Thora cut through the battlefield like a weapon given human form, leaving twisted corpses strewn behind her. Draven, Ashley, and the blond man stayed close at her flanks and rear, intercepting the monsters flooding in from behind. Their advance was far quicker than she had expected when it began. One mile. Then two. After nearly an hour of relentless slaughter, the silhouette of the tower finally emerged through the gray haze, its outline rising ahead. With the goal in sight, her pace surged again. She raised her blade, drove it straight through a monster's head, pivoted sharply, and slashed in a wide arc. A whole line of creatures had their throats opened and collapsed. She leapt forward, boots striking skulls as stepping stones while she sprinted.The nearer they came to the tower, the denser the swarm became. The structure sat at the center like a furious nest, monsters clustering around it in layers. Draven shot Thora a look and barked, "Climb. Now." By then, all three of them were slowing. The sustained, high-output combat had drained their reserves. Ashley curved her lips in a sharp grin. "From here, it's your show." The blond man added casually, "Don't waste the chance we bought." Even while speaking, they kept cutting down the tide, but their condition was slipping fast. Their stats were dropping by the second. If this dragged on, they would be overwhelmed. Thora lunged and caught the tower's iron ladder, both hands locking onto the rails. The monsters surged beneath her, clawing upward in frenzied waves. They slipped, fell, and lunged again, locked into endless attack loops. The lowest rung was ten feet up. They could not reach her, only howl and scramble. Any that came close were shot twice by Thora and fell back lifeless. She turned toward the three still trapped in the swarm and saw Draven fighting fiercely, his eyes never leaving her. Then a monster struck him. Draven staggered, and the horde piled in. "Draven!" Thora shouted. Before the echo faded, Draven, who had gone down, rose again. In an instant, his presence changed. His movements turned ruthless and explosive. He lifted his chin toward her, voice cold. "Move. Or do you want us dead down here?" Ashley and the blond man were both hit as well.Thora pulled out her last usable card. Teleport. She had kept it as a final safeguard to extract everyone. But now was the moment. Her gaze hardened. "Teleport." White light burst outward, and the three caught in the swarm vanished. Thora put the card away and drew a deep breath. Below, the monsters, robbed of their targets, clawed even harder at the tower. From here on, she was alone. She looked up at the spire cutting into the sky and climbed. ... The three who were sent back were in bad shape. Aside from Ashley, Draven and the blond man were seething at being forcibly removed. "If I remember right, that Teleport card was Thora's last one. And it was its final charge," Ashley said calmly, eyes fixed beyond the fence. Her words darkened Tristan's group. Even if Thora destroyed the virus file, she would have to return alone from over a mile out. No cards or backup through that monster sea? Practically impossible. Draven's eyes narrowed, and he said nothing. Ryan stepped forward, uneasy. "Darius—" He did not finish the name before Draven turned. One look stopped Ryan cold. He did not dare move closer. That gaze was not the Darius he knew. The one he knew was sharp and dominant, but this was different. This felt like being stared down by something feral. Draven flicked Ryan aside with a glance and fixed on Luke, his voice low and edged. "You can track her." Luke startled and nodded fast. "Yes. I can track her coordinates. The moment she touches the virus file, I'll know." Draven faced the fence, blood-red haze clouding his eyes as he restrained himself by force. A layer of dark vapor—invisible to most—crept over his black gloves and gathered in his palm. Thora, you had better come back alive. If you did not, I would bury everyone here with you. Cold radiated from him as he stared through the fence. No one dared approach. He was Draven. At the instant he was wounded, he had taken full control of this body. When it came to pure violence, Darius did not compare. Draven sneered inwardly. Useless. Could not even protect the woman he wants.