"Your Highness..." A group of Batanian archers ran back, their faces pale with dismay.
The commotion caught Roland's attention. He stepped out of the blacksmith shop, his curiosity piqued, only to be stunned by the sight before him. The archers were in disarray, their armor torn, some of them bruised, and others soaked to the bone, looking like drenched, defeated birds.
"What happened?" Roland narrowed his eyes, a growing concern evident in his voice. Had they been attacked by orcs?
"My lord, a massive octopus-like monster emerged from the Swift River. It's a high-level creature!" One of the archers, breathless and shaken, relayed the story to Roland.
The archers had ventured out to fish, taking advantage of the river's winter bounty. They had already hauled in a dozen baskets of fish when the nightmare began. As they pulled in their nets one last time, thick tentacles shot out of the water, ripping the nets apart with terrifying ease. A gaping maw lined with sharp teeth followed, devouring the fish. The archers had tried to fight back, shooting arrows at the beast, but it retaliated with such force that five of them were thrown into the icy water. Thanks to their agility and the quick rescue by the remaining boats, no lives were lost, but many were injured. Unable to kill the creature with their arrows, the archers had no choice but to retreat.
Roland's expression darkened. "This monster dares to threaten us? In a winter like this, with Swift City already struggling to survive on what little food we have left?" Even Roland himself had been surviving on little more than brown bread and fish. Losing the river's bounty could be catastrophic.
"All Knights, stay here. Reynold, you're in charge of protecting Rapid City. The City Guards and Batanian archers will come with me. Priest Ivy and Mage Ladir, your assistance will be crucial." Roland's orders were swift and decisive. He lamented the absence of Carlos, knowing his dragon would have been a great help.
"Let's go! We need to deal with this creature," Roland said through gritted teeth.
---
When they reached the Swift River, which had now calmed down, Roland turned to Ladir. "Sir Ladir, I need your expertise."
"This is my duty, Your Highness." Ladir bowed before unleashing a tremendous spiritual force through his staff. The staff's power was clearly not of mortal origin, amplifying Ladir's already formidable abilities. The mage closed his eyes, concentrating, as his spiritual energy spread out like an invisible net across the river.
"I've found it!" Ladir's eyes snapped open.
"Spiritual Burst!" Ladir cast a high-level spell. Though he was primarily an earth-based war mage, his spiritual power was more than sufficient to handle such magic. The spell struck the water with a thunderous boom, and a massive white water bubble emerged, bursting to reveal the monster's writhing form.
"It's a Water Watcher," Roland muttered as he recognized the creature's barbed tentacles and grotesque appearance. The similarity to the monster that had once appeared in Mirror Lake near Moria's West Gate was striking. "So, it's made its way here…"
"Release the arrows!" Roland ordered. The City Guards' hand crossbows and the Batanian archers' skillful shots rained down on the creature, though Roland knew their ordinary arrows would struggle to penetrate the beast's thick hide.
"Light Bomb!" Ivy conjured a sphere of light and hurled it at the creature. The beast reacted violently as the light seared its flesh, writhing in agony.
"It's a dark attribute creature! It's vulnerable to light, fire, and holy attacks!" Ladir shouted, his discomfort with fighting on water clear as his usual earth-based spells were ineffective. Yet, his spiritual power remained crucial in holding the beast at bay.
"Sacred Sword Judgment!" Roland raised the Dragon Slaying Sword, plunging it into the ground. A golden hexagram appeared beneath him, with the sword at its center. A divine sword materialized from the hexagram, descending upon the Water Watcher.
The creature's scream was ear-splitting as the sword struck, leaving a deep wound that oozed black blood.
"Well done, Sir Ladir!" Roland praised the mage, who had used his mental power to restrict the beast's movements, preventing it from escaping into the depths of the river. Roland knew his Sacred Sword Judgment was powerful, but it had a significant flaw—it required time to cast, making it difficult to use in fast-paced combat. This battle was a harsh reminder of how much he still relied on his soldiers, and how much he needed to improve his own combat abilities.
"Sacred Sword Judgment!" Roland unleashed the attack again, determined to finish the beast.
---
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Roland released his 47th Sacred Sword Judgment. "It should be dead now..." he muttered, leaning on his sword, exhausted.
Ivy, observing the nearly obliterated Water Watcher, couldn't help but smirk. "Your Highness, I think that's more than enough... It's already dead."
Roland glanced at the lifeless monster floating on the water. "Right... Let's fish it out, extract the magic crystal, and dispose of the body. No point in letting it go to waste."
He then surveyed the damage. "It's a shame we lost those Galen ships... Our daily catch will suffer."
"We'll need to pair the archers with the City Guards for future fishing expeditions. I underestimated the dangers in this river," Roland sighed, realizing that this world was filled with far more monsters than he had anticipated.
With the threat now neutralized, Roland turned his thoughts back to his blacksmith shop. "I need to get back to work. There's still much to repair."
With that, he led his troops back, leaving the battlefield behind. The winter was harsh, but Roland knew that with determination and strategy, they could survive whatever challenges came their way.
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