exchanged alarmed glances. Others leaned in, absorbing every word.
Reed continued, "They also have devices that let them communicate over distance. We saw one of them talking into a metal-like box. Right after that, the others adjusted their positions. It's how they're moving so efficiently."
"Thanks, Reed," Hare said gravely. "That… at least gives us a clearer picture of what we're dealing with."
"It's worse than we thought," muttered one of the other squad leaders—a short, wiry girl from Juni's group. "We weren't supposed to face anything like this."
Marek, lying nearby with his leg propped on a roll of cloth, raised his voice. "The screen said we just had to survive, yeah? Why don't we just wait it out here? This crater's deep, and they're not dropping bombs as often now."
It was a reasonable suggestion. Everyone paused.
Hare scratched his chin, clearly thinking it over. "It's not a bad idea, Marek. But what happens if another shell hits us dead-on? This place becomes a tomb."
Juni nodded. "One direct hit would wipe out half the squad leaders."
The grim silence that followed told Reed they all agreed. Waiting here was only slightly better than running blind into gunfire.
He wiped his face with the back of his hand, then suddenly looked around, frowning. "Wait. Where are the original students?"
Lannis blinked. "You mean the seniors who came here before us?"
Marek's face stiffened. "I thought they'd be in another crater."
"No," Juni said slowly, shaking her head. "I haven't seen a single upperclassman since we landed."
That's when they heard it.
The sound of fighting—close. Too close.
Not explosions. Not the deep, distant thunder of falling shells.
This was sharper. Metal against metal. Cries of pain. The unmistakable clash of mana-enhanced combat. And it was coming from just beyond the crater's rim.
Reed shot to his feet, his fatigue forgotten for the moment. His shadow curled tighter around his feet like a coiled snake, ready to launch.
"They're here," he said through clenched teeth. "Whoever's fighting—it's within a few hundred feet."
Hare was already moving, barking low commands. "Fan out! Quietly. Defensive positions on the slope. No full exposure until we know who it is."
One by one, the students scattered, crouching low as they took position along the crater's inner edge. The sound of battle was growing louder.
Reed's eyes narrowed as he scanned the perimeter, and that's when he saw it, a couple hundred feet out, the five students were in combat with about ten or eleven soldiers, all engaging in hand to hand combat, with one of the soldiers holding a small black box that cast a bluish haze over the battlefield.
He had to help, and so, he called over hare, and they both agreed, and Hare gave the order.
"ALL UNITS FORWARD, SUPPORT THE SENIORS!"
And with that, the emboldened students lurched forward, clad in their different colored robes and some small hand-held weapons, towards the enemy. It was time to fight.