Chapter 147: Fire at the hideout (2/2)
Then, a huge claw penetrated through the thick cover of the entrance before pulling down and tearing the entire thing apart. While it made it look as if the claw was sharper than it should be, it was actually the weak material that allowed for such a thing.
Yet, Irea didn't wait for the monsters to swarm the entrance. As soon as the claw appeared, she closed her eyes for a single second before opening her eyes, raising her hands, and chanting a single word.
”Burn!” she shouted, pushing her energy through her body into one of the few spells that Layn taught her before disappearing.
A ball of fire... Didn't appear. Such crude technique was something that Layn would be too embarrassed to use, not to speak about teaching it to anyone. That's why, rather than using what most of the young sorcerers and mages would dream about, Irea produced a river of fire that gushed forth from between her hands.
In an instant, the entire entrance of the cave stood in flames. The leftovers of the cover they used were the first to burn, revealing the massive gathering of monsters and animals alike waiting for their turn to rush inside.
”ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MI-COUGH!” Al shouted, only for his words to get stuck in his throat. At the same time, Irea dug her feet into the ground as the air from the inside of their former hideout pushed heavily against her back. Yet, simple coughing couldn't stop someone like Al. Pushing forward, he reached Irea and tapped her back before leaning over her ear. ”If you keep that up, you will suffocate us all!”
”Ah,” Irea muttered, overwhelmed by the shock caused by her own incompetence. Probed by Al's warning, she instantly cracked the spell structure that continued to turn her mana into gushing flames.
Yet, the deed was done already. Thankfully, while the materials they used to cover the entrance to the cave continued to burn, it was clear that there wasn't enough fuel for the fire to continue for long.
But that also meant that the monsters standing on the other side of the fire would no longer be hampered by it either.
”At least we won't suffocate now...” Al muttered while gripping his handy ax. Even though the situation was dire given the number of the enemies, there was no sign of worry or fear in his eyes. As Irea looked at the man, she could clearly tell that he was in the beginning phase of a battle frenzy.
Then, someone descended right in the middle of the swarm of monsters.
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”We need to hurry.” This time, it was Sitra to rush their small group. Ever since they reached the forest, her mood was worsening at a visible pace.
”I don't even want to ask why,” Layn muttered in response, not counting for the girl to actually hear him.
Even though they had no other choice but to ditch their horses right where the woods started, the noise of them moving through the thicker and thicker vegetation was enough to muffle the sound of his voice.
The girl continued to repeat her warnings over and over as they continued to push deeper and deeper into the forest. And sure enough, the entire group was forced to a halt when Sitra suddenly dug her feet in the ground and came to a grinding halt.
”They are right ahead,” she said with a trembling voice.
'For someone who had no problems rushing into the enemies back on the play, she surely is cautious enough when encountering simple monsters,' Layn noted before pushing the girl's hand away.
Right in front of him, a massive army of monsters and animals stood in waiting. A small fire in the distance was the only thing that was stopping its advance. And through the flames, Layn could see the face of the person he cared the most about in this new life of his.
”This is the moment I was saving my everything for,” he muttered before decisively cutting the supply of magic to his translation spell. Right now, he could care less about the future trouble that its lack would give him. After all, he could replenish its dictionary in just a few days.
Layn channeled all the mana he managed to spare over the last few days along with the fresh stream of energy that he used to maintain his translation spell all this time in the exactly same forbidden spell that he used when dealing with the Germanian's troops.
This time, however, he could only afford to create a small blade. Yes, a blade. Not even a knife. And using the last of his strenght, he rushed forward before jumping off the small ridge they were in, right in the middle of the entire gathering of the monsters.
”I wonder how much energy do you guys have in you,” he muttered in his own language, one that would develop only in the far-off future. And then he pressed the tiny crimson blade against the skin of the nearest animal.