However, Lynch completely ignored it. Without slowing down in the slightest, he charged straight toward the claw.
In the next instant, the sharp claw grazed past his head. There was no splatter of blood—only a few severed strands of hair fluttering in the wind.
Immediately after, a harsh clashing sound rang out from behind him, like two sharp weapons colliding. Flying sparks splashed against the back of his head, singeing the tips of his hair with a faint burnt smell. At the same time, Lynch spun on the spot like a dancer and raised his hand behind him. The light on his ring had reached its peak brilliance. Without even looking, he fired a beam of crimson moonlight straight into the hollow he had just burst out of.
The ghoul pursuing him from behind let out a cry of alarm. Its claw had just been parried when the beam struck it dead in the face, causing blood to spurt from its nose and mouth and knocking out several of its sharp fangs. Tumbling backward, it crashed right back down the path it came from, falling into the growing horde of infected below.
“Roar!”
An angry roar echoed from inside the hollow tree, but halfway through, an even fiercer roar erupted right beside Lynch's ear, shouting back and completely drowning out the noise inside the cave. At the same time, a brilliant flash of sword light blazed beside Lynch, its dazzling gleam even brighter than the radiant sunlight as it pursued the ghoul falling back into the tree hollow.
The thick ancient tree had become an obstacle. With it in the way, the sword light shouldn't have been able to reach its target. No, it could.
Before the sword light, the massive tree trunk—several spans wide—seemed to lose its solid form. The light cleaved effortlessly through the wood, entering from the left and exiting on the right without the slightest resistance, as if slicing through a mere phantom.
Yet, from inside the tree came a ghoul's muffled groan and the distinct wails of several infected. Mingled with the wails was a loud, creaking friction. A fine crack split open along the trunk, widening rapidly as the grinding noise grew louder. A second later, the ancient tree snapped at the waist and collapsed with a thunderous crash, revealing the massive hollow within and the pitch-black hole in the ground—along with several infected sliced into pieces and the blood-soaked ghoul tumbling back down into the cavern.
“Squeak, squeak~”
Just as an infected pulled half its body along, stubbornly trying to crawl out from the trunk, a vaguely familiar cry sounded behind Lynch—resembling the weeping of a baby mixed with the howl of a young beast. In the next instant, the temperature surged, and a brilliant light erupted. Several large, orange fireballs seemed to come alive, charging toward the fallen stump and everything inside. 【Authority: Flame, Ability: Servant Summoning, Flame Spirit】
The long-absent little monsters cheered with squeaks as they plunged straight into the severed tree. As these darlings of the Lady of Fire drew near, raging flames erupted from the ancient wood. Several infected chasing from behind writhed in the blaze, but within seconds they were reduced to complete charcoal. Meanwhile, the flame spirits screamed in excitement as they chased deeper inside.
Tap, tap, tap.
Rapid footsteps echoed in Lynch's ears as someone rushed toward him from behind. Then, a petite figure—running with a grace that remained elegant even in a sprint—dashed past him into the sea of fire. Ignoring the scorching heat wave in her face and the curling, singed ends of her hair, she charged to the limit of her endurance, raised her hand, and tossed two basketball-sized spheres straight into the blazing hole.
What on earth?
Before his brain could even process what was happening, he saw the petite figure turn on her heel immediately after throwing them. She charged straight back toward Lynch and tackled both him and the city lord to the ground.
“Get down!”
Huh?
Before he could even voice his confusion, two heavy, muffled thuds exploded from within the cavern. Accompanied by a violent explosion, the earth shook, and the sky turned dark. A blast wave erupted from the entrance, sweeping outward as a powerful shockwave. The roaring flames were blown out instantly by the rush of air, while dirt, splintered wood, and shattered stone were hurled into the sky by the sheer force, raining down back to earth in a filthy, rustling shower. Coastal defense artillery shells, a double shot—courtesy of the Valente family.
When the dust finally settled, a patch of dirt on the ground suddenly twitched. Lynch lifted his head from the soil, shook off a severed limb clinging to his hair, dusted himself off, and stared dumbfounded at the cavern entrance he had just climbed out of. The ground was scorched black, strewn everywhere with charred limbs and entrails. The cave entrance had completely collapsed, leaving a sunken crater in the earth.
Holy crap, these women are way too crazy.
Lynch stared numbly at the scene that looked like a battlefield ruin. Just a moment ago, Old Sven had been strutting around and hot on his heels. Despite possessing the strength of a rank four or five mid-tier expert, he hadn't even gotten a single chance to make a proper move before being slapped down by these women, his fate now entirely unknown. What in the world did I bring in here with me? Which side are the actual monsters?
The apocalyptic sight before him sent a chill through Lynch's heart. He rubbed his neck, feeling as though he had just glimpsed his own future.
“Hee-hee.” A delicate little face poked out from the dirt beside him. Miss Diana looked up, a relaxed smile gracing her face. “I finally used them. It would've been a shame to let them sit around. Even nobles shouldn't waste things like that—those were military supplies from the Southern Fleet!”
Lady, if you have time to worry about wasting supplies, shouldn't you consider returning those shells to the military? And what kind of noble carries two artillery shells around in her pockets while strolling down the street?!
“Pui, pui, pui! Hey, noble girl, you made way too much noise!” On the other side, Officer Natalie shook off a charred hand hanging from her hair. Dirt puffed out of her mouth as she spoke, and she had to spit several times before managing a full sentence. “Though the results were pretty great. Still... were those fireballs blown up too?”
“They have no concept of death, so there's no need to worry.” Judy had returned to her usual blank expression, a flame spirit squeezed in her hand. She looked around as if considering what to burn next, though thankfully she ultimately tossed it back toward the Lady of Fire.
“What on earth was that?” Dr. Sven finally emerged from the dirt, staring at Miss Diana with a look of utter horror. “Middle Earth has weapons this terrifying now? How have I never seen one before?”
The count's daughter held an index finger to her lips, adopting a mysterious air. “It's a secret family weapon. Keep it quiet for me, okay?”
Seeing the doctor nodding along to the nonsense, Lynch couldn't watch any longer and quickly redirected the topic. “If the flame spirits can't die, what about him? He wouldn't have been blown to bits by an explosion like that, right?”
“Unlikely,” Dr. Sven said, shaking her head. “Given my father's physical condition, an explosion of this scale wouldn't kill him, especially with so many infected shielding him nearby. But injuries are inevitable. We shouldn't have to worry about them catching up anytime soon.”
“That's a relief. It'd be quite troublesome if he died.” Lynch exhaled, finally finding time to express his gratitude. “I didn't expect you to come help as well. Thank you so much. It's fortunate you all arrived in time; one step slower and he would've caught me.”
“It was almost too late.” Dr. Sven stared at Lynch with curiosity and asked, “Are you always this brave? You didn't even flinch when that claw came down. Weren't you worried it was my father ambushing you from another side?”
“The city was under lockdown, Doctor. The odds of him sprinting through a locked-down city to beat me here were practically zero—there was no need to worry, so it could only have been you.” Lynch smiled faintly. “After all, they promised I'd see their smiles the moment I stepped into the light. I never doubt their promises.”
Tsk.
Dr. Sven gave a look of utter disgust and backed away from the three of them. Then, feeling something strange beneath her foot, she looked down...
The unconscious City Lord Jackson was currently being stepped on by her.
“Ah, right.” Lynch slapped his forehead. “I managed to keep him breathing, but I don't know how long he'll hold out. Check on him quickly—he can't die.”
Dr. Sven nodded and bent over to inspect the city lord's condition. Lynch finally took the opportunity to look around.
“Huh, so the exit was actually here.”
Rate on N.U.
