CHAPTER 62: CHAPTER 62: CHAOTIC BATTLE

[All objectives found]

[Congratulations to the "Hero’s Guild" for getting first place]

[New record unlocked 16:54:36]

[Achievement unlocked "Rookie of the year"]

[Rookie of the year: In your first GRB, be the best at any task, leaving the veterans behind. Go on, rookie, show those old farts how it’s done!]

The messages appeared in front of me, surprising me immensely. The desperation I had felt a moment before, seeing more and more demon generals, vanished at once, replaced by total disbelief. Sixteen hours? Had seventeen hours already passed since the GRB began? I had completely lost track of time in the battle—to this extent? I couldn’t believe what had happened. I thought I had only been fighting for a few hours, maybe two or three, and even though I felt tired, it wasn’t enough to be exhausted. Who would have thought I had managed to resist for sixteen hours, fighting at maximum intensity? The next announcement was even more gratifying: the girls had managed to get all the rewards, and we had gotten an achievement. It always feels good to be the best.

While I was a bit distracted by the news, something even more shocking happened. Just as the generals were preparing to launch their combined attack, the sky above them lit up with a violent flash.

[HellFire]

[Lightning Storm]

Rains of fire and lightning fell, resonating with the screams of two women. The explosions reached the generals, forcing them to retreat for a moment, while the Demon fighters who had been close to the impact were reduced to ashes by the powerful attack. Anya and Karely had impressed me with their devastating firepower.

I still hadn’t recovered from the shock when a rain of arrows fell, making a beautiful turn in the skies before plummeting like explosive meteorites.

[Explosive Arrow Rain]

The arrows fell, annihilating the enemies and relieving some of the pressure on me. Each explosion finished off ten or twenty Demon fighters, and the rain could be counted in dozens of arrows. I turned to look and on the wall were Lira and Elnara, launching arrows non-stop against the demons, hitting every arrow with insane precision. Even at this distance, I could recognize their active [Eagle Eye] ability.

At that moment, the gates of the fortress opened, and four women in combat armor ran to support me. It was Riven, Zela, Zyra, and Vira, charging with a fury and determination I had never seen in them before.

"You fools! What are you doing here? This place is too dangerous! Leave immediately!" I shouted, despite how happy I was to see them. I didn’t want to expose them to the grave danger in this place.

Riven, seeing me, ran towards one of the generals and launched a powerful blow with her sword, making him retreat. "We’re not leaving, boss! We’re much stronger now! Thanks to you, we’ve gotten enough levels! Now we’re all level 60!"

I was stunned. I hadn’t realized how fast they had advanced. I checked my own level, which said 65, and turned to look at the enemies.

[Demon Fighter Lvl 60]

[Demon Commander Lvl 65]

[Demon General Lvl 75]

I had fought without stopping for a single moment, my strength had been skyrocketing little by little, so I hadn’t felt the increase in the enemies’ level. We had been leveling up at the same pace, them and me!

"Boss, we’ll protect you! Finish them off!" Zela shouted, standing beside me with her shield held high. The others positioned themselves around me, forming a protective circle. The battle resumed. The mages, archers, and healers did their work from the walls, using powerful abilities to finish off their enemies while the warriors protected my flanks. Seeing how I had leveled up and taking advantage of the girls’ cover, I activated the [Nocturnal Temporal Flash] ability, allowing me to move instantly across the entire battlefield at a terrifying speed.

With this ability, I swept the battlefield, using the [Sanctuary of Life] to finish off my enemies as soon as I saw that the mages had caused enough damage. The generals took advantage of that moment to attack my companions, but using the flash, I immediately returned to continue fighting against them.

The battle stalled because Anya and Karely ran out of mana, having to sit down to slowly recover it. Only Lira and Elnara were still shooting, but they were no longer using their expansive abilities, slowing down the massacre.

[GRB time remaining 00:59:59]

The counter dropped, marking less than an hour. The war was about to end, but this caused a drastic change in the battle. The remaining generals roared and ordered their troops to attack the rear. All the demons began to ignore me as they ran toward the women on the walls.

I saw that and tried to fall back to defend the bridge, but the generals pursued me relentlessly across the entire battlefield, not letting me escape. Even with my flash, I couldn’t gain enough distance to attack the minor demons. Three Demon Generals ran towards Zela, surrounding her. I couldn’t ignore her, so I ran back. They were no match for the generals; they could only contain them temporarily.

"Zela, Riven, Vira! Go protect them!" I shouted in desperation. The warrior girls nodded and ran back, regrouping on the drawbridge where a second battle broke out, a fight to the death at the castle entrance.

[Karely Lvl Up]

[Zyra Lvl Up]

[You has lvl up]

Such a beautiful sound marked the restoration of our HP, MP, and SP. With the support of my companions and my restored strength, I could concentrate on the generals. I used [Time Delay] and [Rhythmic Lunar Pulse] once more, and with [Nocturnal Temporal Flash], I eliminated them one by one, moving so fast they barely saw me. Meanwhile, on the bridge, the girls defended themselves with ferocity. Manaia, from the battlement, launched her healing and blessing spells while the archers and mages gave support.

The battle continued until the last groan of a demon faded into the air. Only silence remained, broken by the labored breathing of everyone. Exhausted but victorious, we looked at each other. Manaia’s smile, relieved to see me alive, was worth more than all the experience notifications. We had won.

[GRB Has Been finished]