485 Where Can We Find Hope 1

The thick smell of blood permeated the air within the capital institute. The high walls had been flattened and broken debris stained with blood was scattered everywhere.

Death shrouded these previously auspicious grounds.

The demons…

Were still pouring in continuously.

This battle had taken countless lives. Half of the students had died in battle while all the tutors had perished in the line of duty.

The battered institute director led the surviving students in retreat to the martial arts arena. His white robes were already full of blood stains while his benevolent face bore three bloody gashes from the demons' claws. One of his eyes had also been scratched blind.

The institute director held fast to his magic staff and stood blocking the main doors of the martial arts arena. Behind him were more than a thousand exhausted students.

Outside the arena swarmed an infinite number of demons. They surrounded the arena while emitting ear-piercing howls. The dense smell of blood mixed with the vile demon odor saturated the air.

"Roar!" A high-level demon blocked the exit point of the martial arts arena. Countless demons tried their best to charge through the main doors of the arena.

The institute director gritted his teeth as he kept casting an endless stream of weak magic waves. Wave after wave… he managed to beat back the oncoming demons. However, the director's magic stamina was nearly spent. When the demons launched their next round of attack, he raised his magic staff to beat them off, but a large piece of flesh from his body was torn off by the demons.

Blood gushed out from the institute director's wound and pooled around his feet.

The eyes of all the students behind him reddened—death and despair shrouding their minds.

They had lost all hope, there was nothing left.

The sorcerers' stamina had been completely depleted, their pale faces turning a sickly green.

"Roar!" A high-level demon charged toward the institute director with a ferocious howl.

The institute director hardened his gaze as he glared without fear at that oncoming demon. "You want to harm my students; over my dead body!" He planted his magic staff firmly on the ground.

Shafts of white light emanated from the institute director's body. That light turned into wisps of white smoke which curled around the space between him and his staff. Within a split second, the glow spread out and covered the entire martial arts arena!

At that moment, he sent all the charging demons flying!

The Shield of Light.

As a light-based sorcerer, the institute director had used up the last of his energy to cast a powerful Shield of Light to protect the students behind him.

The mighty Shield of Light blocked the demons' attack. Howls of rage sounded out as fangs and claws desperately attacked the shield hoping to break down this defense.

But that Shield of Light—symbolizing the last hope for the survivors and the final dignity of the capital institute director—remained steadfast in its protection.

The panicked students watched that immense Shield of Light with a shred of hope in their eyes.

However…

As their gaze fell upon the tall, battered profile of the institute director, everyone's eyes reddened.

Supporting this Shield of Light was not the director's sorcery but his own life force…

The figure under those robes had clearly aged a few dozens of years within seconds. Wrinkled, dry skin covered his entire body.