Chapter 52: The Tunnel Battle! (2)
Author’s note: See you on Saturday, everyone
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On the other side, Ibla was cornering more than twenty Liclron fighters belonging to Gilont. With each lunge she made, she killed one or two — killed, not swallowed, as it was abundantly clear their taste didn't agree with her.
And of course, the Liclron were no easy targets. They fought back with every ounce of strength they had — but the claws they had always taken pride in left absolutely no mark on Ibla. She didn't even feel them, as though they were nothing more than a faint tickle.
So all they could do was flee, attempting to slip past this terrifying monster for even the slimmest chance of survival. Their high physical flexibility and claws capable of gripping walls and ceilings gave them some hope.
Especially in the moments when Ibla killed one of them — the lucky ones would exploit that instant to slide out from the edge of her encirclement.
Behind Ibla, twenty-five elite soldiers had just dropped through the opening onto the tunnel floor. They split into two groups — half remaining with Kaiden, while the other half took position in this direction to secure it.
The moment they arrived, they ran straight into the first fighters who had managed to slip through Ibla's net, and a fierce battle erupted without any delay.
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On the other side of the tunnel battlefield — which had ignited without warning — Kaiden found himself in an unenviable position.
Without notice, the enemy he had managed to corner screamed words he couldn't understand, then launched toward him at an explosive speed.
He had not expected the enemy to single him out from among everyone present, nor to close the distance with such terrifying velocity.
Kaiden's mind went blank for a moment as the lethal triple claw grew larger and larger before his eyes.
"Damn it!"
He cursed as he tried to fall back — but his reaction was slower than it needed to be.
In contrast, some composure had returned to Gilont's mind when he saw his attack was on the verge of landing.
Excitement surged through his heart.
This human Lord was far weaker than anything he had seen in his nightmares.
But in that very instant…
He suddenly felt an overwhelming pressure and terrifying danger enveloping his entire being.
There was no time to hesitate.
Gilont immediately redirected his claw to intercept the incoming strike — or death would have been his certain fate.
CLANK!!
A sharp, jarring sound of collision rang through the tunnel.
And in the next instant, Gilont was sent flying at a speed that exceeded his original charge, slamming violently into the earthen wall Kaiden had raised earlier.
He coughed — and spat a mouthful of green blood, feeling his internal organs shudder from the force of the blow.
He raised his head with difficulty and looked in fear toward the fighter who had shattered his dream.
"Tsk!"
Josh clicked his tongue in irritation when he realized he hadn't been able to kill the enemy in a single strike.
It was the sword's fault — had it been made of mithril, the enemy's claws would never have been able to stop it in the first place.
Kaiden in turn looked at Josh and quickly regained his composure. He needed to be far more careful — the battlefield was not a game.
Had Josh not intervened at the last moment, even if it hadn't killed him, he would certainly have suffered a serious injury.
BOOM!
"Attack, you fools! Or we'll all die here!"
Gilont screamed in fury at his five remaining followers, having barely managed to dodge — absorbing his injury — an arrow fired by Laura that detonated the wall behind him and sent stone fragments flying in every direction.
These were his strongest men — otherwise they wouldn't have been able to keep up with him during the earlier escape attempt.
If there was anyone angrier than Gilont at this moment, it was undoubtedly Laura.
For despite having killed one enemy the instant she arrived, another had simultaneously attacked the Lord.
Fortunately, Josh had been available…
Otherwise…
"Laura! Josh! Hit them with everything you have! Don't worry about me — I have the elite soldiers to protect me!"
Kaiden's steady voice cut through her thoughts.
She cast a quick glance behind her and saw the elite soldiers surrounding the Lord from every direction.
That was a great relief. She turned her full focus back to the enemies who had surged forward following the orders of that scoundrel who had tried to kill the Lord in a language she couldn't understand.
SCREECH!
CLANK!
BOOM!
The sounds of impacts, explosions, and roars filled every corner of the tunnel from all directions — at that moment, the battle had erupted in full.
After several failed attempts to land kills, Kaiden realized that trying to kill these creatures himself was not the optimal approach. Their speed and physical flexibility made landing a fatal blow on them extremely difficult, even with his solid command of Earth magic. So he changed his strategy entirely and began focusing on supporting his soldiers and creating openings for them.
The decision proved effective almost immediately.
His eyes caught one of the enemies slipping across the tunnel ceiling, exploiting the chaos — with Laura as its target. Kaiden didn't hesitate for even a moment. A sharp stone spike erupted from the ceiling directly in the creature's path, piercing its flank and dropping it to the floor. The wound wasn't fatal, but it slowed it for a single instant.
And a single instant was all Laura needed.
Her accelerated arrow launched like a lethal flash and pierced the creature's enormous head before it could even regain its balance. The back of its skull exploded under the Laceration property's effect, and fragments of its brain scattered across the tunnel floor.
Without wasting a single second, Kaiden shifted his attention to another enemy.
One of the Liclron was fighting Josh ferociously. Despite Josh's overwhelming superiority in raw power, his opponent was disturbingly fast and flexible — while Josh was forced to restrain a large portion of his strength for fear of shattering his sword mid-fight.
Kaiden watched the rapid exchange of blows patiently until he spotted the opening he had been waiting for.
Now!
A sudden pit appeared beneath the Liclron's feet at the exact moment it lunged to intercept Josh's sword. Its balance broke and its body dropped several centimeters — sending its claws sliding through empty air instead of deflecting the blow.
As for Josh's sword, it did not stop.
SWISH!
The broad blade passed through the creature's neck with stunning smoothness. Its head separated from its body and tumbled rolling across the floor. Purple blood spurted from the severed neck like a fountain, while the body remained standing for a fraction of a second before collapsing into the pit.
"Hahaha!"
Josh burst out laughing as he swung his blood-soaked sword. He had greatly enjoyed that. He shot a quick look of approval toward Kaiden before launching himself at the nearest enemy.
Meanwhile, Gilont was growing more furious with every passing second.
From the moment that human Lord had begun directly interfering, the already uneven balance of battle had been tilting dangerously further toward the other side.
But fury would not save him.
After his previous failed assassination attempt, Kaiden had become far more cautious — and worse, Gilont could feel the gazes of the two Silver-rank fighters tracking him constantly. He knew that any reckless move would make him their next target.
As the battle's pace accelerated, reality left him no time to think. While he scrambled desperately for a way out of this predicament, another follower fell under a combined assault from Kaiden and Laura.
"Damn all of you!"
Gilont roared in fury when he realized only two followers remained with him.
Then he made his decision at last.
And launched himself at full speed toward his new target…
Laura.
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— End of Chapter Fifty-Two —