LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 356
The monster attacking the people resembled a scorpion.
Instead of claws like a scorpion, it had a sickle like a mantis, and it was the size of a medium dog.
Additionally, it possessed a stinger like a scorpion’s tail, which made it even more threatening since it lived in groups.
The ones being attacked by those monsters were a group of adventurers.
Rather, to be precise, it seemed that the adventurers and some refugees were moving together.
“Children and the elderly who can’t fight, move to the back! Take refuge in a safe place so you’re not in the way of the battle!”
“Damn it! There are too many of them!!! Hold your positions!!”
“These insect-like monsters are fast! It’s dangerous to scatter and run away! We should band together and form a defensive line!”
Originally, the adventurers were supposed to be in a spot safe from monster attacks, but perhaps because they lost their leader to a shot from the Dragon Priestess, they seemed to have encountered the monsters while fleeing in a panic.
The adventurers, mistaking the monsters for those who were fleeing instead of attacking, immediately responded to the monsters and started the battle, leading the monsters to believe that it was these adventurers who had targeted their leader.
“I can’t say anything other than we’ve had bad luck.”
If the monsters hadn’t fled in this direction, if they hadn’t crossed paths with the adventurers, if the fleeing monsters hadn’t thought of fighting with the adventurers, if only they had realized that the monsters were escaping…
Then the battle that had begun might not have happened.
‘Have I been too careless?’
“Maybe it was just bad luck.”
Who would go hunting monsters considering the direction they might flee? If anything, they would have wiped them all out instead.
“Right now, instead of blaming ourselves, we should focus on helping them.”
“Yeah. I don’t even have time to regret.”
The Dragon Priestess flew quickly toward the area where the battle was unfolding.
“Ugh! Where are all these things coming from?!!”
“Damn it! We’re short on numbers!! Everyone with combat experience, grab a weapon and join in!”
“No! Even those without combat experience, grab something like a spear and swing it!!! We need to stop them from getting closer!!!”
“Shit! If we just go a little further, we’d be out of North Romania!!!”
Dozens of monsters resembling scorpions dodged the adventurers’ attacks, sometimes withstanding them as they continued to approach.
Protected by their hard carapace, it was difficult for blades to penetrate, frustrating the adventurers.
Being surrounded by dozens of such monsters definitely placed them in great danger.
“Shut up! Get lost!!!”
“Watch out for the venomous stinger on its tail! It’s probably lethal!”
“The shell’s hard, so blades won’t work well! Bludgeons or axes are effective!”
“Or aim for the gaps in their shells or their joints! That’s where the blades can actually get in!”
“Damn it! If that was easy, I’d be a knight, not an adventurer!!!!”
“Eric! Fall back! Don’t rush forward recklessly!”
“But we need to keep as many people as possible! If I don’t step up, who will protect the others?!”
The adventurers spat curses as they struck at the monsters, but the scorpion-like monsters only staggered momentarily, quickly darting back towards the adventurers.
“I’ve completed the spell! Fall back! Flames of the blazing fire!! Become our wall of protection!”
Fortunately, the one who seemed to be the mage completed a spell that created a wall of fire to hold back the monsters, but it was only a temporary measure. The fairly intelligent monsters simply maneuvered around the flames.
“Damn! Can’t we stop them with this?!”
“Ugh… Is this the end…?”
The adventurers’ defenses began to crumble bit by bit, and just as the monsters approached with their blades glinting, in that infinitely precarious moment—
“Freeze.”
With a quiet voice, a chilling cold erupted from the ground, immobilizing the legs of the monsters.
In a mere instant, the magic froze the feet of a large number of monsters.
‘Great. It looks like I’ve put out the immediate fire.’
“Well, if you just killed them all, this would all be over.”
‘Could it be? But won’t the people be scared?’
“If you help them when they’re on the brink of death, won’t they feel grateful instead of scared?”
A mage who could create this overwhelming spectacle would surely garner more gratitude.
Regardless of the Dragon Priestess’s inner turmoil, the adventurers did not miss the opportunity that had come.
“This is… magic?!”
“A battle mage?! Reinforcements?! Thank you!!”
“Now’s our chance! Take them down while their legs are trapped!!”
“Even if their legs are trapped, their sickles and tails can still move! Be careful not to get slashed or stabbed!”
“If we can hit the gaps in their joints, the blades will pierce! With their feet frozen, we can swing and drive it in any time!!!”
Even though their feet were frozen, the ferocity of the monsters was not diminished, but the adventurers calmly began stabbing their blades into the immobilized monsters’ vital points.
During this process, there were a few injuries, but thanks to invisible arrows that flew in from somewhere, piercing the monsters at dangerous moments, it seemed that no further harm would come.
After some time had passed and most of the monsters had been defeated:
“Haah… there were quite a lot.”
“With this many, the mana stones should be quite lucrative, right?”
“I know you’re eager for mana stones, but we need to deal with the situation first. Let’s check on the injured and the dead first!”
“Captain! There are no fatalities! There are quite a few injuries, but no life-threatening ones!”
At the words of one adventurer, the captain, referred to as the “large captain,” spoke in surprise.
“Wow… After such a fierce battle, there are miraculously no fatalities. Is it a blessing from the Goddess of Life?”
“I can’t say for sure. Anyway, once we handle the situation properly, we’ll be able to move immediately.”
“Hmm. Next time, I should try to travel with the Pilgrims of the Church of Life somehow. I almost got killed trying to save some money.”
“I agree, Captain.”
Well. Traveling with the Pilgrims of the Church of Life would make for a safer journey.
They’re fundamentally strong, skilled in monster hunting, and can set up barriers with divine magic to keep monsters at bay.
Though it’s not for free—Pilgrims are people too. People have to eat.
“By the way, where’s that mage who froze the monsters’ legs with ice magic…?”
The captain, known as the “large captain,” looked around. It seemed he was searching for the Dragon Priestess.
Yet, he couldn’t spot the Dragon Priestess, who was flying high up and camouflaged.
“Ugh… I wanted to thank her, but has she already disappeared?”
“She never revealed herself. I wonder what level of magic user she is…”
While the two were discussing this, a person clad in a mage’s robe approached.
It was the mage who had created the wall of fire before.
“I don’t know for sure, but she’s probably no ordinary mage. The level of magic she used widely… and with such precision to avoid harming people, she probably possesses skills comparable to the best mages in the Magic Tower of Procyon.”
“Why would such a skilled person be in a place like this?”
At that, the mage shook his head slightly.
“I wouldn’t know. She could have just been passing by, or she might have accepted a request to hunt monsters and stumbled upon us.”
“That’s a shame… I wanted to express my gratitude to our life-saver.”
Well, she was just hiding above them as they spoke.
The Dragon Priestess smiled faintly at the adventurer’s attitude.
‘Doing good feels good.’
“Thus, let’s not dwell on your mistake that could have led to disaster. After all, it was merely bad luck.”
This girl is somewhat sensitive, and hearing such words would hurt her feelings deeply.
‘Now then, since we’ve wrapped things up… it’s time to head back…’
“Slowly, it’s dinner time now, right?”
If she didn’t head back soon, she’d get scolded.
As the Dragon Priestess turned her body towards the main headquarters of the Church of Life, a loud voice erupted from below.
“Big trouble! Eric has collapsed!!!”
“What? Collapsed? Is it due to his first real battle experience?”
“No! There’s a wound on his thigh…. the area around the wound is turning black and decaying!!”
“Poison! It’s poison! That foolish Eric! Was he hiding that he got stung?!”
“Did he get so excited with his first real battle that he didn’t notice he got stung? Damn it! Antidote! Is there an antidote?!”
Suddenly, panic grew among the group of adventurers. Someone had been stung by a poisoned stinger.
After fighting so hard, to have their life threatened by a single poisoned sting…
Life is so incredibly fragile.
‘……’
“Why are you like this?”
The Dragon Priestess silently gazed down at the ruckus among the adventurers.
“Damn it! What kind of poison is this! The antidote we have isn’t working!!”
“Shit! If only we had a priest or a pilgrim from the Church of Life, they could cure this!!!”
“Eric! Hold on! Eric!!”
The poison that had begun from his thigh started to rise slowly as the boy referred to as Eric’s body began to steadily darken.
He was still a young boy… how pitiful.
‘Me.’
“Hm? What is it?”
‘I’ve decided.’
“What about?”
‘The Hero.’
What?
Thus, the Dragon Priestess descended beside the poisoned boy.
“A sudden gust of wind…!”
“Wh-who?!”
The adventurers around the boy were startled by the sudden wind but the Dragon Priestess disregarded them.
“I found you.”
The gaze of the Dragon Priestess was fixated on the boy who had collapsed from poison.