"Hurry and fall into formation," the soldier that assumed command ordered as he ran. He had already disseminated the information about the duration of the spell.
Fifteen minutes…
They had fifteen minutes to fall into formation and prepare the strongest spells they could throw in one go.
Most would've argued that the spell their Brigadier used would not have been worthy of being a high-level S-ranked sealing spell.
A spell at that level only lasting for 15 minutes and not capable of instantly killing? Utter garbage!
However, the commanding soldier knew this was a wrong perspective. Many would say that it was garbage. But this was only natural because the number of low-level mages was much higher than the high-level ones.
High-level mages, or simply those people who had the knack at evaluating spells in a larger perspective, would surely deem this spell extremely dangerous.
The spell covered a huge area, but like most spells, this could be refocused. After all, a spell's strength is proportional to the amount of magic consumed. If this spell was used on a single person, probably, it would've lasted for an entire year! And after the duration of the spell, the previously affected person or beast would be greatly weakened. It would have a lingering freezing effect on its body. Normal humans would most likely just die at that point.
Unfortunately, they were facing magical beasts. They were probably just in a hibernation state as they were being sealed in ice.
The soldiers tensed as they surrounded the area.
When the duration of the spell hit the 10-minute mark, each soldier immediately casted his own charged spell.
Through the ice, they could still see the huge figures of the gigantic beasts.
Their eyebrows furrowed with utter focus.
Today, the beasts would certainly die.
….
At the same time, in Mt. Eirene.
Professor Wilhelm Hugh rapidly scribbled on a piece of paper as he repeatedly peeked through the hole. The researcher, Jacob, was also doing the same. However, the latter was having a harder time because he was using his non-dominant hand to write.
Thankfully, there were still papers and pencils left inside the cave which they were able to use. They were currently writing down their observations.
It had already been an hour since the two first peeked outside the hole they made, and the two were quite perplexed why the beasts did not figure out their position even when they were causing such a ruckus. When the rock slid down, shouldn't that be a giveaway already?
It turns out, the beasts were currently trapped in a dazed state. The two were not sure whether it was self-induced or not, so they did not risk causing anymore ruckus. The beasts just might wake up the moment they cause any particularly loud noises.
Another thing they noted was the fact that the beasts outside were only small ones. This was quite surprising given the fact that amongst them was a demonic beast. Was the demonic beast cultivating them?
It was probably so!
They kept scribbling and scribbling. Now, they focused more on the beasts' behavior as they were locked in a daze.
Their eyes were blank and their mouths were wide open. Their breathing was steady based on the rise and falls of their chests. Nothing more after that.
The family they belonged to? It varied. Some were mammals, some were reptiles, and some were birds. Most of them were highly aggressive.
Their attributes as evolved beasts? They couldn't tell. Probably it hadn't manifested yet or they were capable of hiding it.
The professor naturally finished writing first.
After a few seconds, when Jacob finished writing, he suddenly spoke in a hushed tone, "I'm going out."
Jacob didn't mean to invoke a huge reaction from the professor, but it did.
The professor panicked, thinking that Jacob had finally lost it due to the mental pressure. "Oi boyo, keep calm! Those people from the Academy have Tracers connected to us. They would find us soon."
Jacob scoffed. "For someone who betrayed the Academy, you're one to rely on them."
Professor Hugh harrumphed. "I value my research, but I value my life even more."
"And how do you expect Emperor Florentine to respond from this?" Jacob asked mockingly.
"Hehehe. That person has the opposite perspective. He values my research more than my life. Fortunately," the Professor taps his temple twice, "I keep everything up here."
"I'm still going out," Jacob said nonchalantly as he stood up. Then, he slowly pushed on the rock just above the hole they made. It was starting to make rubbing noises, causing the professor to panic again.
"Oi, oi, oi! What do you think you're doing?! I command you to stop this instant!" Professor Hugh yelled in a hushed tone.
"They wouldn't know that a demonic beast is here. People from the Academy might get slaughtered, especially now that we do not know whether the other staff escaped from this mountain on time," Jacob pressed harder on the rock dislocating a part of it from the other rocks holding it in place, "If they didn't then only a few people would come to rescue us. They won't be capable enough and we'd die here."
"Shut up! Who cares if many die?! As long as we're alive!" Professor Hugh said emphasizing every word. He slowly reached for the metallic stick on his back pocket once more.
If only he didn't need the researcher to keep silent, he would've stabbed him multiple times already.
Even after he died.
….
Toran Fiore tapped his left foot twice on the ground.
The Academy staff was now scattered all over a wide open area inside the city, utterly confused about what they were going to do. For some reason, a few minutes ago, the principal had instructed them to stand away from each other with equal distances in between.
It had already been 12 minutes since the battle outside the city died down.
All of them have already heard about what happened. After the loud screeching noise disappeared, someone reported the events.
They lost several people, but things should finally be under control and the Academy did absolutely nothing to assist.
Shouldn't they at least help with the sweeping? They were deliberately putting the Academy in a bad spot because of what they were currently doing. Rumors about the Academy's incompetence would start and Fria's name would surely be tarnished.
However, their principal said absolutely nothing. He continued standing in the middle of the open area, tapping his foot twice from time to time.
Toran Fiore lifted a hand, catching everyone's attention. "Is everyone ready?"
The people immediately straightened up then responded in unison, "Yes, principal!"
Despite this, they didn't really know what they were ready about.
"Then put your guard up," Toran Fiore said as a green glow slowly filled the air around him.
The staff instantly felt a pressure bearing down on them. The kind of pressure that could squish them like bugs anytime it wanted.
But why was the principal exuding such pressure? There were absolutely no enem…
Ever so slightly, the ground shook.
Its source came from underground and every single one of the Earth Mages amongst the staff immediately understood their principal's reasons.
Rumble!
A huge figure burst out from the ground, opening a gigantic hole. Before it could even land, a large earth spike emerged from the ground and impaled it. The beast let out a loud squeak as it struggled.
It was a mole.
Another earth spike emerged from the ground impaling its head ending the mole's life.
"Earth Mages, seal the hole," Toran Fiore coldly said.
The others woke up from the stupor and immediately nodded. In less than a second, the Earth Mages finished casting their spells and the huge hole was slowly mended.
However…
Boom! Boom! Boom!
One after another, moles started popping out of the ground. About 60 of them! The Academy staff bombarded the creatures with spells.
The Earth Mages immediately resumed the task they were given. However, there were just too many holes that the Earth Mages found it hard to keep up. Also, when they looked around, they realized that it was not only happening in the area where they were gathered.
Out of the corner of his eyes, an Academy staff caught a glimpse of a beast peeking through an alley not far from him. He cocked an eyebrow as he realized that it wasn't a mole. He immediately stepped forward and yelled, "HURRY UP AND CLOSE THE HOLES!"
As if it were on queue, the ground started quaking. Large magical beasts started pouring inside the area through the open holes that they had failed to close!
In a few seconds, the area was filled with hundreds of large magical beasts.
….
Outside the city.
Thirteen minutes after the formation of the Sealing Spell, White Turtle.
The eyes of every single mage surrounding the gigantic ice dome were filled with fervor as they waited for the spell to lift. They maintained a safe distance so that they wouldn't get caught up in their own spells.
Out of the blue, they started hearing explosions from inside the city. They could even faintly feel the ground shake.
Impossible! Are there beasts inside the city?!
But they couldn't mind it for now! They had to keep their focus or else the high-level spells they had prepared would be canceled and cause a backlash on them instead.
The sound of battle echoed through the air making everyone anxious. Their families were inside, defenseless!
Two minutes seemed like an eternity!
Suddenly, the ground started quaking intensely.
Gigantic shadows emerged from the ground almost simultaneously.
The mages turned around as they held onto their spells. Several gigantic moles stood only several meters behind them.
Then, the ground shook even more as they started hearing loud footsteps.
Several large beasts started crawling out of the hole and charged straight towards them. They roared as they brandished their sharp teeth and claws.
The scene, for sure, would invoke many others to despair. Normally, the case wouldn't be the same as the people gathered around the ice.
However, today was not a normal day. They were currently tangled in an extremely bad situation.
The mages fell in shock and, ultimately, despair.
Beasts were stuck inside a sphere of ice.
Mages formed an encirclement around the said ice, their spells ready to be released anytime.
Now, some other beasts did the same. They circled around the mages who were holding onto their spells.
If they released their spells now, they would not be able to take care of the beasts currently trapped inside the ice anymore. And even if they threw a few, the beasts charging towards them they just might get caught up in the explosions.
Suddenly, a voice echoed through the air.
"This city would really be nothing without me."
A tall, burly man wearing a pitch-black armor with a blood-red crystal on its chest stood behind a couple of beasts in the upper right-hand part of their encirclement. He wielded his glowing greatsword horizontally beside him.
Apparently, he had already finished casting a spell before he spoke.
A-ranked mage, General Solare Samo.
A-ranked spell.
"EMERGING DRAGON!"
The greatsword swung forward distorting the air surrounding it as it moved. The blade hummed intensely as the glow finally disappeared from it.
Blood-red flames roared forward, forming a dragon that consumed any beast in its wake. It moved in an arc all the way to the other side of the beasts' encirclement.
Only half of it remained.
….