Chapter 67: Three High Erosion Beasts
Behind the three high erosion beasts, a massive wall of earth surged up once more, swiftly piling into a sturdy fortress. This kept the low- and mid-grade erosion beasts swarming from outside from breaching the interior. But the situation was far from ideal. Those three high beasts alone could inflict heavy casualties here.
Taking down a single high erosion beast required ten knights capable of effortlessly slaying mid-grade ones on their own. Excluding Solemnute Adem's students, there were already thirty knights from the Terra church present, along with priests. By simple arithmetic, that should be enough to handle them. But that assumed no other factors at play.
The knights and priests were all nursing wounds great and small. A student who had awakened Mare's divine power had eased some of the injuries, but it wasn't nearly enough. They weren't at full strength. In this state, facing three high erosion beasts was a massive burden.
Erosion beasts absorbed the traits of whatever they devoured, making their attacks unpredictable. Even seasoned knights couldn't avoid blind spots born of ignorance. Knowing this, the knights watched the high erosion beasts with tense expressions.
The erosion beasts, aware of their advantage, didn't charge recklessly. Having survived countless perils themselves, they knew the knights and priests ahead weren't to be underestimated.
"You students stay back. It's dangerous. We don't know what attacks they'll pull, so don't step forward and get hurt. If you get in peril, it'll distract us and collapse our formation."
"……Got it."
"Priests, focus on protecting the students and bracing for surprise attacks rather than engaging directly."
"Understood."
The priests nodded, and the knights straightened their lines, forming three groups of ten and advancing toward the colossal high erosion beasts. Their steps quickened to a sprint, Terra's divine power infusing their swords and bodies.
The erosion beasts didn't just stand idle. The massive humanoid one in front drew a grotesque blunt weapon from its body and swung wildly at the charging knights.
Grrrrrind!
The building-sized behemoth's club gouged the earth and flung it upward.
Boom!
A vast swath of ground flipped over, blocking the knights' advance. But they pressed on undeterred.
"Charge!"
They cleaved through the flying earth shards with their swords, maintaining their rush. The beast slammed its raised club down, unleashing a deafening roar and a ferocious shockwave that hammered the sprinting knights. They faltered briefly but braced their steps and endured.
Reaching its feet, they swung at the high erosion beast. It didn't rely solely on the club—stomping with its feet, pressing with its free arm, keeping the knights from closing in easily.
The knights dodged its assaults desperately, straining to bring it down. But their imperfect condition sapped their sword strikes' power, leaving only shallow scratches on its massive frame. They could shave flesh but not cleave bone.
And even those wounds regenerated swiftly, making it feel like assaulting an iron fortress. The flanking beasts were no different. One, clad in rigid hide like a raging water buffalo, barreled madly into the knights, shattering their formation. The other, with armored gauntlets on both arms, deflected their sword strikes like a refined monk—likely having devoured a skilled fist-fighter.
"What the—!"
The knights began yielding ground relentlessly under the ferocious onslaught. No fatalities yet, but prolonged combat would pile injuries on them while the beasts regenerated. It was maddening.
They had pinpointed the beasts' hearts with their keen senses, but their attacks couldn't connect. The battle with erosion beasts since evening had drained them. Protecting civilians had eroded their mental fortitude. Standing here sword-in-hand against high erosion beasts was already miraculous.
Moreover, these three weren't ordinary high erosion beasts. The knights sensed it clearly: surpass their threshold, and they might evolve into highest-grade erosion beasts.
But they had no choice. Fight on relentlessly, clinging without surrender. Retreat meant death for all.
The priests' divine power was nearly spent too. Those guarding students barely maintained barriers; those aiding knights could only block a major attack once or briefly bind the beasts' feet with earth manipulation. That effort alone kept the beasts from targeting the students behind.
They knew exploiting such a gap would be fatal. The precarious balance held, but the situation worsened by the minute.
The students watched anxiously from within.
"This okay as is?" Ashytara asked Ludenberg Lavante from inside the barrier.
"……No. It's not."
"We step in, help the knights?"
"Clumsy interference would just disrupt the flow."
"But this flow doesn't look great either."
"Yeah. Balance breaks soon."
"Some way out there?"
"Not time for optimism. Thinking that way now…… gets us killed, Tara."
"Ah……."
Ashytara's face hardened. Ludenberg faced reality head-on. This was dangerous. Like a glass on the verge of shattering—one jolt, and it'd splinter catastrophically. That meant utter ruin.
Even a tiny crack would let the knights be overwhelmed helplessly.
Just watch? No way out?
Ludenberg recalled the knights' words. Amateur help would hinder. True enough. Even Ashytara, strongest after him here, couldn't dent them.
Could I tank their attacks and land a blow?
He scrutinized the battle flow. Brutal assaults hammered the knights; they barely defended. Counterattacks? No openings. Pausing defense would crumble their line.
Ludenberg analyzed with eyes and senses. He'd traversed the trial world, embodied the enigmatic Starting Knight. Of course, slaying a highest-grade beast in that body differed vastly—infinitely stronger than his own.
With it, these high beasts would fall swiftly. His flesh was too frail by comparison. Charging by the Starting Knight's standards would make him a cold corpse.
Delay means knights fall. Then……
Everyone endangered. No—Aashytara specifically. No options. Fight alone if needed. One hand might not change much, but buy time.
No other way. Make it work.
He gripped Liberra's sheath and turned to Ashytara.
"Tara."
"Yeah?"
"Balance breaks soon. Everyone dies if it does. I see their moves, counter accordingly."
"No way……."
Ashytara eyed him anxiously. He nodded.
"Gotta support the knights."
"No. Too risky. You said it—interference hinders."
"I can. Without disrupting."
"One more change the flow? Arrogant, Lud. If going…… together."
"You see all three beasts' attacks clearly?"
His abrupt question made her shake her head.
"……No."
"Then no. Harsh, but step in blind, you die to a stray hit."
"But!"
"No time. Look—knights weakening by the second. Won't flip the field solo. But might buy moments. Capital Guard or imperial knights could arrive."
"Bet lives on maybes!?"
She shrieked. Priests and students glanced over at the commotion.
"Else we all die. Gotta stake on that chance now."
"Lud……."
He met her worried eyes squarely.
"Won't die. Promise."
"……."
"Hey, wait!"
A priest tried stopping him, but exhaustion left no strength to restrain. Ludenberg stepped out.
Stifling battlefield air choked his lungs. Yet he walked—as the church knights blocked the beasts with their lives.
Steps turned to sprint. In a blink, he plunged into the fray's heart, where three erosion beasts clashed with thirty knights.