Chapter 232: [232] Judgement From Above

It was common knowledge that during raids, if there was a Tank involved in the battle, they would most likely die first.

Tanks were known to throw their bodies into attacks, risking their lives behind a shield that could be ripped apart at any second.

They were the first line of defence.

But that was only if there was no defensive mage in the party. In the case that there was a defensive mage, then the odds were different.

After all, defensive mages were two times more likely to die compared to Tanks.

The reason for this was simple.

While Tanks defended their party members with their bodies, defensive mages put their very souls on the line. It was the way their magic worked, and there was nothing that could be done about it, because they could feel everything...

Cici held her staff tightly with her one good hand, her teeth gritted as she poured mana into her shield.

The spear lashed against it, the mana infused within the attack biting at her shield, eating into it from all directions.

Gusts of wings blew past them, washing over the shield. Steam evaporated from the ice beneath their feet, and the very earth was upturned.

The shield shimmered, it sparked, it cracked in multiple areas, but it held. Each vibration, each shockwave sent an impact through her very soul, unsettling it...

The attack was much more than she should have been able to handle. But Cici could not afford to give up.

Because the moment she relented, they would all die. And so she dug deeper, she reached for her soul, strengthening it with sheer will alone.

Urek—!

Cici doubled over, collapsing to her knees as she vomited blood, feeling her insides tremble like they were made of jelly, and yet, she kept her shield up.

Her mind was hazy, she could hear the sound of screams?

But nothing made sense. Her mind was too occupied with defending them, too blurred by pain to hear Olivia’s screams.

[Concetta is bleeding. Her health will continually be depleted over time]

...So even when blood began to slip out of her eyes and nose, Cici did not notice—

"CICI, FOR GOD’S SAKE, TAKE DOWN THE SHIELD!" She suddenly heard Olivia scream at her.

Vwoosh!

Her shield vanished in an instant, and the spear tip came. But it had been greatly slowed down by Cici’s shield.

Olivia and Yrsa swung their axes, Olivia’s axe sparkling with lightning, while Yrsa’s axe trembled with distorted sounds.

Boooom!

It felt as though they were cutting through iron. Their weapons cleaved into it, slicing the spear tip into pieces, a wave of air swallowing them whole.

Yrsa let out a breath, her hands placed on her thighs, when Olivia suddenly screamed out:

"Be ready!" They had taken far too long to deflect the attack, which meant...

Screee!

The Arctic Spider suddenly appeared over the sea of steam as though it had stepped right out of a nightmare.

...The monster had enough time to reach them.

"Take cover!" Olivia ordered.

Cici stared up, her vision obscured by blood, only to see a spider leg coming down at her head, moments from crushing her to mush.

She immediately created a hurried shield, but her spell was unstable. All she managed to do was slow it down. Her shield shattered like glass, and then the clawed leg came down—

But just at the last moment, Olivia grabbed her by her clothing and flung her into the air, far into the distance, just before doing a barrel roll through the snow as the foot pounded into the ground, obliterating it.

Swoosh!

Before she could even get up, Olivia saw another leg racing towards her.

’Shit!’

She quickly tried to stand, to raise her weapon... But there was not enough time.

Thankfully, a very helpful giant was nearby. Mountain rushed towards Olivia and raised his shield, bracing himself for impact—

Schkkk!

The leg punctured his shield like it was paper, just before ripping off his right hand and part of his body.

Darkness poured out of the wound, but Mountain did not relent. His shield reformed itself into a thick spear that he sent flying right towards the monster’s face.

Thwack!

The monster shattered the spear as though it was a toothpick. But instead of crumbling to the floor, the spear transformed into multiple arrows that flew right into its eyes.

SKREEEEEE!

The monster shattered Mountain with a devastating kick and stumbled back as green blood spewed out of its eyes...

And then Inquisitor appeared, side by side with Yrsa.

Olivia could see uncertainty in her eyes, but there was also a certain fire within them, a maddening drive to succeed!

She and Inquisitor moved through the length of the spider’s body, lashing out at its armour, cleaving deep grooves into it.

But neither of them touched flesh—

The monster snarled, unleashing a gust of hot breath that pounded into them, sending both warriors flying.

Olivia, on the other hand, had gone airborne...

Mountain had taken out three eyes, so five horrid eyes were left to stare at her as she charged. Olivia cut through the sky like a falcon, her body a blur of yellow lightning and billowing orange hair.

A massive limb came at her like a pillar, but Olivia ducked through it. Another claw lashed out in a horizontal arc, but she lunged downwards.

Olivia saw the limb in detail as it cut just above her face. She could see the multiple hairs that resembled spikes, the thick reflective armour, and the pulse of magic humming around it.

Swish—!

Just as she escaped the limb, Olivia launched herself back into the air, as though attempting to reach the sun, just before she came down like a meteor.

"KEEP IT DOWN!" Her voice boomed over her teammates.

Inquisitor poured every single ounce of energy he had into a force field that pressed down upon the monster.

Yrsa opened her mouth wide, and then unleashed a crippling sound wave that rippled through the monster’s body, coming out in pulsating waves that crippled the monster.

Yet, the monster resisted. Its eyes were locked on Olivia, another one of its harrowing spearheads forming on its maw.

A figure appeared in the distance. Her body was pale from the cold, and her face, lips, down to her jaw, were stained with blood. Yet, she was devoid of any form of emotion.

Cici pointed her staff at the spider, and multiple concentric circles appeared above it, each one perfectly arranged in an archaic pattern.

"[Crest Fall]."

A large wave of energy pounded into the monster, just before shimmering brown shackles appeared, bringing every single one of its limbs under subjection, binding them to the earth.

Just in time for Olivia’s descent—

The clouds grew ashen, then dark, just before lightning danced within the clouds. Chaotic Thunder boomed in the atmosphere, as though war had been wrought in the heavens above.

Olivia swung her axe, right at the crack on its back, and then lightning came down upon her, swallowing both her and her blade.

She could feel her limbs burning, her blood beginning to boil, her fingers blackening... and yet, Olivia felt it was the appropriate time to laugh.

"Die, you overgrown pest! Ahahaha!"

The cracks expanded, lightning pouring into them. Just before the carapace burst apart.

The lightning tore through everything that was the Arctic Spider, putting its head and its back asunder, as it was split into two smothering halves—