Chapter Two Hundred Four: What It Means to Be a Hero (10)
The most effective way to stop Abyss Monsters is to guard the front of the collapsing Gate.
Gates collapse at the same time a raid fails. Abyss Monsters pour out from there, so if a complete perimeter is established at the Gate’s location to kill them as they emerge, one can prevent not only the Abyss Monsters but also the Abyssal Energy from spreading too far.
Of course, a massive number of troops is required to perfectly block a single Gate, and more importantly, powerful individuals capable of slaying Abyss Monsters are desperately needed. This is the reason why other kingdoms, excluding the Empire, are falling to ruin.
Even if several layers of cordons are formed, those numbers only hold meaning if there are beings who can manipulate Aura and use Magic Power. Other kingdoms suffered from an absolute lack of such powerful individuals. Hibernia was barely holding on thanks to the presence of Holy Power, but the Empire had judged that they had reached their limit.
The monsters of the 70th Floor were on a completely different level than those before. The same went for the concentration of Abyssal Energy.
So, they had to give up. Since the Empire could not support Hibernia at the expense of its own territory, they planned to save at least the High Priests and the Holy Maiden of Hibernia and bring them to the Empire.
— According to our information, the concentration of energy and the strength of the monsters have increased several times over compared to the previous floor. Even the Empire intends to abandon a few outlying cities.
Even the Empire was giving up a considerable amount of territory. It was because they couldn’t block the threat with vague strength, so they aimed to combine that power to firmly defend other locations. Where would the monsters from those abandoned outlying areas go? They would head toward Hibernia even before the Empire. That was why they said there was no hope.
— The monsters don’t feel the same as before. It’s similar to the 58th Floor. Those strange entities that appeared then and the overwhelming Abyssal Energy. The 70th Floor is surprisingly similar to that environment.
The Expeditionary Force consisted of members who could all handle Aura. Yet, even they faced strange entities they barely dared to confront and an environment that could only be described as the Abyssal Depths itself.
Of course, the monsters and environment of the 70th Floor were not quite at the level of the 58th Floor, but they were enough to bring back those memories. That was why the withdrawal from Hibernia had been ordered.
— Do not even think about standing against them. Hibernia’s number of powerful individuals is absolutely insuffic…
There was no reply.
A total of two Gates of the 70th Floor of the Abyss appeared in Hibernia. Considering that an average of three or four had appeared previously, it was a relatively small number, but the problem was their location. They were not far from the Kingdom’s Capital, and the two Gates had appeared side by side.
That meant they could concentrate their forces in one place to form a tighter perimeter without dispersing their troops. Conversely, it meant that the moment the perimeter was breached, the destruction would be even more catastrophic. The fact that they couldn’t stop it even after gathering all of Hibernia’s forces meant the end of the kingdom.
*Kuuu-ung — *
The two black Gates standing nearly on top of each other began to vibrate simultaneously. They were about to collapse. It was a signal that the given time for the raid had ended and the Abyssal Depths, waiting within, were pouring out.
“Deploy the holiness!”
The waiting priests gathered their strength and expanded the domain of holiness. It was a power that served as a blessing to the children of Liphyue and a fatal weakness to those who opposed them.
“Liphyue is with us!”
The faces of the knights, which had been stiff with tension, relaxed slightly, and their momentum grew sharper. They pointed their swords and spears toward the vibrating Gates, and outside them, skill users moved to cast their prepared skills.
*Ku-gu-gu-gung — *
The trembling of the Gates reached its peak. They began to crack and shatter before finally collapsing. Soon after.
*Phwaaaa — *
A massive amount of Abyssal Energy poured out as if exploding. It was a pitch-black abyss, clearly much denser in concentration. Along with it, dozens of strange monsters lunged out.
They generally had the appearance of pigs, but when they opened their mouths, sharp, pointed teeth were visible. They walked upright and appeared to be well over 2 meters tall.
— Kwe-e-e-ek!
Just as the Empire had warned, they were certainly different from previous Abyss Monsters. Unlike the earlier monsters, which were covered in black and so twisted that their forms were hard to recognize, these had a distinct appearance despite being the same black color. They weren’t twisted; they poured out as if they were made this way from the start.
— Kwek! Kwe-e-e-ek!
However, the countermeasures were sufficient. Not only did ten High Priests surround the area with holiness, but dozens of prepared skills turned the inside of the perimeter into a shambles as soon as the monsters emerged.
*Kwa-a-ang!*
Though the power of each individual strike might be weak, when combined, even the monsters of the 70th Floor couldn’t last long before bursting. If they were inside the Abyss, it might be different, but here, inside a holy barrier where Holy Power flowed like air, the monsters were weakened, and the dreaded Abyssal Energy vanished instantly.
‘……We can do this!’
It was a sight enough to fill everyone’s hearts with the thought that they could hold out. Although the skill users’ casting speed gradually slowed and the time the monsters endured without dying increased, it was fine. They used their skills in proper rotations, so the power and quantity of skills did not drop below a certain threshold. Moreover, many knights were on standby nearby, so even if a monster broke through the skills, they were quickly cut down and killed by the knights’ Aura.
The situation changed not long after.
— Kwe-e-ek!
While the pig-like monsters were pouring out, another type of monster, much smaller than them, appeared. It wasn’t over 2 meters tall like the others; it was a single monster that looked like a type of rodent, barely half that size, about the size of a human’s upper body.
“It’s a new type! Increase the intensity of the skills!”
Even so, the Hibernian army did not let down their guard. They maintained the Holy Power, poured out skills faster, and the knights kept a close watch on the new monster.
However, no matter how perfectly they prepared, they hadn’t considered the ground they stood upon. Who could have imagined that a single tiny monster… with one cute little stomp, could make the earth shake as if an earthquake had occurred? Because of that, the skills of several skill users, as well as the priests’ concentration, were canceled.
“B-block them! Knights, stop them at once!”
In that brief moment, the number of Abyss Monsters grew rapidly. Before they knew it, another one of the new type of monsters appeared.
*Kuuu-ung — *
The ground shook again. The holy barrier, which had been quickly restored, flickered precariously once more, and the barrage of skills noticeably decreased.
“Protect the priests!”
The earth trembled.
“Don’t panic! Maintain your formations!”
The number of monsters multiplied rapidly. The knights tried their best to block them, but as the monsters increased, the frequency of the tremors also increased, and the ground began to shake without pause.
Even the knights found it difficult to maintain their balance, yet the monsters lunged at them as if it were nothing. Eventually, one of the knights who lost his balance had his arms seized by a pig monster and was soon brutally torn apart.
“Aaaggghhh!”
The Abyssal Depths spread quickly. The battlefield began to darken. Eventually, a decision had to be made.
“Retreat! Everyone fall back to the second line of defense!”
They had to break the first perimeter much sooner than expected, but there was still hope. They hadn’t expected to stop everything at the first line anyway. The second line was where the real battle began.
“Withdraw inside the city walls!”
At the same time the decision was made, a bright light suddenly extended from inside the city. It was a massive amount of Holy Power enveloping the entire wide area. It was a miracle that could only be performed because the Holy Maiden was there. The Divine Blessing was clearly engraved in the eyes of everyone retreating.
“The Holy Maiden is with us! Liphyue protects us!”
No matter how strong the monsters were, the Holy Maiden was here. There were Royal Knights who could handle dozens of monsters alone. Their Savior was with them. Therefore, the perimeter of the capital, which could be considered the second and essentially final line of defense, would not fall.
The Hibernian army thought so as they retreated.
*Kuuu-u-ung*
If only the walls hadn’t collapsed. If only the walls hadn’t crumbled under the tremors caused by hundreds of monsters at once, and if the troops on top hadn’t fallen like autumn leaves and died in vain. They could have continued to fight bravely with hope in their hearts.
However, walls, houses, and every human-made structure were utterly demolished and destroyed by the continuous tremors.
“Ah…… O, Liphyue!”
The only thing still intact was the Divine Blessing enveloping the top of the collapsed walls. But since the defensive line had disintegrated, there was no telling how long even that would last. Outside the blessing, nothing but darkness could be seen. They were surrounded by a thick Abyssal Depths that could strike at any moment.
“A-aaah!”
One soldier struggled with his whole body, but his firmly seized frame wouldn’t budge.
— Kwek!
A shadow fell over his face. Sticky saliva dripped down. Rows of sharp teeth filled his vision.
“S-save me…….”
The soldier’s last words became his final ones. His fragile body was chewed by sharp teeth and torn by great strength, reduced to mere fodder.
*Kwa-ang!*
Claire’s flames belatedly blew the monster’s body apart, but it was literally too late.
Such sights could be seen frequently wherever one turned. Thanks to the blessing, the Abyssal Depths did not rush in, but because it was bright, the despair was revealed even more vividly.
It was instantaneous. The first defense line was breached, and the second line collapsed. It was all pierced and broken in an instant. There was no time to do anything.
Who would have known that a small creature, not even 1 meter tall, rather than the massive ones several meters high, would cause earthquakes? Not only did such creatures keep popping out, but they also shook the ground in overlapping layers, shaking it even now without rest. How could anyone endure that?
In the face of such tremors, structures collapsed helplessly, and the defense lines formed around them also disintegrated in an instant. Conversely, those things continued to pop out from the gaps in the shattered Gates.
They were creatures that moved perfectly fine even within the Divine Blessing, which would have annihilated other Abyss Monsters’ souls. The Divine Blessing that used to protect humans had now become a cramped cage. Humans, who used to surround and hunt them, were now the ones surrounded and hunted.
“D-don’t come here……!”
They were being slaughtered.
“O, Liphyue!”
“Please save us!”
They died crying out to their god who was no longer there. With bizarre bodies that wouldn’t be affected unless by Aura, the monsters pushed over the walls with sharp teeth, massive frames, and matching strength, continuing their advance.
In such a situation, what could Claire, who was but a single human, do?
*Kwa-a-ang!*
Even if she tried her best to block them by starting fires and causing explosions, how could she stop all of them rushing in from every direction?
“Fire! It’s fire!”
“It’s Lady Claire! Gather over there!”
“Everyone, this way!”
Nevertheless, the surviving knights and soldiers recognized Claire’s flames and gathered. They approached, chasing a shred of hope amidst the overflowing despair.
But…
“They’re coming!”
“Aaah!”
“Block them! Block them!”
“You cursed things!”
It was no different near Claire. In fact, they were only killed more miserably by the monsters drawn to Claire’s vast Magic Power. Claire fired spears of fire that didn’t explode to pierce the monsters’ bodies in an attempt to save them, but the creatures didn’t care and continued to tear apart the humans in their hands.
“Aaaggghhh!”
“Goddess Liphyue…….”
Though she bit her lip and gave her all, her limits were clear. The number of humans only decreased, and the monsters rushing into the Divine Blessing only increased.
*Kuuu-ung — *
Destruction had arrived right before their eyes.
How many hours had passed?
*Kwa-a-ang!*
The walls collapsed, and the monsters rushed into the city inside.
*Kwa-a-ang!*
Flames rose everywhere, and screams were endless. If there was one mercy, it was that the Divine Blessing still held. If even the Abyssal Depths outside seeped in, they wouldn’t be able to hold out any longer in this situation.
‘……No, is it meaningless?’
In truth, it might all be in vain. In the end, it was just a matter of whether they died early or late. Everyone here would die anyway, and the fall of Hibernia was a predestined fact.
— Kwe-e-e-ek!