Chapter 502:Disasters after disaster.

Chapter 502: 502:Disasters after disaster.

The battle continued for another twenty minutes.

Peter eventually managed to drive the abnormal creature away from the central evacuation route, forcing it toward the damaged industrial district where several military units had established additional defensive positions. Silver and Ravenna supported the retreat whenever possible, although his injuries prevented him from using his spatial abilities as freely as before.

The creature wasn’t defeated since it was too strong, too unpredictable and the defenders were too exhausted to pursue it. Instead, Peter concentrated on keeping it away from the civilians.

That decision saved dozens of lives but the danger was far from over.

The beast tide continued pouring through the northern district, and several secondary barricades had already collapsed.

Silver stood near the central market, leaning against a damaged wall while Ravenna helped bandage his chest.

His breathing was shallow and every movement hurt. Ravenna’s hands trembled slightly also from the strain of over using her powers.

He immediately noticed.

"Hey."

She looked up.

He smiled faintly.

"You’re doing fine."

She stared at him,a little confused, then shook her head.

"You’re impossible."

He laughed weakly.

"Been told."

She tightened the bandage.

He winced.

"Ow."

"Good."

He looked at her with a betrayed expression.

Ravenna looked at him.

"Maybe you’ll learn."

He smiled.

"Unlikely."

Despite herself, she laughed, then her expression softened.

"Please don’t scare me like that again."

He looked toward her.

He wanted to promise, he really did, but the screams outside made the words feel dishonest.

So instead, he took her hand.

"I’ll do everything I can," he softly said.

She nodded slowly.

"That’s enough," she replied with a relieved tone.

Their communicator suddenly crackled.

"Silver!"

Helena’s voice.

He immediately straightened.

"Commander?"

Her breathing was heavy.

"We have a problem near the communications tower."

He frowned.

"What happened?" He asked.

"Several evacuation teams are trapped in the northern residential passage. Mina and Rowan went to help, but the beasts have cut off their retreat."

His expression changed.

"Where’s Elias?" He asked.

There was a pause, then Helena answered.

"Still on the tower," she said in a small voice, filled with defeat.

He looked toward the northern district. The communications tower rose above the damaged buildings, its upper platform illuminated by emergency lights.

He could see flashes of gunfire coming from the top. It was clear that Elias was still providing covering fire.

He tightened his grip on his communicator.

"I’m coming."

Ravenna immediately stood.

"Silver, you’re injured and your spatial energy is unstable," she said, her voice filled with agency.

"I know."

She stared at him, unable to say anything.

He looked toward her.

"Mina and Rowan are trapped," he quietly said.

Her expression changed.

He continued.

"And Elias is up there alone."

For several seconds, neither spoke, then she picked up her sword.

"Then we’re going together."

He nodded.

"Right."

They moved towards the direction.

Elias Thorn stood on the communications tower with blood running down his left arm.

His ammunition was running low.

Several spent magazines lay scattered across the platform, and his bowstring had begun showing signs of wear from the number of arrows he’d fired throughout the night. His enhanced vision remained active, although the repeated circulation of soul energy through his eyes had produced a dull, persistent ache behind his forehead.

Below him, the northern residential passage was collapsing. Several students and civilians were attempting to escape through a narrow road between two damaged buildings.

Mina was among them, so was Rowan and several Class Four students who’d been assigned to the northern evacuation teams.

He could see the approaching beasts, and they were just too many.

A Tier Three predator leaped over a collapsed barricade.

Hr fired.

The arrow struck its eye and the creature fell. Another immediately appeared. He fired again, then another and another.

His breathing became heavier.

"Come on..." He mumbled desperately.

He reached for another arrow. His fingers trembled but he forced them steady.

Below, Rowan shouted.

"Move! Keep moving!"

Several civilians hurried through the passage. A child stumbled but Mina caught him.

Elias smiled faintly.

"Well..."

Then he saw something approaching from the northern road; a massive teir four armored beast. Its body was covered in thick plates, and its horns were lowered as it charged through the wreckage.

Elias’s expression changed and he immediately activated his communicator.

"Helena!"

Her voice answered.

"Elias?"

"Large Tier Four approaching the northern passage! We need immediate support!"

"Silver and Ravenna are on their way!"

He looked toward the approaching creature, then toward the civilians below who were still moving but too slowly.

He swallowed.

"Understood."

He raised his bow and his enhanced vision sharpened. The beast’s movements, armor, joint and the exposed flesh beneath its neck became clearer.

He exhaled, then fired.

The creature roared the moment the arrow struck it’s eye. Its charge faltered but it didn’t stop.

Elias reached for another arrow, then another as he fired repeatedly. Each shot struck a vulnerable point and each one slowed the beast but the creature continued advancing.

The tower trembled as several smaller beasts collided with its lower supports.

Elias glanced downward.

The structure was damaged, he knew that, but he also knew that abandoning his position would leave the evacuation passage exposed.

He activated his communicator again.

"Helena."

"Go ahead."

"How many civilians remain?" He asked.

There was a pause, then...

"Approximately twenty."

Elias nodded.

"All right."

He looked toward the approaching beasts, then smiled faintly.

"Twenty."

He could do that.

He only needed to hold them long enough for twenty people to escape.

That wasn’t impossible.

He’d spent his entire life trying to prove that he could become a capable Contractor. Trying to escape the shadow of a brother who’d reached Rank Five at twenty-five. Trying to show that a Soul Capacity of nine didn’t mean he was destined to remain ordinary.

And now, standing above a ruined settlement with his ammunition nearly exhausted, Elias realized something strange. He wasn’t thinking about his brother. He wasn’t thinking about his ranking. He wasn’t even thinking about Rank Two.

He was thinking about the people below; the classmates who’d trusted him to watch their backs, the civilians who would die if he stopped firing, and the simple fact that he was the only person positioned to protect them.

He drew another arrow and his hands steadied.

"Come on, then."

He released.

Silver reached the northern residential district just as the first major section of the communications tower began to collapse.

The ground shook followed by a loud metallic groan echoing through the surrounding streets.

He looked up.

His expression changed.

"Elias!"

The response came through his communicator.

"Silver?"

"Get down from there!"

Elias looked toward the approaching beasts, then toward the civilians below.

"Can’t."

Silver stopped.

"What?"

"Still have people coming through."

He activated Spatial Sense.

[Spatial Sense Lv3 Activated.]

Pain stabbed through his head but he gritted his teeth. The surrounding area unfolded within his perception. He saw Mina, Rowan, several civilians, a group of approaching beasts and Elias high above them.

He immediately understood what was delaying everything. The evacuation passage was too narrow. If Elias abandoned his position, the beasts would reach the civilians before they could escape.

He looked toward Ravenna.

"Help them!"

She nodded.

"Understood!"

She rushed toward the passage.

Silver activated Short-Step.

[Short-Step Lv3 Activated.]

His body blurred before reappearing near the base of the tower. Pain exploded through his chest but he ignored it.

"Elias!"

The communicator crackled.

"Silver, don’t come up!"

He looked toward the damaged supports.

"Shut up!"

Elias laughed weakly.

"Still bossy."

He gritted his teeth.

"I’m getting you out!"

He extended his left hand.

[Spatial Distortion Lv2 Activated.]

A barrier formed beneath a collapsing section of the tower and the structure stabilized slightly.

He exhaled sharply.

Then another beast struck the lower supports and the tower shook.

His barrier cracked.

Silver’s expression changed.

He could feel the strain.

His spatial energy circulation was already damaged. Maintaining the barrier was difficult but he refused to release it.

"Elias, move! Just jump, I’ll catch you!"