Chapter 264

“Gasp, gasp.”

Jason heaved a long, ragged breath while maintaining the wall with magic.

Due to the relentlessly surging attacks of the monsters, his other comrades were also all exhausted and injured.

Alice and the other children of Lubern were trembling behind Sion, terrified.

Aaron spoke to the children.

“Don’t you worry. We will be able to get out of here safely.”

Aaron turned his head and looked at Arina, who was meditating with her eyes closed.

It was Arina, who had used up all her mana maintaining the protective barrier for several days.

The monsters, after attempting to attack several times and failing each time, had waited for her mana to run out and launched an all-out offensive the moment the barrier’s power weakened.

Just then, the dwarves who had gone to check the back of the dungeon returned.

Rick approached the dwarves and asked.

“Is there a path on the inside?”

At that, the dwarf foreman shook his head and said,

“The path is too complicated, and it’s a path that digs deeper inside, not one that leads out. If we go in there carelessly, more monsters might swarm us.”

Hearing the foreman’s words, Rick nodded and approached Jason.

“Jason, how long can you hold out?”

It was Jason, whose duration had lengthened as his total mana had increased thanks to Arina’s training.

He wiped off his cold sweat and said,

“At most… 30 minutes is the limit.”

At Jason’s words, Rick swallowed a dry gulp.

During that time, Arina had to recover her strength for it to be possible to get out of here.

Just then, Kay and the members of the Syndicate returned from another direction.

Kay approached Rick and then whispered to him in a small voice.

“Rick, over there… there are more traces of monsters.”

At her words, Rick’s face turned white.

If more monsters were to swarm them in a situation like this, they would never be able to hold out.

Kay turned her head and looked at the frightened children of Lubern.

She couldn't let the children, who had finally found freedom after being released from the Holy Kingdom, die here.

Just then, Arina, who had been meditating, opened her eyes.

“Everyone, listen to me carefully.”

As Arina spoke, everyone focused.

She spoke in a calm voice.

“I’ve recovered some of my strength. While I hold back the monsters, everyone should evacuate in the direction where there are no traces of them. Sir Zeke will be here with a rescue team soon, so we just have to hold on until then.”

At Arina’s words, the children behind Sion all shed tears.

“Sob, Lady Arina… No. Let’s go together!”

She looked at the children of Lubern with a benevolent smile.

“It is my fault for bringing the children to such a dangerous place. Kay, please take good care of the children.”

At that, Alice, who had been listening to the story, ran into Arina’s arms and hugged her.

“Sob, I’m sorry, Lady Arina. I was the one who insisted on coming with you… sob.”

Arina gently stroked Alice’s head and said,

“Alice, don’t you worry. I will protect you, so listen carefully to Kay and evacuate. Understood?”

Arina gave a nod to Louis, the oldest of the Lubern children.

Louis also barely held back his tears and led Alice toward him.

Kay listened to Arina’s words and nodded her head.

Rick’s party gritted their molars and prepared to find a path with the dwarves.

It was then.

Krrrrr—

The cries of monsters were heard from the direction Kay had come from.

Rick drew his sword.

“All hands, to battle stations!”

It had become the worst-case scenario, with monsters swarming them from both sides.

And just then, a monster resembling a leopard shot out from the darkness.

Rick rushed forward and swung his sword.

“Haaaat!”

CLANG!

Rick’s sword clashed with the monster’s claws. The dwarves, holding hammers, followed Rick and rushed toward the monster.

“Chaaahaaat!”

CRASH!

As the dwarves swung their hammers, the monster nimbly moved its body and climbed up the wall.

The monster moved swiftly and aimed for the children, who seemed to be the weakest.

Kaaaaak!

Just then, Sion, who was protecting the children, raised his hand and used his bloodline ability.

Kiiiiing!

At Sion’s ability, the monster stopped its movement in mid-air.

Although he had stopped the monster, it was Sion, whose telekinesis output had lowered as his body recovered.

Sion, who had overexerted himself to protect the children, had black blood trickling from his nose.

“You damn monster! If I had my original power, a punk like you would be nothing!”

In that opening, Aaron ran up the wall. Then, he swung his dual swords and slashed the monster’s vital point.

SLASH!

Sion immediately pushed away the monster, whose vital point had been slashed by Aaron’s attack, and slammed it into the wall.

CRASH!

As Sion broke out in a cold sweat, Alice approached him with a worried look and used Healing on him.

“Are you okay, Sion oppa?”

Sion, acting as if nothing was wrong, said to Alice.

“Pipsqueak. This is nothing for the great Sion.”

It was Sion, putting on a pointless show of bravado.

But in reality, his body was on the verge of becoming a complete mess.

It was then.

Krrrrr—

The cries of other monsters were heard from deeper inside.

Kaaaaak—

Fierce monsters began to shoot out from the darkness.

The moment Rick’s party and the dwarves were about to rush toward the monsters, a huge light flashed from behind.

Crackle!

The lightning bolt of light that Arina emitted shot toward the monsters.

Kaaaaak!

As the monsters that were hit by the lightning bolt writhed in pain, Arina, who was behind them, shouted.

“Go now! Kay, please protect the children!”

Woooong!

A huge light erupted from Arina’s body.

She was about to unleash another bolt of lightning to clear a path.

But in that moment, the dungeon shook with a thudding sound.

GRAAAAAH!

A cry completely different from the monsters that had appeared so far was heard.

The entire party tensed up and became guarded.

A moment later, a new monster slowly revealed itself from within the darkness.

‘Th-That’s?’

A monster that looked like a mix between a Cyclops and a werewolf stood before them.

Its massive frame completely filled the dungeon wall, blocking the path entirely.

The party fell into despair, and their morale was instantly crushed. Seeing this, Arina came to her senses and said,

“Jason, break down the wall. I will lure the other monsters, so lead the party and escape to the other side.”

At those words, Jason was startled.

“I-I can’t do that!”

But white currents were already sparking from Arina’s body.

“If I’m alone, I should be able to hold them back somehow. So please… protect them.”

Jason gritted his teeth at Arina’s words.

In that moment, the giant monster roared.

GRAAAAAH!

Arina shot a bolt of light toward the giant monster.

Crackle!

The giant monster, engulfed in lightning, did step back, but it didn't seem to have taken a major blow like the other monsters.

Kaaaaak!

Arina shouted.

“Jason, hurry!”

It was when Jason squeezed his eyes shut and was about to break down the wall.

SKREEE!

In an instant, a monkey-like monster shot out from the ceiling.

SNAP!

Because the monster’s body was small, they hadn't noticed it. The monster rushed toward Arina.

Kaaaak!

Sion urgently extended his hand toward the monster, but he couldn’t completely catch it.

SLASH!

Arina, who had been maintaining the lightning bolt, was attacked by the monster.

“Lady Arina!”

Arina collapsed from the monster’s attack, and Claire immediately shot a series of arrows at the beast.

Kiiik!

As the monster dodged the arrows and fled backward, Sion used his power to catch it, and Aaron immediately swung his sword and killed the beast.

Jason ran toward the fallen Arina.

“Lady Arina!”

Thanks to Sion, the monster’s attack had only been a glancing blow, but the area of the wound inflicted by the demonic energy was turning pitch black.

GRAAAAAH!

As Arina’s lightning vanished, the monster charged forward again.

Rick and the dwarves gritted their molars and raised their weapons.

“An honorable dwarf does not retreat!”

“O pure power of fire, grant us strength!”

They charged forward with great spirit, but several dwarves were immediately sent flying by a kick from the monster.

CRASH!

“Keuk!”

The fallen dwarves trembled, spitting up blood.

Rick and Arin, who had dodged the attack, shot out in front of the fallen dwarves and stood before the giant monster.

“Chahat!”

Rick raised his sword and rushed at the monster. The secret technique of the Solma clan, the Five-Light Swordsmanship, was unleashed.

SWISH-SWISH-SWISH!

The swift sword aimed for the monster’s vital points.

But the monster swung its arm at Rick as if swatting a fly.

GRAAAH!

While Rick was dealing with the monster, Arin created a flame.

“Fire Lance!”

The advanced fire magic flew toward the monster in succession.

CRASH!

However, a Fire Lance was not enough to damage the monster that had withstood Arina’s lightning.

Kay, who was in the back, also assisted the attack using magic.

“Dig, Bind!”

In an instant, the ground beneath the monster’s feet sank, and vines shot out, grabbing the beast.

Kay, confirming the magic’s effect, cast another spell in succession.

“Slow!”

It was Kay, casting three spells in an instant without a chant.

KUUUOOOH!

Fortunately, Kay’s stacked magic caught the monster’s movement.

Rick rushed at the slowed monster and stabbed his sword toward its heart.

SHUNK!

His aura-infused sword plunged deep into the monster’s heart.

Rick tried to pull out the sword stuck in its heart. But the monster’s hard muscles held Rick’s sword tight.

“Euk!”

Arin shouted at Rick.

“Rick! Get back!”

The monster, which had been unable to move due to the stacked magic, began to move again.

The creature swung its arm at Rick, who was stuck to its body.

SLASH!

WHIP!

In that moment, the vines Kay had summoned grabbed Rick and pulled him away.

GRAAAAAAAAH!

The monster, despite Rick’s sword piercing its heart, resumed its movements slowly as if it had taken no damage at all.

Everyone, including Rick, fell into despair.

At that moment, the wall that Jason had created was also beginning to crumble.

The giant monster roared and rushed toward the group.

GRAAAAAAAAH!

BOOM!

In an instant, the entire upper body of the roaring monster was blown away.

“Huh?”

Rick, who was right in front of it, had a dazed expression as he looked at the monster with only its lower body remaining.

It was the same for Kay and Arin.

They blinked their eyes and slowly turned their heads.

As the wall crumbled, a familiar person revealed himself.

Black hair, black eyes.

Zeke Draker had arrived.

Grrrrr—

He could see monsters of a similar huge build rushing from behind the corpse of the dead beast.

Zeke flew forward and picked up the giant hammer that had sent the dead beast’s body flying.

It was the ‘Giant God Hunter’ he had received from Tyr, the War God.

Zeke swung the Giant God Hunter toward the rushing monsters.

CRUNCH!

As the Giant God Hunting technique, infused with metal power, was unleashed, the rushing monsters’ bodies exploded in a single blow, just like the one before.

Zeke moved among the monsters, swinging the Giant God Hunter as if possessed.

KRAAAAK!

The monsters bared their fangs and rushed toward Zeke even more fiercely, but with one blow from the hammer, their fangs shattered, their bones broke, and their bodies exploded.

In no time, the dungeon corridor was filled with the corpses of the monsters.

THUD!

Zeke, having dealt with all the monsters, placed the Giant God Hunter on the ground.

Then, he took out Healing Potions from his inventory and distributed them to the fallen.

Thanks to Zeke’s Healing Potions, the injured dwarves recovered in no time.

After checking the dwarves’ condition, Zeke headed toward Arina, who had collapsed after being attacked by the monster.

He checked her condition, then quickly used Healing and Recovery on Arina.

As a warm light seeped into her, Arina slowly opened her eyes.

“Sir Zeke, you came.”

“I’m truly sorry for being late, Lady Arina.”

Alice, who had been whimpering from behind, ran to Zeke and clung to his back.

“Sir Zeke! Sniffle, I was so scared!”

Sion and Aaron also seemed to have caught their breath, leaning against the wall and panting.

Zeke helped Arina up and said,

“This place is dangerous, so let’s go to the camp. I’ve built a new base there, so it will be safer than before.”

Zeke called Kaiman’s unit and Gurab’s unit to escort them, and they moved safely to the camp.

Arriving safely at the camp with Zeke’s help, they saw the camp, which had a wall made of bones erected, and their jaws dropped.

Their surprise was brief; having returned to the camp, they hadn’t been able to sleep properly for days, so they fell fast asleep the moment their heads hit the pillow.

Zeke let them rest, and only on the next day did he call the group together to hold a meeting.

As everyone gathered, he spoke to the group.

“What’s here is not a Medusa.”

At those words, Rick asked Zeke.

“In the legends, the only one known to have the ability of petrification is Medusa. Is there another monster with the ability of petrification?”

“There is something more dangerous.”

Zeke gathered his brows and slowly opened his mouth.

“The four monsters known as the pinnacle of all monsters. The Four Perils.”

His eyes glinting sharply, he said,

“One of them, Qiongqi, is here.”