Above the trench, Zhao continued his impossible battle.
His silver feathers flashed in the darkness, finding target after target, but the Shadow Stalkers kept pouring through the increasingly numerous cuts in the tent’s fabric.
“Deeper,” Ren urged as the hole continued expanding beneath them.
Sweat beaded on the diggers’ foreheads as they worked tirelessly.
Ren observed students sliding into the trench while Zhao’s feathers grew increasingly scarce.
“Faster!” Ren urged Taro and the others who continued digging.
The hole was almost deep and wide enough, forty students had slipped inside, but the space for those remaining wasn’t ready yet.
“Min, help them smooth the earth there,” he directed his friend. “Taro, to the right, the earth is softer there.”
Taro’s beetle changed direction, its legs tearing away larger chunks of soil. Two other students with digger beasts coordinated their movements, expanding the space with efficiency. Their combined efforts made the tunnel grow faster than any single beast could manage.
‘Just a little more,’ Ren thought while approaching where Luna remained apart, observing the situation with her wolf ready to strike. He extended a hand toward her.
“I don’t need you to rescue me,” Luna maintained her neutral expression, avoiding direct eye contact, though Ren noticed her eyes evaluating the distance to the tunnel and the attackers’ positions.
Ren kept his hand extended, carefully considering his next words.
“I didn’t need you to rescue me from Jin either… or defend me with your opinion in the cart,” he responded calmly. “But you gave it anyway. So let me repay some of that debt, and surprise you again. Trust me this time.”
Luna met his eyes, studying the daring confidence in them that contrasted with his usual gentle, cheerful appearance. Without a word, she took his hand and slipped toward the hole, her wolf melting into the shadows around them.
Klein’s group, him, Feng, and Astor, needed no convincing… One glance at the situation was enough for them to make the sensible decision and jump into the tunnel as soon as space allowed. Their egos hadn’t completely smothered their survival instincts.
But Jin…
“The rotten one organized that?” Jin spat the words with contempt, while his followers nervously watched the Stalkers that Zhao barely kept at bay. “I’d rather die than follow his plans!”
Zhao’s feathers returned to him, then the black figures pressed their attack with renewed vigor.
“If you want to die, that’s your problem!” Ren said to Jin before turning toward where Zhao was about to be attacked from multiple angles simultaneously. “Professor! The supports! Destroy the tent supports!”
The auxiliaries, who had been watching the tunnel’s development with growing attention, exchanged quick glances. They didn’t wait for further debate… they grabbed Jin’s group and dragged them toward the opening despite their protests.
Silver feathers found the supports with lethal precision. As the structure began to collapse, Zhao launched himself toward the tunnel, his feathers returning to him just as the fabric fell over their heads.
♢♢♢♢
Absolute darkness filled the narrow tunnel, pressing in from all sides.
The mushrooms in Ren’s hair glowed with forced intensity, illuminating tense and terrified faces. Their light cast shifting shadows that made the space seem both smaller and larger than it was.
Above, they could hear the attackers retreating to avoid being covered by the fallen tent, accidentally touching the fallen life absorbing jellyfish’s bodies that surrounded the group.
“What’s the plan?” Zhao turned to Ren. “I hope I won’t regret playing along with you, boy… We’ll be easy prey if we stay like this.”
“First we need a stronger cover!” Ren spoke quickly, urgently. “Just a few seconds! I’ll explain while they make it!”
Zhao nodded sharply. “Everyone who can manipulate barriers, earth, or rock!” his voice cut through the tunnel. “We need a ceiling, now! Thin but resistant!”
Several students responded immediately, their beasts manifesting with defensive purpose.
“Continue!” Zhao ordered while his enormous wings helped support the improvised structure.
Ren nodded. “Yes, first I’ll handle the shadow stalkers and then you…”
A blow above them and the sound of flames interrupted his words. The attackers had begun their assault.
“Faster!” Zhao urged. “We don’t have much time!”
“The plan is…”
♢♢♢♢
Taro pressed his hand against the tunnel wall. His manifested beetle vibrated, detecting movements above with uncanny precision.
“Three to the right,” he whispered. “Two more moving away north.”
The mole-beast boy nodded in confirmation. “The other two are almost directly above us.”
Zhao watched Ren, his silver feathers gleaming faintly while waiting for the perfect moment. The plan was risky, but better than trying to cover everyone alone… If it worked, he could fight with more freedom.
“5 meters!”
“Now!” Zhao’s command cut through the tunnel’s tense air while the improvised ceiling flew upward, propelled by the wind lynx auxiliary’s power.
Zhao’s feathers shot through the improvised ceiling, finding several unprepared attackers. Their precision was absolute even in the chaos of the moment.
Above, the attackers’ surprised cries confirmed they’d found their targets, the element of surprise worked perfectly.
Students with defensive capabilities had already begun forming the new shelter, thicker than before, strategically angled to deflect attacks. Walls began rising around them, each layer reinforcing their protection.
Ren pulled out his new Bark Stalker core, his plan to counter the shadow stalkers’ control ready for implementation. He activated the proto-core crystal while beginning to manipulate the frequency in the immediate area around the students.
Shadow stalkers continued approaching from above, but something changed in their pattern when Ren activated the core. The shadow stalkers began moving erratically, as if confused by conflicting signals.
“It’s working!” Taro shouted while reinforcing a section of the wall.
The students prepared to defend their position with everything they had, while Zhao and three of the four auxiliaries launched their attack.
♢♢♢♢
Zhao didn’t hesitate, the moment of surprise was all he needed.
His feathers had found vulnerable targets, leaving several enemies bleeding or disoriented. The battle for survival continued with renewed intensity.
But this time was different, the auxiliaries could join Zhao in the attack. For the first time since the assault began, they could focus completely on combat without worrying about protecting the students from the shadow stalkers.
“Keep them safe!” he ordered the auxiliary with the calcium-plated snail, before launching himself toward the group of attackers.
It was time to press their advantage.
The seven remaining attackers retreated, their distorted forms moving in impossible ways under the moonlight. Their black fabric, now torn in places, rippled to reveal glimpses of the corruption beneath… flesh fused with beasts in ways that defied nature.