Chapter 54 (2/2)

Klara was continuously firing her arrows, but none of them could penetrate the thick hide of her targets and simply bounced away, meaning she was not much of a help at all.

The situation on the right was even worse than left.

The battle hadn't been long, yet Grace's s.h.i.+eld lay on the ground, broken. She was precariously hanging on with a single longsword. If it weren't for Samuel crazily throwing whatever throwing daggers he had on him, she would've turned into a tenderised slab of meat a while ago.

The flow of the battle looked very unfavourable at the moment. Dylan was holding a upper hand somehow, but the situation on either sides were not so good. If one side collapsed, then the ensuing situation would be pretty obvious for anyone to see.

”Ahhhaaahck!!”

A sudden scream from the side caused Seol Ji-Hu to reflexively circulate his magic power.

A crisis finally happened. Grace inexplicably tossed her longsword away, grasped her head, and screamed. It would be hard to control one's emotions during a serious life-or-death battle. And because of that, the effects of the Forest of Denial had taken over her mind.

On the flip side, this was the perfect opportunity for the Lioners. Just as they extended their weapons towards Grace rolling around on the ground, Alex shouted something out and reached out with his left hand.

Wuoong!!

A thin, semi-transparent barrier formed around Grace. It truly had appeared at the right time. All the attacking weapons got reflected away.

”G.o.d d*mn it!! Why don't you help me out here too?!” (Alex)

Hugo cried out in a dissatisfied voice. Alex calmly reached out with his left hand again.

”Luxu - Lu - Luxuria!!” (Alex)

The four Lioners attacking Hugo suddenly stopped moving. Seizing upon this chance, Hugo swung his axe at the neck of one of his enemies, and a long line of blood flew in the air.

Finally, one had been felled, but Hugo was already full of wounds. His once-s.h.i.+ny armour was dented and crushed, while blood continued to stream down from his numerous wounds.

For a short while, the light of indecision flickered within Alex's eyes. He chanted another spell, and Hugo's body began emitting a bright light, as his sluggish movements regained some speed. However, his crucifix turned into dust right away.

Alex didn't even have enough time to feel the pain of losing his precious item, and s.h.i.+fted his gaze to the right. The protective barrier was about to shatter.

”Cho Hong!!” (Dylan)

Dylan called out to Cho Hong and stood in between the Lioner leader and the expedition team. The b*stard resembled a hedgehog with all the bolts poking out from its body, but it still looked pretty much fine.

Meanwhile, Cho Hong was already on the move. Her long hair whipped about as she ran to the right. She ran like a streak of lightning and swung her mace at the back of the monster's head as it concentrated on breaking the barrier.

Pow!!

A fountain of blood exploded and one more Lioner keeled over. The remaining three spun around to face her, and as if they had a prior arrangement, began attacking her simultaneously. She got into a defensive position and raised her empty left arm.

Thud! Thud! Thud!!

A longsword, an axe and a spear were all deflected away in that order.

In the empty air - no, on her left arm, a white s.h.i.+eld could be seen.

‘A divine spell?' (Seol Ji-Hu)

Cho Hong's feet left a pair of long grooves on the ground as she was pushed back, but she was not wounded at all.

”Samuel! Throw them off and get back here!” (Cho Hong)

She displayed swift footwork and approached her enemies in a zigzag pattern, before spinning in a half-moon orbit and swung her mace. She didn't just jump into their midst but made sure to circle around them and bought as much time as possible.

While Cho Hong attracted the aggro of all three monsters, Samuel dragged Grace away. The flow of the battle that could have tilted the wrong way stabilised once more with Cho Hong's partic.i.p.ation.

‘What am I supposed to do now?' (Seol Ji-Hu)

After circulating for dozens of times, both of Seol Ji-Hu's Magic Power and Circuit had been warmed up properly now, and they felt boiling hot. His ‘Nine Eyes' still returned the colour red.

He wanted to fight together with them. He didn't want to be protected all the time.

However, he was not in a position to make a move carelessly. Didn't he agree not to mindlessly jump into the battle before coming here?

It wasn't only that, either. With Cho Hong taking over for Grace, there was no ‘Keeper' anymore. She didn't have a choice in the matter, but at this rate, both the Sorcerer and the Priest wouldn't even be able to put up a resistance and die if there happened to be a sneak attack.

‘For the time being….' (Seol Ji-Hu)

Seol Ji-Hu made up his mind. He put the heavy bag down and pulled out his spear.

Both Dylan, still busy contending against the Lioner leader, and Alex, still desperately chanting out the next spell, glanced at Seol Ji-Hu. They didn't say anything. Because, the current situation was precarious enough to ask a level 1 to do something. It was then.

Ian had finished what he was doing, and finally stood up from his spot. His entire face was soaked in sweat - so much so that even his lengthy beard was dripping wet as well.

On the ground, there were five unfurled scrolls. There were intricate geometric shapes drawn on them with the blue salt-like powder.

”Fuu-euph!!”

Ian's eyes opened up wide. All five scrolls suddenly burned away and blue grains emitted bright light beams. They then rose up to the air in a helix starting from the left side, before the rotation picked up speed and shapes formed from the five spirals.

Their final forms were five spears made of ice. Resembling a stalact.i.te found in a limestone cave or some such, the sharp blue spears began spinning crazily like a power drill.

Ian raised his staff up and loudly cried out.

”Ark - Se - Arkadia!!” (Ian)

Ice spears exploded forward as if they were catapulted off from a rubber band pulled back to the limit. Two spears to the right, two to the left, and the last one, to the front.

As soon as those ice spears flew off to their targets, pathetic cries resounded out from here and there. The monster with its head pierced through died instantly. There was one that managed to cover its vital spots, but still, its arms and the lower torso had been penetrated.

Too bad for them, the penetration was not the end but just the beginning of their troubles.

The ice spears penetrating the flesh gradually disappeared as if they were getting absorbed by their hosts. As they got smaller and smaller, layers of ice covered more and more of the Lioners' flesh.

In the end, even the Lioner leader fell down on one knee. It was not spared either, as one of its s.h.i.+ns with the ice spear lodged in it was gradually being taken over by the blue ice at the moment.

It had been paying a close attention to the Sorcerer, but it couldn't shake off the Archer and ended up getting hit like this.

The flow of the battle had changed drastically now. Two monsters had died in an instant, while three of them had received mortal wounds as well. That was including the Lioner leader, as well.

Dylan would never miss a chance like this one.

”Don't give them any respite, and kill them all!” (Dylan)

He quickly took a greater distance away while taking off the crossbow attached to his arm. He then pulled out his ma.s.sive longbow. His main Job was the Arch Shooter. A sniper.

‘So, this is a Sorcerer….' (Seol Ji-Hu)

Seol Ji-Hu had been watching on anxiously, but after seeing this new development, he inwardly let out a cry of admiration.

With the good timing, Alex also completed his divine spell, and that allowed the dangerously-tottering Hugo to regain his balance. Seol Ji-Hu clenched his fist tightly.

‘We can this.' (Seol Ji-Hu)

The best proof of this was the colour of his Nine Eyes changing from red to orange….

Rooooarr!!

‘What?!' (Seol Ji-Hu)

Seol Ji-Hu's eyes opened widely. The moment that Lioner leader roared, the forest that briefly changed back to orange reverted back to crimson red.

‘But, why?' (Seol Ji-Hu)

Sure, their situation hadn't become truly advantageous yet, but compared to before, it was definitely for the better. Both Cho Hong and Samuel worked together to suppress the enemies, and with Alex's support, Hugo should be able to endure until the end of the battle, too. More importantly, Dylan had pulled the string of his longbow to the absolute max and was aiming at the Lioner leader.

Simply taking one look at all the arcs of electricity buzzing around the arrowhead told how dangerous this attack would be. If struck, the best one could hope for would be a mortal injury. However, the eyes of the Lioner leader, even as it stared at this arrow, was drawing a confident, mocking grin.

‘It's laughing?' (Seol Ji-Hu)

Just as Dylan let loose the string, Seol Ji-Hu formed a frown. The Lioner leader crouched and bared its fangs. At the same time, the youth felt a creepy, chilly air tickle by his neck.

Buzz!!

Seol Ji-Hu witnessed the arrow of electricity penetrate the Lioner leader and hurriedly spun around to look behind him.

Right then, he spotted yet another Lioner without a set of manes leaping up from its hiding place and rapidly closing the distance.

[The pack's most important priority, the female Lioner, might not necessarily partic.i.p.ate in the battle, but….]

Ian's words rapidly popped up in his mind.

”Above youuuuuu!!” (Seol Ji-Hu)

Seol Ji-Hu cried out as if he lost his mind.

Dylan s.h.i.+fted his head slightly, only for his jaw to drop. Hugo was enduring with all his might started frowning even deeper; Samuel and Cho Hong, managing to kill one more Lioner through their combined efforts, began freaking out, too.

Despair filled the faces of Ian and Alex.

As if it had been aiming precisely for this moment, the eyes of the Lioner crossing the air gleamed coldly. As the monster pulled back the axe held in its hands, getting ready to chop down, Seol Ji-Hu suddenly found himself trapped in this strange sensation.

During this short period of time, everything he took in had slowed down to a crawl.

‘What am I doing?' (Seol Ji-Hu)

He felt dizzy now as if he was drunk.

‘I should be dodging.' (Seol Ji-Hu)

His gut lurched painfully.

‘I gotta? Really?' (Seol Ji-Hu)

All sorts of emotions swept past in his heart.

The front locks of his hair danced in the air. Only then did Seol Ji-Hu realise that he was running to the front.

He knew he shouldn't have done that.

Yet, his body moved on its own.

”Seol!!” (Alex)

The voice of shocked Alex grew further away.

The boiling-hot Magic Power circulated like crazy. It crashed all over his body with the force of violent storm waves.

The slow-moving world suddenly reverted back to normal. And in that moment, his breathing stopped from the powerful ennuying fear.

‘I want to live….' (Seol Ji-Hu)

Sweat seeped into his eyes and it stung.

‘I don't want to die…!' (Seol Ji-Hu)

His muscles were freezing up from the blades of winds slicing into his flesh. This was the terror of death he was feeling for the second time in his life.

Seol Ji-Hu grasped the spear shaft tightly. He gritted his teeth and glared at the descending monster.

He had been simulating thousands of times, and practised tens of thousands of times more back in the Neutral Zone.

‘I can….' (Seol Ji-Hu)

All of those, exactly for moments like this!

‘….Do it!' (Seol Ji-Hu)

In the next moment….

”Uwaaahhh!!”

Seol Ji-Hu finally succeeded in straightening his arms that wanted to shrink back instead.

And so….

The axe falling fast and hard as if to split apart the world, and the spear smoothly gliding upwards collided in the middle of the way.

< 54.=”” can=”” be=”” done,=”” can't=”” be=”” done=”” (1)=””> Fin.