Walking over the city's stone bridge, the moat beneath it fed by the lake, the walls had crumbled, but the structure was sturdy and secure. Everyone had relaxed as they approached, and no attacks came. Keno carried his elf betrothed. She had her compound bow ready. Ethan had a clear line of sight as he towered over the tanks. This did not feel right to him. Lara had a catkin magus on her shoulders, and Grace carried an elf archer. He looked around and heard the growls. The first wave came from their rear, driving them towards the city gates. They could only go forward or backward, trapped on the bridge. They crashed into the tanks.
"Alas, keep the formation. Do not move around to engage."
Fireballs created pockets in the thrall of monsters but were filled almost immediately. The magus cast the shield he had taught them, giving the tanks a few seconds of reprieve. The tanks were pushed back as Ethan let loose arrow after arrow, piercing four to five at a time. He knew this would not be enough to stop the tide.
Suddenly, they were beset by the city gates side. Lucy held as the strong wave of beasts broke against her shield. She grunted with the impact. Wendy cut down enemies as the shields parted, allowing her to strike. The fighting continued as corpses stacked against the shields, and the monsters used the heap as a launching platform. The tanks were on their own as the melee classes fought monsters inside the ring. Ethan uses his martial skills to kick beasts out of the ring, killing them on impact. They were nearly overwhelmed as claws raked his back and legs as he fought the onslaught protecting Grace, Lara and Maple. Wendy stood back-to-back with Lucy. As Lucy struggled to block the constant charges against her shield, Wendy defended her exposed back.
Ethan winched as he saw that the blows they sustained did not draw blood but would leave ugly bruises on their bodies. The chain mail could only do so much. They were getting worn out, and the impacts sent a numbing shock through the tank's arms and shoulders. Wendy held her swords a little lower. Her breathing was ragged as sweat coated her face. The onslaught was relentless, seeming never to end, wave upon wave, breaking against the shields and monsters leaping into the ring.
"Alas, Zelda, you protect Wendy and Lucy. Ting-Ting, you guard our Grace, Lara, and Maple. Lilly, let me know if you see any surprises. Something feels off here. Mei, thank you. My arrows are depleted."
Ethan's longbow flew into the air and floated next to the flying ball Lilly, which flared with purple light as it scanned the area. Ethan used his martial techniques to kill the small critters, keeping the circle clear of monsters and casualties. A roar came from the city. The surge of Kun lay Runt's increased. The tanks were hard-pressed, and the fighters fought with all their might.
The stench of sweat and blood filled the air as the slaughter continued, the group moving forward, stepping over their dead foes. Ethan wondered how many of these creatures inhabited the city. Ethan pondered why the creatures never came near the village. The bridge was waist-high in dead beasts. A bear kin tank yelled over the din of fighting.
"Growl, I cannot go on like this. My shield arm has gone numb."
Ethan could see that the group was exhausted from claw wounds that had riddled their bodies. The constant fighting without cease had sapped their stamina and their manna. He could see that Lucy was holding on, but barely. She raised her shield more regularly as its weight sapped her strength, and it waned every second as the onslaught continued. Wendy leaned on her short swords. Wendy's slashes had become wild as she fought. Her arms must feel like iron bars by now. Ethan knew the feeling his team had seen better days.
He had taken a few claws to his back and legs, blood flowing freely. As he scanned the group, he saw that the magus spells became weaker and weaker as their manna dwindled. Ethan tried to protect the support members that carried the archers and magus. Their backpacks made them slow, easy targets for the monsters.
Wendy had a deep cut on her forehead, blood running over her right eye. Lucy had blood running down her left shoulder, her neck had a gash from a claw, and her white and pink hair was turning crimson. The chain mail had protected their bodies and legs, the shin guards protecting their shins. Lucy limped when she moved, and Ethan could see blood on her right knee. From experience, he knew they could not hold out forever. There was a surge again of monsters. Calls of I am out of arrows, and my manna has been drained filled the small space. Lilly spoke in his mind.
"Alas, the push from the back is almost depleted, and the front ranks will be thinning out."
Ethan hoisted his fist in the air as he shouted to bolster their courage.
"Alas, push forward. Our victory is guaranteed."
Kuno's girlfriend cried out.
"Look, they are thinning out at the back."
The supporters let the ones on their backs down, taking their knives to defend themselves. Their party members supported some of the tanks from the back, keeping them standing. The end was near, and the enemies became scattered and fewer by the second as they moved towards the city. A giant fur-covered hand opened the closed stone gate to the town. The sound of stone on stone resounded loudly. The Kun lay runts doubled their efforts.
A roar sounded as the twelve-foot-tall Yetty with brown fur appeared at the city gates. Shouts of unbelief and desperation could be heard, some sounding utterly defeated as swearing echoed through the circle, and a few people could be heard crying. Ethan did not focus on the people but on the new threat. A stone block the Yetty threw landed short of the group, crushing the little monsters. Blue sparks burst underneath the stone block as the manna gems exploded, lifting it slightly off the ground, and then it fell back with a dull sound. Ethan heard Grace through the din of fighting.
"Fuck that was around twenty manna gems that just exploded and evaporated into thin air."
Ethan pulled Maple out of the way of a suicidal beast that leapt for her, killing it with a kick as it passed by them. Maple held her hand before her as if she wanted to stop the rock from crushing the little bastards. Maple's disappointment was evident, and those ingredients were lost forever. Maple's face contorted into anger as her eyes fell on the Yetty.
"F- F- F- fuck, that bastard wants to destroy my business."
The Yetty showed Maple a middle finger to show her how much he cared. This is more of my type of fight. Ethan could feel his dark mood lift as he prepared himself. Sophia spoke in his mind.
"Alas, conditions to partially unseal the seal have been met attempting to lift the seal."
Ethan wondered what Sophia was talking about. He could not focus on the imminent danger that must be dealt with now. Sophia spoke again in Ethan's mind.
"Alas, one per cent of the seal was successfully unsealed."
Ethan could feel an incredible surge run through his body. Ethan felt ecstatic. A faint surge of golden electric energy could be seen on his skin. Ethan tensed his legs and body. Ethan launched forward at incredible speed. Ethan flew over the tank's heads by a few feet and used his sky tiger strike, which he had used hundreds of times on monsters.
Fingers dug into hard muscle and leather-like skin, the impact causing bones to break. With a ripping motion, the flesh was torn, and a roar of pain echoed. Ethan lands on his feet as claws barely miss his head. Ethan gathers this newfound power in his body and then releases it like bent spring steel. He used his martial skill, skybreaker uppercut. His uppercut destroyed a jaw. The Yetty's head whiplashed back, and its feet lifted off the terrain as it propelled upwards in an arch, landing a few feet away with a mighty crash.
"Alas, Ting-Ting, do your thing."
Ethan's sword rockets past him and decapitates the Yetty. Wendy dispatched the last monster. Turning around, he saw jaws had dropped and eyes wide as saucers. Only Wendy and Lucy were not fazed. There was a deafening silence. After jaws worked with intangible sounds coming from them, the group recovered. Lilly notified him that the area and the city were now clear of Kun lay Runt's and Yetty's.
How did this happen? Did he build an army to overrun the village? The beasts could have overrun the village weeks ago but did not. Ethan could feel that something felt out of place. It made no sense. Ethan remembered the seal Sophia had spoken of, but it disappeared as soon as the thought came up. Lara and Maple, with her fellow support members, set up camp to treat injuries and rest. Grace takes Ethan around the waist.
"That Yetty will solve all the guild's problems, thank you."
Ethan hugs her back.
"Alas, that is what friends do. They help each other."
They sat on the blanket Lara had placed for them, and Maple tended to their injuries. She had a few cuts, but her potions healed her in seconds. Lara held his hand.
"She has the ability potion hundred-fold. If she uses her potions, it has a hundredfold the effect."
That was amazing. Ethan was impressed by her. She had a hidden ability. After they rested for half an hour, Grace, Maple, and Lara started harvesting the monsters, beginning with the Yetty. It could not be eaten, but it had a massive manna gem. Grace explained that the guild would get at least fifty silvers for such a large manna gem, giving them twenty-five silver coins to share. The Kun Lay runt gems would go to the guild as promised.
Ethan looked on as they worked. The two humans were body-enhancement magus, runners between the village and the killing site, using the bags he had bought to carry the meat to the shepherd's inn. The backpacks were filled with meat. Ethan grinned, satisfied with the outcome. This would guarantee Maple and Lara could eat free at the inn. Ethan looked at the sun, but they still had time. He had wholly forgotten his surge in power. Sophia also forgot about the seal. The system had wiped their memories. He wanted to go and visit a suspect tomorrow, and he had thought of a few things.
"Alas, Grace, I will leave you to it. We will investigate the ruined city. Something feels off to me."
"I agree something like this has never happened before."
Ethan heads towards the city, and Wendy and Lucy follow, their weapons ready. Maple's potions had helped them heal to a degree. They moved as slowly as every move took effort. Sophia warned Ethan.
"Alas, Wendy and Lucy have used most of their essence in the fight."
"Alas, Sophia, you know they would not let me investigate alone. We will have a look around and leave as soon as possible."
Lucy had placed her shield on her back, holding her sword in both hands. Wendy walked next to Lucy, her short swords unsheathed. Her eyes darted from one opening to the other, expecting to be attacked at any moment.