“Senior!” Brandon called out. “Let us fight too! We’re strong—me, Marcus, and the others. We’re ready.”

Snow swirled heavier now, covering their boots, frosting their brows.

Parker turned to him and placed a firm hand on his shoulder.

“You’re stronger than us—but that’s exactly why you stay.”

He nodded at Brandon, then gestured toward the city wall, where distant lights had begun to glimmer in the dark.

“If this is the beasts’ full-scale assault on humanity, then you’re the seeds of our future.”

“You don’t get to die yet,” he added gently. “Human civilization will need you to carry on.”

Behind them, groups of local residents had started gathering. Some brought crates packed with meat and milk. Others tossed their own warm jackets and thermal gear onto supply trucks—no words, just silent acts of unity.

Parker turned without another word, jumped into a truck, and waved. The engines roared back to life. One by one, the alumni climbed aboard and rolled out with Dominic, toward the front lines.

The last of the teachers followed, leaving only students behind.

Before leaving, Lincoln handed over command to Brandon and the few strongest students.

As the convoy disappeared into the darkness, Brandon sighed. He looked around at the students left behind, then began organizing the evacuation of the rest—except Marcus and a few others who stayed at his side.

Someone spotted Axel and Annabelle walking toward the dorms.

“Should we call him?” a student asked.

Brandon paused, eyes fixed on Axel’s silhouette in the distance.

“No,” he said quietly. “He may be one of us at Bloodstone… but he’s also part of the Whisper Syndicate. We have no right to ask anything of him.”

......

Inside his dorm room, Axel wiped the sweat from his body, took a breath, and slipped into deep focus.

Physical Strength: 805 / 815

Force: 793 / 798

Spirit: 795 / 799

He hadn't touched the life crystals lately. Instead, he’d used the Blood Refining Stones the principal had given him.

At first, he'd considered selling them—use the money to pay off his debts. But when the beast tide erupted, everything changed. He used them all. Strength meant survival now.

Since Dominic and the teachers left, there had been no updates—just the rising thunder of artillery, closer by the day. The rescue vehicles came more often now. At first, they brought back the dead. Now, only the wounded returned.

And fewer of them, each time.

......

Day Four of the Beast Tide.

The engines growled before they saw the vehicle. Dominic’s truck rumbled back into the school grounds, and this time, the students surrounded it without needing to be told.

“Dominic—we’re ready,” Brandon said, stepping forward.

Dominic looked... older. Worn down. His uniform was ragged, face lined with exhaustion, and the two soldiers beside him had replaced.

He scanned the group of students, his eyes stopping on Brandon’s determined face.

“The First Army’s defense line is broken,” he said slowly, voice like gravel. “The mutant beasts are pushing toward the city wall. All city guards are being pulled north to reinforce that point. There’s no one left to hold the gaps.”

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the assembled students.

“We’ve wiped out most of the scattered monsters, but a few got through. We can’t stop them. I’m advising full evacuation. Everyone. Leave with the civilians.”

“They’ll be here in thirty minutes.”

Brandon looked him in the eye. Took a long, deep breath.

“I hear you, Dominic.”

Then he smiled—a quiet smile—and shook his head. “...But we’re not going anywhere.”

Retreat would mean abandoning the school. It would mean the beasts flooding into the city, tearing through homes, killing people who couldn’t fight back. Even a handful of rogue monsters could leave hundreds dead.

Facing Dominic, Brandon pounded his fist to his chest in salute.

A moment later, thousands of students followed suit—boom, boom, boom, fists to chests in unison.

“As long as the school stands, the North will not fall!”

“We are here.”

Dominic stood there, silent. The torchlight reflected in his bloodshot eyes as he returned the salute.

“The front is collapsing. Watch each other’s backs,” he said hoarsely. “Good luck.”

And with that, he left.

The trucks rolled off, swallowed by darkness and snow. A heavy silence followed.

Brandon stood before the crowd. “Half an hour,” he said. “After that, the beasts will be here.”

He looked across the sea of faces. Some were pale, others resolute. Most were just scared—but standing anyway.

“All the teachers are gone. Now it’s on us.”

He raised his voice.

“Behind us are the people. The future of humanity. We don’t run..”

“The military wants us to evacuate—I won’t force any of you to stay. If you want to leave, no one will stop you.”

Then he stepped forward, drew a line in the snow with his boot.

“Those who will fight, step up now!”

For a second, nothing.

Then came the first footsteps. Then more. One by one, students stepped forward.

Brandon gave a nod. “Anyone below Level 2, return to the dorms. Now.”

There was hesitation. Many looked back, reluctant.

The beasts that got through were strong, at least Level 2.

“You’re still the future. Don’t throw it away here. As long as this place stands, the North still stands.”

“Those above Level 2—follow me. We move out through the main gate. On the way, report your awakening talents and combat skills.”

Over seventy students remained.

They said no goodbyes. No one looked back.

Through the growing snow, they walked toward the gate of Bloodstone.

The sound of artillery was beginning to fade—but Brandon knew that the real fight at the northwest wall was about to begin.

Then, from the corner of his eye, he caught a familiar figure in the crowd. His brows rose in surprise.

“Axel?”

With Axel’s talents, he shouldn’t be anywhere near this kind of battle. It wasn’t his time to die.

“Don’t underestimate the Whisper Syndicate,” Axel said, flashing a small smile.

“I’ve already mapped out the tactical formations. You and Marcus need to move dynamically. You’re the strongest among us. Your job is to kill.”

Axel nodded and turned to the girl next to him. “Annabelle… You sure about this?”

She had sprinted out of the dorm after him and hadn't left his side since.

“Yes,” she said firmly, nodding.

.......

The heavy gates of Bloodstone Academy creaked open.

Sunlight spilled over the snow, blinding against the white expanse. Axel pulled out his phone and checked again. He tried the captain’s number—again. Nothing.

He stared at the screen, then slid it back into his coat.

“Axel… are we going to die out here?” Annabelle’s voice was barely a whisper. Her eyes locked on the distant hills, where snow waves churned and rumbled—beaststampede.

Axel took a slow breath. “No. We’re going to live.”

They were standing on high ground—seven or eight meters above the battlefield. The slope gave them a clear view. Down below, the first rows of students were already manning the heavy weapons.

Then came the rumble.

The beasts broke through the snow line.

“About a hundred… all second-tier at least. Mostly snow giant wolves. A few long-tusked boars. And some—hell, I’ve never even seen those things before.”

Heavy fire rang out.

Rounds slammed into the oncoming horde—but the creatures were fast. Agile, brutal, relentless. In the first barrage, only seven or eight dropped.

“Ready yourselves!” Brandon shouted.

Five hundred meters… four hundred…

The monsters charged through the snow, snarling, eyes glowing. Their breath was visible in the frozen air. The stench hit next—hot, iron-rich, and putrid.

“Release!”

More than twenty psychic-type Awakeners unleashed their skills. The sky lit up in chaotic brilliance—blazing fire serpents, jagged ice spears, crackling arcs of lightning. Uncoordinated, wild—but deadly.