Chapter 728: No Way Out

While everyone at the ancient city gate stands frozen, Philir suddenly launches himself across the chasm, his broken left arm hanging uselessly at his side.

After crossing a third of the distance, he catches the cargo zip line with one hand.

The line slopes downward from the old fortress toward the ancient city, making it impossible for the one-armed Philir to climb across.

Then he does something that sends the others into a fury. He knocks his heels together, springs a hidden blade from the toe of his boot, and cuts the line behind him.

The severed line whips him toward the old fortress and slams him hard against the chasm wall.

Sheer will keeps his hand locked around the rope. Once he catches his breath, he begins the slow climb upward.

Miller takes the greatbow from his back, nocks an arrow, and aims at Philir.

Henwell stops him. "Don't kill him. He may still be useful later!"

Someone else finally grasps what Philir has done. One of the Lady of Calamity's Battle Knights charges and leaps from the platform.

He crosses more than twenty meters and catches the last cargo zip line.

With both arms intact, the Battle Knight does not cut the rope behind him. Instead, he begins climbing rapidly toward the far side.

The others are about to follow when a violent gust surges up from the chasm.

The Chasm Behemoth rises from below.

Before the Battle Knight can react, one of the mouths at the ends of its tentacles snatches him and tosses him onto its back.

His armor offers no protection. The spikes punch through it like paper and impale him.

The survivors watch helplessly as the creature's skin opens and devours the screaming man.

Worse still, the behemoth tears apart the final cargo zip line as well.

Despair grips everyone stranded on the platform outside the ancient city gate.

Then someone notices something moving beneath the behemoth's body.

The monster releases a cry somewhere between a birdcall and a wolf's howl. It sounds as though it is in pain.

A moment later, its back bursts open and a figure leaps out.

It is not the unfortunate Battle Knight, but the statue knight that fell into the chasm earlier.

Wood grain now covers the construct's body, and patches of it appear to have turned into flesh.

Its original stone armor has transformed into a bone-like material.

Standing on the behemoth's back, the statue knight swings its sword repeatedly at the tentacles closing in around it.

Wracked with pain, the creature drifts toward the old fortress.

Solomon means to rescue Henwell and the others, but the sight forces him to retreat into the fortress and disappear from view.

With no route of escape, the survivors remain trapped on the platform while the second statue knight watches from the city wall.

Before they can decide what to do, the statue knight on the wall finishes off the surrounding monsters and rapidly drains their flesh and blood.

Henwell finally speaks. "Grab all the equipment and supplies. Fall back into the city and find a building we can defend!"

The despairing survivors obey without a second thought.

Henwell's order has become their last lifeline.

What the statue knight does next gives them another glimmer of hope.

Instead of attacking them, it leaps from the wall and charges onto the Chasm Behemoth's back.

It seems intent on fighting beside its companion and killing the behemoth.

Whatever its reason, this is good news for the survivors.

Everyone grabs as many supplies as they can and files into the gate passage.

Inside the city, they find devastation everywhere and shriveled monster corpses strewn across the ground.

The two statue knights have clearly carried out a brutal slaughter here.

The slaughter has at least cleared a path through the gate district, allowing Henwell's group to take shelter in a military logistics hub.

They use everything they can find to seal the doors and windows.

Then they hide in the deepest part of the building, hoping the monsters will withdraw and the statue knights will become dormant again.

Only a handful of people remain. Three are from Solomon's group.

They are Abbas, the archaeologist; Daisy, the undercover operative; and Doyle, the Knight assigned to protect Abbas.

Including the Lady herself, her group still numbers six: Alex, two Battle Knights, and two Knights.

Henwell's side is down to Henwell, Miller, the turncoat Dacro, and one of Dacro's deputies.

These thirteen are the only humans left in the ancient city ruins.

After counting their provisions, they determine that they have enough food for five days, along with a fair amount of equipment.

If the unrest dies down as they hope, they may still have a chance to return to the old fortress.

Afraid that light might attract the monsters and then the statue knights, no one risks lighting a lamp.

In the darkness, they try to steady their breathing, but it is no use.

Their racing hearts force them to draw deep, ragged breaths.

Every sound outside, especially any movement near the entrance, sends a fresh wave of panic through the group.

Time crawls by. An hour passes, perhaps more.

The noise outside gradually fades. At last, several people muster the courage to open a narrow crack and discover that everything has gone quiet.

Henwell is the first to leave the building, and he lights an oil lamp.

No one else shares his nerve. They keep to the darkness as they slowly follow behind him.

After a while, they feel their way back to the city gate, only for their hearts to leap into their throats.

A statue knight stands at the broken end of the bridge, both hands resting on its sword.

Henwell wants to approach and investigate, but Miller catches his arm. Everyone else stares at Henwell as though he has gone mad, silently pleading with him to stop.

Henwell can only shrug and signal for them to collect the remaining equipment and supplies.

They hope to find another route out of the ancient city ruins.

Yet the moment they return to the city, they begin trembling. Another statue knight now stands in the middle of the main road.

It was not there when they passed earlier.

Unlike the construct outside, this one can move.

The statue knight slowly turns its neck and reveals crimson eyes, confirming the possibility none of them wanted to accept.

Henwell looks at the Lady of Calamity. She gently shakes her head. She still cannot act.

Henwell rolls his eyes helplessly as the statue knight charges.

Miller steps past Henwell and raises his sword to meet it.

The collision sends Miller flying backward toward Henwell.

Henwell catches him by the back of his collar and deftly bleeds off the force of the impact.

The statue knight is right behind him, barreling toward them both.

Henwell places his right hand on the metal tube secured beneath his pack, but the collision everyone expects never comes.

Instead, a thunderous blast sends the statue knight flying backward.

A second blast strikes before it lands and hurls it into a nearby building.

Henwell flicks open the breech of the exquisite double-barreled shotgun in his hands. Two engraved shell casings fly free.

He calmly draws two fresh rounds from his belt, loads them, snaps the weapon shut, and smiles. "You've been dead and dried out for ages. Why are you still making trouble?"