If Seth had been alone, he would've fought his way out with shield in one hand and baton in the other.
But now, to protect the survivors, he had no choice but to dodge the Ethereals and retreat.
Yet even behind him, dozens more Ethereals gave chase.
Surrounded from both front and back, Seth and the two survivors were cornered near a towering statue of a god. Death seemed inevitable.
Seth had only joined the Public Security Bureau less than half a year ago.
It was the first time he'd faced anything .
He kept backing up until his heels touched the statue, which shimmered with golden patterns. He couldn't retreat any further.
One hand gripped his police shield, the other his baton.
Leaning against the statue, Seth stood firm, shielding the survivors behind him.
The young people stared ahead in terror.
"Officer Seth, are the Ethereals going to eat us?"
Seth tightened his grip on his weapons.
"Don't worry. As long as I'm alive, I won't let them touch you."
He had promised Captain Zhu Yuan he'd get these two survivors out of the Hollow.
He had to keep that promise.
Before long, a clawed Ethereal leapt toward them.
Seth seized the moment, swung his baton with all his strength, and struck it hard, forcing it back.
But before he could catch his breath, several more Ethereals surged forward, claws and heads stretching out toward him.
With the statue guarding his back, Seth didn't have to worry about being attacked from behind.
He raised his shield to block the ones on the left, then swung his baton to fend off the right. For a moment, he actually held them back, keeping the Ethereals at bay.
But this kind of fighting couldn't last.
Time crawled by as Seth held out for more than ten minutes. His strength drained rapidly under the pressure.
Then his defense slipped.
One Ethereal's claw slid past the edge of his shield and slashed his leg. Blood seeped down his pant leg.
Seth cried out in pain, then braced himself and pushed back with his shield.
A flash of electricity burst forth, repelling the nearby Ethereals again.
He pressed the attack, swinging his baton hard into the forehead of the nearest one.
Earlier, that would've been a killing blow. Now, it only knocked the creature back a few meters.
In an instant, more Ethereals charged. Some even leapt high into the air, attacking from above.
To protect the survivors, Seth had to tighten his formation, forcing himself to block the Ethereals at close range.
But how could a new recruit from the Public Security Bureau hold out against so many?
No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't block every strike.
Claws reached past his shield and tore into him.
Seth gritted his teeth through the pain.
He knew he wouldn't last much longer. His stamina was fading fast.
And still, he never once thought about running away.
The survivors' screams rang in his ears.
Even as he fought, Seth called out to reassure them.
"As long as I'm standing, I won't let them hurt you!"
But despair was already sinking in.
He regretted not training harder, not learning more about elemental control—especially over Eletric.
If only he were stronger.
Like Captain Zhu Yuan, who could kick Ethereals flying...
Like Senior Qingyi, who could sweep away crowds with a single blow...
If he were that strong, he could protect them. He could win.
Faced with this hopeless situation, Seth could only curse his own weakness.
He longed for power—not for himself, but to save the two ordinary people behind him and defeat the monstrous Ethereals before him.
He roared, gripping his shield and baton tighter, trying to drive the Ethereals back one more time.
But his body had reached its limit.
One claw after another tore his shield from his hands.
Then his baton was knocked away too.
"Officer Seth, please save us!"
"Officer Seth, what do we do?!"
The survivors' cries blended with the Ethereals' roars.
Seth clenched his jaw.
Without his weapons, he spread his bloodied arms wide and threw himself between the monsters and the survivors.
Claws, weapons, and fangs came crashing down.
And in that moment, memories flashed through his mind—
Helping Captain Zhu Yuan apprehend criminals.
Making tea with Senior Qingyi.
From a clumsy rookie to a public security officer praised by his superiors...
Seth closed his eyes and whispered,
"Captain Zhu Yuan, Senior Qingyi... I'm sorry. I couldn't finish the mission you gave me..."
Just as the Ethereals' attacks were about to strike—
The statue behind Seth erupted in golden light.
Brilliant and radiant, the light enveloped Seth and the two survivors, as if filled with magic.
Seth had been ready to die.
He could feel the Ethereals' attacks landing—but strangely, there was no pain.
The Ethereals were still there, still clawing and striking him.
He looked down—and saw golden rock armor, glowing faintly, wrapped around his body.
The armor had appeared out of nowhere, shielding him from harm.
Seth could feel his strength returning.
No, not just returning—he was stronger than ever.
He snatched up his discarded shield and baton, locked them together into a shield axe, and swung.
Geo energy surged across the weapon's surface, forming rock-like patterns.
As the shield axe struck, a wave of golden light burst outward, knocking back every Ethereal within several meters.
The ones closest were even cleaved in half.
Seth staggered for a second in disbelief.
What elemental force.
He could tell—this wasn't just Eletric anymore.
Somehow, he now possessed a new element, one he'd never seen before.
It had forged the armor around him and given him unimaginable strength.
And with this strength,
Seth didn't need to defend anymore.
He ignored the Ethereals' attacks, letting them strike the armor—
But none of them could break through.