It took a while before Nuk and his demon army moved. News traveled fast; in no less than a day, they had captured a human who was on his way to deliver a message. Alas, he was unfortunate enough to meet Nuk. He was so scared that he urinated on himself, but Nuk still extracted the needed information.

Right now, all the big cities had already been summoned. This city was likely the last to be informed. They had all been ordered to withdraw to the Super City so their power could be concentrated to defend against their enemy.

Also, from the mouth of the captured human, Nuk learned about the destruction of Blackstone City.

And several other cities.

It seemed the demon army had performed well.

It did not take long for the world to become aware that a group of demons had attacked from the rear.

With all this known, the next step was clear. Nuk marched out with his demon army, searching for fellow demons to form an alliance with.

*******

Azar World of Magi

"Ha ha ha..."

Azar took a deep breath as he hunched over, breathing heavily. Drops of sweat fell steadily into a red pool of blood beneath him.

Around him were the corpses of Mana-Devouring Beasts, alongside the bodies of those who had fought tooth and nail against them, all just to kill one more mana devouring beast.

A hand gripped his shoulder as a voice spoke.

"You did well, kid," a soldier said.

The battle was over at least for now. They would fight again tomorrow. This would continue for seven days, and only God knew how many of them would return alive.

This was only the second day.

The reality of war was something no one would wish upon another.

But hearing praise from the veteran did not bring Azar happiness.

He stood up.

"No... I could have saved more if I was stronger. I need to refine my spells, their efficiency and effectiveness," Azar said as he watched thousands of Magi retreat toward their previously set camps.

At least they had cleared out some of the corpses, and the area had become the only surviving safe zone for them.

At least it was bearable now.

"Kid, don’t push yourself too hard..."

"Yes, we all came here expecting to die..."

"You still have a long future ahead of you..."

The others spoke as they supported Azar while walking back.

Along the way, Azar sighed. Of course, he knew he had a future, a goal but coming to the battlefield had completely changed his perception of life.

His worldview had collapsed.

His mentality had been shaken.

It only took a few minutes of walking. Most mana reserves were depleted, but when they arrived, the injured were already being bandaged while food preparation began.

Small tents were set up, and Azar was fortunate enough to secure one.

Here, position and age did not matter.

Only contribution mattered, and that determined one’s ranking in the war.

For Azar, he had performed exceptionally well...far beyond many veterans. His points had skyrocketed.

He was still far from those at the top of the Tanjin leaderboard, but he was rapidly catching up to those who had been on the battlefield for a year.

His improvement was massive.

So was his talent.

He had already heard repeated warnings over the past two days: be careful.

His talent was undeniable, and at his age, his strength was extraordinary.

Because he was not wearing the nobles’ enchanted armor and most of the veterans around him had either died or been lost, no one knew he was of noble origin.

They all simply thought he was a talented commoner.

Inside his tent, Azar lay down as night fell, but he could not sleep. He kept turning restlessly.

The scenes of death from the past two days crashed into his mind like a raging river.

Humans half-eaten, screaming without lungs, hearts torn out, eyes wide open in terror. Mutilated flesh. The constant sound of Mana-Devouring Beasts feeding.

It had only been two days, yet Azar had already changed.

His eyes remained bloodshot deep into the night.

Eventually, he left his tent, intending to walk somewhere quieter.

Most people should have been asleep by now, with only night watchers remaining on guard.

But upon stepping out, Azar froze in shock.

People were still awake.

Many were staring at the moon.

Azar was confused.

Why was almost everyone awake and looking at the moon?

He walked over to a familiar veteran and sat beside him.

"What is happening? Why is everyone out here looking at the moon?" Azar asked.

The veteran turned to him. He had a white beard and a kind face.

"When you watch people die every day, the horrors you witness sometimes make it hard to sleep at night. This is why," the man said as he gestured outward.

Azar looked around.

All the humans here wore expressions of emptiness. They stared at the moon not because of its beauty, but because of hope.

"Look at everyone here," the old man continued. "They are not praying not to die but they are praying to die. Praying that their deaths will not be meaningless in the end."

"Most of us are old, but we still want to do what we can for the new generation. We want to break the path forward for you all."

The old man’s words shook Azar deeply.

"Young man... your future will be bright," the old man said, patting Azar’s shoulder.

"Thank you," Azar replied, though his eyes remained unfocused.

"Can I ask you a favor, kid?" the old man suddenly asked.

Azar nodded.

"If you make it back... can you give this to my little girl?"

The old man reached into his pocket and handed Azar a small pendant.

Azar took a deep breath and nodded.

"I will."

The old man smiled.

"My name is Oru."

"You will not die in this war," he said firmly.

His voice was deep with conviction.

For some reason, Azar believed him.