Those twin orbs of ghostly blue soulfire flickered violently for a moment before shattering like cracked gemstones, exploding into countless motes of light that dissipated into the air.

【Assisted in killing Lv15 Bone Eagle Elite: Silverwing. Experience +600!】

In the sky, the remaining eight Bone Eagles let out a chorus of terrified screeches upon seeing Silverwing's demise, and then—

They fled.

Like ashen clouds scattered by a gale, the eight Bone Eagles dispersed in a panic, vanishing into the increasingly dark sky.

The battlefield finally fell silent.

There was only the sound of heavy panting and the occasional groan from those on the brink of death.

Zhao Hu leaned on his bone-crushing greatsword, kneeling on one knee as he gasped for air. Over a dozen wounds marked his body, and blood had soaked through his leather armor.

Tie Dun collapsed onto the ground, his ironwall greatshield lying beside him, its surface covered in dense claw marks. He bared his teeth in an attempt to smile but coughed up a mouthful of blood instead.

Wang Wu slid down from a rock and leaned against the stone wall. His hands were a bloody mess, and he couldn't even grip his bow.

Arrow Eye lay sprawled on a rock, panting heavily, his quiver completely empty.

Su Yurou knelt on the ground, her trembling hands clutching her short staff. Her mana was entirely depleted; she couldn't even cast the weakest Healing Spell.

Shadow Snake stood beside Silverwing's remains, slowly withdrawing her ghostly blue dagger.

She had seven or eight wounds on her body, the deepest stretching from her left shoulder all the way to her back, yet she remained standing like a stone statue.

Seven Beacon Guards stood silently in their circular formation, their polearms still pointed diagonally toward the sky.

Every single one of them was injured. Some had their leather armor shredded, revealing glimpses of white bone;

Some had arms hanging limply, clearly broken; others had faces slashed by talons, flesh turned out to reveal their teeth.

But they did not fall.

They remained standing, still gripping their polearms, still holding the formation.

And not far from them, three figures wearing the same dark brown leather armor lay quietly in pools of blood.

Zhao Hu's eyes fell upon those three corpses.

His lips moved, but he couldn't make a sound.

Tie Dun's low growl sounded like a wounded beast: "...Brothers."

Shadow Snake remained standing, gazing at the three corpses without a word. However, the hand gripping her ghostly blue dagger had white knuckles.

Just then.

A sudden gust of wind swept in from the northwest.

Everyone looked up sharply.

A familiar figure, like a meteor tearing through the night, rushed toward them!

Lin Feng.

He stopped before the three corpses.

His body was also covered in wounds, and blood had soaked through his newly replaced rock-solid chestplate. But his gaze fell upon the faces of the Garrison Soldiers who had closed their eyes forever.

He didn't speak. He turned around to face the seven Beacon Guards who were still standing.

The seven Garrison Soldiers simultaneously raised their long polearms, pointing them toward the sky—it was a military salute.

Lin Feng raised his right hand, clenched it into a fist, and placed it over his chest. It was a Lord's—return salute—to his soldiers.

"They saved you," Lin Feng's voice wasn't loud, but every word fell clearly into everyone's ears.

"Their names will be carved into the history of Beacon Fire Village."

"Their families will be provided for by Beacon Fire Village."

The seven soldiers' polearms didn't waver an inch, but their eyes turned slightly red.

Lin Feng took a deep breath and turned, his gaze sweeping over everyone.

Zhao Hu, Tie Dun, Wang Wu, Arrow Eye, Su Yurou, Shadow Snake, Scarface Liu, and A Wang. Everyone was injured, everyone was drenched in blood, but everyone—was still alive.

"You're all alive," Lin Feng said. He paused before adding, "...Good."

The dark red light of day was being swallowed by the night.

Beacon Fire Village had survived this sudden death-trap.

They had traded three of their bravest hearts for the survival of everyone else.

"Withdraw." 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

His voice was like the first bonfire lit in the night.

"Let's go home."

The night was as deep as ink. Pale moonlight spilled over the newly erected wooden walls of Beacon Fire Village, enveloping the entire camp in a cold, clear halo.

The western drawbridge was slowly lowered.

Lin Feng walked at the front, followed by the silent group.

Zhao Hu carried his bone-crushing greatsword. His eyes were bloodshot, yet his steps remained steady.

Tie Dun's greatshield had over a dozen deep claw marks. He walked very slowly, every step pulling at the bandage-wrapped wounds across his body.

Wang Wu's hands were wrapped in thick cloth strips, with blood seeping through, but he insisted on walking by himself, refusing any help.

Arrow Eye's quiver was empty, his wind-chasing hunting bow slung across his back. His face was terrifyingly pale.

Su Yurou supported Shadow Snake. Although the wound on Shadow Snake's left shoulder had been given basic treatment, beads of blood still seeped out with every step. She didn't say a word, just moved forward in silence.

The seven Beacon Guards followed silently at the rear, their polearms lowered and their steps in unison. Their bodies were likewise covered in bandages; some walked with a slight limp, others had arms in slings, but their formation remained perfectly straight.

In the center of the group, three bodies lay quietly on stretchers made of rough wooden planks.

The Awakened guarding the gate saw this scene from afar. It felt as if something was blocking his throat, making him unable to speak; he just silently lowered the drawbridge.

Inside the camp, many residents who had not yet retired for the night saw this. They stopped their work one after another and stood in solemn silence.

No one spoke.

Only the sound of footsteps echoed heavily in the silent night.

The Council Hall.

Candlelight was lit, dispelling the gloom within the hall.

The three stretchers were carefully carried in and placed in a corner of the hall. The seven Beacon Guards lined up outside the hall, guarding them in silence.

Lin Feng took his seat at the head of the room, his gaze sweeping over everyone in the hall.

Zhao Hu, Tie Dun, Wang # Nоvеlight # Wu, Arrow Eye, Su Yurou, Shadow Snake, Scarface Liu, and A Wang.

Everyone was injured, everyone was exhausted, but in everyone's eyes, a flame burned that had not been extinguished.

"Sit down, everyone," Lin Feng's voice wasn't loud, but it carried an unquestionable power. "Tend to your injuries first, then we'll tally the spoils."

Su Yurou braced herself to stand up, wanting to continue healing everyone. Lin Feng raised a hand to stop her.

"Your mana is depleted; rest first. Uncle Wu has prepared medicine; let them handle it themselves."

Uncle Wu had already been waiting outside with Pharmacist Chen. Hearing this, they immediately entered to re-bandage wounds and apply medicine for everyone.

During this interval, Tie Dun pulled a blood-stained cloth bundle from his shirt, placed it on the ground, and carefully opened it.

Inside were all the spoils from the battle with Silverwing.

A pile of white energy crystals, about twenty in total; several intact Silverwing Wing-bones that glinted with a metallic coldness;

And a thin, bronze-colored book with a cover depicting a silver feathered arrow piercing through clouds.

“This is...” Wang Wu’s breath suddenly hitched.

Lin Feng picked up the book and scanned the text on the cover:

【Class Change Book: Windchaser Archer】

It was exactly the same as the one he had given Arrow Eye before.

He looked up and turned his gaze toward Wang Wu.

Wang Wu, a man in his early forties who had struggled in the Nightmare World for nearly twenty years, now looked like a youth receiving a weapon for the first time. His hands trembled slightly, and his lips moved, but no sound came out.

"Wang Wu," Lin Feng held the Class Change Book out to him. "It's yours."