Chapter 180: Closing the Gate
At Captain Bethiv’s command, the Last Light Company plunged into the yawning mouth of the crevasse. Scarcely had the first entered the darkness then demons rushed out to meet them, claws extended, their icy scales clacking together like glass. Shouts erupted from the men as they released a wave of magical techniques, filling the tunnels with fire and sun. They forged ahead quickly, cutting a path through any of the higher-level demons that survived the bombardment. "As we enter the tunnels, we’ll be forced to rely on your magic," Bethiv said seriously. "The demons can come from anywhere, any direction, and we won’t be able to defend from their spells."
"I-I don’t know if can protect you all," I stammered.
"You don’t have to. We just need to survive long enough to close the gate," he replied softly. Without another look back, he drew his sword and charged into the crevasse.
My gaze lingered on him for a moment before I turned to the gigantic Ice Spirit towering above me. "Guard the entrance," I ordered. "Kill any demon that tries to get through, or anyone that tries to break the crystal and open the gate."
The elemental shifted, turning its massive body toward me. An alien mind touched mine through the Nexus, bearing with an unfamiliar sense of sentience. My tail curled around my ankles, nearly tripping me as I stumbled back a few steps, staring up at the spirit with wide eyes. This shouldn’t be possible. Summoned creatures bore enough intelligence to comprehend their caster’s orders, but thinking on its own? That shouldn’t be possible!
The ground shook as it lowered its massive body peering at me closely. My breath caught in my throat as its head stopped mere feet from my pale facts. Its featureless gaze held an unexpected sense of concern, a sentiment echoed through the thread binding us through the Nexus. Was it...worried about me?"
"I’ll be fine," I muttered, my tail curling around my ankles. The strange intelligence had been hovering on the edge of my mind ever since it absorbed the Gate Commander, but its current behavior only made it all the more apparent. There wasn’t any hostility in the bond, but it was far too unpredictable for me to trust.
After staring eyelessly at me for a moment, it finally stood and lumbered back up the mountain. I let out a long sigh, the tension flowing from my body. The Ice Spirit was still technically a sixth-circle summon, but it had grown far beyond the limits, likely capable of fighting head-on with a mid seventh-level being. If it decided to go berserk, there would be nothing I could do to stop it. But at this point, I could only pray it would obey for now. I needed it to safeguard the gate, or everything we’d fought for would be in vain.