The Battle's End

Everyone froze in place, eyes wide and mouths agape, their brains crashing into a complete blank.

One second, they were still reeling from the clone's heaven-defying feat of instantly killing the demon general, and the next, he was just gone?

That was way too absurd!

He had saved everyone, cut down the BOSS, and vanished in a flash without leaving so much as a line of dialogue. His air of mystery was maxed out!

Lin Chen's legs went weak, and he dropped onto the rubble-covered ground. Purple lightning still flickered faintly at his fingertips as he stared blankly in the direction where the clone had disappeared, unable to utter a word for the longest time. Only after a long while did he abruptly snap out of it and grab Lin Yue beside him, who was just as shaken. Even his voice trembled:

"Sis... was that real just now? That big shot wearing the king mask... he just vanished like that? Who on earth is he?! That was way too cool! He rushed to the rescue like he was fighting a fire, then disappeared as soon as the fight was over. This is the kind of top-tier big-shot scene you only get in novels!"

Lin Yue's face was still pale. Cold sweat had soaked the hair at her hairline, plastering it to her smooth forehead. She nodded gently, her eyes filled with awe and bewilderment:

"That was terrifying... a second-tier awakener, instantly killing the Red Lotus Demon General, using Teleportation to save people, then vanishing once the fight was over... that's not a genius anymore. That's a monster, isn't it...?"

The surrounding students erupted into an even greater uproar. The wild joy of surviving a catastrophe, the lingering fear of escaping death, and their shock and admiration for the mysterious powerhouse all mingled together, filling the entire square with a buzzing chorus of discussion.

"Holy shit, holy shit, holy shit! I can brag about what I just saw for the rest of my life! The Red Lotus Demon General! That was a monster that could destroy heaven and earth! And that big shot one-shotted him with a single slash!"

"The best part is that he ran off right after the fight. What a rush! He didn't even leave a name. Talk about keeping a low profile!"

"I hereby declare that from today onward, he's my god! Nobody try to steal him from me!"

"Did you notice he barely spoke the entire time? His presence was off the charts. He's the absolute pinnacle of aloof male perfection!"

"What a shame. I wanted to ask if he was taking disciples, but he vanished without a trace..."

The clamor rose and fell as everyone feverishly discussed the powerhouse in the king mask who had appeared so suddenly and disappeared just as abruptly. No one could contain their excitement and shock.

At the very front of the crowd, however, Qin Lie, captain of the Cloud-Soaring Squad, wore an utterly grave look. He released his mental power again, meticulously sweeping through the entire airspace without overlooking even the tiniest corner. Yet the final result remained the same-

The mysterious powerhouse had disappeared completely, leaving no energy fluctuations and no traces, as though he had never existed.

Qin Lie withdrew his mental power, his brows furrowing tightly into three deep strokes. Questions grew wildly in his heart like weeds.

A second-tier awakener, yet strong enough to slay the Red Lotus Demon General, casually using spatial Teleportation, overwhelming everyone present with his presence, then disappearing after the fight without leaving the slightest trace...

Every last part of it completely defied everything he knew about awakeners, abilities, and the system of combat strength!

Over all his years on the battlefield, he had seen countless heaven-defying geniuses and countless bizarre abilities, but never had he encountered an existence so absurd, so mysterious, and so powerful!

He could not even help wondering, Who on earth is this person? Some old monster living in seclusion, in disguise? Someone from a mysterious top-tier organization? Or... some kind of special ability user who has never been discovered before?

Countless questions churned in Qin Lie's heart, but he knew this was not the time to investigate them.

Just then, the once hideous, terrifying spatial rift in the sky, which had been continuously spewing monsters, lost the support of its core power after the Red Lotus Demon General was slain. It began to writhe slowly, contracting and closing.

The black demonic energy along the rift's edges faded and disappeared bit by bit, like smoke scattered by the wind. The source of the monster tide that had been surging out so wildly was cut off in an instant.

But-

The crisis was not completely over yet!

During the chaos earlier, a large horde of low-tier monsters had already charged out of the spatial rift and spread to every corner of the square. There were demon wolves with gaping, blood-filled maws, demon spiders covered in spikes, demon soldiers wielding bone blades, and small, incredibly fast demon bats...

Although these monsters lacked the Red Lotus Demon General's heaven-and-earth-destroying strength, they were still savage and bloodthirsty. They posed an enormous threat to the surviving students, the injured civilians, and this devastated battlefield.

Without the Red Lotus Demon General's command, they had fallen into utter disorder, yet they still roared and lunged madly, biting anyone they saw and attacking anything alive. The situation remained perilous in the extreme.

Qin Lie's gaze sharpened as he instantly snapped out of his shock over the mysterious powerhouse. He abruptly raised his right hand, pointing the alloy battle blade he held straight at the monsters scurrying everywhere ahead. His voice rang across the entire square like cold steel:

"Cloud-Soaring Squad! All members, assemble! Clear the area!"

The order rang out with the immovable weight of a military command!

The white-clad squad members in Cloud-Soaring masks, who had also been reeling in shock, instantly cast aside all distracting thoughts. Their gazes sharpened like blades, their movements perfectly synchronized, without the slightest sluggishness.

Dozens of figures in silver-white combat uniforms instantly spread out, forming an exceptionally tight battle line. They sheltered every student and civilian behind them, standing like walls of copper and iron between the monsters and ordinary people.

The Cloud-Soaring totem masks on their faces gleamed coldly in the sunlight. Their gazes were steadfast, their fighting spirit boiling. Every one of them was a battle-hardened elite, and every one possessed combat proficiency far beyond that of ordinary awakeners.

"First team, clear out the demon bat swarm on the left flank!"

"Second team, suppress the demon wolves on the right flank!"

"Third team, surround the demon soldiers in the center! Make sure to protect the civilians!"

"Fourth team, guard the rear! Don't let anything slip through the net!"

Concise, forceful commands were relayed in rapid succession. The Cloud-Soaring Squad's coordination was flawless, as though they had drilled thousands upon thousands of times, without the slightest disorder or hesitation.

The next second, battle erupted once more!

One Cloud-Soaring member leaped into the air, conjuring sharp wind blades in one hand. With a sweep of that hand, three azure wind blades slashed out instantly, cutting three lunging demon bats in half. Black demonic blood splattered, and the monsters let out piercing screams before hitting the ground, dead.

Another member activated an earth ability, instantly raising several sharp stone spikes from the ground and pinning an enormous demon wolf firmly in place. A blast of flame followed immediately, burning the monster to ashes.

Other members wielded heavy energy firearms, their muzzles spitting tongues of flame. Dense volleys of energy bullets poured into the monster horde like a torrential downpour. Every shot struck a monster's vital point with precision, clearing an entire area in an instant.

Their movements were fast, precise, and ruthless, every strike lethal. There were no unnecessary flourishes; every attack targeted a monster's weakness, their efficiency astonishingly high.

Silver-white combat uniforms darted through the monster horde, and Cloud-Soaring masks flashed amid the gunsmoke. They were like reapers of death. Wherever they passed, monsters fell in droves, not one able to withstand a single exchange.