Chapter 99 – Running Lizards (Final Part)

Chapter 99 – Running Lizards (Final Part)

Darkness was running towards the Running Lizards with her sword raised and a smile that oscillated between ecstasy and madness on her face. And, to make matters worse, her smile was... of excitement.

The ground was beginning to vibrate beneath our feet, and the wind, which had once been a gentle breeze, now seemed to carry with it the smell of the earth churned up by the feet of the creatures that were running towards us.

In the distance, Kazuma was already positioned on a high branch, his arrow nocked in his bow. He kept his eyes fixed on the flock, looking for the pink female who was leading the others.

"Hey, monsters! Come at me! Let's see if you can get past me!" Darkness shouted, raising his sword with both hands.

We ran together until the first Running Lizards arrived. The monsters were fast, but Darkness didn't flinch for a second. With a battle roar, she swung her sword in a wide arc, hitting one of the creatures advancing towards her. The impact was brutal, the sound of steel clashing against scales echoed like the crack of thunder, but the Running Lizard only staggered to the side, before recovering and continuing its onslaught.

I turned my sword to the side, aiming for the nearest Running Lizard. My sword met the monster's hard scales, which were tougher than I expected. However, I managed to slow it down enough to give Darkness the chance to continue advancing.

"A little more, Leonard!" Darkness shouted as another Running Lizard launched itself at her. "I... can... feel their pressure!"

The monsters continued to advance, almost as if they were being drawn by Darkness, who seemed determined to hold them off by herself.

Kazuma's plan depended on quickly eliminating the female who was leading the pack, because the male Running Lizards would become demotivated and would scatter, but, with all that smoke and with Darkness and I trying to hold off the vanguard of Running Lizards while trying not to get trampled, Kazuma shouted:

"I... I can't see the female! She's gone! She's not where she's supposed to be!" Kazuma shouted.

"What?!!!! We're screwed!" Aqua shouted and immediately started trying to climb the tree Kazuma was in, causing it to sway.

"Aqua, stop, I won't be able to keep my aim steady!"

"I DON'T WANT TO DIE! Kazuma, help me up!!!"

That was a problem. The pink female was supposed to be leading the pack, but if she wasn't where Kazuma expected her to be... something wasn't right.

"Megumin!" Kazuma shouted in panic. "Release the Blast at once! The female must be lost among their flock!"

Megumin stood just in front of the tree, her staff raised, ready to cast her destructive magic. Her eyes shone with the anticipation of what she was about to do, but suddenly an expression of despondency took over her face, and she slowly lowered her staff.

"I... I can't..." Megumin muttered.

Kazuma practically slipped off the tree branch. "What do you mean you can't? That was the plan! You have to launch the Blast to finish them off!"

Megumin sighed, and her face flushed slightly. "I'm out of mana..."

...

[Congratulations! You've evolved to Level 11!]

[You have received +10 attribute points to distribute!]

I gasped, feeling my mana drop a little. While using the Boosted Gear spells required my stamina, using skills I copied from others consumed my mana.

Kazuma climbed down from the tree, dumbfounded. "What... was that?"

"WAS THAT AN EXPLOSION?!" Megumin asked.

"He saved us! The rookie saved us!"

"Well done, Leonard. You finished them off quickly." said Darkness after a slap on my back, but I could see on her face that she was slightly sadder than before.

[You received 1 Heart with Kazuma.]

[You received 2 Hearts with Megumin.]

[You received 3 Hearts with Aqua.]

[You received 3 Hearts with Darkness.]

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