72: Aidan vs. Matriarch
Of course Aidan knew that this attack wasn’t the real threat of the entire invasion. His relic vision told him as much. Even when Yin reminded him of that fact, he never truly forgot about the real threat that was coming.
But even now, he still felt like he underestimated the true danger. After all, who the hell was sending these monsters after the city all this time? It wasn’t as though these monsters were solely born to attack a random city for shits and giggles.
No, it was all because of the gigantic monster that was slowly approaching out of the dark pit in the air, making a grand entrance. He wouldn’t even be surprised if the entire city saw it coming out, not just the poor guards and adventurers currently out and about.
To call it a monster would be too simple. It was an abomination, a cesspool of every nightmare anyone in this world ever had all jumbled up into one feminine-looking being. While it had the outward shape of a female body, with curves and all that, there was nothing feminine about it. Not at all.
Dark, twisted limbs covered the surface, and the overall shape appeared to have holes through the body where several of those limbs hung out lazily like they were hair flowing endlessly in water. What looked like organs were displayed, mostly the stomach, the innards, and several muscles and sinews. Despite showing themselves on the outside, he knew none of them seemed to fit the weak points of its body. If anything, tackling them might even be considered unwise.
But what truly disturbed him was the face of the creature. Twisting limbs made up what looked like a mouth and nose, but she had no eyes. Finally, what appeared like a mane behind her head was nothing short of several horrors that reached all the way to the back, flowing endlessly and even drifting off, eventually becoming their own tiny horrors that seem to float around her body.
He was only calling it a her due to the appearance, but he knew for certain that it wasn’t some ordinary creature that could have a gender. At this point, he was too scared to even scan it, considering that it could somehow sense him, but he had to know.
Tweedling Demon Matriarch, Level 92.
It was the highest level Aidan had ever seen, but he feared that she could be stronger than her level suggested, much like how Aidan was. He knew he was stronger than average due to his talent, but seeing the Matriarch was a whole other thing entirely.
Thanks to her appearing, the others who came out to fight were left completely frozen, unable to move. Even the horrors seemed to stand in place as though to respect her very presence. If there was anyone that fit the bill of being the leader of these horrors, it was definitely the Matriarch.
He knew this would happen. He knew that this creature would come out. That was why he wanted Nina to change her mind about leaving the city. Let this monstrosity have the damn city for all he cares. There was no way he could face this absolute being of destruction on his own.
And he had to face it on his own. There was nobody else that could, not even the high elf that stood there helplessly, her mouth gaping wide as if she had lost all reason why she was fighting in the first place. Her soul was quivering in fear, and he couldn't fault her at all.
And yet, despite all the warning signs in his head blaring that he was going to a losing battle, he floated up into the air, making himself out as a prime target for the Matriarch.
Why was he doing this? It was simple–it wasn’t just to follow Nina’s orders, or even to protect his friends that he had gained in this new world.
It was because he had a small bit of confidence that he could beat this thing. A weak spark at best, but it was enough for him. The reason for that was also simple.
Fighting against all these horrors proved one thing to him. It was the fact that these demons had a fatal weakness, and that was the power of harmony. Harmony represented the natural balance of all things that exist in this world, and these creatures were the amalgamation of everything wrong in this world, the ones that weren’t supposed to exist.
If his power was all about the balance of existence, then the Matriarch is about the chaotic elements of existence. Two complete opposite sides.
He decided to bank on that idea, leaning heavily towards it.
But he wasn’t stupid enough to attack it directly. Nah, he was going to cheese this all the way through.
“Take this.”
Aidan crafted the air around him, but rather than just pressurizing and shooting them like hardened bullets, he used Area Field with the usual Magic Boost/Focus combo with an unhealthy dose of Infuse. That made the air being crafted far more lethal, sharpening them like fine edges and extending their range according to the new Area Field’s ability.
He shot the newly formed air blades straight at the Matriarch, numbering in the dozens as each aimed to slice it apart. The Matriarch, however, didn’t seem to react that fiercely. It only raised its hand and a faint purple glow appeared over it.
Hundreds of horrors were launched out from the hand, seemingly straight from the limbs that made up its body. They towered over the entire expanse of the sky, each of their little eyes and mouths opening wide as they drowned out the entirety of the air blades reaching for them. The blades cut through the wave, the swarm of horrors blocking the magical attack at the expense of hundreds that were born just for the purpose of defending the Matriarch.
But Aidan didn’t stop there. Taking another drink from his favored Soul-Mending Water, Aidan kept forming new air blades to strike at it. He also took the chance to craft the earth, bending it to his will and forming large towers that struck at all the nearby horrors before eventually reaching the Matriarch.
But just as before, she summoned more horrors to take the brunt of the attacks. The cycle repeated, with Aidan constantly forming the elements around him to take down the massive creature, only for her to defend by summoning more and more horrors. As time passed, Aidan felt his head ache from the constant magic casting. His arms trembled as he feared what was to come.
There was no point in attacking it from a distance. He couldn’t even tell whether the actions the Matriarch took did anything other than just tiring him out. Whether it used up some sort of resource on her end or not, he couldn’t tell at all.
He let out heavy breaths as he stared at the monolithic figure, only to see more horrors just casually being born right in front of him. Dozens, perhaps hundreds, formed in front of him as the Matriarch continued its slow pace towards the city.
“Fucking… shit,” Aidan cursed. He kept muttering curses as he kept forming spells left and right. If natural elements couldn’t do anything, then his only offensive spell would be enough.
But the idea of approaching this creature was enough to send chills down his back. As his elements continuously failed to even hit the damn thing, his mind kept leaning on the fact that Rend was the only way through.
Thankfully during this outburst of crafting, he noticed Yin picking up the slack and taking down the many horrors coming their way. They only increased in numbers thanks to the Matriarch’s appearance, and he was more than glad to have someone helping because right now, the two were the only ones actually doing anything. The other guards and adventurers all either stood in place or ran for the hills, which became easy targets for the horrors that soon ended their lives for not focusing hard enough on the battle.
“Yin, retreat if you can’t keep casting,” Aidan yelled. “I’ll keep that thing busy.”
“Aidan, that… that creature…” Yin finally spoke, her voice sounding horrified and out of breath. “You can’t–”
“Don’t tell me I can’t!”
Aidan shouted, interrupting her before she could say anything else. After looking at her and ensuring his determination, mostly to himself at this point, he flew forward with Area Field fully active.
He was going to hurt that thing one way or another, and he would not hear anything else about it.
…..
It wasn’t hard to convince the entire town to move their asses when they have a horde of horrific dark monsters coming out of seemingly nowhere and killing them one by one. In fact, it was frighteningly easy for them to move as several guards that usually patrolled their areas all came to their aid the moment the monsters came out. Thanks to that, they all coordinated themselves to leave their homes and enter into safer areas where more of the guards and adventurers surrounded the place to protect the innocent.
Mostly the young ones and the elderly crowded the place, while several young men and women with pitifully low levels became the supporting staff for the fighters defending them from the onslaught. Normally, this wouldn’t have been an easy transfer of movement, but thankfully they received many notices of an incoming attack from a while ago from a trusted source.
Everyone knew of the infamous legend of the Key-Slinger, the constant threat that always skulked about in the darkness. But what the veterans who had been in deep with the underworld knew was that the Key-Slinger is only an enemy if you choose to work against her.
Unlike some who would gladly say how ruthless she was for forcing others under binding contracts to adhere to her will, those who gladly worked with her had always been treated fairly and were paid generously. For the everyday workers, to the suppliers, to even the city guards protecting everyday life, the Key Slinger was someone that you could rely on. If one knew how to contact her, it would be a better alternative than dealing with the many bureaucracies the city management put up.
In a way, if someone wanted something done, or wanted something they couldn’t easily get themselves, and wanted it quickly, asking the Key-Slinger was the best call. If you knew how to find her and pay her with sufficient funds or even with favors, she could easily get what you want without question. Whether it would be above board or under the table, she was the go-to.
When one lived in Forontia long enough, you tend to know some people that lived simple lives for many years. Some were more than fine staying in, not bothering to level and getting stronger. Due to that, they often relied on each other, including trusting any information that would pass around the woodwork of the city.
So when the Key-Slinger herself came to every single one of the older veterans who have lived in Forontia the longest to give a warning about an incoming attack, they knew what to do.
Thanks to that, the amount of people that could have, and quite frankly should have, been the casualties of the massacre caused by the horrors, was drastically reduced. At least, that was how it was supposed to be.
It wasn’t just the guards and adventurers from outside the city that saw the Matriarch come alive. Many within the city had seen the giant creature that could easily pierce the sky with its giant size, all of them lost and paralyzed in fear.
Somehow, it didn’t matter how many were saved thanks to the well-informed coordination done by the people in charge. Some fell to their knees, tears flowing from their eyes, claiming that their end had come.
The appearance alone was enough to send people into a spiral of depression, and even some of the armed militia fighting against the horrors lost their will to live. It didn’t take long for the horrors to take advantage and kill some of the distracted ones, forcing everyone to either give up or try to win a losing battle.
But even then, despite everything going on, one man roared as he slashed at a horror aiming to kill a distracted guard with its jaw. Van sliced the head cleanly off, but he didn’t stop there. His sword flashed with a bright color before the blade extended high and swept across the horror, driving the blade through before making the body disperse, the core taken down during it.
“Everyone, keep focus!” He shouted before the rest of the adventurers trailing behind him followed up with their own attacks. “We’re not done yet!”
As if reinvigorated by his words, the guards and other fighters seemed to have woken up from their stupor, grabbing their weapons and bringing their vigor back. Meanwhile, Van kept his eyes peeled, feeling the power of his enchanted equipment fill him as he rushed after another horror with the help of two others by his side.
Nicky shot a large arrow straight at one of the horrors, and when that wasn’t enough, the arrow that stuck out glowed bright before it exploded, taking the entire horror with it. On the other side, Haley stood off in the distance, shooting one arrow after another at a horror to keep it pinned down before other adventurers swooped in and took it down completely.
They weren’t alone as one other adventurer swept through the streets, taking out as many horrors with electrified swings that made them disperse entirely. Ander practically flew across the expanse, his body covered in lightning with Bill supporting him from the back.
The horrors kept getting thinned out, and those that watched the scene marveled at the sight, but there were still some that lost their will to fight. Van saw them and, if he was honest, felt the same.
Whenever he looked over at the large demonic being that might as well be the representation of every child’s nightmare, his legs felt weak and his knees shook. He couldn’t even imagine being near it, let alone actually fight it. In a sense, he would be glad to face the horrors any time rather than go out there and deal with that monstrosity.
But then he noticed something the longer he kept staring at the demonic foe. There was something flying around that seemingly went against the creature and all the horrors that followed it like it was their god. That singular being was like some eraser that wiped away all the dark monsters in its path, erasing them from existence.
At first, he wondered just what the hell was that thing, but his sister’s words gleefully called out.
“Hey, it’s Aidan!” Haley shouted, her eyes gleaming.
Van saw Haley’s eyes and noticed that unlike everyone else, she seemed more than eager to fight. When she finally spotted Aidan flying up there, fighting against that creature, she immediately went back into the fray, shooting more precise arrows that seemingly hit their mark. To Van’s surprise, those arrows made the horrors disperse. It was as if every shot she made hit their cores directly.
Van couldn’t help but feel motivated as well, and deciding to share it, he shouted at the top of his lungs.
“Everyone! Look over there! We haven’t lost hope yet! There’s a powerful Mage out there, keeping that creature at bay. He’s the one that cleared the dungeon and beat the guardian! We gotta do what we can here to ease his burden!”
He called out, knowing that the adventurers alone couldn’t cut it. They needed everyone to pull their weight if they expected this city to make any sort of comeback.
He may have embellished a little to prop Aidan up some more, since he only cleared the dungeon halfway, but that could hopefully be forgiven later.
Giving them hope that a man powerful enough to face that creature, and actually win, was a long shot, but if there was anything the down-trodden people could rely on, it’s feeble hope. And that was enough.
The guards, adventurers, and mercenaries that have lost their will gradually picked themselves up, roaring in defiance to their horrific fate on the outside. Thanks to that, the number of horrors gradually decreased to the point where they could finally take a break for a short while.
When Van finally took his break after fighting for what felt like hours, he watched the outside and saw Aidan fly around, actually fighting that daunting creature from the abyss. He knew Aidan was incredible, but to actually have the guts to fight that thing by himself, even with help, gave Van some hope himself.
If Aidan was able to do it, then surely he could do the same small fry like these horrors.
“Van! Come on, let’s keep moving!” Haley insisted, grabbing him by the arm while the Wise Guys nodded in agreement.
Van also approved, figuring he could take a break when he’s dead. Though as a pessimist, he kept thinking that it might be sooner than expected.