Pick Me Up!

As we swiftly emerged onto the main road to the right of the plaza, the opened gates of the inner defenses came into view. A lengthy procession of villagers stretched beyond the walls, their faces unified in gloom. The commanding soldiers raised their voices, attempting to restore order.

“Form straight lines! No pushing! Enter one by one!”

Nevertheless, their commands fell on deaf ears.

People clamored and jostled, attempting to enter the gates simultaneously.

“How bothersome.”

I furrowed my brow, then firmly pushed my way through from the side of the gate.

“Oh no!”

An elderly woman was pushed and stumbled, losing her balance.

Disregarding her plight, I forged ahead, creating a path against the tide of refugees.

“I’ll clear a path. Follow my lead!”

“Yes!”

The response echoed from a distance.

After successfully penetrating the inner defenses, we wasted no time and made our way directly towards the outer gate. The faces of the countless people we passed by were etched with despair, and among them, some trembling soldiers crouched in the corners of the alleys.

Eolka murmured, “This feels weird.”

“Don’t worry, you’ll get used to it. In the future, you’ll find it boring,” I reassured.

Before long, the city wall and the gate came into view. Adjacent to the gate, a massive winch responsible for its opening and closing loomed before us.

“Jenna, climb up the wall and assess the situation outside.”

“Roger!”

“Aaron, prepare to operate the winch.”

“Yes, sir!”

“Eolka, your role is casting. Once the gate opens, unleash a second-tier fire spell outside.”

“You mean an intense blaze, right? Understood.”

‘So, he’s also here.’

Shurn stared at me with a stiff neck, silently observing.

Jenna, who had been keeping watch from atop the wall, shouted, “Brother, there are goblins gathered outside the gate. It seems like they’ll surge in all at once when the gate opens.”

“I expected as much. Return immediately!”

“Roger that!”

“Aaron, start turning the winch.”

Aaron approached the winch and pulled the rope.

Creak, creak.

Gradually, the gate began to open, swinging from side to side.

One of the soldiers standing guard on the wall exclaimed, “What’s going on? Damn it! The gate is opening!”

“What? Have the goblins breached the defenses?”

“No! It’s opening on its own! It’s moving on its own!”

“What? Stop it right away!”

The soldiers on the wall hurriedly moved towards the stairs.

“Prevent them from coming down!”

“Got it!”

Jenna tripped the soldier attempting to descend the stairs.

“Ouch!”

“Ahhh!”

The soldiers tumbled and intertwined, forming a chaotic mass on the ground. Some wore expressions of despair, while others cowered in the corners of alleyways, trembling with fear.

A man clad in splendid armor, bearing the air of an officer, unleashed his fury.

“What is this madness? Are these evil spirits attacking us? Stop them! Defend at all costs, even if it means sacrificing your lives!”

“Kiiii, kiiiiii!”

The cries of goblins seeped through the cracks of the open gate, adding to the tension.

“Eolka!”

“I’m on it!”

【La Gran Integio.】

Eolka closed her eyes and began chanting a spell.

Flames enveloped Eolka, emanating from her very feet.

Ping!

A crossbow emerged from the gap in the gate, and a bolt was launched towards Eolka.

I caught the bolt with my bare hand and sent it back, deflecting its path.

“Jenna, stop the soldiers advancing!”

I swiftly moved towards a soldier charging forward with a winch, striking him in the abdomen.

“A ghost, is it a ghost? Where are you, you fiend? I won’t let you have your way!”

Another soldier, fueled by anger, swung his sword.

I sidestepped the attack, evading the blade with ease. Taking advantage of the opening, I delivered a powerful blow to the back of his head with my shield, rendering him unconscious.

“Is the goddess abandoning us?”

In that crucial moment, just as the officer was about to leap forward…

“Hiyap!”

Jenna struck the back of the officer’s neck with force.

The officer collapsed, joining the ranks of the fallen soldiers.

“Kyarr, kyara-la-la!”

Outside the gate, hundreds of pairs of crimson eyes flickered ominously.

With each turn of the winch by Aaron, their eyes glowed even brighter, as if fueled by anticipation.

‘The rain.’

Finally, raindrops began to descend from the sky, gently at first.

“Your flames won’t be extinguished by mere rain, will they?”

Eolka didn’t respond directly, but a smile curled on her lips, revealing his unwavering confidence.

And then…

The gates swung open wide, revealing the path ahead.

At that moment, dozens of goblins rushed forward in unison.

“Blow them away!”

【Ignite!】

A flame with a diameter of several meters erupted, sweeping through the goblins.

“Eeek!”

“Don’t destroy the gate. Let the explosion take place outside!”

The flames surged out like a living entity, engulfing the area beyond the gate.

All that remained in their wake were charred goblin corpses.

【Engulf!】

Crack! Crack! Boom!

“Kyaaaaaaaaa!”

A powerful blast swept over, causing the terrified screams of goblins to echo outside the gate. The bodies of those directly hit by the explosion soared dozens of meters into the air above the wall. Aaron, standing by my side, murmured.

“Every time I see it, I can’t help but be amazed… Magic’s power is truly astounding.”

Near the gate, a fiery inferno raged, undeterred by the intensifying rainfall.

“We can reflect later. The battle starts now.”

“Yes, you’re right.”

Outside, hundreds of goblins were likely preparing for a gruesome reception.

“Jenna, Aaron!”

“We’re ready! We’ll go first!”

Jenna drew her dagger and leaped outside, into the flickering flames. Aaron tightly gripped his spear and followed Jenna’s lead.

Eolka took a deep breath.

“Huuu…”

“We still have a long way to go. Can you handle it?”

“I can. Don’t underestimate me!”

Eolka retrieved a mana potion from within her clothes and took a sip.

“I can unleash a hundred more shots!”

“Good. Go ahead.”

Eolka also disappeared beyond the gate.

What remained was me and the young man who had been observing us from the corner.

“Do you plan to follow?”

I pointed toward the raging flames outside the gate.

[‘Shurn (★)’ feels fear! All attributes reduced by 30%.]

Shurn couldn’t utter a word; he trembled uncontrollably.

I chuckled and spoke.

“Go to Edis. She’ll tell you what to do. If you survive after this battle, then I’ll take care of you.”

“Oh, I understand! I undeeerstaaand!”

Shurn screamed and hurriedly departed.

“Kiyaaaah!”

Outside, the cries of the goblins echoed through the air.

“I’ll kill you all.”

I smirked, twirled my sword, and threw myself into the fiery depths.