Chapter 44: The Stronghold Under Snow Storms (6)

They could immediately ask for reinforcements from the headquarters. However, the distance was considerable, and if there was any S-class esper available.

The man held the back of his neck for a moment and took a deep breath. In a situation like this, he showed why he was the one in charge in this red zone.

“Immediately send a—” he paused and looked at the woman. “You need to rest and have someone guide you first.”

Before the woman could argue, he had already instructed another staff member to get her. He then rushed back to the office while taking a communication device to start talking with the headquarters.

They were not the only ones who noticed the urgency and the unusual movements of the cold beasts. The veterans in this red zone had already dreaded this assumption, and as the hours passed, they needed to admit it.

This was a cold beast tide. And was being aided by a snowstorm no less.

In each hour that passed, the situation on the front lines was getting worse. The espers barely had enough rest. They also could not risk overworking the guides too much, or each of them would exhibit backlash symptoms.

And yet, the cold beasts were endless.

“Where are they coming from?” An esper exclaimed in frustration, kicking a small cold beast that managed to go over the first defense line.

“In a dungeon, probably,” someone answered behind him. He was not wearing any official insignia and so was a mercenary.

“A dungeon break?”

“I don’t think so. How come there’s already a dungeon break?”

They could only chat because they were on the second defense line, but they soon focused their attention on the battlefield. It was almost dawn, and they had yet to sleep a wink.

The exhaustion would soon accumulate, and their combat power, which was hindered by the snowstorm, would plummet even more.

Suddenly, a louder cry resounded that made almost everyone’s faces change.

“Fuck!” One swore, his eyes widening. “Are you serious?”

A loud flare then resounded from the wall. And the espers from there waved their hands in unison, prompting them to come up.

“Retreat!” Everyone from below the wall quickly went to the ladder that was dropped. Some did not need to use the ladder and used their abilities to climb the wall.

No one asked; they only retreated in haste.

This time… The situation turned drastically worse.

Everyone was up and awake; no one could possibly sleep peacefully after that. Ayen was the same. He only napped for an hour or two before he woke up.

Nolan was the same. The two decided to go downstairs and help support the front lines. Ayen found it strange that Nolan had yet to be called for a guiding session but did not ask.

Everyone had secrets.

The lobby had begun to look like a hospital, injured espers lying around everywhere. After all, this place was warmer than other buildings.

Some civilians were also mobilized to help deliver some supplies or support the staff in any way they could.

“Hey.” Lucian sat on the ground, not bothering to get a seat. He gasped for breath after drinking water. “You two haven’t been called?”

Ayen shook his head. Lucian did not question him, but he stared suspiciously at Nolan. “What about you?”

Clearly, Lucian might have known to read the room, but he still fell short.

“I don’t know.” Nolan smiled. He put down the bloody cloth in the basin.

Lucian narrowed his eyes and opened his mouth to ask again, but his attention was disrupted when Ayen talked to him.

“How are the front lines?”

Lucian turned to him, and his whole focus immediately shifted.

“It’s terrible! Damn!” He then leaned forward, looked around, and whispered, “I heard they are considering evacuation.”

As he was an A-class Guide, he could guide A-class Espers who also had access to more information, and so this source must have a basis.

Ayen frowned. Nolan did the same.

“That bad?” Nolan could not believe it.

Lucian nodded furiously. “I swear, too unlucky. We just arrived too!”

Nolan did not react; the casual smile could not be seen on his lips. He looked worried and returned to what he was doing.

Ayen pursed his lips, sitting for a bit. He could not help but caress his bracelet. They fell into silence.

Based on the status of the front lines, the stronghold’s survival seemed unlikely. Ayen knew that once the evacuation did happen, he would not be part of the priority.

His mind began to spin. This time, he did not know how he would be able to survive. Ayen thought of contacting the two espers, but would they be able to arrive in time before that?

Everyone had deep thoughts and was unable to chat anymore.

On the other side, in the front lines.

“We might have to run away later.”

“Perhaps. Or…”

“Do you think that person will act? I feel it’s unlikely.”

The two men talking were the mercenaries who escorted Ayen and the others.

The taller man did not speak. Whether he agreed or not matters less in the situation.

No matter how many cold beasts were killed, they were still endless. The famous A-ranks stationed in this stronghold had long been mobilized to intercept the big bosses that arrived.

Suddenly, a change happened on the battlefield. Mana erupted, overwhelming everyone.

The expression of the two became twisted. “I’m afraid… we can’t even escape now.”

A cold beast that had mana density almost equal to an S-class appeared. Though not fully an S-class, A-class espers could hardly compete.

Despair began to rise, and the morale plummeted even faster. The A-class espers retreated, and they were already injured and far from their peak.

If that cold beast had arrived a little earlier, if all A-class espers joined together to fight, they might have a chance. However, what happened after that was the problem.

Even if they managed to kill it, they might not have the combat power to continue fighting after that. When the beast tide was ongoing, that was also a terrible scenario.

Either way, they were fucked.

A man standing at the government building sighed and closed his eyes. He had yet to get the reinforcement he needed, and now the situation had already taken a drastic turn.

His hands clenched, and the phone almost crashed. While past his prime, he was still an A-class esper. His self-control was incredible to be able to not damage that phone in the end.

“Those bastards.” He cursed the higher-ups with gritted teeth. Everyone was working for survival here, and yet, they were still arguing over a reinforcement?

Sometimes, he always hoped a dungeon would open on that incredible fortress and wipe them all out. But… He could only think about it.

His shoulders drooped, and gloom overtook the room. All of those people… would not survive once evacuation proceeded.

Just as he was already conflicted and in rage deep inside, a new development suddenly happened on the front lines.

“Sir! Someone appeared… an S-class esper, sir!”

The man looked over in shock. An S-class esper?

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