Chapter 147: The Cave of Screams (1)
Chapter 147: The Cave of Screams (1)
The creatures were still sizing us up. We, in turn, assumed a defensive formation. If the Radolofs decided to charge, their momentum would be impossible to ignore, so the key was to thin their numbers with a preemptive strike.
Of course, if it were just the three of us—me, Ko Yeonju, and Vivian—we could have made short work of the Radolofs. No, in reality, any one of us could have handled them without breaking a sweat. But we couldn't keep doing things this way forever. So, I decided not to offer any help beyond dealing with the ones that came for me. It was time for the others to become aware of their own roles, to experience getting injured, and to feel the consequences of failing to carry out their duties.
“—. —. —.”
“—. —. —.”
I could hear Jung Hayeon and Shin Sangyong chanting their spells. There seemed to be over thirty of the creatures. About twenty of them were reacting quickly to our intrusion. If all twenty charged at once with their horns lowered, a part of our line was bound to break. I wondered how many of them Jung Hayeon and Shin Sangyong’s preemptive strike could take out. Just then…
“Snort! Snort! Snort!”
“Huff! Huff! Huff!”
Most monsters in the Hall Plain possess some intelligence, and quite a few are sensitive to the flow of mana. They react very sharply when mages gather magic power to cast a spell. Sure enough, feeling uneasy about the mana converging in our ranks, the Radolofs began to snort and huff, lowering their heads.
One or two doing it might not mean much, but with over twenty acting in unison, their intent was clear. A moment later, signaled by a roar from a particularly large one at the front, they all began to charge us.
Thud-thud-thud! Thud-thud-thud-thud!
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM!
The ground-shaking footsteps quickened, the rhythm growing faster by the second. It was like watching medieval knights charge in unison, their heavy lances leveled. I swung my sword back and forth, gauging my defensive range, and targeted the three in the lead. Then, in a low voice, I warned the party.
“Here they come. Their first line will try to break our formation with a charge, while the second line will use their powerful legs to trample us. Not only must you hold against the first line, but if you can push them back, the fight will be much easier.”
They were about halfway to us. I heard deep exhales from behind me, signaling the completion of the spells. We hadn't formed our line right in front of them but had left some distance, giving the mages plenty of time to chant. Still, their speed was increasing, and I was hoping they would fire their spells soon.
“Dig In The Ground!”
As if they had planned it, Shin Sangyong, not Jung Hayeon, cast the first spell. It was surprising that it wasn't a direct attack spell, but I knew the two of them enjoyed using combination magic, so I decided to wait and see. And against the Radolofs, Dig In The Ground could be considered a very efficient choice.
An invisible energy swept across the ground in front of the charging beasts. The next moment, with a soft thump, a long pit appeared in the earth. Since he hadn't mastered Applied Magic Circuits, I couldn't expect him to dig multiple pits at once. Instead, he had created a single long trap in the perfect spot, where they would have no time to react.
It wasn't incredibly deep, but it was deep enough to trip them. More importantly, he hadn't just fired off a spell randomly; he had aimed for maximum efficiency. I had to give him high marks for that. The results were immediate.
“Neeeigh! Hiiih!”
“Krrack! Krr-crack!”
Four or five of the Radolofs in the front rank tumbled forward violently, while others staggered. This forced the ones charging just behind them to slow down, creating a moment of chaos. Seizing this opportunity, Jung Hayeon’s clear voice rang out.
“Ice Spear! Rapid Fire!”
The Vagabond mage yesterday had used a spear of fire, but Hayeon’s specialty was water-based magic, so she used an ice spear. I counted the number of spears forming and smiled to myself. Perhaps due to the influence of her special ability, 〈Blessing of the Lake〉, she created and launched six identical spears without exerting her full power. The spears flew with a slight delay between them, primarily targeting the fallen creatures. Unable to dodge the spears that came amidst the confusion, they were struck squarely in their bodies.
The pained screams of the Radolofs echoed, but Jung Hayeon’s magic wasn't finished. Normally, Applied Magic Circuits allows for only one effect per spell; weaving two at once is incredibly difficult. However, she still had her trump card: Memorize. As the Necklace of Glory around her neck shone with a pure white light, she opened her mouth to cast again.
“Broken!”
Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!
As the spell activated, the ice spears embedded deep in the monsters’ bodies shattered all at once. The parts of the spears protruding outside exploded into shrapnel, sweeping through the surrounding enemies like a storm. And judging by the way a few of them convulsed violently before collapsing, the fragments inside must have torn their insides to shreds.
“…I'm sorry. It wasn't as powerful as I expected.”
“No. This is more than enough.”
I shook my head at Jung Hayeon, who was apologizing with a dejected voice. The six that had been hit by the spears died instantly, and the surrounding creatures, though staggering, began to charge us again. While it was true she hadn't managed to cut their numbers in half, she had definitely blunted their charge and inflicted numerous injuries. It might not have met my expectations, but it was certainly nothing to be sorry for. (Besides, my expectations were ridiculously high to begin with.)
Just then, a strange flow of mana began to trace symbols beside me. As a magic circle formed, billowing with smoke, I finally remembered the person I had forgotten while focused on Jung Hayeon. We still had one more magic user on our side. And she was an alchemist, one far more skilled than the other two.
“Come forth! Acacia! Queen of Pain who rules the 29th Legion!”
As Vivian’s cheerful voice rang out, black flowers began to bloom from the pit Shin Sangyong had dug. The flowers blossomed at an incredible speed, their stems unfurling to envelop the nearby Radolofs. After confirming this, Vivian snapped her fingers with a flourish.
Snap!
Pshuk! Pshuk! Pshuk!
““““““Neeeeeeeigh!””””””
Sharp thorns shot out from the stems, mercilessly piercing the bodies of the ensnared Radolofs. The creatures caught in the stems’ grasp let out mournful cries and threw their heads back, only to be buried by another wave of thorns. Just like that, another six were sacrificed to the thorns. The ones who had been out of range or had been quick enough to jump over the pit survived, but the combined efforts of our three mages had wiped out twelve of them before they even reached us. I glanced to the side to see Vivian flashing a V-sign with a wide grin. I let out a sigh and clicked my tongue. At my reaction, Vivian immediately scowled and began to grumble.
The large creature that had roared first was still alive. It was wounded here and there, but its hostility toward us hadn't diminished in the slightest. It lowered its four-horned head once more and began to charge. Enraged by the meaningless deaths of their kin, the survivors followed its lead, lowering their own horns.
The mages had done their part. Now it was time for the melee fighters. With their numbers greatly reduced, I decided to slightly alter the formation and gave the order.
“Ahn Hyun! Lee Yoojung! Advance!”
At my command, Ahn Hyun and Yoojung quickly moved to my left and right. I didn't give Ko Yeonju any specific instructions. Her role was to protect the mages and the priestess, providing support from the rear when needed.
The lead Radolof let out a bellowing roar and charged straight at me. As its horns, glinting sharply in the sunlight, thrust forward, I stepped back and swung my vertically held sword upward. I felt something catch on the blade, and pieces of a shattered horn flew into the air. The impact snapped the beast's head up, and I kicked it hard in the jaw.
A heavy shock traveled up my leg as the monster’s neck whipped back flexibly, and it staggered back a few steps. Seizing the opening, Ahn Hyun and Lee Yoojung shouted and struck at its flanks.
Stab! Sliiice!
Ahn Hyun’s spear pierced its torso, while Yoojung’s sharp slash cut into its right leg. However, lacking strength, her katana failed to sever the leg completely and got stuck midway. And while she was immobilized, another monster charged, aiming to run her down.
“Yat!”
But Yoojung hadn't been slacking off. She reversed her grip on the embedded katana and pulled her body toward me. Using the momentum of her shifting weight, she cut deeper into the leg. With her left hand, she swung the Skurepf powerfully at the incoming monster.
“Hmph!”
“Aah!”
She couldn't completely avoid the collision, and her body was thrown back violently. But by using the katana in her right hand as a brace, she managed to stay on her feet. The charging monster, having taken the Skurepf directly to its head, let out a pained scream.
A quick glance showed that Yoojung wasn't unscathed. Her left arm was bent back at such an awkward angle that it was a miracle she was still holding the Skurepf. But I decided not to say anything. At least this was better than dodging. And the fact that she hadn't lost her posture meant she must have anticipated it to some degree.
“Cure!”
As if she had been waiting for it, Ahn Sol immediately cast a divine spell on Yoojung’s arm. A warm white light enveloped her left arm, and after rotating the healed limb a couple of times, she stood up again.
Ahn Hyun was fighting better than I expected. He was handling three of them at once. Although he seemed to be on the defensive the entire time, he held his ground without retreating. Having focused on martial arts, he twisted his body to dodge their horns and swung his heavy spear like a windmill to batter them. He took a few kicks from blind spots but gritted his teeth and continued to perform his role as the tank.
“Shackles!”
“Shield!”
“Wind Cutter!”
With renewed support from Ahn Sol and the mages, the battle began to turn in our favor. I casually slapped away a monster that was snapping its jaws at me, then focused my attacks on the one that seemed to be the leader. Since Yoojung had effectively tied up its right leg, its movements were sluggish, allowing me to cut off its head without much trouble.
As time passed, more and more Radolofs fell to the ground. After I beheaded the leader, their morale plummeted. With support from Ko Yeonju and Vivian, Yoojung began to rampage, while Ahn Hyun, backed up by Ahn Sol and Jung Hayeon, managed to finish off all three he was facing.
Thud!
Yoojung finished off the last remaining monster by crossing her Skurepf and a dagger over its neck, then turned around. The left side of her jacket and shirt was slightly torn, but she didn't seem to be seriously injured. And for the first time, I felt no dissatisfaction with a melee battle fought primarily by the others. The fact that I wasn't dissatisfied meant they had, for now, met the standards I had set.
These kids, who had been with me for less than six months, had not backed down against a sizable horde of decent-level monsters. Although the mages’ opening barrage had been a huge help, and Ko Yeonju and I had provided support, the important thing was that they had each pulled their own weight. The others, perhaps feeling a bit awkward with this new sensation, were all looking at me in silence.
However, I had no intention of praising them here. I was still hungry, and these kids needed to grow stronger—strong enough to one day crush monsters like these as if they were bugs. So, I stared ahead with an indifferent gaze.
The younglings and the ones that had been protecting them were nowhere to be seen. They must have fled the moment their fighting force was annihilated. Seeing the hesitant looks on the party members' faces, I shook my head with a calm expression.
“We're not pursuing the ones that ran. They're hard to catch, and there's no need to. The injured should quickly use potions to heal, then reform the ranks. We will resume the march in three minutes.”
“““Yes.”””
After hearing their slightly drained replies, I calmly turned around. Ko Yeonju was smiling faintly, looking pleased about something.