"Students, keep your heads up and reach that mountain as fast as you can! Teleport from there the moment the portal activates!"
As the students rushed past her, Silver remained behind, standing as the last line between them and the approaching horde. She couldn't use her vampiric abilities openly in front of everyone, but now that the students had moved ahead, she could finally execute the plan forming in her mind.
Pricking her fingertips, she drew blood. From the crimson droplets emerged countless fine red threads, so thin that mortal eyes could never perceive them. With a wave of her hand, she wove the strings into an intricate web stretching between the trees. The blood threads wrapped around trunks and branches, creating a deadly trap hidden throughout the forest.
"Huh... I hope this does the job."
With the trap set, Silver turned and sprinted after the others.
As the students continued running, they gradually noticed something strange. The monsters were no longer gaining on them. Curious, many turned their heads back and froze in shock.
Hundreds of monsters lay scattered across the forest floor, sliced apart at impossible angles and rendered motionless.
"Wait... who the heck did that?"
A sharp voice immediately answered.
"What are you students gawking at? Reach the mountain! Move!"
Silver's intervention bought them enough time to reach the mountain's base. By then, Faye had already begun preparing the evacuation portal on a raised plateau along the mountainside.
The portal required several tense minutes to activate. Everyone waited anxiously until finally a brilliant green light filled the gateway.
"Good."
Faye immediately turned toward the students.
"Line up! The portal is active. We're leaving this planet immediately!"
The students quickly organized themselves, preparing to pass through. However, just as the first few stepped forward, the portal suddenly glitched.
"Wait! Don't go!" Silver shouted.
The students stopped.
"Everyone, take a step back."
"What is it, Sergeant?" someone asked.
Silver didn't answer.
The next second, something burst through the portal.
A massive shockwave exploded outward, tearing across the mountainside. Everyone instinctively shielded themselves as smoke, dust, and debris engulfed the area.
Then, from the black cloud arising through the portal, a figure shot out at incredible speed, smashing directly into the Rocky mountain. And suddenly the portals circuit failed shutting down.
The figure crashed onto the ground.
He was badly wounded, covered in soot and blood. His face was almost impossible to recognize.
Faye and Silver immediately drew their weapons, hands resting on their hilts as they approached cautiously.
Then recognition flashed across Faye's eyes.
"General Nathan?!"
She rushed forward and helped him up.
"What the hell happened to you? What happened to the base?"
Nathan struggled to steady himself.
"I don't know... but it looks like either the Sunshield or Graylash started a war against the military."
Faye's eyes widened.
"What are you saying?"
Nathan gave a weak laugh.
"Thank God you linked that portal. Otherwise, I wouldn't have escaped."
Silver's expression darkened.
"We may be in an even worse situation now."
Nathan looked around and immediately spotted the massive herd of monsters approaching from the horizon.
His face twisted in disbelief.
"Did I just jump from one disaster into another?"
News of what had happened spread through the students like wildfire.
"Something happened at the base?"
"Oh my God..."
"What are we going to do now?"
Near the back of the formation, where Dell's class stood, Layla looked confused.
"What really happened?"
Logan's expression became grim.
"Something has gone terribly wrong at the base. I can't connect to any of my bots anymore, they were part of the surveillance network I set up around the campus, but hopefully I managed to retrieve some footage."
"Really? Show us!" Layla said.
Logan immediately commanded several spider drones. The mechanical spiders linked together and projected a holographic display into the air.
The footage began playing.
For a moment, a quite and a serene academy could be seen and the next second a giant fireball—almost like a meteor—descended from the sky and struck the base. The feed from that drone immediately cut out.
The next recording appeared.
Two figures clad in silver armor walked calmly through the facility, unleashing multiple abilities simultaneously. Buildings collapsed. Soldiers fell. Moments later, that feed also went dark.
The hologram vanished.
"Who are those people?" Fex asked, stunned.
"Well, it was bound to happen eventually," Vicky said with a grin. "I was actually wondering why they took so long."
She paused.
"I kind of wish I'd stayed behind so I could've met Pai..."
Then another memory surfaced, and she immediately sighed in relief.
"Actually, never mind. It's probably for the best that I wasn't there."
Peter looked worried. What do you mean? Did you really know the attacker? Vicky didn't speak anything.
"How can such a thing happen but if the military base is gone, then we can't escape. Are we going to be trapped here forever?"
"Don't be ridiculous," Vicky replied. "This is an Orange Planet. The military isn't the only faction with a presence here. Several corporations and private organizations maintain bases on this world. The problem is that we've been separated from the shelter. It'll take a long time for reinforcements to reach us."
That did little to ease Layla's concerns.
Meanwhile, the approaching monsters continued advancing. Their thunderous footsteps shook the planet itself.
Then suddenly, the mountain trembled.
To everyone's surprise, the monsters abruptly changed direction, avoiding the mountain entirely.
"Wait... what's happening?"
The ground beneath the students cracked.
Then it collapsed.
The entire mountainside gave way, plunging hundreds of students into a hidden abyss concealed beneath the mountain.
Screams echoed through the darkness as everyone fell into the lightless depths below.
But before Logan and his party disappeared into the chasm, a final message was transmitted.