Chapter 290. Sky Monster (3)

"Come, come, it's cheap! Cheap fresh fish from Port Lane!"

"We sell pineapples pickled in sugar and honey! It's tasty!"

The market was crowded with people as usual. It was a lively place with people happily doing business and customers purchasing goods and necessities.

Swoosh!

But all of a sudden, the sun disappeared as a dark shadow was cast over them. Their faces quickly changed colors.

"T-Telgia! Telgia has appeared!"

"Damn it, honey! This way!"

"Uwaaaaa! Moooom!"

"Where the hell is this kid's mother?!"

The order was disrupted in an instant and screams could be heard from everywhere.

Clip-clop, clip-clop!

The noble children appeared in a timely manner. They raised their voices and controlled the crowd.

"Don't panic!"

"Move to the underground shelter in an orderly manner! Walk to the right!"

"Let the children, the elderly, and the women evacuate first!"

The order was established once more in the crowded market, and the evacuation of residents sped up.

"…Damn it." Duke Schubert’s son, Wagner, bit his lips.

He didn't really like looking at the terrified faces of the residents.

'Telgia, I'll catch you.’

His blazing eyes glared at the sky. This mission was something he had started as a way to gain experience, but now, it wasn’t just to gain experience anymore.

‘I will inherit this territory.’

And Telgia was an enemy harming the residents he was supposed to protect. As such, he had enough reason to hate Telgia.

'… I've shown a pathetic side of myself in recent months.’

Telgia was a wall to him, no—Telgia was also a wall to his fellow noble children. It was a wall that remained standing despite their efforts over the year. They had half given up because they thought they couldn't catch Telgia no matter what they did.

‘But today is different...’

Because they had Final Horizon. The reason why they repeatedly lost to Telgia was that they couldn't suppress its air supremacy.

‘You won't be able to escape this time.’

But then the archer Damian frowned...

"Something's weird, why is it already coming down?”

"What?"

Wagner's expression stiffened as he looked at the sky. As Damian said, Telgia's body was already halfway down the clouds.

'No way. Is it not aiming at the wheat fields and farms outside the castle as usual?’

Over the past year, Telgia had only targeted the city center twice. Since then, it only targeted the places outside the castle.

"It’s coming down!"

When the spearwoman shouted, a bunch of thoughts rattled Wagner's head. But he eventually made a decision and said, "Get ready to rip off one of its wings!”

"Got it!"

Damian skimmed through the surrounding buildings, then skillfully climbed over a wall to reach a roof.

Clip-clop, clip-clop.

Arriving one step later than them, Seo Jun-Ho asked as he got off the wagon, "Was Telgia such a huge bird?"

"Yes. Actually, I’m still not used to its size…" the coachman muttered with an awkward expression.

Telgia's body was covered with dark brown feathers, and its wingspan alone looked to be about thirty meters long. The Frost Queen was also surprised by the incredible size of the bird.

"It's big, very big. But it’s shorter than I thought..."

Creak!

Then, Telgia opened its beak.

[Kyaaaaak!!!]

Everyone covered their ears when a shrill cry reverberated from the sky.

‘Interesting…’

Its scream could create a gust of wind. The corner of Seo Jun-Ho’s mouth curled up as he was meeting a monster that was very monster-like for the first time in a while. Unfortunately for him, it wasn’t his turn to make a move.

"Damian, come on!"

"I'm doing it!”

At the urging of the spearwoman, Damian slowly pulled the bowstring. What was nocked on the bow was similar in thickness and length to a spear rather than an arrow.

‘Wing, wing, wing.’

It didn’t matter whether it was left or right. If he could just tear one wing apart, they could drag Telgia down to the ground.

‘Now.’

Booom!

The arrow flew, bursting through the air as the sound of a drum being pounded echoed throughout. The arrow shot forward in a straight line. But before it could pierce Telgia’s wings—

Whip. 

Telgia rolled its eyes and looked at the arrow before twisting its body as if it were an acrobat doing their maneuver.

"That’s crazy! It dodged that?!”

"It’s that flexible despite being that big?"

They were baffled by Telgia's never-seen-before ability.

"…Damn it, this makes it more troublesome.” Damien bit his lip hard.

Their plan was to use ‘Final Horizon’ to take Telgia's air supremacy away and fight it on the ground.

"But we only made it angry…"

“It’s coming down!"

Telgia folded its wings and began to fall toward them at a frightening speed.

"Damian! Why aren’t you coming down?!"

"…It’s too embarrassing. How can I go down?”

He thought he could catch it as long as he had Final Horizon. In fact, if he could ‘hit’ it, his thoughts would become a reality, not just a mere delusion. As such, he quietly pulled the bowstring once more.

Twiing! Twiing! Twiing!

The arrows flew one after another, but Telgia dodged them all with quick movements that betrayed its size.

"Damn that bird head!"

Damien vented his anger and was about to put down his bow in a fit of anger.

"Wait."

A soft palm was pressing on his shoulder.

‘…Player?’

Damian frowned when he looked back. It was the guy who suddenly appeared a few days ago and said that he was their general manager.

"What are you doing? Move your hand.”

"If you shoot now, it'll dodge again."

“…” Damian was speechless and closed his lips tightly. He turned his head upward and asked, "…Then when should I shoot?"

"Wait until I give you the signal."

Swoooooosh!

Telgia was still furiously descending toward them even at this moment. And it seemed like its huge talons would snatch him up at any moment.

"H-hey…"

"No. Wait."

"Just how long do you want me to wait?"

Damian started trembling. Now, he could feel already the wind pressure being created by Telgia’s descent.

'...I'm going to die at this rate.’

Damian's trembling eyes met Telgia's red eyes. Just as the fear of death gripped his heart while was facing Telgia’s fury—

"You've endured it well."

The palm gently pulled his shoulders along with a faint laugh. Then a huge arrow left the bowstring, tearing the air apart.

Craaack!

Telgia was quick, but it could not escape an arrow fired right in front of its eyes.

[Kyaaaak!!!]

The arrow pierced its side and the pain disrupted the talons aimed at Damian.

Cruuunch!

Telgia landed on the building next to them, and it brought several buildings down with it as it fell.

"The Final Horizon’s unique effect increases the force of the arrow by five times."

"…What?"

"It’s fine if you don't understand." Seo Jun-Ho tapped Damian on the shoulder. "But you manage to get in a shot. Is this perhaps the first time?"

"Yes..."

Damian nodded unconsciously. Although he had borrowed the power of the weapon, it was still the first time he had inflicted a fatal wound on Telgia with his own hands.

"Good job, Damian!"

Wagner burst into a roar of joy as he pulled out his great sword.

"Vincent! Nella! Won-Ho, I’ll leave it to you!”

"Of course, Magic Shield!"

“Bestow holy blessings upon your sheep!"

A magic shield covered Wagner’s body, and his body began to overflow with energy.

“Kill it before it comes to its senses!"

Wagner ran out, holding the great sword high. Telgia's thick neck, as it staggered up, came into full view.

Wagner ran over with his great sword held up high. As Telgia struggled to stand up, its neck became visible.

'Yes, that's the neck.’

It was a place he had always wanted to cut a hundred, even a thousand times, but his sword had simply been too far away to reach it. But now, it was possible. His sword could touch it—he could cut it.

"Die!"

A clean stroke he had been honing since he began to wield the sword unfolded.

[Kyaaaak!!!]

Sensing the danger to its life, Telgia spread its wings and created gusts of wind.

Slice!

"Ugh?!”

The gusts of wind pushed Wagner's body back. As a result, the wound on Telgia's neck was shallow. It was only half as deep as it should be. However, Wagner wasn’t discouraged.

"I'm not alone..."

"Let me borrow your back!"

The spearwoman Aria ran from behind, stepped on his back, and kicked off of him into the air. As if her body had become a spear itself, she charged at Telgia on the floor.

Stab! 

A spear imbued with magic pierced Telgia's chest.

"It went in cleanly!"

But just as her expression brightened—

Whoooooooosh!

A gust of wind drove her body into the wall of the next building.

"Ugh!"

The spearwoman’s face distorted with pain as her arm broke upon impact.

"Aria!"

Furious, Vincent launched fireballs at Telgia. Telgia hurriedly flapped its wings and tried to leave.

"I'll never let you go!"

Grab!

Wagner grabbed its foot. At the same time, Telgia's body floated into the air.

"W-Wagner?!”

"It's too dangerous! Come down!"

His comrades shouted with pale complexions. However, Telgia ascended ten meters each time it flapped its wings.

"Damian! Can you somehow aim for its wings?”

"…Damn it, that bastard’s too sly!"

Telgia was clever. What it cared about the most in this situation was none other than the archer and the mage. Whenever they looked like they were going to attack, it would move its legs and use Wagner as a shield.

"You idiot! You’re just getting in the way! Come down!"

"But…!"

Wagner bit his lip tightly. He had fought against Telgia numerous times over the year, but he had never been in a more advantageous situation than today.

‘If we miss today's opportunity, we may never catch it again.’

He definitely couldn’t give up. Today would be the last time he would look at the terrified faces of the residents. Wagner gritted his teeth and began to stab Telgia in the body with his great sword in one hand.

Stab, stab, stab!

"Die, die, die, die!"

[…]

Telgia looked at him as if it were looking at a bug. For such a large monster, an injury like that was no more than a little prick. As it climbed above a certain altitude, Telgia raised its opposite foot without hesitation.

"Wagner!"

"Let go now! Please!"

"I’ll… never let go…!”

He imbued his sword with magic and stabbed it toward Telgia’s stomach.

Craaack! 

The steel-like talon clenched him tightly.

"Ahhhk!"

Crunch!

The full plate mail was directly crushed, and he felt extreme pain. It was so painful his mind went blank for a moment.

‘Ah…?’

The world around him was spinning when he came to his senses. At the same time, his ears went deaf.

'Now, I’m...'

He was falling. With his blank gaze, he could see Telgia staring at him while flapping its wings.

"No..."

Even when he reached out, Telgia was only getting farther and farther away.

‘In the end, will I just fail like this?’

Could he really not catch it with his own hands? Were they going to fail even after giving it a serious wound with Final Horizon?

'…Damn it.'

Rather than due to the pain, tears flowed from sorrow. He suddenly recalled the struggle he had been through while trying to catch Telgia over the past year.

"Ah."

At that moment, he realized that the ground was coming closer and closer.

‘Come to think of it, Vincent can't use gravity magic.’

At best, Vincent could cast a shield, but it was impossible for it to withstand this much impact.

'Father, I'm sorry.'

Wooosh!

Wagner closed his eyes tightly, but the pain didn’t arrive.

‘What?’

When he slowly opened his eyes, the ground was only ten centimeters away from his face. Reaching out to the ground in surprise, he looked at Vincent with a puzzled expression as he lay on the floor.

"You… When did you learn gravity magic?"

"What? I didn't learn it. Didn’t you use something like an artifact?”

They looked at each other's faces with their eyes wide open. Seo Jun-Ho, who had been on the roof of a building until then, opened his mouth. "Is your turn over?"

"…What?"

"You can thank me for saving you later. Right now, I'm asking if your turn is over.”

‘...Did he save me?’

Wagner hesitated for a moment and looked up at the sky. Telgia had already flown high and was flapping its wings from up there. Based on the pattern so far, it would stop here for today and run away.

"The turns all over. No one can do anything about it as long as it's up to that height.”

"Well… I don't think so."

Seo Jun-Ho reached his hand out to Damian.

"What?"

When Damian placed his hand on Seo Jun-Ho’s hand with a dumb look on his face, Seo Jun-Ho looked at the former as though he was pitiful before speaking like a surgeon about to perform surgery.

"Give it to me, the Final Horizon."