Chapter 41: Barrier deactivated

Chapter 41: Barrier deactivated

All around, people were confused at the sound of the explosion, but when the city barrier fell they came to their own conclusions.

"Oh, looks like we can enter the city now."

"I didn't know deactivating the barrier sounded like that."

"We're finally safe! Thank god!"

Various people spread across the plains outside the city gates started rushing in, ignoring any protests from the guards.

However a few veteran adventurers like Wildblade stood to the side with scepticism on their faces as they thought about what had just occurred.

Alex and Rowan were a part of this small number of adventurers.

'Why would deactivating the city barrier create such a loud noise, surely that's just counter intuitive?'

However, contrary to Alex's confused and contemplative face, Rowan and Wildblade's faces were much more stern.

Rowan approached Wildblade and whispered to him, "I've seen other city barriers activate and deactivate before, and there was no such commotion when they did."

Hearing about Rowan's previous experiences with city barriers, Wildblade's own theory only started to make more and more sense to him. He hoped to god that he was wrong.

"Indeed, I've witnessed Valentis city's barrier go up over my long tenure here, but never has it created such a loud explosion when it deactivated." Wildblade spoke to confirm Rowan's worries.

On the side, Alex was listening to the two of them speak and he didn't like what he was hearing.

'Did that outsider human lose to the Galephant?'

'But even if that is the case, the barrier can hold out against a B+ rank life form for long enough before someone stronger comes to take care of it.'

However everyone's fears suddenly came to life when shouts and screams started to blare out across the whole city.

With his superior eyesight, Wildblade could see some details of the locations these screams were coming from, and he gasped in shock at what he saw.

"Beasts! The city is overrun with beasts!"

***

With his smile wiped away, his eyes sprung open with ferocity as they darted towards where the Galephant lay injured and crippled from his attacks... or at least it should have been.

Instead of the Galephant, which had moved dozens of metres away, a huge 4 metre tall mantis was glaring at him with it's empty eyes and a green barrier flickering around it.

With the energy fluctuations still reverberating in the air Branwyn, the B ranked human outsider, knew that the mantis had just blocked his attack.

Not only that, but to the side the Galephant lay lifeless with its head split open, its brains and organs spilling everywhere.

"Oh shit!"

Realising what had occurred, Branwyn cursed and prepared himself to flee, but he coughed blood and started falling rapidly from the sky, unable to keep himself floating anymore.

His face went white as he realised his energy had been drained by his previous, failed attack.

'This can't be happening! No... No! I'm a higher life form, I refuse to believe this is happening...'

THUD!

Unfortunately for Branwyn, his delusions couldn't save him as he hit the ground with a thud, sending dirt and dust in the air.

Tap

Tap

Tap

Branwyn could hear the familiar footsteps of something huge and skinny approaching. He knew this was the mantis.

"No, please no! Don't kill me!"

His pleading didn't work on the mindless beast. With every footstep getting close and louder to Branwyn's ears, the despair became harder and harder for him to handle.

His original white outfit had already been dyed brown and yellow from the waist below.

He pleaded and pleaded.

Yet, death had come for him anyway.