Chapter 708: Hiren

Proofread by Thomas F

Simar Wells

The monster scratched against my arm before the root dagger pierced through its eyes, killing it.

They are everywhere, coming from every direction, without any end.

This is the reality of a monster horde.

The tide, which will keep coming until you destroy it or you get destroyed by it.

Thorn Burst, Poison Spear, Bramble Wall.

I cast spell after spell, not just offensive and defensive ones, but also healing ones. They may not be good High Mage Zela’s, as I am still a mage and capable of casting good healing spells.

They are well tested against the injuries from the monsters.

I had fought a monster tide before, and they are always dangerous, especially when there are inadequate preparations to deal with them, as is the case here.

At least these people are experienced and know how to deal with them.

Raor!

Suddenly, another monster passed through the wall of soldiers and came at me.

Iron Thorn!

Wooden thorn materialised and pierced into the heart of the blue feline monster, before casting Minor Haste on myself and avoiding it.

Killing doesn’t stop it immediately.

Monsters are hard to kill. It is why it’s important to target their vitals.

I had trained very hard for it, not just to cast fast, but also to cast precisely at the target. There was no other option. If I didn’t perform as required, Adran wouldn’t even let me sleep.

Not to mention, the relentless mocking and insults in front of the whole team.

It was hell.

Once more, I look toward Lord Silver. It had been a few seconds since the Grade V appeared, and they were still fighting it.

I thought he would retreat. Nobody would have blamed him, especially since he didn’t even belong to the merchant state and had no obligation to fight for them.

There wouldn’t have been a political consequence as there might have been with Lord Kadyz.

I barely two seconds later, another monster, and this one made me serious. It is a Grade IV monster and a defensive one at that..

Immediately, the spells came out of my staff to deal with it. I need to kill it before it reaches me.

…

Lt. General Hiren

‘Company seventeen, move to reinforce company three!’ I ordered and I dodged the claws of the monster, before slicing its neck.

There are monsters everywhere, and they are overwhelming the soldiers. I could see people getting torn apart by them; they are too strong.

Still, we are fighting, because running away isn’t an option.

We have to stop the monsters here or they will rampage through the city.

Earlier, things were in control, but Grade V had changed things. Since it had appeared, they have become aggressive, charging without consequences.

I killed with another, but three went in front of me, one released the Wind Spear, while the others came with their claws out.

Rip!

When Jon suddenly appeared, burrowing his blade into the massive rabbit, the defensive spell appeared in front of the elemental attack.

The third monster came at me, but I had dealt with it before moving to deal with the one that launched the elemental attack.

Jon is helping a lot; he is swift, so no monster seemed to catch him.

I had asked him to go, Lord Silver, but Lord Silver declined. Telling him that he would be of no use. His speed is good, but not good enough against a Grade V.

Which is good, because his help is tremendous here. We would have had a lot of trouble without him.

He moved around while I kept killing the monster while leading the men, but I could feel the people dying. There are too many monsters.

Our people are doing well—especially Miss Wells and Lieutenant Bandstone.

The way they are fighting is textbook. Both of them have extensive combat experience and have fought against the monsters.

Howl Howl Howl!

Suddenly, the loud howls rang out, and the monsters separated, revealing a large number of monsters.

Wolves, with fur grey as dusk and eyes red as blood.

“Fuck, wolf pack!” cursed Lt. Bandstone, with a fear flashing in her eyes for a moment. Even I am scared, seeing the horse-sized wolf, leading its pack toward us.

It is the whole back of a wolf monster with nearly a hundred wolves on it.

In their lead, hundreds of other monsters are coming at us, but the pack is most dangerous and it is coming at me and the group around me, which is made up of my men.

The pack is bad news because not only are these bastards aggressive, but they also coordinate well with each other, making things even more difficult.

“Hold the Line,” I commanded, and activated the skill of the same name.

A moment later, I activated another skill that I had been holding back from using.

Hones Reflexes

The skill enhances the reflexes that have been trained. It makes them react faster and more accurately.

‘I will hold the pack, handle the elephant, and rest,’ I said to Jon. I had sent Garzong already. Wolf pack is dangerous, but other monsters are just as dangerous.

If they have their way, they will tear through my men.

The men readied for the pack; it didn’t take them long to come at us through the broken wall.

Howl How Howl!

They howled as they reached us; they are fast and strong. They immediately sent a couple of my men crashing to the ground, but some, like Captain Boghat, Lieutenant Bandstone, and Miss Wells, held their ground.

They have stopped the wolves before killing them, then moved on to deal with another.

Still, there are too many of them.

Growl!

It took a second for the leader to appear in front of me, and it growled with a large, sharp-toothed maw, before coming at me with its mouth open.

Immediately, I moved with the General’s Blitz to dodge the attack while attacking with Crimson Slash.

I dodged the attack, but the monster is fast as well. It was able to move fast enough that the sword didn’t catch anything, other than a few hairs of its fur.

It made me serious; this monster is strong. The strongest of all Grade IVs I had faced so far.

“Growl!”

It grew angrily and came at me once more, even faster than before.

I moved with speed and skill, and launched my attack, but the monster leaped to my right from the left, from where it was attacking.

Rip!

Its claws ripped through my shoulder. The injury isn’t heavy, but it’s not light either.

‘This is going to be very hard,’ I thought.

This monster is at the upper edge of Grade IV. These bastards are extremely powerful, having reached the limit of their level. At the right moment, they will advance into the next grade.

This one is powerful enough that it would only need time before it reached Grade V.

It didn’t matter how powerful it was. I have to finish it; it’s the only way I can weaken its pack, and I have to do that quickly, or there will be a big price to pay.

Growl!

It growled and came at me, and once more, I dodged, while attacking. Ready to react, if it had changed the position like before.

It didn’t. Instead, it leaped at me with its sharp claws forward.

Seeing there is no chance that I would be able to dodge it, I move my sword forward defensively.

Clang!

I stopped, its claws with my sword, held by my one hand, since I only have one hand. Feeling the powerful shock, which I could only bear due to the General’s Poise.

It is a skill that lets me bear the shock, but even with it. I needed to take several steps back, and the blood began to leak out from the corner of my lips.

Monsters have immense physical strength. If one were to compare raw strength, it is greater than most Lv. 40.

The only reason we could even fight them is due to our skills.

The monster attacked again, and dodged, but it was not the one to give up, and attacked me again.

Rip!

This time, its claw ripped down my back. If it weren’t for the armor I was wearing, I would have been finished.

I turned toward it and saw the monsters overwhelming people. One got killed as I watched. He was young and talented.

A hard worker and one of the people we had decided to foster.

I had brought him here, wanting to give him experience of the wider world, since he had never left the empire, but now he is dead.

The monster killed him and tore his head apart. Eating it before moving toward others.

Rage burned in my heart as I saw it, but I had controlled my anger and moved to dodge while attacking. This time, too, I only got its hair.

I have killed other Grade IV, even the late stage ones, but this monster is the strongest of them all.

No, not the strongest; there were others stronger than it. It is fastest; faster than all of them. Making it very tricky to deal with.

It continued to attack, and I tried to find a way to deal with it, but the bastard is too fast. I would have asked Jon for help, but he is occupied.

If he left the place to help me, many people would do the same.

Once more, it came, but this time, the moment, it leaped at me, and I knew something was different. It is faster than before, and there seemed to be intensity filling his body.

Seeing the speed, I pushed the thought of dodging and moved my sword defensively, with Strong Arm and Generals’ Poise.

Clang!

I stopped its claws with my sword, feeling such power that it had sent me crashing down, with it over me.

I tried to control the fall, but the bastard was too heavy and had significant momentum behind it. There is no way I could stop the fall.

I should have used that skill, but I didn’t feel like it was the right time.

I could only use it once a minute. I need to be sure that when I use it, it will finish the job, but now, I regret not using it.

I had nearly reached the ground with the monster above me when I felt something soft. Like a bubble of thick air, it began to cushion my fall.

Some spells even came at the wolf, but then…

Thud!

I fell to the ground; the bubble cushioned it, but not completely. Still, my bones didn’t break, and I am still able to keep my front claws locked on the sword.

Growl!

It growled angrily with its saliva falling on me, as it moved to chomp my head, while pushing more power into its front claws.

My hand is shaking hard, and I don’t think I will be able to keep its claws locked for more than five seconds.

The moment they come down, it will be over for me.

Because right now, its mouth couldn’t reach me, but it will as the claws come down. Hell, it wouldn’t even need to chomp me, those claws will finish the job.

I could see my people trying to come toward me, but the wolves are stopping them, and even another group of monsters came at them, making things even more dangerous.

I can’t let them get killed. I need save them, but here, I need the damn saving.

Growl!

It growled loudly and pushed its claws harder. I felt the bones in my hand fracture under the strain.

My sword came down, and so did its jaws, so that now it is an inch away from me, and in a second, it will reach my head and chomp it up.

I could see Jon coming toward me fast, but he won’t be able to reach me in time.

Seeing this, I focused on the monster. Knowing that I will die, I want to die while trying to kill this monster.

“You want to kill me!” I roared at the monster, and then I pushed all my skills. Using every bit of strength I have.

I have to kill the monster, not for me, but for my people. Given its strength, it will massacre them after it has finished with them.

So, I used everything I had, but all I was able to do was push the claw a centimeter away, and immediately, it reached, pushing my sword back at even greater strength.

This is what I wanted; the greater the force, the more it uses. The more it will benefit me.

Crack!

I roared loudly and was about to activate the skill when I felt something cracking deep within me.

Boom!

I felt something explode out of me. It shocked the monster; fear appeared in its eyes, and all the hair on its fur rose.

It’s not the only one that is shocked. I am, too, because I know very well what it is.

Aura.

It filled me with joy, but only for a moment, before I touched the monster, whose wet nose was now touching me.

The aura had scared it, but only for a moment, before it came at me harder. Now, I could see an even greater desire in its eyes to kill me than before.

Knowing I didn’t have much time, I pushed the aura into my skills.

It’s hard, but I did it and it worked. I began to raise my sword, making the wolf apply even more pressure. It is the most tremendous pressure it has ever been used.

Seeing that, I had finally activated the skill I had been holding back.

Repel.

Immediately, 75% of the force that was applied to me went at it, on top of my force. Pushing it, a few inches.

Seeing the opportunity, I didn’t waste any time and pushed every bit of the aura I could into the Strong Arm and attacked it.

The pain burned in my broken arm, but I bore it and moved my sword toward the monster.

Alarm flashed in its eyes, and it moved its claws toward me, but my sword flashed fast and reached it in an instant, before it started tearing into it from the base of its jaw.

Puch!

The wet sound rang out, and my sword went all the way through its head.

The monster didn’t die immediately and struggled to survive. It took all my effort to keep it in its place as it struggled.

Finally, it stopped struggling and gave up. The monster fell on me.

It is heavy, with its drenching me with its blood, but I bore as I gathered the power to lift it off me, when I felt it moving. I pushed to help them and finally managed to get the monster off me.

“Thank you, Captain,” I said to the orc who had helped, and then turned to the monsters.

The leader died, and its effects are apparent, but the wolves didn’t run away. They are still fighting like the other monsters and won’t retreat till Lord Silver and others deal with the leader.

The Grade V monster.

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