"Did you hear that?" Michelle asked, frowning. The horrifying screeches were reverberating throughout the tunnelling maze with the awful stench.
"Yes," Jacob nodded. "I hope we're not late."
The two of them rushed hurriedly towards the origin of the racket. Though Michelle was not much in the physical area, she didn't lose much compared to Jacob—the short man—barely had a bit more stamina than her.
"There are people," Jacob said, panting. He was putting more effort into his ability than he was capable of.
"Other than Byul and Kevin?"
Jacob nodded as he changed his posture more cautiously, equipping the bow with an arrow. They were getting close. He could smell and hear that.
"Byul," Michelle yelled suddenly, discovering the scene in front. Two unconscious figures laid on the floor. She recognised both of them: Byul and Kevin. Beside them was a lean man, sitting with his eyes closed.
Michele's expressions darkened immediately when she noticed something menacing happening between Byul and the lean man. She yelled as a scarlet ball of flame appeared in her hand. "What are you doing to her?"
Wrik opened his eyes, hearing the yell, but he didn't bother to answer. He was already in more trouble than he could handle.
"Answer me, or . . . I'll smite you into bits," she lied. She actually can't do that. Byul was on the lap of the lean man. Not to mention she was afraid to cause something that will cause something ominous for Byul.
Wrik gritted his teeth. He recognised the red-haired girl in front. It was one of the people they saved a couple of hours ago. Even the short Archer was behind her, aiming the arrow at him. They didn't look much grateful now. With an extra effort he could barely speak out, "She is with us."
"No, she was with us," Michelle shouted and made a hand gesture to threaten with the flame.
Wrik was about to say something but stopped hearing a horrifying screech. The Half-Ghoul was screaming out of its lungs. Then a flying figure dropped near them.
Michelle strode back two steps unconsciously.
"Ton," Wrik yelled, recognising the figure lying pathetically on the ground. His breastplate was broken, with three deep claw marks in them. Even the helmet was cracked. Wrik became more anxious than he usually was. "Are you alright?"
Anton coughed out. "I'm not," he said, letting out a couple of deep breaths, still lying. "But I'll be." He coughed again, getting up to notice the two more figures standing a couple of meters away. "Isn't that the two we helped a couple of hours ago?"
"Eh?" Michelle comprehended immediately that she had seen these figures before. They were the ones that helped them in clearing the Infectors before. The whole situation became more clear to her as she recalled Byul talked having other companions as well. Michelle put off the flame immediately as a faint blush appeared on her cheeks. "How can we help?"
"I don't need help here," Wrik sucked in a deep breath as the berserking mana was still flowing in his system. "Help them, delay that thing."
Michelle nodded as she moved, giving a second look at the unconscious girl at the lap of Wrik. While Anton staggered his way to the conflict again and the Archer found a suitable spot to shoot the arrows.
"Now it's time to put the crazy plan into action," Wrik muttered as he tried to suck in the mana in fever from the body of Byul, even more than he could handle himself. He didn't stop there; his Mana circuit was only a little over 20% yet he rushed the mana as fast as he could through the circuit, not minding the blazing pain. He needed a couple of minutes more.
The red-haired girl, Michelle, fired balls of flame immediately at the Semi-Ghoul as she approached the battle. Her expression was ugly with all the awful reek and the tiring exhaustion. While her companion didn't rest either, he shot his arrow at the head of the thing, though it wasn't as effective as the flame.
Tanya was beside them as well, trying her best with her skills. She cast her ice spikes at the thing, mostly in delaying it to strike the melee combatants. While Davin and Jacob protecting the two spell casters from any direct collusion with the Infector.
Meanwhile, Anton came forward in the middle again, catching a few breaths. Beside him, Evan was in no better shape, asked, "Are you alright?"
"Yeah," he shook his head a few times after removing the helmet. The helmet was already cracked after it withstood the hammering strike of the monster. "How can such a thing like this be here?!"
"We don't have time to fret over that," Tanya yelled from the sides. "I think we should run away from here. It's not something we can handle."
"Hey, Can you guys delay it for a bit?" Michelle joined in the conversation as well. "I have something that can finish it, but it would take some time to prepare."
Tanya looked at the red-haired girl but didn't answer. It was not her only decision to make. She alone can't delay it, it would take everyone's effort to do it. She looked back to notice Wrik was coming towards them.
"How much time do you need?" Wrik came in from behind the group. His face was sipping in sweat as the overwhelming amount of Maha Mana was raging inside his body.
Michelle didn't answer immediately. She pondered for a moment before saying. "One minute, I can do it in one minute."
"Alright," Wrik nodded. He looked at everyone around Anton, standing while Davin and Evan were delaying the thing. The Archer—he didn't know the name of—was firing arrows at its joints. While the two casters were waiting for him to finish. He continued. "Ton, and you . . ." he looked at Archer.
"Jacob," the archer answered.
"So, Ton and Jacob take the two unconscious to safety."
"But, Wrik . . ." Anton complained. He was displaced with what Wrik was suggesting. Even Jacob was not pleased with it.
"Do it," Wrik didn't explain further.
Anton exchanged a deep glance with Wrik before nodding as he left the battle. The Archer Jacob followed him as well, noticing the stern look eyes of Wrik with the corona of the silver glow.
Wrik found Davin was already struggling, while Evan was barely keeping up with the monstrous thing. He raged the Mana inside him as he gripped the hilt of his sword with both arms. He yelled as he jumped at the Ghoul. "Be prepared, we'll run if it doesn't help."
He had more than double the amount of mana inside him, raging havoc. Now he was going to waste this excess amount of mana on that thing.
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