Chapter 656 (2/2)
“There is a bigger punch coming. We cannot stop here.” Azriel said shortly. To her surprise, Skarch glared at her, her normally passive eyes red.
“Do you think we wanted this?” Skarch growled, gesturing at the trembling and exhausted spear users behind her.
Azriel didn’t bother to say anything. She simply felt a great weight of mental exhaustion settle upon her shoulders. Instead, she moved forward and cut into the wave of Wights that came from the forest to reinforce the fight against Skarch’s squad. Due to her actions, the survivors had about a minute of respite, managing to jog forward at a light pace and regenerate Stamina while Azriel tore their lines apart.
But a few hundred Zeitgard had circled around from the fields side and rushed ahead of Skarch’s group. A few hundred more meters West was now a blockade that was trundling forward towards them.
Skarch slammed the butt of her spear into the ground and raised her head to the sky. “Fuck this wrinkled hand! This is never-ending. Do we take to the fields?”
“Back through the forest,” Azriel answered, glancing around. “Running is just depleting our Stamina. Stamina that your squad desperately needs. At least with our backs to the river, we can give them a brief respite.”
“If we make a stand, they will just bombard us with Psychic Poison,” Skarch said warily. But the whole group wheeled around and crashed into a surprised group of Wights that was coming out of the forest.
Among the trees, Azriel couldn’t reach her top speed any longer, but her ability to accelerate short distances was brought to the spotlight. She flitted among the trees like a ghost, appearing next to groups of Wights and smashing them into the ground. Her feet left large footprints as she turned forcefully back and forth.
Behind her, the two ribbons trailed like paths of fresh blood, marking her passage.
It took some time for the remaining group, twelve squad members, Skarch, and Azriel, to pass through the trees, but it really seemed the Wights hadn’t expected it. After the initial resistance, they broke out of the encirclement and made it to the thinner part of the forest near the water’s edge. Of course, the only reason that this part was left relatively undefended was that it was not a path to escape.
It was just a shallow, muddy grave.
But it also bought them time. Say what you will of Randidly Ghosthound, but even he underestimates the time it takes him to accomplish something. There was something endearing in that, Azriel believed. It was easier for her to accept the unreasonable estimates her mind produced for him when even he seemed to be surprised.
As the group stumbled out to a small 30-meter area that was clear of trees next to the river, Azriel could feel something in the air change. She looked up at the sky and shook her head. It was like a soft pressure on the back of your neck, the Silence. It was strange, but not too much that it caused discomfort for spear users.
But Azriel knew that when Randidly descended amongst the trees, wearing the Crown of Upheaval and Silence, the effect on these spell based individuals was much more negative. After confirming the flow of energy in her chest was becoming more and more focused and vibrant, Azriel closed her eyes.
She ignored the heavy breaths of the worried squad members around her as she focused inward. If her expectations were correct, a few thousand Zeitgard were the least of their worries. And as soon as Randidly arrived…
The ground rumbled, and Azriel could almost feel the threads of his will reach out with energy and seize control of the entire forest in which the Zeitgard was running. Then it exploded into motion, and the screams of the Wights became audible. There was another low rumble in response, but this was a furious roar, rushing towards the source of the first rumbling.
Azriel checked her PP and allowed herself a small smile. Just enough
Congratulations! You have finished the Path “Chasing Red Moonlight X”! With these hands of yours, you chase something far beyond what those around you can comprehend. Almost at the expense of all others, you have thrown yourself into this Path to catch the Red Moon. On the road there, you have become something more. Strength +5, Perception +10, Reaction +15, Agility +50.
You have gained the Skill Halo of Desolation (Ru) Lvl 1. You have gained the Skill Crimson Penetrating Moonbeam (Ru) Lvl 1.