Chapter 346 - 54 - Last-minute Plan
Blaaaarr!!
With a deafening explosion, I could see the exit of the underground cave being destroyed using a magical attack from the outside.
I, who was in the underground cave, had only one way out, and it was the teleportation slash from the cursed Odachi.
My eyes, which are sensitive to magical energy, now stare at a cloud of dust that forms like smoke and an arrow that suddenly shoots towards me.
Panngg!!
With the movement of my hand that deflected the arrow attack using the cursed Odachi sheath, the arrow deflected and hit the ground.
Staabb...
The arrow attacks that shot towards me happened several times and I had to move my hands to ward off all the arrow attacks aimed at me.
Staabb...
Staabb...
Staabb...
Several rain arrows formed a straight line to my right and left, as I move my hand to deflect every arrows, and it forming a line painting on the ground.
I don’t know who would dare to attack in an underground cave like this with such indiscriminate attacks.
One thing is for sure, I will not let these mysterious people disrupt our military expedition and hinder our path to finding the Elf settlement that is always moving in the forest.
If these mysterious people attack the Elf settlement and force them to find a new home in this vast, dense forest, it will make the military expedition I am currently undertaking, will last for quite a long time and make my family’s position even more desperate with the approaching season of war between nobles.
My father’s preparations for the upcoming war between the nobles were well-planned, but a small incident like this would mess everything up.
Like it or not, I have to improvise regarding other possibilities that are happening at this moment.
Before the smoke from the collapsed underground cave entrance gone, I must survive the onslaught of arrows coming my way. The slightest mistake could result in injury to my twin sister and Aiko.
Ding!!
Ding!!
Ding!!
After I had held out for quite some time in fending off the arrows aimed at me, Alyssa managed to cast defensive magic, and Alice had prepared a basic-level Fireball magic attack.
"Um, Onee-sama... If a fire spark hits the dust cloud like that, will it trigger a dust explosion?" Alice asked before throwing her Fireball magic attack at the dust cloud.
"I thought that would happen, Alice," I replied, still watching the relentless barrage of arrows.
"Consider this our counterattack... Fireball!" Saying the name of her magic attack, Alice immediately swung her magic staff forward and threw the Fireball at a slow speed.
Swoosh...
Pwwwiinngg... Her slow Fireball attack looks like a flame that slowly moves towards its target.
Ceessshhh...
Blllaasstt!!
Baaaamm!!
When Alice’s Fireball attack hit the dust smoke, an explosion occurred from the burning effect of the dust smoke.
The large explosion was successfully warded off by the protective magic that Alyssa had cast, and the scenery around me was now filled with the heat of blazing fire, burning in an instant as if scorching the scattered dust.
"Fighting inside a closed space using fire doesn’t seem too good," Alice muttered after getting her first combat experience.
"It’s not that great, but it’s effective..." Alyssa replied as she cast another spell to block the entrance to the underground cave that had just been forcibly breached from the outside.
Swiirrlll...
Peessshh...
Diiinngg!!
By casting a simple barrier spell, Alyssa had sealed off the entrance to the underground cave that connected to the shrine of the Goddess of Nature, which was at the end of the path.
Thuudd...
Thuuudd...
Thuudd...
Even after Alyssa cast a magic barrier on the underground cave path that Alice had just blown up, there were still several arrow attacks that tried to enter the underground shrine area.
I didn’t know who these attackers were, so I decided to wait for things to calm down.
With limited visibility like this and a disadvantageous defensive position, I decided to take a look at these attackers first before taking any further action.
"It’ll be a while before they realize the underground cave passage is blocked by magic, Lily-nee," Alyssa said as she calmly gave me a battle report.
"Yes, this will take quite a while. Considering that their arrow attacks are still ongoing and their vision is still obscured by the smoke and dust from the previous explosion," I replied while glancing at Alyssa, who seemed calm despite this sudden attack.
"This is really strange, Lily-nee. Normally, this is just a long-abandoned underground cave, right? Why would there be a sudden attack like this? It’s as if they’re panicking and attacking something around the shrine?" Alyssa said, asking a few questions that made me realize this.
Alyssa’s question is indeed true.
Why did a sudden attack happen and coincided with me releasing the seal of the cursed weapon that was inside the shrine of the Goddess of Nature?
Isn’t this some kind of coincidence that happened on purpose?
It was as if... this sudden attack was intended as a form of response from those to attacked and defend what was inside the shrine belonging to the Goddess of Nature.
"I guess... that will be answered after they finish attacking us," I replied as I looked around and saw the arrow marks.
With the tip of the arrow stuck in the ground, I quickly picked up one of the arrows stuck in the ground to observe its shape.
Stuubb...
My eyes scanned the arrow marks stuck in the ground and cast analysis magic to see the detailed information.
Swiirrll...
As the analysis magic circle formation wrapped around the arrow in my hand, my eyes widened after seeing what we had been looking for all this time.
"Oh my, without me realizing it, this search for new magical plants has helped me find their location, huh?" I muttered in a low voice and glanced towards the entrance of the underground cave that was connected to the underground shrine.
I also chuckled after realizing the change in lifestyle from a group of races that lived side by side with nature to be a group of races that lived hiding from nature and built civilization underground like this.
That’s why they are hard to find in this vast, dense forest?
I feel like I’m being played by this troublesome bunch of races to find.
"Alyssa, can you cast a restraint spell like Mama did?" I asked Alyssa as I released the arrow that held the key to what I was currently searching for.
This will make our military expedition make great progress with this accidental discovery.
"Restraining magic? That’s a bit difficult, but I’ll try, Lily-nee," Alyssa replied as she conjured another magic circle formation that would be used to restrain these attackers.
Nod...
I nodded to Alyssa and glanced at Alice to prepare her second magic attack.
"Alice, can you cast an attack that freezes the underground cave passage for several hundred meters?" I asked Alice, who seemed pleased with her second magical attack assignment.
"Of course! I can do it!" Alice said, giving me a small shout.
"Keep your voice down, Alice. I don’t want the enemy to notice our continue attacks," I said in a calm tone.
"Then, Aiko..." I glanced at Aiko as if giving her an important task.
"Yes, Supreme Commander?" Aiko replied, ready to accept her new assignment.
"It’s been confirmed that the collapsed underground cave exit is connected to something. I want you to explore it after the counterattack preparations are complete. Make sure you remain undetected while exploring this underground cave passage," I said while giving Aiko an order.
Nod...
Aiko lowered her head as if she understood the direction of the plan I was carrying out.
Even though this is just a theory that has crossed my mind, I can feel that this underground cave is connected to a large underground cave and can only be known by the figure we have been searching for all this time.
Without arousing suspicion that we were looking for them, I decided to order Aiko to explore deeper.
"I will do as you command, Supreme Commander!" Aiko replied, her eyes sparkling.
Kirraa...
Kirraa...
I felt like, I was seeing a little dog that was happy after getting its first command from its owner.
I felt relieved after Aiko agreed to this haphazard plan.
I can only hope that this plan goes smoothly.
"Okay, let’s do it after your preparations are complete," I said while glancing at my twin sister, who was preparing her magic circle formation.
Swiirrrrlll...
Swwiirrrll...
Swiissshh...
Thanks to their high-level magical abilities, casting several different magic circle formations at the same time was no big deal for Alice and Alyssa.
Without needing any more time, Alice and Alyssa were ready to release the magic circle formation that had been cast.
"Onee-sama, I’ve prepared a magic circle formation that will freeze the underground cave path for several hundred meters ahead," Alice said while showing her perfect magic circle formation that was ready to be released.
"Lily-nee, I’m also getting ready to release a magic circle formation that will restrain anyone who enters the attack radius of this magic circle formation," said Alyssa while showing the magic circle formation that she had cast.
The preparations made by my twin sister have been completed and are just waiting for the right time to be carried out.
I glanced at Aiko and hoped that she was getting ready to carry out her task of infiltrating the underground cave path even deeper.
"Are you ready for this assignment, Aiko?" I asked to make sure Aiko was ready to carry out her new task.
"Un! I’m ready for a challenging task like this. I won’t lose to a stealth slime who serves as a spy agent, Supreme Commander," Aiko replied with high confidence.
"I entrust this to you, Aiko."
Nod...
With a nod from Aiko, this suddenly formulated plan was immediately put into action.
Nod...
I nodded to Alice and Alyssa to immediately carry out this impromptu plan.
Nod...
Alice and Alyssa nodded their heads, both of them getting ready to do something that would change the current situation.
Thuudd...
Thuuudd...
Thuuddd...
Several arrows were still attacking the underground cave passage that was blocked by Alyssa’s defensive magic.
Snap!
With a sound coming from her fingers, Alyssa began to break down her defensive magic and cast a magic circle formation that would restrain anyone within its attack radius.
Swoosh...
As Alyssa cast her magic circle formation, Alice also cast her magic circle formation, which would freeze the underground cave path for several hundred meters ahead and block the underground cave path with thick chunks of ice.
At that moment, Aiko immediately shot out, running at full speed and using her slime stealth ability to remain undetected by the enemy.
Swuuuppp...
I hope this last-minute plan works out.