By Zephyria Near the Barrier Stone, where Hugo had lowered his altitude and approached, the screams of the members and the cries of the demon beasts were mixed together.
The ones who had climbed over the layers of Aura fell to the ground in droves after being hit by the dull golem’s arm. But they soon got up again and dug their claws into the wall and pressed their bodies against each other as if they were being drawn to something.
Feeling that the movement was somehow unsettling, Hugo sent Dellua a hand signal to evacuate. Then, as soon as he confirmed that the golems that had received the signal had quickly retreated, he pulled out an ice wall over the entire 1km radius of land.
As new ice walls soared up in an instant with narrow gaps, the demon beasts that were clinging to the existing walls were crushed in the gaps. A metallic sound burst out from their crushed vocal organs, and they spewed out bodily fluids from their entire bodies as if squeezing juice.
It seemed that the ones that were immediately urgent were easily taken care of, but the problem started from now on.
Suddenly, a sharp wind fluttered in the air, and a mysterious vibration rushed in from beyond the ice wall. Following that, black waves that appeared from all directions instantly dyed the vast land, or rather, countless somethings were rushing towards this side, raising dust.
Hugo’s eyes narrowed at the phenomenon that was like some kind of omen. Instinctively, he remembered the unbelievable sight he had seen with Leonardo on the ridge not long ago.
Demon beasts with four legs running like crazy, it was clearly the Dermocas Swarm.
‘Did they come after hearing the core’s call?’
During the meeting, there were differing opinions on whether the core, whose energy had weakened, would be able to control the Dermocas, but in conclusion, it was an unnecessary worry.
As the ones beyond the wall quickly approached, Hugo built several layers of barriers in that area to create obstacles that would not be easily crossed. Then, in order to punish them, he pulled out thick water snakes from the ground and sent cold air to the place where the clouds were far away, causing lumps of hail to pour down.
But the smart ones didn’t expose their bodies above the ground. Rather, they dug into the ground to avoid the attacks falling from above. Eventually, they attacked the lower part supporting the huge barrier, and knocked down the ice walls set up in certain sections like dominoes. The ice that was teetering and falling could not withstand the impact and shattered miserably.
Once a path was opened, it was a quick decision after that. They dug intensively into the opened path and rushed towards the defense line protecting the Barrier Stone.
The momentum was quite threatening, so Hugo, who was watching, raised his altitude again and ascended into the sky. Then, gauging their speed, he aligned hundreds of ice spears on both sides of him.
The straight projectiles spread left and right like the wings of a crane. Hugo pointed the spear in his hand forward, aiming the tip at the demon beasts. Soon, as Hugo lightly drew a line from left to right with his arm, the ice, shimmering in the light, shot forward like a machine gun firing in bursts.
The ice, cutting through the wind, flew over the final barrier protecting the defense line and the Barrier Stone, and pierced the heads of the Dermokas rushing in with a fierce momentum in the blink of an eye. The gruesome burst of their bodily fluids soaked the surrounding land and walls, and the sound of ice and earth sizzling filled the vicinity.
Nero, who arrived a beat late and faced the scene, did not show it, but he was quite surprised.
‘He’s casting magic simultaneously, and the casting range is that wide?’
He alternated between looking at the magic unfolding far away and Hugo, blinked for a moment, and then extinguished the flames he had conjured in his hands. It didn’t seem like he needed help at all.
He had been asked by the Captain to assist the Legion Commander, but there seemed to be no reason to expose his Magic Power in front of someone who was doing the work of a hundred men, or more, all by himself. In the meantime, he wondered why the Captain had been so anxious with someone like that around.
However, Hugo’s condition was not as good as Nero saw it. The damage and fatigue from the battle had accumulated, narrowing his vision significantly, and as a result, he only belatedly realized that the movements of the demon beasts were somehow strange.
The ones trapped inside the Barrier Stone were pointing their heads towards the north, while the ones outside were trying to cross over to this side. The inconsistent movement made Hugo suspicious.
‘Could it be….’
At first glance, it seemed like they were struggling to escape from this place, but as a result, not a single one had crossed the wall. The same was true for the ones beyond the wall. They were rushing so fiercely, but not a single one had come inside.
Then, suddenly, a black wave, increasing in intensity beyond the opaque ice wall, caught Hugo’s eye. The Dermokas that had been leaping up seemed to be sticking to the surface of the wall, pressing their bodies against each other.
His gaze, becoming urgent at the suspicious movement, turned downwards this time. He saw that the huge mass of demon beasts had already moved from the ridge and expanded its power to the vicinity of the ice wall.
There was no need to think further. Hugo frowned and threw the last ice spear he was holding with all his might towards the center of the demon beasts. However, before the vertically falling spear could be embedded in it, the demon beasts that had gathered near the point of impact swirled and soared upwards like a tornado. It was as if they were trying to swallow the spear.
The demon beasts who sacrificed their bodies to cushion the impact while being pierced by the sharp tip, was only momentary, and suddenly an ominous light leaked brightly from the gaps between the demon beasts. At the same time, hot air rushed into the sky, and Hugo’s eyelids widened greatly as he alternated between looking at the Dermokas and the light.
“A detonator?”
He let out a groan-like voice and Teleported to the vicinity of the ice wall in an instant.
Nero, who was staring at the leaking light with a dumbfounded face, also looked around and moved towards the members, following him.
However, by the time the two men stood in front of the Barrier Stone and the members, the field of vision was already completely white.
The glowing Destruction Beam swallowed the area, and the sturdy ice wall covered with demon beasts was instantly shattered and blown away.
Swish, swish—
The sound of fine dust scattering and sweeping across the floor was particularly loud. Silence had fallen all around, making the scene swept away by the explosion even more horrific.
“Cough, cough—, …Huck—.”
Dellua, who was lying face down in the ashes, coughed repeatedly, and then her eyes widened at the chilling pain she felt in her abdomen. She quickly inhaled and minimized her movements, but the throbbing pain suppressed her voice.
Nevertheless, she barely twisted her upper body to turn upwards, and minimized the pressure by finding the optimal position. Then, she moved her arm, which seemed to be numb from being bent the wrong way, and slowly groped her abdomen and side.
“Hiss, ugh….”
Soon, as her palm brushed against something like a sharp thorn, her eyes, which had been contorted, closed tightly. For a brief moment, she thought about just staying like this, but if she left the wound unattended in a volcanic area full of heavy metals, tetanus was a given, and in severe cases, it could lead to necrosis.
In the end, with a face full of blood vessels and gritted teeth, she clenched the rock fragment embedded in her stomach with all her might. Then, she lifted her trembling hand several times, and pulled out the long, thorn-like fragment in one breath.
Swoosh—
“Aaaaaaah!”
Her mouth opened involuntarily at the pain that seemed to turn her eyes inside out. Her voice, which seemed to be out of breath, scratched her fear-filled ears sharply.
The feeling of having the blood that spurted from her abdomen cover her face in an instant was beyond description.
The thought that she had to hold her breath because there might be demon beasts nearby had completely disappeared. Her instincts screamed to survive from the uncontrollable pain. Her limbs, consumed by the fear of death, scratched and flailed on the ground.
“Heeuhuh… Heueuk….”
A rough sob, whether a groan or a cry, flowed from her lips. Dellua clutched her bleeding stomach and could not move from her spot for a while.
But the situation did not give her any room to sob. A bleak movement was detected in the distance, blurred by the vast dust.
‘It,’ with its huge and heavy body, raised its head among the falling corpses.
After roaring savagely at the world, it soon spread its wings wide and floated into the sky. Then, it easily broke through the broken barrier and escaped from the scene of the explosion.
With her mouth and breath blocked, Dellua’s eyes followed the trajectory of the demon beast and gradually widened. At that moment, strength entered her waist and abdomen, which had not been moving, and she unknowingly raised her upper body.
Covered in tears and sweat, she trembled and took out an Artifact from her pocket. What she urgently found inside was a Magic Tool for Teleport.
Dellua placed the Magic Tool on the ground and frantically set the specific coordinates she had been memorizing as if possessed. Then, she anxiously bit her lip and created a temporary Portal in front of her.
Even as she struggled to get up and limped, she jumped into the Portal without looking back. In the meantime, only one person’s face was spinning around in her head.
‘Marlene…!’