Chapter 1056: Core Area
Every day, exhaustion gnawed at everyone. Even Diras, usually stoic, now wore a ghostly pallor—a haunting reminder of the toll that reckless, ceaseless mana expenditure exacted.
By the eighth day, only Leon, Rafael, and the trio of alchemists from Skyhold Fortress remained apart; the rest of the humans had thrown themselves into the demon-suppression and cleanup squads, their fatigue etched into every movement.
The Bloodfang Tribe’s Grand Chieftain and Grand Shaman had both come in person to join the demon suppression. Bloodfang sent an elite force of over a thousand warriors, their presence a grim testament to the escalating crisis.
On the ninth day, even the three alchemists from Skyhold Fortress had to pilot the Floating Fortress into battle. Only Leon and Rafael were spared—every other able-bodied fighter was dragged onto the front lines, no matter how spent.
Relentless combat wore everyone down to the bone. Nearly every skirmish was led by a Demon Overlord—sometimes, three at once. The Bloodfang Tribe’s Grand Seer, usually above such struggles, was forced to join the fray, desperation etched on his face.
After days of battle, Diras looked like the walking dead—ashen, pallid, hollow-eyed. The Shadow Tower had lost a member, and the pressure on the survivors mounted, every clash heavier than the last.
Fury threatened to burst his lungs, but he couldn’t utter a word. On the eighth day, he’d barely managed a syllable before someone’s retort slammed the door on his protest.
“If it weren’t for the fools from your Shadow Tower meddling, we would’ve cracked and modified the Sky Rank Alchemical Array days ago.”
Trying to stir up trouble only made things worse. The fighting was savage—everyone had to stay razor-focused, because a single lapse meant death.