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1326 Words
Juni had given up his personal flying device, which allowed all the mages to fly, with the addition of a third device. It wasn’t as good as Matt’s Tier 7 flying sword, which was not only a higher-end model, but also a model made in the Empire proper. Its quality was far superior to any product made in the vassal kingdom.
The mages kept overhead, and didn’t range too far out, but just far enough to keep them from being ambushed. Despite all of their preparation, they encountered no resistance until they came to the plain of grass containing the rift that they had targeted.
The golems had created a fortification around the rift, and had small walls built up with stone, either from the rift or scoured nearby. It was only chest high for the golems, but it gave them a modicum of protection and cover from ranged attacks.
As the survivors ran at the fortification, the mages in the air started unleashing spells, bobbing, and weaving through the rain of bolts fired at them. It was more a distraction to keep them from attacking the less agile melee fighters on foot. And it worked. For a time.
But when they crossed a threshold of the golem’s defenses, the bolts started flying at the melee fighters. Matt didn’t stop running. Cowering would just allow the golems to pin them down.
It was terrifying to run directly into fortified monsters shooting at him. Every instinct Matt had honed from delving said that there had to be another way to handle this, or to lead them away. But everyone was pressing on and taking the same risk.
As they approached the fortification, Matt flared his Concept, trying to direct most of the repulsion upward, instead directly back at the golems. He just needed to redirect the bolts away from himself, not necessarily send them back. He needed to conserve as much will as he could if he was going to make it through the day.
There were no screams of pain, but as he felt each bolt reach his zone of control, the drain of his willpower was noticeable. As they closed on the crossbow golems, a flurry of skills flew out from his sides. While most were absorbed by the wall, a few golems were hit and dropped. The reduced number of bolts thrown at them gave the fighters confidence as they advanced.
Then, Matt was at the wall, and leaped over. His offhand tapped the wall, shifting his momentum. As his feet landed, he lashed out and chopped a golem at the waist, then ducked. Spinning, he slashed at the golem behind him, smashing it into the wall.
Before he could do more than catch a glimpse of the others coming over the wall, the heavier melee variants of the golems rushed them. Matt cast [Hail] but had to draw from the mana stone at his wrist to fill his mana pool for a moment. The combination of skills drained his mana pool completely, as [Cracked Phantom Armor] and [Mage’s Retreat] drank down the remainder in a fraction of a second. It brought him back under one percent of his maximum, where his mana regeneration would increase to 40 MPS.
With his sword’s [Mana Charge] already holding 1,000 mana, he didn’t bother with fancy blade work, and just brought his glowing blade around in a wide arc. When his longsword met the shield of a golem, he unleashed the stored mana. In a flash, the shield golem’s upper half evaporated, along with half of the golem next to it.
All the fighting in the last two weeks had given him an abundance of Tier 6 essence, which was doing wonders for his cultivation. Even the encounters with the weaker spider golems were valuable for essence. What they lacked in Tier that made up for in quantity, and Matt was nearly ten percent into Tier 5.
It was a crazy advancement speed, made possible only by the abundance of enemies above his Tier. The increase in cultivation made each of his blows hit harder, and he used the increase in power to great effect.
As Matt moved into the wall of shield users, the other melee fighters did the same, cutting a path with their skills and abilities.
Matt saw Geraden swing a much larger Den in an arc that ended with an explosion. The wall that had the audacity to think it could stop a tree was shattered with the blow.
Sidestepping and spinning, he caught sight of a screaming and flailing Camilla. She was letting out the pain he knew that she had to be feeling, judging from the two crossbow bolts in her leg. Her whip and mace were tearing through the golems, and she used the odd combo in an ever-congealing style, all her own.
Arrow, one of Fen’s companions, jumped past him with a bolt stuck in his shoulder. With Bow’s help, they savaged a golem after dragging it down. Matt didn’t see their bond, but the man was slippery in a fight, and his AI said no one died.
Yet.
As spells and arrows rained down from the flying devices, Matt dove back into the fray.
Camilla looked around and jumped to the side. The two bolts that were lodged in her legs empowered her with their pleasure.
She screamed as she brought down her mace. She was so angry and confused.
Camilla had expected the reaction of the others, after she killed the filth that sold humans to golems. They all pulled away, exactly as she expected.
But Matt…
Matt came to her and said that he understood.
She still didn’t get that. It was replaying over and over in her head.
That wasn’t how people reacted.
So, she wanted to see how far his newfound pragmatism went and told him about the monster that lurked in their camp. She expected him to avoid doing what was necessary. But then, he volunteered to make the kill, and had gone through with it when the others put out the facts.
Camilla hadn’t known the local laws, and still didn’t care after learning them. She saw a monster and wanted them gone. She fully expected to be caught and killed for it, but the rest of her team did it for her.
She was going to kill Zoey no matter what. But the rest of the team had protected her, and got the job done.
They were…friends?
She wasn’t sure.
She came out here to grow stronger and had instead set off a catastrophe the likes she didn’t know were possible. Aiden said that the Empire was large, and that anything could happen, but she didn’t believe him.
The rest of the team had all made their way over to her after they ate and apologized for their reactions after she had killed the bandits.
She still wasn’t sure that had really happened. People didn’t apologize or admit when they were wrong.
People were evil. She knew that all too well.
She had lived through the worst of humanity.
Even as she fought for her life her mind flit back to the past and the horrors she experienced.
Camilla was the daughter of a pleasure house. Seven generations had worked in the establishment, and two of them were fortunate enough to catch the attention of someone strong. Strong enough that they were escorted to Tier 14.
One had even made it to Tier 15.
Camilla had mostly helped around the house doing what the AI-controlled golems couldn’t do. Mostly, she dealt with escorting people to and from rooms, or provided pleasant company to those that waited.
She was a cute young lady, with long, dark hair that contrasted well with her pale skin and silver eyes.
When she came of age, she was awakened, and allowed to start taking on work. She was excited. She could start making her own money.
- Writer
