Krack~
The crisp note reminiscent of someone's bones crumbling under an overwhelming pressure rang throughout the atmosphere. Though devoid of ferocity, it still had an indescribable intensity worth taking note of.
"Okay, this is it. Reroute the mana and create the loop. Confirm that the construct wouldn't break apart under stress and wait for other's signal."
The trio noticed the upward curved lips of Lazarus and discerned that the process is nearing completion. The probability of success was evident on the old man's face.
About ten minutes later, the fluctuations suddenly disappeared and the violence dissipated. For the outside world, things have come to a conclusion but only those standing inside the clearing knew that the operation is just a bit away from perfection.
"Now!"
Lazarus' voice echoed and the trio leapt backwards. Their figures flashed and appeared several metres away, amidst the woods. The kings were startled by this sudden development and quickly sought refuge behind the trees.
Whirrr~
The rumbling gradually faded and completely transformed into a low-profile buzz. Instantly, a translucent black substance drifted out of the tear. Independent of the effects of gravity, the unknown matter began to coil around the rift. With each passing moment, the slimy viscous bizarre substance created a thick blanket around the rift completely concealing it.
After reaching an optimum size, the entire construct abruptly metamorphosised into a huge block of lucid glass. A little taller than two metres, the upright rectangular block emitted an incomprehensible aura.
Cough~
The wheezing of an elderly lured away the eyes staring at the portal block. The figure of Lazarus leaning onto a thick trunk tree with a trail of blood leaving a mark on his dirtied robe triggered a response from his fellow saints. The tigerfolk saint approached the old man and poured down a vibrant pink liquid down the latter's throat.
"Hah...thanks." As the depleted vitality was restored, Lazarus thanked as his redness came back on his pale cheeks.
With the support of the nearby tree, the Great Saint stood up and stared at the portal with a delighted demeanour.
We made history!
The seven pairs of eyes immediately inspected the flawless surface of the portal. The ruler of Amegoth commented that its smooth surface looks like translucent obsidian, to which the others nodded in agreement.
"I'll enter and check if it's dangerous or not. If I don't come back in four hours, deem that I've perished and prepare to destroy the portal. Don't forget to seal off the area."
Lazarus spoke in an imposing tone and the trio of kings and saints nodded. After receiving their confirmation, he turned around and stepped into the glass construct.
***
At the same time, in the Stygian Realm.
The survivors stared at the portal block that manifested out of the blue. Though their eyes were fixated on the construct, their senses were constantly scanning the surroundings.
"Is that...a human?" Thalia whispered in uncertainty. She immediately glanced at Aaron who was staring at the portal while giving a stiff nod.
"We can only wait and find out." He added without losing focus on the bizarre construct.
Whirr~
A faint hissing sound emerged from the portal and the silhouette became clearer with each second.
Then suddenly, the owner of the shadow was thrown out of the vicious pathway by a powerful force.
Thud~
Faceplanting in the dirt, the old man let out a moan as he rose onto his knees. Rubbing his nose in pain, Lazarus pivoted around and saw a significant change in atmosphere.
What's with this hostile prickling?
Raising his head, the old man nodded after a second of contemplation.
So that was the reason.
Without dwelling on his thoughts, the lanky figure stood up and dusted his robe. But even after rigorous patting, the dirt remained unchanging.
Do whatever pleases you.
Completely dumbfounded by the emergence of a childish human who's at the brink of death, the trio couldn't believe their eyes.
"Who is-" Adam was about to probe in the most silent tone he could ever come up with when Endevil alerted. [Five Harpys inbound. Estimated to arrive within five seconds.]
Startled by the sudden breach in silence, Adam couldn't convey the info to the duo on time. As a result, Aaron and Thalia rose and walked out to greet the stranger from the hiding spot. Punctually, the silhouettes of the aerial beasts had entered the scene and saw them through peripheral vision.
The events turning south froze the duo in their tracks. Lazarus caught the sight of the human and elf disclosing their positions just in time as the enemies registered their presence.
At once, the group split up into two. Three harpys homed in onto Aaron and Thalia while the remaining two targetted the old man.
'Shit!'
The sharp claws of the harpys closing in on the knight commander and the elf had made them immobile. The tinge of red on those overgrown talons successfully intimidated them and frightened them to a standstill.
Like a predator lunging on its prey, Adam leapt and pushed them out of the beast's way. Fortunately, the fierce claws collided against the armour and the force launched Adam rolling without a grip.
Waking up from the trance, Aaron quickly sprang up and distanced himself from the harpys. Thalia didn't have the leisure to stand up and run, so she rolled backwards twice before getting a stable foothold.
But it was then they realised something.
We retreated into the cave.
Scree~
One of the three harpys let out a victorious cry while its bloodshot eyes skimmed over the faces. Without delay, the beast trio entered into the cavity. Illumination was severely cut off the moment when they paced ahead to devour their meal.
By this time, Adam stood up while leaning onto the wall behind his back.
[The impact was nullified, but the force behind that strike launched you like a tin can.] Endevil gave a nonchalant comment.
'I noticed. Thanks.'
It took a fraction of a second for him to realise the surroundings and when he did, the wall that separated his sanity from rationality crumbled. Anger coursed through his blood like adrenaline and it was a sword that materialised in his grip.
Thalia was sensitive to fluctuations of emotions due to her racial peculiarities. Thus she sensed excessive killing intent from her behind. Recalling the berserker's behaviour and considering the situation, she fell into a dilemma.
Should I stop him or not?
Her train of thoughts hadn't even begun to ponder when an armoured figure veiled in a thick hostile aura dashed past her. Contrary to her expectations, there was a mercenary sword in his hand.
Slash~
A diagonal swipe and a harpy's thorax was cleaved in half. Before the shock could fade away, an oppressive strength came at the neck of the second beast and gripped with an untamed might. Even before Adam could snap its neck, it already passed out from the pressure.
The third harpy, the last one standing, was rather quick. By the time the berserker dealt with the other two, it had turned around and was already at the entrance of the cave.
'No, you don't.'
The sword went into the ring and the blood dyed spear appeared. Channelling his entire strength, what left Adam's grip had an unbearable force embedded in it. The swiftness with which the spear travelled threatened to break the fabric of reality.
Puchik~
Expanding the wings, the harpy leapt up to be airborne. It flapped once but couldn't execute a second time. A sharp throbbing emerged from its behind and sensed itself moving forward under the influence of an irrefutable force.
The beast's eyes went wide as it lowered its sight to see a blood-red spear running through its chest. The astonishment remained in its eyes as its life left the vessel.
Thud~
The physique of the lifeless beast gradually came to a halt after a short while. The momentum with which the spear punctured the harpy had altered the direction and magnitude of the body.
Sigh~
After witnessing that the projectile wasn't a misfire, Adam heaved a sigh of relief. Lowering his sight, he saw the unconscious beast with its neck locked in his palm.
Snap!
The crisp crackling echoed inside the walls. While Thalia and Aaron were in awe of the berserker's fighting prowess, they saw him throwing away the harpy corpse like a bag of garbage.
"You both okay?"
Adam took off his helmet and asked the duo, to which they responded that they're alright. Unbeknownst to the berserker, there was reverence in their words.
At once, the earthling remembered about the lanky old man. Before Thalia could raise her voice to alleviate what was bugging him, he had already dashed to the entrance of the cave.
And just as he reached the outside, his concerned demeanour was swiftly replaced with incomprehension.
Who could be crazy enough to roast harpys and eat their meat amidst a barren foreign land?