Chapter 148

It wasn’t just a scene that had broken down in a matter of a few months or years. There were fresh claw marks, and some buildings had been twisted apart by an incredible force. “Wasn’t this your magic’s doing, Cayna?” “How rude. It was rebuilt after the event, so this only happened in the past two hundred years.” “We still haven’t found the culprits, though…” “Maybe they went extinct on their own?” she suggested. “Then none of us would have any reason to be here!” Once someone spoke up, friendly conversation spread among the nervous players. They remained vigilant, but the silence was evidently unbearable. “At any rate, this ground cleanup was definitely a rush job.” “The buildings are still standin’ but look a mess. I bet they’d fall right over if you kicked ’em.” “Don’t you dare. We’ll get caught up in it!” Since there were Skill Masters in the mix, it was suggested they take command. However, Hidden Ogre himself admitted a lack of leadership ability and declined. Cayna had the battle prowess and the authoritative skills but knew little of large-scale warfare, so Jaeger and Spirale were assigned the position as initially planned. According to Exis and his team who had guarded the entrance, the monsters’ sporadic escape attempts seemed to be on hold at the moment. However, they couldn’t breathe easy yet, thanks to the earlier attack on Felskeilo. Incidentally, Opus wasn’t part of the conversation; he had gone underground by the entrance to hunt monsters in the subterranean tunnels. Siren did not join him but instead stood watch outside and explained the situation to any oblivious person who approached. Everyone was shocked when Opus announced he’d eliminate any foe on sight and destroy the tunnels as well. “Hey, hey, hey, what are you planning?!” Exis had yelled at him. “Once the tunnels collapse, the monsters will flood whatever exit they can find, right? All you have to do is strike there. It’ll be like shooting fish in a barrel.” A number of players had nodded in understanding. Considering that it was a dungeon maze where monsters could pop out from anywhere, this was a reasonable proposal. Besides, the enemies aboveground took priority if they wanted to avoid a pincer attack. If the objective had been simply to pulverize the city, Cayna and Opus could have used their strongest magic to get the job done in an instant. However, aside from a few exceptions, ranged spells fundamentally focused on the caster. Plus, unlike in the game, friendly fire was possible in this world. Magic couldn’t automatically differentiate between a player and a nonplayer. If they were to level the city with magic, only one person could enter. This was fine for either Cayna or Opus, but doing so would negate the entire point of assembling players for this emergency quest. Opus’s destructive activities were evidenced by the occasional slight tremor beneath the players’ feet. The cobblestones from the town entrance onward slowly began to break down and collapse, so they had to keep moving. “Better hope he doesn’t get himself stuck,” said Shining Saber, exasperated. “I’m sure Opus has it covered. He’s pretty smart about that stuff.” Cayna vouched for the demon with a smirk. “I see.” Shining Saber nodded. Just then, Kuu issued a warning from Cayna’s shoulder: “Enemy!” “Spirale, we’ve got company!” Cayna shouted. “Monster sighted!” “Huh? What? Where?” Jaeger yelled once Cayna raised her magic staff and warned Spirale. Without a moment’s delay, the players on the front lines drew their weapons and stood on guard. There was a fountain square in the center of town. The water had long since dried up, the earth was cracked, and shriveled weeds peeked out here and there. “Are they underground?” “Darn…” “As I suspected, they’re in a better position for an ambush.” The radar display of the Abandoned Capital was filled with countless red and blue dots that indicated friend or foe: blue for players, red for monsters. At present, the blue dots were gathered in the central plaza with a host of red dots circling them. The players had been simultaneously surrounded by the enemy. Magic Skill: Physical Defense Up: Ready Set Magic Skill: Magic Defense Up: Ready Set Cayna’s Buff spells immediately diffused everywhere and lit up the players in red and blue. Sahana added to this by casting Speed Up and Attack Power Up. The players were then cast in a green light, and their weapons glowed red. Someone audibly gulped when suddenly one building in the direction of the castle exploded from the inside. Fragments of stone material and what looked to be broken furniture went flying. Although everyone was well aware the physical defense boost would protect them, it is a normal instinct to dodge airborne objects. Just as the panicked players either lay facedown on the ground or retreated, the buildings to the left and right exploded in the southern direction of their advance. The attack was clearly hostile, so they formed a vital circle to avoid an enemy strike from behind. The army had nearly recovered from the thick dust when something materialized from farther within. It was a monster the size of a four-ton truck. The slimy toad had red and black spots, and a snake reared its head from the amphibian’s partly open mouth. “It’s a chimera!” “““Blegh…””” As soon as one person perceived the monster’s true nature, everyone else watched with annoyance. It wasn’t alone, either; there was also an alligator with a shark’s head and a two-headed Cerberus with the tail of a scorpion and heads of a snake and a dog. These monsters had no sense of unity whatsoever. What appeared to be a rotund suit of armor came from the building on the left. However, at four meters tall, it was so huge one couldn’t help but wonder where it had been hiding this whole time. When the living armor flipped up its helmet shield, a host of wriggling octopus legs flew out. It was absolutely disgusting. A scream rose from the unit of little sisters. Giant eyeballs substituted as the suit’s joints, and it resembled an uneven, ball-jointed doll. The monster unsheathed not a sword from its side but a squirming, legless centipede. The corners of its mouth were wide enough to bite a person’s head off in a single attack, and the slobber that trickled down was a dissolving solution that bored holes in the ground. “I don’t remember anything like that in the game!” “Maybe it evolved in the barrier by itself for two hundred years?” “This ain’t the time for a casual analysis!” Chimeras were relatively common monsters in Leadale and could often be found in ruins and dungeons. Their appearance was an amalgamation of two or three real-life animals, and apart from special areas, most players could beat one with ease as long as their physical attack was properly leveled up and the location was right. What destroyed this balance was the troubled Admin design team who announced an open call for ideas in exchange for special items. Every passionate gamer artist, amateurs and pros alike, jumped at this with abandon. The design submissions alone were fine, but some players also included a list of detailed attack moves. Furthermore, after the Admins carelessly accepted these with zero edits, violent monsters began to spread into newbie regions. Leadale’s most powerful guilds later collaborated to launch a large-scale sweep. A majority of players at the time were upset, and the widespread propagation of chimera monsters came to an end. “I guess only the most disgusting ones survived that extermination.” “Damn it! Is this another Admin trick?!” “I know it’s kinda late to say this, but the Admins’ well of ideas ran dry a long time ago…” “Stop, it just makes me sad.” Players who had memories of that cleanup job shot evasive looks at the armor and toad. Both monsters were around level 300 and no match for the players here, but unfortunately it was no time for a counterattack. Other nearby buildings continued to explode, and the players’ impatience became more pronounced as a stream of chimeras appeared one after the other. Despite their inferior strength, monsters of unknown ability surrounded them on all sides. This was enough to stop the army in its tracks. Some players tried to move toward the wall, but another blast erupted in front of them. When they tried to shield themselves, another came from behind. “Gaaah! Are they gonna keep us in this plaza?!” Jaeger shouted. “Weird…,” said Cayna. “I thought chimeras only acted on instinct.” Soon enough, the players were surrounded by a multitude of chimeras. Jaeger and Cayna, now both poised for battle, exchanged bewildered looks. “What’s going on? Are these monsters really smart enough to plan an ambush?” “How should I know?! This is no time to panic!” “Quit your blabberin’ and fight back! We’re packed together, but we can beat these guys to a pulp if we strike from the outside.” “All right, you radish fighters. Let’s show ’em what we’re made of!” Jaeger’s crimson armor clanged as he hefted a sword larger than himself onto his shoulder. Shining Saber and Cohral grinned ferociously and followed suit. Several players set their own oversized large swords on their shoulders and crouched into position. “Why radishes?” Quolkeh asked without thinking. “He’s referring to a large sword for beginners that is white with a green hilt,” Hidden Ogre replied, a halberd in each hand. “Ah, got it.” Nodding, Quolkeh took a whip in each hand and began slicing the wind in circles. As each individual in the vanguard readied their technique, Cayna and the rest of the rearguard prepared attack magic beforehand. Sahana cast spells like DEX Up that would help the swordfighters strike true. As soon as everyone received this effect, the chimeras moved all at once. “SHOW NO MERCYYYYY!!” Everyone raced toward the black wave and unleashed a slew of sword techniques. Flaming Bomb Lea Vork Flame Snake Stampede Leala Barcia A blazing ball of fire struck its target and scorched everything within a five-meter radius, while a flaming snake coiled around a different foe and burned it to cinders. Such magical attacks continued one after the other, but they only struck the monsters one row back so the vanguard wouldn’t get caught up in it. Cayna and Sahana’s combined Mega Levork took things a step further. It blasted away not just monsters but the surrounding buildings and environment as well. Weapon Skill: Sand Dragon Breakdown Storm Jaeger, Shining Saber, and the other swordfighters dashed straight ahead. Their blades whirled like vigorous hammer throws and hit speeds invisible to the naked eye. The wind began to swirl and rage around each and transformed the weapons into a single tornado. Several of the swordfighters’ fierce twisters crowded together and tore through the approaching dark wave. The zigzag attack shredded anything in its path. Monsters were sliced sideways into several layers as the violent storm threw chunks of flesh into the sky. Enemies caught between two at the same time were shredded like paper. Monsters that once howled and trembled in delight as they swooped down on their quarry now shrieked in anguish. Weapon Skill: Canyon Grind Hidden Ogre held two large halberds in front of him and struck the earth in a circular sector. The cobblestones caught in a radial pattern caved in, and a stream of monsters lost their balance as they were swallowed up by the earth. Some panicked and tried to jump to freedom, but it was already too late. Stone spears rose from below like billowing waves and pierced the captured monsters. Impaled by crude stone spears like a butcherbird’s prey for later consumption, Hidden Ogre’s foes were swiftly vanquished. Some did manage to escape but were either cut in half or burned to ashes by a wave of other players. Weapon Skill: Rapid-Fire Spiral Slicer Several players wielded a whip like Quolkeh, and their high-speed rotations produced wind buzz saws. Any monster that tried to forcibly squeeze through a gap in their technique was cut to ribbons. Each was carved into four or five unrecognizable slices and tossed into the air. This technique was more cost-effective than those that prioritized destructive power; you could strike multiple enemies at once, and it was easy to control. They coiled around the swordfighters’ earlier tornadoes like drill bits, and the additional power aided the rush of players. Magic Skill: Lea Lance Vision: Ready Set Countless flame spears about two meters long appeared above Sahana’s and Spirale’s heads. “Fire!” “Go!” The spears soared over the tornadoes and players to pierce the back row of monsters. Instead of burning, they instantly turned to ash and crumbled away without even time to scream. Sahana had ample MP, so her shower of flame spears covered the entire blockade of monsters. Not a single foe who ran out of pure instinct avoided their dusty fate. Eliminating the monsters took fifteen minutes from start to finish. “Awww, it’s over already? I was about to unleash my second attack, too…” Cayna looked ready for more action. “If we left it to you, dear Cayna, none of us would get a turn.” Spirale shouldered his wand with a grin. “Kuu didn’t get to attack,” the fairy mumbled. “Huh? Sissy, can that fairy fight, too?” Sahana’s eyes widened in shock. “She’s so dangerous, even Opus runs for the hills.” “You’re kidding…” Cayna looked away with a defeated smile. Sahana didn’t know what to believe. “That aside, you should probably see to them first,” said Spirale. ““What?”” The girls turned in the direction Spirale indicated with his wand and came upon a pleasant scene. “Hrgh, hold…on… Blargh!” “Ohhhh…” “Ugh, I feel sick…” There were only a few injuries, but the swordfighters suffered far differently from everyone else. Unsurprisingly, unlike back in the game where the players could fight as they pleased, the high speeds made most dizzy and pale with nausea. Wildly chopping up monsters was all fine and good, but the rain of meat chunks and blood splatters soon dyed them red and purple. Anyone who could use Purification cleaned them from head to toe. “Ohhh?” “Huh?” While this was happening, a pillar of fire rose into the sky near the main entrance. Thanks to the Raid Link, each player was also enveloped in a red effect that granted Flame Resistance. The caster was Opus, who was still on his own. Incidentally, several people heard some kind of howl and frowned. “Wow, it sounds like a fight down there…,” said Shining Saber. “It truly pains me to say this, but I’m sure that rotten demon will be just fine.” “I knew it, Sahana,” said Cayna. “You really do hate Opus…” “Well, ya gotta figure he wouldn’t be much help anyway. Let’s leave him to it,” Cohral suggested. The group nodded in agreement. They had no desire to intentionally get involved in a tactician’s battle. Leaving a Limit Breaker to fight in a Limit Breaker’s own way, they quickly pressed on to put this chaotic quest to rest. “Onward! To a peaceful life!” Jaeger shouted. “““YEAAAAAAAAAH!!””” With that, the players raced forward.