Adrian opens the 'Map' and take a look at the cavern structure. Through the 'Map' he saw it all the lake imps and the humans included.
"Eh? They are split?" Adrian is puzzle looking at the 'Map' that is indicating many blue dots for humans and red for the imps.
The positions are split into three. All of them are surrounded by red dots. At least 200 of the each. The closest group is 1 km away from him. Adrian saw there are a few red dots deeper in the cavern. That must be the nest.
"Aria, suggestions? Should I use Lighting or Light?" Adrian turns to Aria for a solution.
[Responding. ARIA suggests Light. Lightning will spread into an uncontrollable level if the distance is too far.]
"Then Light it is then." Adrian nodded to the suggestion. Although his Lightning magic is powerful and he is great at controlling it but being underwater will make it difficult to control it. He just realizes that.
[Selected: Excalibur]
"Let's go Caliburnus. Equipped."
Light begins to fill the dark cavern, celebrating the manifestation of Excalibur.
"Let's do the basics but better." Adrian had the will to dispose all of the threats. Runes begin to manifest from his hand. The runes danced along the blade of Excalibur and form a magic circle at the sharp tip of the blade. Adrian pointed to the direction of the nearest group that is in trouble.
"Primordial magic: Heaven Piercing Lights"
*PEWWW*
A beam of light shoots out from the tip of Excalibur. The beam then splits into 2, then 4, then 8 and so on while travelling to the intended target.
A muscular man with blue hair is taking charge of holding of the swarm of lake imps with his other 4 fellow mercenaries. They are trying to protect 3 kids who are knocked out, One of them are holding 2 child and providing vision with Light.
"Gideon… I can't hold it anymore. My mana is almost depleted. It had been 3 hours." A mercenary begins to cried out. He is beginning to feel the cold water grabbing on to him, wanting to drown him to the abyss.
"Please a little more. Hold one a little more. We need to keep the kids safe. Their parents are waiting." Gideon replied with words of encouragement.
Gideon knew it was just false hope. They had been inside the cavern for 3 hours. They also got lost along the way. When they finally found the 8 kidnapped children, they got ambushed and force to split up in the tunnels. He did not expect the imps are in the hundreds.
The lake imps are blue in color with webbed limbs to aid them in maneuvering in water. The had a small stature, smaller than a goblin, about 90 cm tall. Because if their small stature they are agile. With each dodge they will let out an obnoxious laugh.
This made the party mentally exhausted while trying to take them out.
The scariest thing is all of them are 'bleeding' some black goo but the goo is not in the physical plane. The mercenaries have read about the reports of this but they just shake it off just as someone's hallucination.
Seeing it for real made them shiver with cold sweat running on their backs. These things are more ferocious and tenacious.
"Gideon!"
"Gideon, what's the plan?"
"Please… Do something. We can't hold on."
Gideon heard the cries of his teammates. He suddenly feels the weight on his shoulders.
"Is this all a mistake? Did I plunge them into the endless abyss because of me?" Gideon starts questioning himself.
"Gods, please give me strength to pass through this. Shone your light for us, so all of us can return home." Gideon begins praying in his heart because he had started to lose hope.
The existence if the gods of Etterra had been preached by the Primordials since the dawn of time. It was to give the beings of Etterra faith, so they can live a life under their name. They are being that are known to spread their kindness to all beings.
The group are already at their ropes end. Two already fainted due to depleted mana. Forcing their teammates to stop defending and help them to supply oxygen but that leave them vulnerable.
"S***!" The mercenary who is providing light catch one of his fallen teammate with his leg, trying to save him from sinking while cursing.
As the imps saw this they charge in en masse. They already had their fun, now its time to offer the humans to the king. Maybe they will be rewarded some human flesh for doing a good job.
When Gideon saw this, he was just about to cast a spell to repel the swarm but he notices he don't have enough mana for it.
"NOOOO!" Gideon screamed but, in his heart, he still praying for hope.
Prayers are sometime answered and sometimes not. Many miracles are seen yet many miracles are hidden. For Gideon, prayers are answered and miracles happen.
Suddenly, a flash of light lit up at the dark end of the cavern. All of them including the imps shielded their eyes.
With all of them closing their eyes, they did not see what happen. The saddest thing is, of all are 90% of the imps did not know what happen but they still fade to black into nothingness. The light barely missed the target as the rescuers and the rescued children are blocking the way on perfectly hitting their vitals.
Hundreds of imp corpses riddled with charred holes filled the surrounding. The surviving imps are crying in pain. They never notice that powerful magic and paid the price.
After the cavern dimed again signalling the 'show is over', another light came towards them through the same way the Light magic came.
The surviving imps saw this and try to swim away but all of them had their head of their necks all in a speed of light.
Then the light stops in front of the group.
"God? Ouch…" Gideon asked but he met with a knuckle on the head.
"What god? It's me, Adrian Cross. Are all of the children safe when you rescue them?" Adrian asked while he is still shining because of Excalibur.
"Ye… Yes. We found all eight of them but we are force to split up because the kids are just 'bait' to set an ambush for us." The one responsible on providing light answers while holding 2 kids on his arms and support a man using his leg.
"I see… That is good. Preserve your mana. Just focus on returning to the surface. Follow the trail of light that I made. It will guide you up. Now go! The others are also in trouble." Adrian turns into a flash of light again and disappear.
The 3 remaining men jaws are dropped after seeing this. They then look at the trail made of light showing the way back.
"That is a kid ri… right?" Gideon asked while following the rope of light and help carrying a fainted teammate.
"He says his last name is Cross. That is the young master! So strong." Another mercenary said who is also carrying a teammate.
"Hahaha… Gideon called him 'god' and got knocked in the head. That is another story in the tavern." The man who already turn Light of to preserve his mana laughing while carrying 2 kids on his arms.
Up on the surface, the people gathered before are still there. In fact, it had become much more crowded. Even the hawkers that are supposed to tend their stalls are here.
"Wow… Such a tragedy. It's a pity that the count and his family had business in the capital this week."
"Hey, have you heard? The young master is left alone at the estate and I heard he dove straight into the lake after hearing the news."
"You must be joking? He should be around 10 to 11 years old, right? Does he have a death wish to diving straight into the lake."
"Do you see Ralph over there? So, the young master must be here somewhere. Ralph can't just leave a noble's estate without reason."
The chatters made the area surrounding the lake noisy.
"It had been 10 minutes since the young master dove into the lake. There is still time. We can put our trust in him." Ralph stays optimistic announcing to the parents and children that had their loved ones involve in this incident.
"Can we really tru…." A parent wanting to doubt but he got halted by a sudden scream.
"LOOK AT THE LAKE! SOMETHING IS COMING!" A stall hawker points to the lake and screamed out.
This puts the crowd into panic. They are preparing their magic circle to bombard what is coming to the surface.
*splash*
"Urgh!!!"
Eight heads popped out form the lake. Five unconscious and three gasping for air.
Hearing the groan the crowd was just about to blow the heads in to smithereens but Ralph was there.
"STOPPP!!!" Ralph screams and use Wind magic to blow the crowd off balance. The sudden force of wind, disturb their focus therefore stopping the magic circle from firing.
"Look! It's the rescuers and they brought the kids. Help them out." Ralph points towards the 8 heads.
"Gideon? You made it! Where are the others?" The mercenary that should be guarding the perimeter earlier asked while helping them out of the lake.
"Hah… hah… Ambush… hah… hah… split up… tired." Gideon passed out after giving a very, very short summery.
"Hah… hah… The young master saved us. Hah… hah… haaa." Another got passed out after giving a sentence.
The last one doesn't need to ask he just passed out after reaching land.
"Did you hear the bits from Gideon? They got ambushed and they split up."
"Did you hear what that one say?"
"The young master really is inside the lake?"