Chapter 20: [STAGE 1] Kill Zone (2)

Chapter 20: [STAGE 1] Kill Zone (2)

"Uh, ughhhh!"

"How can we topple such a gargantuan beast...!"

The emergence of the boss monster plunged the soldiers on the ramparts into disarray.

The once relentless fire of the cannons and ballistae halted, and the once impermeable wall of flame quivered and broke.

-Roaarrr!

-Roaarrr-!

Living Armors that penetrated the weakening wall of flame swarmed from the front and sides of the wooden fortifications.

These monstrous brutes lunged toward the nearest human.

Toward Jupiter, who lay unconscious after a devastating fall from her horse.

"Damn it! We need to form a shield!"

"Protect the mage!"

Four members of Jupiters party sprinted to her side, forming a protective barrier in front of her.

However, they too were roughed up from their respective falls from their steeds. Furthermore, the horses they had been riding had scattered in every direction.

The final stand of a cavalry unit that had lost its mobility was as predictable as fire consuming dry wood.

Shes going to die!

I gritted my teeth.

We couldnt afford to lose Jupiter and the hero party here!

"Damien!"

Damien turned to me. I quickly gestured towards Jupiters party.

"Pick off the Living Armors heading for Jupiters party!"

"Yes!"

Without missing a beat, Damien swiftly redirected his crossbow.

-Whizz! Whizz! Whizz-!

Snipe shots whistled through the air in quick succession.

-Thud! Thuuud!

The lethal arrows accurately impaled the Living Armors.

The only snag... while Damien was the most accurate sniper in the world, his rate of fire wasnt particularly fast.

-Roaarrr-!

The influx of Living Armors breaking through the faltering kill zone was overwhelming. Damiens sniping alone couldnt halt them all.

Lucas called out to me.

"My Lord! We must adjust the cannon fire to support Jupiters party!"

"No!"

I dismissed his plea with a swift rebuttal.

"We must sustain the flame wall as it is! If we lose the kill zone, the escapees will multiply!"

"But!"

"Concentrate on reestablishing the flame wall first! The soldiers are losing their heads!"

I dashed over to a soldier who was standing stupefied by the cannon on the wall and slapped him on the back.

"Pull yourself together, you fool! Dont cower just because that monster is a tad larger!"

With that, the soldier jolted back to his senses.

"Huh?! S-sorry, my Lord!"

"Eh?"

I was taken aback, somewhat surprised. Really? Was my slap that impactful?

Glancing at my hand, the reason dawned on me.

My passive skill, [Unyielding Commander]!

Soldiers within 10m of me recover from mental status abnormalities.

I surveyed the trembling soldiers on the ramparts.

Could it be that recovery from mental status abnormalities not only counters debuff spells but also bolsters shaken morale?

So, if I dash around the battlefield in this state of panic, can I restore the soldiers spirits?

As soon as the thought struck me, I made a snap decision. I quickly pivoted to Lucas.

"Lucas!"

"Awaiting your orders."

"Ill handle the task of soothing the soldiers and reestablishing the kill zone! Lucas, you!"

I faltered for a moment, then finally spat it out.

"Youll lead the rescue team."

"...!"

"Open the fortress gates, venture out, and rescue Jupiters party."

We couldnt risk losing an SR-grade wizard in this chaos. Not at any price!

And the only one who could brave the monster-infested battlefield to rescue Jupiter was, unavoidably, our protagonist, Lucas.

Lucas swiftly scanned the battleground.

Even now, the Living Armors that had broken free from the kill zone were surging forward with a formidable momentum.

The armored creatures bellowed menacingly, barreling toward Jupiters party.

His task was to dive into this onslaught and retrieve our comrades.

A seemingly foolhardy order, to put it mildly.

"Yes, Your Highness!"

But Lucas gazed back at me, his face set in determination, and nodded.

"I shall return posthaste."

"....Im relying on you, Lucas."

This was a decision that could potentially cost me an SR-grade wizard and even an SSR-grade knight.

Her spinning head abruptly cleared. Jupiter regained her senses and sized up the current predicament.

Jupiters party was stranded.

Everyone had been injured when they were thrown from their horses onto the plain, and Jupiter had lost consciousness.

Before they could even attempt to return to the city, they were ambushed by the living armors.

"Backup will arrive soon! We need to hold on until then...!"

The mercenary briefing Jupiter about the situation swung his held hammer in desperation.

-Thump!

The helmet of a charging living armor caved in from his hammer.

-Roar, grrr-!

Yet, the living armor hesitated only for a moment before fiercely thrusting its spear once more.

"Madness! How you endure that hit?!"

The mercenary spat out an expletive.

His fellow party members shared his sentiments.

They clashed against the living armors that swarmed them like a torrent, but regular attacks didnt faze the armors.

Magic attacks might stun them, but unless the entire armor was shattered with physical blows, theyd continue their assault.

This was the challenge of confronting living armors.

Jupiters party was composed of N-grade heroes.

Theyd battled quite a few monsters before, but the sheer number and prowess of the living armors were proving a tough match.

Inevitably...

"Ugh?!"

There were casualties.

It was the mercenary who had been updating Jupiter on the situation.

Hed managed to crush the fourth living armor with his warhammer, but his leg was impaled by a spear swung by a living armor, now only half its former size.

Reeling in pain, he was besieged by several more living armors.

He swung his warhammer ferociously and smashed the leading living armor, but...

-Thunk! Thunk-thunk!

His chest and abdomen were skewered by the spears of other living armors.

"Ugh... damn it..."

He writhed in agony, attempting to swing his warhammer once more, but the monsters were quicker.

-Thunk! Thunk-!

They mechanically withdrew their spears and thrust again.

The monsters moved devoid of any emotion, only following the most efficient trajectory to take down a human.

Jupiter watched one of her party members be ruthlessly slaughtered, her eyes wide with horror.

"These goddamn monster bastards...!"

Jupiter hurriedly tried to harness magic to sweep away the nearby living armors, but her magical energy wouldnt gather properly in her hand.

Due to the blow to her head when she was thrown off her horse, her magical control was off.

Jupiter clutched her forehead, struggling to amass her magical energy.

"Damn it...! Hurry...!"

Thunk! Thunk-thunk!

"Ah, ahhhh!"

In the meantime, a second party member fell.

A mercenary whod been warding off attacks with his shield.

But under the relentless assault of the living armors, his shield shattered, and his body suffered grave wounds.

"Ugh, ugh-ugh! Fuck, fuck!"

The third party member battling alongside him spun around and bolted. No, he tried to bolt.

But as soon as he turned his back, the living armors launched their spears at him.

-Swish! Swoosh-!

-Thunk-thunk!

The third party member, instantly impaled by a spear, crumpled to the ground without even a cry.

He convulsed in a pool of his own blood and soon drew his last breath.

The fragile defense line held by a mere few was obliterated in a flash.

Jupiter found herself close enough to the living armors to smell their stench.

The scent of rusty armor and stagnant water.

The scent of impending doom.

"You shouldve remained submerged in the lake..."

Finally, a modest amount of magic energy accumulated at her fingertips. Jupiter extended her hand forward, shrieking.

"Do you truly believe that this old woman will retire in tranquility?!"

-Crack-!

A vivid blue bolt of lightning cut across the sky, illuminating the entire battlefield.

The Living Armors positioned at the front line were instantly incinerated, crumbling to the ground.

It was a successful strike, but it was just a fraction of her usual power. Instead of the usual shower of bolts, only a single arc of lightning was discharged.

This isnt good...

Jupiter mused.

Surveying the Living Armors that surged forward again from behind their scorched companions, Jupiter clicked her tongue.

She then called out to the last remaining member of her party.

"Run for your life, youre the last one left!"

"Eh, what?!"

The final party member was a youthful mercenary, still wet behind the ears. Jupiter hollered again, her voice resonating across the field.

"Better one lives to tell the tale than all perish! Run, kid!"