Michael and Liam stood at the edge of the interior trench of the village, their breathing coming in shallow, ragged bursts. This was it. Death had come to Madwin's Barrow.
Michael's heart pounded at the sight of the giant cockroaches emerging from the shadows of the forest. They were enormous, both in size and numbers, their black exoskeletons gleaming with death they promised to bring. Echoes of clicking mandibles made Michael's hackles rise.
Behind the two of them, fifty or so villagers shuffled. They wore crudely made leather or plate armour and carried equally crude weapons. Archers lined the rooftops.
Other battle capable men and women were scattered throughout the village as the last line of defence to protect the children and the elderly who hid in the basement and attics.
"This is it, isn't it, Liam?" Michael said, gripping his axe so hard his knuckles turned white.
"Yes, let's do our part well. Everything rests on it."
Michael nodded with grim determination.
The legion of Titan Spawns surged forward like a tide of darkness itself. Michael shivered. It had nothing to do with the night air.
Lightning flashed overhead and it began to rain.
[Flight.]
Michael and Liam flew, barely feeling the rain hitting them. They hovered over the outer trench and Michael nodded to Liam as soon as the first line of roaches reached the outer trench.
Liam opened the lid of the pot he carried and poured its contents into the outer trench. The liquid that dropped into the trench, filled with the firewood, was the chemical extracted from the bomber ants.
The liquid mixed with the wood laced with the other half of the chemical extracted from the exploding ants. The detonation was deafening, a blinding flash followed by a chain of explosions as Liam flew along the trench, pouring the liquid on top of it.
Pieces of dead roaches flew in every direction. As Liam would say, less than they deserved.
Even this far in the air, the force of explosion struck him like a truck, sending him flying even higher. Michael focused on his skill to stop himself spinning in the air.
He had a job to do. Protect Liam.
***
Something poked at her. Isha groaned, turning in her sleep. "Five more minutes."
"Wake up girl," Castra said. "... So, ignoring me, are we? Wake up now or I will see how you will like your head dunked in a bucket of water."
Isha rolled onto her back and opened her eyes blearily. She had to shade her eyes from the setting sun. But she knew the sun would not last long. The rain clouds were rolling in—soon to cover the horizon. Great, another night of rain.
"Why do you hate sleep, Castra," Isha said, as the other woman dragged her to her feet and thrust a water pitcher in her hand to wash her face. "Sleep is one thing that's good in this world."
"I think we have rested long enough," Castra snapped. "This is the seventh village we have found in ruins. Let's hope the next village won't be the eighth."
Isha splashed her face with the water, only half listening to Castra, but she understood the significance of her words.
"Where is Nairobi?" Isha asked, looking around for the Cniad-Woman.
Castra sighed. "She said she needed some privacy and left about three hours ago. If she does not return in ten minutes, I will go find her. Her privacy be damned."
***
Nairobi collapsed onto her hands and knees, breathing heavily, sweat trickling down her forehead.
She had done it. It'd taken her three hours to activate her skill, but she had done it. Nairobi couldn't help grinning.
The unique skill she had received since coming to this world could make her nigh impossible to kill so long as it was active. And she had done just that.
Nairobi had found meaning in this world. It promised excitement, power and mystery, everything she loved. She wouldn't lose that by dying at the hands of cockroaches.
She had finally found solitude and an opportunity to activate her unique skill and it promised to keep her alive—as long as everyone was in the dark about her skill. Nairobi intended to keep it that way.
"Now I have nothing to fear. And everything to learn."
Nairobi calmed her heavy breaths that had resulted from the activation of the skill and stood up.
What have you done?
Startled, Nairobi wheeled around to search for the origin of the sound, she found no one. And was sure it wasn't the World System, she would have recognised it.
Your actions have brought my attention to you.
Nairobi made a futile attempt to calm her hammering heart. "Who are you? I swear if this is some kind of joke, I will—"
If you are not careful, you will draw the attention of other gods and they are not kind to mortals.
"Who are you? Answer me!"
Tread carefully, child of the Lost Realm, the voice droned on. What you do is a thing of Gods.
The disembodied voice vanished and no matter how many times Nairobi called—feeling like a lunatic—it did not answer back.
Was it a God? Were they even real?
And she had believed she had nothing to fear. Fool!
Trembling, Nairobi left to find Isha and Castra. She desperately needed a drink.
***
A ball of fire streaked up at Liam from somewhere in the woods to stop his friend from detonating more roaches. Michael flew in the path of the fire and synergized the [Thermo Domain], dropping the temperature of the bubble around him as low as he could.
The water clinging to his clothes and skin crystallised into frost. When the [Fireball] reached the [Thermo Domain], it hissed and sizzled, but didn't vanish. Michael had expected that and had already prepared another spell.
Water bubbled before Michael as he summoned the spell, [Condense Water]. The rain and the dome of [Thermo Domain] helped the spell to work faster.
The ball of flame and the mass of water clashed with an angry hiss of steam, cancelling each other.
Michael grinned, he would never have been able to stop that spell, if the [Hunter] had not warned them about the people leading the Titan Spawns.
Your death was not in vain, Hunter.
Three more [Fireballs] streaked in their direction. One for Michael, two for Liam. Michael's grin vanished.