Hell
* * *
I stood at the school gates, pulling my black woolen jacket tighter as the wind whipped around us. We were ready to head to the apartment complex.
Mercy was on one side of me, her posture relaxed despite the cold, while Elena on the other side shivered uncontrollably, her teeth chattering.
Behind us, Jake and a hundred combat members stood armed and ready. Yunji was there too, despite my initial skepticism. She insisted on coming, anxious to see if her parents at the apartment complex were okay.
"You really don't look bothered by this cold, do you?" I said to Mercy, glancing at her unfazed expression.
She smirked, brushing some snow off her shoulder. "It's this general's uniform I bought from the store," she replied. "It has an effect that gives me 50% defense against the elements."
"That explains it," I said, half-impressed, half-annoyed. "Next time, let me know when you get those perks."
Mercy just shrugged, her smirk widening. Meanwhile, Elena let out a dramatic shiver, her whole body quaking. "I'm starting to regret coming," she muttered.
I turned to the group, addressing them all. "Our goal is the apartment complex. We're not just after territory. We're securing safety and resources for everyone relying on us."
I paused, meeting Yunji's eyes and remembering the urgency driving her. "Let's make sure we get through this safely."
With a collective nod, we set out through the gates, leaving the safety of the school behind. The snow crunched beneath our boots, and I felt the cold seep into my bones despite the jacket. I didn't use my barrier skill yet—conserving mana was critical for the battle ahead, if it came to that.
The wind bit at us as we made our way toward the silhouette of the apartment complex. I couldn't help but glance at Yunji, her resolve clear despite the worry etched on her face. We were all aware of the stakes, and the cold was just another obstacle to overcome.
* * *
As we approached the apartment complex, the scene before us was horror brought to life. Corpses lay scattered across the ground, and the once pristine snow was a sickening shade of muddy red.
The air was thick with the stench of blood, and it clawed at my senses.
Some members of our combat team turned pale, their stomachs heaving as they vomited, while others stood paralyzed with shock, their bodies shaking uncontrollably.
Even Mercy, usually so composed, squinted against the grim reality, and I felt a cold weight settle in my gut. There were so many bodies.
Mercy stepped over to one of the corpses, placing her hand gently on its head.
"It's still warm," she observed, her voice cutting through the stillness with a calm edge. "It hasn't been long since they were killed."
I tried to assess the situation, piecing together the carnage.
The apartment complex, with its ten buildings, each housing about a hundred people, was a prime target once the fifth round began.
I had expected this to be the largest battleground in the area. It meant that a thousand people from ten different factions had likely clashed here, fighting viciously to claim the territory.
As I wrestled with these thoughts, movement caught my attention. I turned to see Yunji stepping forward, her face a mask of disbelief and horror.
"No..." she breathed, then suddenly broke into a desperate run toward one of the buildings where her family might be.
"No! Yunji, wait!" I shouted, a surge of panic jolting me into action.
But before I could reach her, a swift movement sliced through the air. An arrow whistled by, striking one of our soldiers, who collapsed, clutching the wound and crying out in agony.
I spun around to pinpoint the source of the attack, just as a storm of arrows rained down on us.
"Fuck! Take cover!" I bellowed, diving behind a nearby car.
Chaos erupted as more arrows flew, their deadly points piercing through the ranks. Cries of pain and fear echoed around us, blending with the sickening thud of arrows meeting flesh.
Pinned down and struggling, the combat team faltered under the relentless assault.
Then, without warning, a deafening explosion erupted from the car next to me. The blast tore through the air, and those caught too close were thrown lifeless to the ground.
Mercy, crouched beside me, said fiercely. "What the fuck was that?"
I looked up, spotting multiple glowing red balls of fire arcing through the sky toward us.
They were fireballs.
Somewhere in the buildings, someone—or a group—possessed the skill to launch these fiery projectiles with lethal precision, turning our surroundings into a hellscape.
Amidst the chaos, Elena muttered under her breath, her voice lost in the chaos, "I knew I shouldn't have fucking come!!"
Violence roared around us as we tried to hold our ground. The situation was spiraling out of control. Mercy leaned close, urgency burning in her eyes. "We need to retreat," she urged, her voice a rare crack in her otherwise unshakable demeanor.
I nodded, knowing she was right, but as we prepared to pull back, a single thought anchored me in place—Yunji. My heart clenched with dread, knowing she was somewhere out there, alone.
"Fuck!" I shouted, turning to Mercy. "Take the combat team and retreat! I'll follow you after!"
Mercy shot me a sharp look, confusion etched on her face. "What? Why?"
"I have to get Yunji!" I shouted back.
She rolled her eyes, clearly annoyed. "That piece of shit," she muttered under her breath, not bothering to hide her disdain.
Then, turning to the rest of the team, she yelled, "Retreat!" Without hesitation, she sprinted toward the gates, leading the others away from the chaos.
The combat team quickly followed her lead, their retreat swift and desperate. Soon, they were gone, leaving me alone amidst the chaos. The fireballs continued to rain down, each explosion sending shockwaves through the air.
"Shit!" I cursed, frustration boiling inside me. "Why did Yunji have to go there at a time like this?"
As I was about to make my move, a voice cut through the noise behind me. "So, are we going to get her?"
I spun around, surprised to see Elena standing there, a mix of determination and defiance on her face. "Why are you here?" I asked, caught off guard. "Didn't you leave with the others?"
She shrugged, brushing a strand of yellow hair from her eyes. "I was too busy dodging the fireballs. Missed my chance to get out with them."
I nodded, making a quick decision. "Then you're coming with me."
"What?" she replied, eyes wide.
"Now, come on!" I said, diving forward. She hesitated only a moment before following.
We raced through the hail of explosions and fireballs, our path a gauntlet of destruction. The landscape around us could be described by nothing more than hell. Elena kept pace beside me, her face set in grim determination.
A fireball careened toward us, and I threw up a barrier, encasing us in a shimmering dome. The impact rocked us, and I felt my mana drain rapidly.
"Damn it!" I gritted through clenched teeth. "I can't keep this up much longer!"
We pushed on, the entrance to the building where Yunji had gone drawing closer with each step. The barrier took several more hits, each one threatening to shatter it completely.
Finally, just as the barrier collapsed around us with a final, desperate crash, we dove through the entrance of the building. We landed hard, the sound of fireballs exploding outside echoing in our ears as we scrambled to our feet.
I glanced at Elena, both of us breathing heavily but safe for now. "Let's find Yunji," I said, determination burning in my chest as we ventured deeper into the building.