Just as Paul vanished with Thavuk, Dave reacted instantly. A flash of mana rippled through the air, and in the next moment he teleported himself, Vanessa, and Alina directly beside the portal near the borders of the Shadowland.
The moment they appeared, the scale of the battlefield became clear.
The portal stood behind them, swirling with unstable void energy as dark creatures crawled out of it one after another. Ahead of them stretched the massive orc camp, thousands of warriors already turning toward the sudden intrusion.
They had only two choices. They could try to close the portal from outside the shadowland and try to fight through the void creatures pouring out of it, or they could face the orc army and close the portal from inside the Shadowland.
Neither option was good. But void creatures were far more unpredictable.
They chose the orcs.
The instant they appeared, Dave moved first. He raised his hand and cast a spell. A glowing blue shield burst into existence around him, expanding until it was roughly the size of a large room. The protective barrier hummed with steady magical energy, forming a dome that isolated him from the chaos outside.
He needed protection. Because he couldn't move while doing what came next.
From his left hand, a thin blue thread of mana extended outward like a glowing wire. It shot across the battlefield and connected directly to the back of the void version of Thavuk, the clone that was continuing the ritual.
The thread tightened as Dave began channeling his mana through it, slowly unraveling the void structure of the clone from the inside.
If he could destroy it, the ritual would collapse.
But the clone was still a construct of an S rank being. Even though it was only a copy, its structure was incredibly stable. For someone at A2 rank like Dave, dismantling it would take time.
Time they might not have.
Outside the shield, Vanessa and Alina stood ready.
Vanessa stepped slightly forward, both of her long swords drawn. Pure magic radiated from the blades in steady pulses, the air around them shimmering with condensed energy. Her stance was calm but firm, the posture of a warrior who had fought countless battles before.
On the other side of the shield stood Alina.
Unlike Vanessa, she wasn't a warrior meant to face enemies head on. She was an assassin. Her strength lay in speed, precision, and striking before the enemy even realized she was there.
Two slim daggers rested in her hands, their dark blades reflecting the dim light of the Shadowland. Assassins could manipulate shadows to a small extent, nothing like the true Shadow Path, but enough to blur their presence and move unseen between moments.
But this battlefield was far too dangerous for half measures. The enemy in front of them numbered in the thousands. So Alina decided to go all out from the very beginning.
Her eyes narrowed in focus as the faint glow surrounding her silver hair began to intensify. The strands shimmered with a pale light that slowly spread down her body.
Then the changes began. The veins along her arms and neck started to bulge slightly as power flowed through her body. It was still difficult for her to control the transformation perfectly. Her breathing grew heavier for a few seconds as she fought to stabilize the surge of strength inside her. Finally, her eyes turned red.
The transformation settled.
By then, the orc army was already coming toward them.
Roars spread through the camp as hundreds of warriors began rushing toward their position, axes, spears, and heavy blades raised high. The ground trembled under the charge of so many bodies moving at once.
Vanessa moved first. Without hesitation, she dashed forward to meet the wave of enemies.
Her twin swords glowed with concentrated magic, bright arcs of energy trailing behind each swing. The first orc raised his massive axe and brought it down with all his strength.
Their weapons collided. The moment Vanessa's blade touched the axe, the metal shattered into fragments.
The orc barely had time to widen his eyes before her second sword cut across his chest, dropping him instantly.
The orcs were powerful warriors. Among humans, most of them would rank somewhere between C+ and B−.
But against Vanessa… They were nothing.
Alina knew she had to be careful. Unlike Vanessa, she couldn't simply overpower the orcs head on. In terms of raw strength, she was roughly equal to a single orc warrior but what she lacked in power, she made up for with speed and precision.
Just as she was about to move, a golden light shot out from Dave's right hand and wrapped around her body like flowing ribbons.
She felt the effect immediately.
Her body suddenly became lighter, as if gravity itself had loosened its hold on her. At the same time, her muscles tightened with new strength, every movement feeling faster and more controlled.
A support spell. Dave couldn't fight directly while dismantling the ritual, but he could still support them.
Alina nodded slightly to herself and dashed forward. As she ran, her mind began calculating every possible move the orcs might make. The good thing about fighting them was their predictability. Most orcs relied on straightforward, brutal combat. They were warriors first and foremost.
Their few necromancers were already occupied, either attacking Vanessa or having their spells blocked by Dave's barrier. That left the frontline fighters.
As she reached the first orc, he swung his massive axe down toward her with crushing force.
Alina lowered her body at the last moment. The axe whooshed past above her head as she slid across the ground beneath his guard. In the same motion, one of her daggers flashed across his waist, slicing deep into his side.
She didn't stop. Finishing blows wasted time.
The wounded orc collapsed behind her as she moved straight toward the next enemy.
This one was a female orc, slightly smaller but faster, wielding two short axes.
The moment Alina approached, the warrior roared and brought both axes down in a crossing strike meant to split her apart.
But Alina was already moving. She sprang upward. As her body rose above the attack, both of her daggers flashed in a swift, precise motion.
The blades sliced across the orc's throat before she even landed.
As she cut her way through several more orcs, the warriors began to realize that she was far more dangerous than she first appeared. Their formation started to tighten. A few of them roared orders, and the fighters around her became noticeably more cautious.
Some of their axes ignited with molten lava, glowing cracks spreading along the metal as heat radiated into the air. Others planted their feet firmly and raised their weapons in defensive stances, preparing to counter her speed rather than chase it.
Alina rushed toward one of them. The orc swung his flaming axe in a wide arc meant to force her back, but she ducked under the attack and slid to his side. Her dagger flashed across his leg, cutting deep through muscle. Before he could even stagger, she twisted behind him and drove her second blade across his back.
She didn't wait to see him fall.
Another orc charged from her right, wielding a massive hammer. With a roar he leapt forward and slammed the weapon down with crushing force.
But it hit nothing. For a split second Alina's body dissolved into shadow.
She reappeared directly behind him. Her daggers plunged into his back, sliding between his ribs before he even understood what had happened.
It was one of her assassination skills, using nearby shadows to instantly shift from one position to another. In most cases she used it to appear behind enemies for a deadly backstab.
The orc collapsed forward as she pulled her blades free.
But two more warriors were already closing in.
One of them carried a long spear whose tip burned with dark orange heat. He thrust it toward her chest with surprising speed. Alina twisted her body sideways, the spear grazing past her shoulder as sparks flew from the molten tip.
Before the orc could pull the weapon back, she stepped inside his reach.
Her dagger struck his wrist first, forcing his grip open. The second blade rose in a sharp upward motion and buried itself under his jaw.
He dropped instantly. The last orc was far larger than the others.
Instead of charging, he planted his feet and brought his two handed axe down in a heavy vertical strike meant to crush her completely. The ground cracked under the impact as Alina jumped back just in time.
The orc lifted his weapon again, preparing another blow. But Alina didn't give him the chance.
She sprinted forward, using the golden light surrounding her body to accelerate. At the last moment she stepped onto the flat of the axe head itself, using it like a platform.
Her body spun in the air. Both daggers crossed in a flashing arc across the orc's neck.
She landed lightly behind him as the massive warrior slowly collapsed to his knees.
Around her, more orcs were already pushing forward.
Alina moved like a shadow across the battlefield.
She leapt from one orc to another, her daggers flashing again and again, leaving deep and deadly wounds before the warriors even realized where she had been. Every strike was precise, throats, tendons, joints, places where even powerful bodies would fail.
But then something changed. From within the charging army, one orc rushed toward her with a speed far greater than the others.
His entire body was wrapped in a violent red aura. Molten lava flowed across his armor and weapon, glowing cracks spreading over the metal like living fire. The heat radiating from him alone made the air distort.
Before Alina could fully adjust, the massive orc was already upon her. His axe swung in a brutal horizontal strike.
Alina barely managed to dodge. The blade passed so close that the heat alone scorched the leather of her clothing across her chest. She felt the burning sting even as she jumped back, retreating with incredible speed.
But the orc followed immediately.
In a single step he closed the distance and raised his axe again.
The weapon came crashing down. But it struck only a shadow.
Alina had already vanished. She reappeared a meter away from where she had stood a moment earlier and instantly lunged forward, aiming for the opening his attack should have created.
Her dagger shot toward his neck. But the orc reacted just as fast.
With a sharp motion he lifted the handle of his axe and blocked the strike, the metal shaft stopping her blade inches from his throat.
Then he stepped forward. Before Alina could retreat, the thick handle of the axe slammed into her body.
The impact knocked the air out of her lungs and threw her backward across the ground. She crashed onto her back, sliding across the dirt.
The orc didn't hesitate.
He jumped high into the air, raising his massive axe with both hands before bringing it down toward her with enough force to split the earth itself.
Alina's eyes widened. Her body hadn't fully recovered from the hit, and her mind raced desperately for a way to dodge.
Then something struck the orc from the side. A powerful kick slammed into his body and sent the giant warrior flying across the battlefield.
Alina looked up. Vanessa stood there, her entire body surrounded by a blazing magical aura. The twin swords in her hands radiated pure energy.
She reached down and offered a hand. Alina grabbed it and pulled herself up, breathing heavily as she tried to steady herself.
"Sorry," Alina said between breaths. "That one was stronger than I expected."
Vanessa glanced toward the recovering orc.
"He's one of the chieftains," she said calmly. "Staying alive that long against someone at least A2… is already impressive."
Just as she finished speaking, the chieftain slowly walked back toward them. His aura burned even brighter now.
And from the other side of the battlefield, another massive orc pushed his way through the army.
He carried a gigantic spear, and the same molten aura surrounded his body.
Vanessa's grip tightened on her swords as the two chieftains were both coming straight for them.