With the Base Lord out of combat, practically escaping with his remaining life alongside those closest to him, Moon, Kael, and other prominent awakeners who'd dealt significant damage to the Mountain Bear became the primary targets of attack.

Barely a minute had passed since the Base Lord's retreat when more than fifty awakeners had already fled the scene, abandoning the western gate entirely.

The cold reality of being left on an increasingly dangerous battlefield didn't phase Moon. He'd never expected these low-level awakeners to be his saviors in the first place. Survival was always an individual responsibility, he could certainly do the same if he wanted to, but that wasn't his goal.

Before Moon could make his next move, he heard Kael's low but ominous voice. "Behind you!"

Moon felt every hair on his body stand on edge as the warning and the invisible attack came simultaneously. He spun backward, holding his staff diagonally across his body to protect vital areas like his chest and head.

Clang!

A sharp dagger made contact with the reinforced wood, the blade scraping along the staff's surface as the attack barely missed his throat. The assassin had materialized directly behind him, targeting Moon specifically out of everyone in Kael's group.

Moon cursed inwardly and leapt backward immediately, creating distance between himself and the powerful assassin who'd decided to take his head.

"Damn it, that was too close. Why didn't you warn me earlier?" Moon cursed again, this time loudly, as his eyes darted around frantically searching for the assassin who had once again blended with the air, becoming completely invisible.

Kael didn't reply. His eyes moved constantly across the entire battlefield, tracking something Moon couldn't perceive, like watching an invisible ball bounce between four walls at incredible speed.

Moon moved closer to Kael, pressing his back against the prodigy's. Marcus and the other team members were equally wary, getting into tight defensive formation with backs covered to protect against the invisible threat haunting them.

Despite focusing primarily on detecting the assassin, Moon learned from the Base Lord's fatal mistake which led to his second death and ultimate retreat.

Moon didn't remove his attention entirely from the Mountain Bear, which was still fighting the veterans who'd chosen to stay and defend their base rather than flee.

Some were fighting for the love of the thrill, some were fighting for financial gain, whilst others were fighting to survive.

Those with authority in the base were the most troubled out of the awakeners. Most wanted to escape like the base lord but were too afraid of the consequences that would follow.

As key figures, they had a duty to not abandon the base during times of crisis. Although the base lord himself had abandoned, and he would be punished for that, that wasn't a valid reason to flee the battlefield.

Fleeing the battlefield was an act of treason. Since it had underlying effects that most people undervalued. The base leader's escape was a prime example of the consequences that would follow escaping.

So unlike the base leader, who might have powerful connections to help him deal with the aftermath with the Awakeners association, the lieutenants didn't, hence why they remained.

"Don't forget about the Mountain Bear! They're coordinating together. Stay alert for combined attacks!" Moon warned the others, ensuring no one forgot about the beast while fixating on the assassin.

"Marcus! Above you!" Kael's voice rang out again, saving another life with his heat sense skill.

Marcus raised his swords just in time to deflect a dagger thrust aimed at the base of his skull. The assassin had attacked from an aerial position, dropping from seemingly nowhere.

Clang!

The assassin leapt back after his second failed strike.

"You are quite the annoying pest. I can tell you are not fun at parties." The assassin said, his words directed towards Kael whos expression remained the same.

BOOM!

The fireball moon sent was too slow, creating a scorched earth mark where the assassin once was.

Seeing Kael predict the attack once again, Moon couldn't help but grown more wary of the young Glassy heir.

What if Kael was somehow involved in this attack? After all, if Kael possessed the ability to determine the assassin's position with such precision, he could have warned the Base Lord during that first ambush.

Moon decided to shelve that suspicion for now. Kael was cooperating and providing invaluable early warnings that kept him alive. That made him useful regardless of potential ulterior motives. Asking unnecessary questions or voicing paranoid theories would only make things worse for him.

He couldn't care less about the base lord, he didn't come to the fight to protect him. He had simply done so because it was the best option at the time. Now that everything had changed, naturally Moon was going to remain with Kael, since that was the best option currently.

Whether Kael had hidden agendas about the base wasn't Moon's business. He just needed to deal with the crisis at hand and survive the next few minutes.

Moon's left hand gathered mana, waiting for the assassin to show up so he could release a lightning attack. His right hand held the staff for defense. Fire wouldn't be fast enough against an opponent this quick. Only lightning had the speed necessary to catch an assassin after a failed attack.

He just needed Kael to give him the opening.

"Tell me where, I will deal with him." Moon said quietly to Kael.

Kael's eyes continued scanning. "Ready yourself. They're taking their time with this attack, he is looking for an opening."

Moon nodded, waiting for the signal.

Before Kael's signal could come, Moon felt something shift beneath them. His Epic-rank Five Element Affinity gave him heightened sensitivity to elemental disturbances, and the earth's mana flow had just changed dramatically in their immediate vicinity.

The Mountain Bear.

"Under us! Move!" Moon shouted, already stepping away from his position, anticipating the spike that would emerge at any moment to impale them.

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