Above the sky, lightning and dark purple energy collided wildly.

Chen Guanyi and dozens of guild powerhouses were like moths to a flame before the massive body of the Abyssal Demon Catfish.

On the ground, rain poured down.

In the minds of the surviving dozen students, a cold System notification sounded simultaneously.

The third phase of the mission has begun.

Simon City's defensive Formation will completely fail within ten minutes.

City Lord Chen Guanyi has transferred all city residents to the underground shelters.

Mission Objective: Protect the safety of the underground shelters.

Current number of remaining shelters: 47 / 47.

Wang Xicheng saw this prompt, almost choked, and nearly cursed on the spot.

"Forty-seven?"

"What a joke!"

"We only have a dozen people left, how are we supposed to defend them?!"

He slammed his fist on the nearby ruins, his face filled with unwillingness and powerlessness.

Zhou Huai controlled Gandalf, his expression calm.

"Do our best, and leave the rest to fate."

"It's impossible to protect all those shelters." 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

"If you continue to stay here, being eliminated is only a matter of time."

"It's better for everyone to go to one shelter and make a final stand."

Wang Xicheng suddenly looked up at Gandalf.

"What about you?"

Zhou Huai smiled.

On his rain-soaked face, no emotions could be discerned.

"You don't need to worry about me."

"I have my own plans."

Wang Xicheng fell silent.

He looked at Gandalf for a long time before nodding heavily.

He stepped forward and patted Gandalf's shoulder firmly.

"Be careful."

"Don't put too much pressure on yourself."

"We... have already done very well."

After speaking, he turned around and roared at the dozen equally confused students behind him.

"What are you all staring at?!"

"Follow me!"

With his command, he led the dozen surviving figures, rushing into Simon City without looking back, to find their last stand.

Zhou Huai also did not linger, controlling Gandalf, he turned and disappeared into another street of the city.

Without Gandalf's suppressive fire, the army of exotic beasts outside the city wall's breach had no further obstacles.

They let out excited roars, like a black torrent, sweeping straight in.

The surviving guild Profession NPCs did not flinch because of the students' departure.

They exchanged glances, seeing the same determination in each other's eyes.

They stood their ground, gripping their weapons tightly.

"For Simon!"

With a roar, they charged into the wave-like beast horde, making their final assault.

Their tiny figures were instantly swallowed by the black ocean.

...

Zhou Huai controlled Gandalf, sprinting down an empty street.

Rain washed over the ancient flagstones, splashing up droplets.

The shop doors and windows on both sides were tightly shut, the entire city was as silent as a ghost town.

Soon, he arrived at the ancient clock tower in the center of the city.

Everlook Clock Tower.

Once a landmark building of Simon City.

Zhou Huai did not hesitate, kicking open the clock tower's heavy wooden door and stepping onto the spiraling staircase.

Every time he ascended a floor, he would turn around and cast a 【Splitting Fireball】.

Boom!

The scorching fireball exploded, shattering the stone stairs behind him.

This could greatly slow down the speed at which the exotic beasts would catch up.

A moment later, Zhou Huai reached the top of the clock tower.

Gale winds mixed with heavy rain rushed towards him, making his star moon magic robe flutter loudly.

He held onto the cold railing and looked out.

The entire panorama of Simon City was visible.

The scene was like a purgatory.

Just as the System had indicated.

The city walls on the east, west, and north sides had completely collapsed.

Countless exotic beasts, like a black tide, surged over the broken city walls from all directions, pouring into the city.

On the city walls, sporadic resistance still continued.

The City Guards let out their final roars, wielding their swords and blades, fighting against enemies several times their number.

Their figures were quickly engulfed by the endless beast horde.

System Notification: Underground Shelter No. 17 has been destroyed.

System Notification: Underground Shelter No. 32 has been destroyed.

Cold System notifications constantly echoed in Zhou Huai's mind.

In less than five minutes, two of the forty-seven shelters had fallen.

Zhou Huai stood at the top of the tower, facing the wind and rain, and sighed softly.

"I'm sorry, Fat General."

"I can't protect this city for you."

"But I am willing to fight for you until the very last moment."

Soon, the beast horde surging from all directions converged on the city center.

Zhou Huai looked down.

Below, it was a dense, dark mass of moving beast heads.

He grinned.

Excitement shimmered in his eyes beneath his hood.

"So much... experience points."

He raised his staff high, and ancient, obscure incantations began to chant from his lips.

"Forbidden Spell: Blazing Blade Storm!"

As the words fell.

"Arcane Dual Manifestation!"

Another low shout.

"Forbidden Spell: Blazing Blade Storm!"

Rumble—!!!!

Two gigantic tornado storms, connecting heaven and earth, appeared out of thin air in the city center, one on the left and one on the right!

With the city residents gone, Zhou Huai had no more reservations.

The terrifying suction instantly swept the black ocean below, along with the surrounding buildings, up into the sky!

Countless exotic beasts let out desperate roars in mid-air, their bodies savagely sliced, torn, and crushed by the merciless wind blades!

Bricks, wooden beams, steel...

Everything was pulverized into dust in the storm!

Killed...

Killed...

Massive experience point notifications flooded Gandalf's backend.

His experience bar towards Rank 30, at this moment, surged at a visible speed, from 54% all the way up!

60%!

70%!

Finally, it stopped at 77%!

Awesome!

It was truly awesome!

One minute later, the two world-destroying Blazing Blade Storms slowly dissipated.

The once bustling city center had now become a vast, barren expanse.

It was almost leveled.

Apart from the solitary Everlook Clock Tower, there were no other intact buildings.

If Wang Xicheng and the others saw this scene, they would probably question their lives.

Was this person here to defend the city, or to destroy it?

Zhou Huai couldn't care less.

As the Blazing Blade Storm subsided, the surrounding army of exotic beasts roared and surged forward again.

He stood at the top of the clock tower, like a god, unleashing Forbidden Spells downward as if they were free.

Forbidden Spell - Meteor Shower!

Forbidden Spell: Thousand Mile Ice Seal!

If any flying exotic beast or agile exotic beast attempted to climb up the clock tower's outer wall.

He would not hesitate to cast Forbidden Spell: Geocentric Gravity Field.

Pressing those suicidal fellows back to the ground, to receive the baptism of the Forbidden Spell along with their companions.

Time passed, minute by minute.

After killing an unknown number of waves of exotic beasts.

A brilliant white light suddenly shot up from Gandalf's body!

Ding!

Congratulations, Host, Clone 'Gandalf' has leveled up to LV30!

Ding!

Congratulations, Host, you have completed the Challenge Mission: The Strong One's Swift Advance!

Mission Reward: Profession Orb Draw Chance X1!

Zhou Huai let out a long breath, a satisfied smile on his face.

Finally... it's done.

...

At the same time.

Several kilometers from the Everlook Clock Tower, on a high-rise building that had not yet been affected.

A slender figure stood quietly by a broken window.

She pushed up the gold-rimmed spectacles on her nose, her gaze piercing through the rain, looking distantly at the figure on the clock tower's top who was continuously casting Forbidden Spells, her eyes somewhat dazed.

After a long while, she came back to her senses, her red lips parting slightly as she murmured to herself.

"Gandalf..."

"An SS-Class Profession, Forbidden Spell Mage."

"No wonder... no wonder that Zuo Daolin guy was so obsessed with catching you."

A complex emotion flashed in her eyes.

"If..."

"If, ten years ago, Simon City really had such a powerhouse."

"Perhaps, Grandpa he..."

"Perhaps, Simon City really would have had a glimmer of hope."

She gave a self-deprecating smile, her voice so soft it seemed it could be blown away by the wind at any moment.

"It's just a pity..."

"In this world, there are never any 'ifs'..."