Chapter 540 Escape (1/2)

What exactly are these monsters?!

Even though the Earth Elemental creatures appeared large and clumsy, their movements on the ground were extremely fast. In the blink of an eye, they had arrived before the group and pounced at them.

The private soldiers who were protecting Edward's group were horrified and they brandished their swords to fend off the monsters. However, their sharp blades couldn't leave a single scar on their boulder-like surface and the private soldiers flustered to the powerful reaction force.

”Go away! Go away!”

One of the private soldiers yelled and hacked his sword at the worm-like Earth Elemental creature. Clang! The immense reaction force compelled the pitiful soldier and he tumbled to the ground. He looked up frantically and the monster lifted its upper body and widened its mouth to strike with its razor-sharp boulder teeth. ”Waaa!”

It punctured the soldier's armor and ripped out bloody flesh and bones. The soldier shuddered with rolled eyes, waving his arm helplessly to escape the ordeal. The monster's sharp teeth tore his body into half and his screams stopped abruptly.

”Oh, Lord…”

Everyone looked vacantly with ashen expressions. Their knees weakened after witnessing the monster demolish his body and his blood splashed everywhere. Not only him, but the other private soldiers were also attacked by the monsters. In an instant, the tunnel was filled with the revolting smell of blood and screams that make their hair stand.

”R-Run!”

The foreman, who had promised that nothing huge would happen, turned around immediately and darted toward the exit. But a razor-sharp thorn struck out from above and punctured his fragile skull. Then, a ferocious mouth fell from the tunnel ceiling and devoured its prey in a single swallow.

”M-Miss Seren, what should we do?” Emily hid behind Rhode, shuddering and clasping his sleeves.

Emily was terrified. After all, Edward and Emily were nothing more than ordinary merchants and they had never experienced countless massacres like Rhode, so witnessing a corpse was enough to startle them. It must be a huge shock to ordinary humans who witnessed a human become a corpse before their eyes. However, Emily behaved bravely and even though she was afraid, she continued to stand firmly on the spot. On the contrary, Edward's legs had as though softened into a pile of mud, unable to move an inch.

”We have to leave this place,” Rhode charged forward and brandished his sword. The Earth Elemental creature that had devoured the foreman's corpse turned to face him and pounced forward. However, Rhode was unfazed. As the creature's sharp claws were inches away from ripping his body, he leaned to the side and dodged in an undescribable gracefulness. He turned his wrist and slashed the creature into half like slicing a cream cake. The fatal blow sent the creature crashing to the ground, vanishing into filthy dust instantly.

About level 10 to 15. Something's wrong with the difficulty!

It was apparent that these Earth Elemental creatures were low in level. Although their unique properties had given them the upper hand against ordinary humans, they weren't actually powerful at all. But, this was entirely opposite with what Rhode had remembered! According to his game experience, the Earth Elemental creature should have been between the range of level 35 to 40 after it was completely awakened! But now, they actually possessed only half of their strength… The Earth Elemental Spirit hadn't been fully awakened, but it definitely wasn't in deep sleep within the seal.

What exactly is going on?

Rhode shot a look to Celia swiftly and the latter arrived at Edward's side to support and pull him to Rhode and Emily's side.

”Chairman Edward, we are gonna leave this place now. I hope you can keep up with our pace. No matter what happens, don't leave our side. Understand?”

”Ah. Oh. Okay, Miss Seren.”

Edward was completely out of his wits. Perhaps he would agree to anything Rhode said to him at this point. However, Rhode wasn't in the mood for jokes. He swept a glance at the pale-faced Chairman and turned around immediately to focus his attention on the creatures that had emerged from the shadows. No one noticed the glint of excitement in Rhode's eyes. ”Let's go!”

”Ss—!”

The group bolted toward the exit and two Earth Elemental creatures arched over in a towering manner, their mouths formed by sharp rocks widened ferociously. In the blink of an eye, the creatures sprung toward the group. Rhode swung the basic sword in his hand and glittering spiritual radiance streaked across the dark tunnel. The infinite light blades interwove into a large net and shattered the enemies completely.

So powerful…

Emily widened her eyes in astonishment. Rhode's attack was as though a myriad of dazzling, yet deadly meteors. The red-haired young lady had even forgotten about the threats catching up behind her. She held onto 'Miss Seren's' left arm and kept up with her quick pace. Meanwhile, Edward staggered along with Celia and the latter brandished her sword to drive away the creatures that attempted to pounce on them. The Earth Elemental creatures standing before Celia showed signs of hesitance. As the highest form of the Light Element, Celia also possessed pure Light Elemental strength and from a certain aspect, the Light Elemental composition of Celia was similar to these Earth Elemental creatures apart from their attribute properties. Even though these creatures who relied on instinct to attack could deal fatal damage to 'impure' humans, they were at a complete loss in the face of a pure Light Elemental Battle Angel who was higher in class than them.

The creatures behind weren't giving chase as tightly as before after they had witnessed Celia's threat. Everyone seized this opportunity and dashed toward the exit through the opening that Rhode had created. There was not a single person along the way and discarded tools were scattered everywhere. It seemed like the miners had gotten away immediately after hearing the commotion.

The deep, dark tunnel had as though no end to its horizon and there was not a single guide shown under the flame torches. Emily felt that she had been trapped entirely in this underground maze and all she could do was to follow 'Miss Seren' before her blindly as she supported her panting father with gritted teeth. Emily feared that the path they had chosen was incorrect. Apart from the slope that clearly meant to them that they were heading upwards, there were no other indications.

”Haa… Haa…”

Rapid breathing echoed in the mine and Emily could clearly hear the hisses from close behind her. She wanted to turn around, but she bit her lip and focused her attention before her instead. She was afraid that the creatures would pounce onto her the very instant she turned back and she would die a painful, miserable death like the private soldiers… She shivered every time the images of their deaths flashed in her mind. The darkness around her felt like a massive, terrifying creature that was about to devour her entirely…

As Emily and 'Miss Seren' ran passed the corner of the tunnel crossing, hopeful, dazzling rays of the sun shone brightly before her eyes and blinded her slightly. This was the first time that she had praised the beauty of the world from the bottom of her heart.

”Quick. We're almost there!” Rhode turned back to Emily.

The exhausted red-haired young lady's legs had almost given way beneath her. She tried her best to support her father as they reeled forward while Celia brandished her sword and calmly eradicated the relentless creatures behind her.

”…!”

At this moment, a series of roars shook the ground beneath their feet, shaking crushed rocks and dust off the ceiling. Rhode halted as a sudden ominous premonition clouded his mind.

Earthquake? No, this is…!