“Get the injured to retreat immediately! A little scratch doesn’t mean it’s okay!”
“Wake up, you idiots! If you stay still, you’ll turn into dried fish!”
All sorts of shouting echoed all around. A commanding voice so loud it hurt my ears, directing everyone to move quickly.
Perhaps it was due to the years of working together, but the coordination between the Holy Knight Order and our knight’s side was quite smooth.
Even though we were methodically eliminating one monster at a time, the monster wave just wouldn’t end.
I instinctively frowned at the monsters charging in from the Dimension Gap. They all looked grotesque and unpleasant.
Were they intelligent enough to charge desperately at the escort team? They said these were catastrophe-level monsters, but their intelligence was surprisingly high.
Grrr.
An octopus-like monster flailed its tentacles, gripping the knights’ ankles. A few knights stumbled and fell due to the surprise.
Just as a moment of fracture was about to form in the hunting team, a white magic circle appeared over the monster’s head. In the blink of an eye, the monster’s head split in half.
The creature, struggling while spewing black ink into the air, soon dissipated into dust and vanished completely.
“Stay calm. I’m here.”
With those words, Abel stepped forward. The calm voice boosted the morale of the knights. The Holy Knight Order, not wanting to lose, also shouted and advanced.
A smile appeared on the faces of the priests who were supporting from the back.
[A split entity is coming!]
‘How many?’
[It’ll split into about five entities!]
At Silphy’s words, I immediately lifted my rapier.
I observed the monster attempting to split while controlling the wind that danced in the air. I clicked my tongue at the sight of it splitting into five due to the Holy Knight’s slash.
Who knew there’d be a monster that splits every time it dies, like a slime? The reason for having the escort team was precisely because of these kinds of monsters.
There were simply too many monsters for the hunting team to handle alone, and ignoring them could endanger the rear.
Scratch.
I grimaced at the sensation of slicing through flesh, but I couldn’t just stand still.
I swung my rapier as I had been taught, steadily eliminating the splitting entities. After cutting down the last one, I took a deep breath.
[It never ends, damn it!]
Silphy’s words were more irritable than usual. Though her words were harsh, I agreed with them.
They were really coming in endlessly, and the strength of each attacking monster wasn’t weak either; it was quite troublesome.
[There are a total of ten split entities!]
That means they could split into about fifty entities. Truly an irritating monster.
I took a deep breath and calmed my irritated mind.
“Let the winds carry.”
A blue wind whirled around Silphy. My physical abilities and reaction speed increased dramatically. The familiar energy enveloped my whole body along with the swirling blue wind.
The monsters were immediately split apart by the hunting team.
They charged at the priests, desperate to eliminate them. Their movements screamed that they had to get rid of those priests at all costs.
Of course, I had no intention of letting that happen.
I took a moment to inhale and smashed my feet into the ground.
The battlefield began to swirl with blue wind. It was a combat method that utilized Silphy’s power to apply the principle of the magic ‘Wind Armor.’
I could temporarily double my physical abilities.
Of course, the consumption was immense, but there was no reason to save it in this situation.
Scratch.
The sensation of tearing through flesh was felt again and again. Even as my vision spun dizzyingly, I could instinctively sense the monster’s positions.
As a Spirit Conduit with the spirit of the wind, I could perceptively grasp everything in the areas where the wind blew.
Though my range of perception was quite limited at the moment, it was sufficient for now.
I swung my rapier to cut down the monsters’ cores. This was merely a simple repetitive task.
Yet, the outcome was anything but simple.
Kyaaaaaah!
With a chilling scream, the split entities scattered into the air.
Since they came from another realm, it was at least a relief that they vanished without leaving a corpse behind.
Otherwise, I might have vomited on the spot.
“Id.”
At the sudden masculine voice, I turned my head. There was Kal giving me a thumbs up with a smile.
“You did well.”
“Thanks for the praise.”
We exchanged smiles, and I brushed off the blood on my rapier. The droplets, once spread in the air, became dust and disappeared.
Did every being from another realm meet this same fate? It left a bittersweet feeling in my heart.
I couldn’t help but wonder if someday I would end up like this too.
As if sensing my thoughts, Silphy sighed and spoke up.
[Get a grip, Contractor. It’s not over yet.]
‘Yeah, you’re right.’
As Silphy said, it wasn’t the time to be wallowing around. I could indulge in sentiment later.
For now, let’s just focus on doing our best in this moment. With that thought, my gaze returned ahead.
And at that moment, a colossal monster emerged from the Dimension Gap. Its size was on a different level compared to the monsters we had seen so far, and I hesitated.
Grrraahh!
“Cough?!”
“Ahhh!”
Screams erupted from all around the battlefield.
Some fell to their knees without being able to continue the fight properly. Others fainted right on the spot.
Dozens of bulging eyes like bubbles, tentacles spreading out like nerves, and rolling eyeballs everywhere.
And the black substance covering those eyes.
The moment I faced that sight, chills ran down my spine.
It felt like my brain was refusing to comprehend the sensation. It was a similar feeling to when I heard Abel’s words filtered through restrictions.
[Something like that exists in another realm?]
Silphy clenched her teeth tightly, glaring at the creature. Her face was more distorted than usual, as if she recognized that entity.
A ripple of confusion swept through my mind as I stared at it. I tried to calm myself by brushing down my arms, but it didn’t work easily.
‘Don’t look.’
At that moment, a voice rang in my head.
I immediately turned my head to remove the monster from my sight. Gradually, my mind began to clear.
Just seeing it had that much ripple effect? Could such a monster really exist? As I took a deep breath, Abel quietly approached the creature.
‘Could Abel also…?’
Snap.
With the sound of his fingers snapping, a dozen magic circles formed in the air. Hundreds of spears began to pour down from them.
Contrary to my worries, he stood there with his arms crossed, completely unfazed.
Greeaaah!
Even amidst the agonizing screams, there was mental interference, and the knights began to show signs of disarray.
Boom!
With a loud roar, the monster vanished without a trace. No, was it even right to call that a monster?
That entity created a gap in the hunting team in an instant. And the horde of monsters wasn’t foolish enough to miss that opening.
They charged toward the priests, as if they had been waiting for it.
However, perhaps the mental interference had not subsided, and the knights could not move from their spots.
“Damn it, focus! We have to protect the priests!”
“Cough, I know that!”
They frowned in confusion. Was this why they warned to be cautious of psychic magic?
I too couldn’t move like them. I could move a bit, but not enough to run.
‘Damn it, Silphy!’
[Ugh, this is dangerous!]
“Oh, Goddess.”
From the side, I heard a faint voice. Yurph walked out slowly with her eyes closed.
“Please grant me your blessing.”
Her clear voice began to resonate across the battlefield. At the same time, divine power began to coalesce around her, eventually forming a small barrier.
A tremendous amount of divine power began to accumulate around Yurph.
“Please save them from the false god.”
With those words, the barrier expanded and enveloped the entire battlefield. Simultaneously, the mental interference that had been tightening around us disappeared completely.
‘The Saint?’
She looked like a manifestation of the Saint I had only heard about. Even an atheist like me couldn’t help but think her appearance was holy.
“I devote my body to you, Goddess!”
With her blessing, the monster horde began to be quickly subdued. The priests at the rear also let out sighs of relief.
Yet, the monsters were closing in around Yurph, who stood at the forefront.
As if they had recognized her as a priest, they charged desperately.
“Yurph!”
Not yet aware of the danger, Yurph turned towards us with a calm expression. I gritted my teeth and summoned the power of the wind.
[The duration isn’t long!]
“I understand!”
I kicked the ground and launched into the air.
The distance between Yurph and me was only about 30m. My physical ability alone couldn’t save her.
But with Silphy’s help, I could definitely save her. In the blink of an eye, Yurph was right before me.
A sharp blade of wind exploded from my rapier. Monsters sliced in half in an instant.
One last hidden monster spat something towards Yurph.
I gritted my teeth at the breath laced with purple poison.
“Silphy!”
[I know!]
The wind barrier emerged in the air. The intense wind carried the breath away into the sky.
A trace of poison mist lingered, but it was small enough that it wouldn’t matter much if inhaled. If worse came to worst, I could just get healing from a priest.
I swung my rapier, cutting down the last hidden monster as well.
“You…”
Turning my head, I saw Yurph looking pale. I hurried to support her as she staggered.
“Are you okay?!”
Yurph, feeling dizzy, closed her eyes.
“Why… did you save me?”
“Huh? What do you mean?”
Before I could finish my sentence, she fainted right there.
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