Chapter 169: A Desperate Struggle

Chapter 169: Chapter 169: A Desperate Struggle

"Where is the support from Frostveil? They have stabilized their own Zone Heart, yet they continue to leave us to deal with this disaster!"

"They should understand that if Tempest Hollow falls, the consequences will spread to every surrounding region!"

Angry voices filled the command area.

Some blamed the Winterbourne family for withholding assistance, while others questioned the representatives’ failure to secure immediate support.

But the truth was that Frostveil had its own problems to deal with, and the representatives had returned without the help they had promised.

An elder from Haven’s Edge rubbed his forehead.

"We cannot rely on the Winterbournes. We have to find another way."

"Another way?" someone scoffed. "What do you suggest? We have already exhausted most of our resources!"

The elder didn’t respond.

Everyone knew how much they had depended on Kane Calloway and the other powerful elemental users who had been holding the line. Their contributions had kept the defenses from collapsing much earlier, but even they were reaching their limits.

Kane had fought relentlessly, using his Purple Storm Lightning to destroy large numbers of beasts. Yet the constant battles had drained his Aether, and he couldn’t continue fighting at the same intensity forever.

Other powerful elemental users were in similar conditions.

Some had suffered serious injuries, while others had already fallen in battle.

The alliance had more manpower than most individual families, but the tide was simply too large. Every loss weakened their formations, and every retreat forced them to abandon resources that they could no longer afford to replace.

A commander rushed into the area once more.

"The western formation has fallen!"

The elders turned toward him.

"What?"

"The beasts have broken through. They’re moving toward the inner defenses, and we can’t hold them back!"

For a moment, no one spoke.

The news settled over the command area like a heavy weight.

The western formation had been one of their strongest defensive positions. If it had fallen, then the remaining lines would soon be surrounded.

One of the elders lowered his head.

"Is this really the end?"

Another clenched his jaw.

"We’ve sacrificed so much. Are we truly going to lose everything here?"

No one had an answer.

Outside, the battle continued to grow more violent. The beasts surged forward, their roars drowning out the commands of the defenders. Aether cannons fired until their operators could no longer maintain them, while elemental users struggled to protect the wounded and prevent further breaches.

The frontline was close to breaking.

And the representatives who had returned from Frostveil could only stand there, concealing the truth while their people continued to die.

They had asked Damon for help, but they had no idea when he would arrive.

Even worse, they weren’t certain he would come at all.

One of the representatives looked toward the battlefield, his face twisting with frustration.

’That arrogant bastard...’

He had no choice but to grit his teeth and wait.

After all, whether he liked it or not, Damon might now be their only chance.

And with every passing moment, the situation grew more desperate.

The frontline were only now barely holding together.

Kane stood at the center of the formation, his chest rising and falling as he struggled to catch his breath. Purple lightning flickered around his body, but it was no longer as bright as before. His clothes were torn, and several wounds covered his arms and shoulders.

Around him, the other geniuses were in no better condition.

Some struggled to maintain their elemental arts, while others had already fallen to their knees. A few elemental users collapsed completely after casting one final attack, their Aether reserves drained beyond recovery.

They had fought for far too long.

Even the geniuses who had carried the frontline through the worst of the battle were reaching their limits.

"Fall back! You need to rest!"

An elder moved toward Kane, his face filled with worry.

"Young Master, you can’t keep fighting like this. Your body won’t hold out much longer!"

"That’s right! Let someone else take over!"

Several elemental users nearby joined in, but Kane simply shook his head.

"Not yet."

His voice was hoarse, and he had to take a moment to steady his breathing.

"Young Master Kane, please! You have already done enough. You need to recover so you can fight another day!"

Kane clenched his fists.

He understood their concerns. His body was exhausted, his Aether reserves were nearly empty, and even his Spirit Beast could barely remain on by his side.

But he couldn’t simply step aside.

Too many people were depending on him. The other geniuses had already fallen, and the ordinary elemental users were struggling to keep the formation together.

If he retreated now, who would hold the line?

"Just give me a mana potion."

One of the elemental users quickly searched through their supplies before looking at him with an apologetic expression.

"We’re out, Young Master. We’ve used everything we had."

"Dammit!"

Kane cursed loudly, his frustration clear.

He glanced at the approaching tide of beasts and tightened his grip on his weapon.

There was no time to complain.

The beasts were getting closer, and their attacks were becoming even more relentless. It was almost as if they could sense the humans’ exhaustion and were deliberately exploiting it.

"Prepare your defenses!"

An elder’s shout rang across the frontline.

Elemental users hurried to reinforce the barriers, while others gathered whatever Aether they had left to launch another wave of attacks.

Fire, ice, wind, lightning and countless other elemental arts shot toward the incoming beasts.

But the attacks were no longer as coordinated as before.

Some were too weak to kill the beasts, while others missed their targets entirely. The defensive barriers flickered under the constant impact, and several sections began to crack.

"Hold the line!"

"Don’t let them through!"

The shouts went far beyond what they could see. Every time they managed to kill a group, more rushed forward to take their place.

And now, their strength was almost gone.