Chapter 416 - 412: Desperate Situation (Part 2)

Chapter 416: Chapter 412: Desperate Situation (Part 2)

They clearly had a specific target, charging forward at a frenzied pace.

However, contrary to their ferocious appearance and desperate charge, the Demons were internally terrified.

Many powerful Demons possess considerable intelligence, and this was even more true for Magic Creatures.

If one were to describe what these Demons were thinking right now, it could be summarized as: ’Where am I? What am I doing? Why can’t I control myself?’

Especially the Magic Creatures. They could feel that they couldn’t even control their own Magic Power—a terrifying realization that their very lives were in another’s hands.

Invisible Magic Silk Threads stretched out from each of these Demons.

These threads were unaffected by any terrain, unable to be severed by branches or rocks. They stretched up into the sky, their ends connected to a figure radiating a brilliant light—the very Holy Spirit controlling the Demons below.

At this moment, the wings woven from threads on the Holy Spirit’s back were not flapping. Instead, they acted like a kite, letting the Demons below pull it along.

With just the occasional twitch of its fingers made of light, a Demon below would let out a visceral howl.

Soon, the trees ahead thinned out considerably. Beyond a cluster of earthen mounds dotted with massive boulders lay the highway.

BOOM... BOOM...

The first few boulders were smashed to pieces as a giant, long-legged Demon burst from the mounds.

Zhao Kai’s car happened to be speeding toward them at that exact moment, the timing so perfect it seemed like they were deliberately crashing into it.

"Damn it!!! Get out of the way!!"

Hilbert roared from the passenger seat.

"These Demons can block our Perception!!"

BANG! BANG! BANG!...

In that instant, he and Zhao Kai both drew their Magic Steel Hand Cannons and fired directly through the front windshield.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!...

Blasting apart the boulders in their path, the vehicle scraped past several large, rolling stones and hit countless smaller fragments before barely managing to push through.

BANG BANG BANG...

Hilbert fired a continuous burst at a Demon directly ahead of them, but the behemoth seemed to defy the laws of inertia. It didn’t move to the predicted position; instead, it was as if it were being yanked aside, dodging every single Anti-Magic Bullet.

The pupils of everyone inside the car constricted.

A shadow fell over them from above, bringing an intense, oppressive feeling. Zhao Kai wrenched the wheel, swerving the car off the highway.

With a loud BOOM, the vehicle shook violently and began to roll.

A deep crater was stomped into the spot where the car had just been. And though they had swerved to avoid it, the giant foot was unnervingly agile; it immediately changed course and kicked the side of the vehicle.

The car tumbled and bounced until it slammed into a large tree with a loud BANG, finally coming to a stop.

"Bail out!!"

Following an urgent shout from inside, several car doors were kicked clean off their hinges. In the next instant, eight figures shot out of the vehicle.

SWISH~

Just a second later, a giant, scythe-like leg blade slashed through the spot where the car had been.

Both the vehicle and the large tree were sliced clean in two. Fos and another girl, also in the attack’s range, had only barely managed to dodge. Even so, the wind from the blade tore open their clothes.

CRACKLE... CRASH!

The great tree crashed to the ground.

"ROOOOAR~~~" "SCREEE~~"...

Roars closed in from all sides. Some of the creatures were still hidden behind dense vegetation, while others had already shown themselves.

"We’re in deep trouble now..."

They gathered together, warily scanning their surroundings.

Zhao Kai grabbed his left arm, which hung limply at his side. With a sickening CRACK, he snapped his shoulder back into place—it had been dislocated when the beast’s kick slammed into the driver’s door.

"How many Anti-Magic Bullets do you have?"

Hilbert asked the six rookies.

"Twenty." "Sixteen." "Seventeen..."

Rookies didn’t have enough points to earn their own exclusive high-grade armaments, so they only had rented, standard-issue Magic Steel Hand Cannons.

"We’ll create an opening. When we do, you all fire at once. Don’t even think about running until they’re all dead or we’ve forced them back. We can’t outrun them. Stay sharp and watch your backs—these aren’t ordinary Demons!"

Though Hilbert’s words were brave, his heart was uneasy. The Magic Power in his and Zhao Kai’s arms was surging restlessly; the most dangerous threat had yet to reveal itself.

The insectoid Demon with the massive, scythe-like leg blades reappeared, as another long-legged behemoth, this one over ten meters tall, stomped toward them.

"Go! Take out the bug first!!"

BANG! BANG!

Zhao Kai’s and Hilbert’s figures blurred, the ground cracking beneath their feet as they launched themselves forward. Drawing their weapons, they slammed into the insect monster’s flanks from the left and right.

CLANG! CLANG!... BOOM! CLANG!...

BANG! BANG! BANG!...

A flurry of clashes mixed with the constant roar of their hand cannons. Zhao Kai and Hilbert only dodged away at the last second, just as the giant foot came stomping down.

As Zhao Kai leaped away, the hair on his arms stood on end. He threw up his gauntlet, blocking to the side with its steel claws.

THUD!

He was sent flying like a cannonball, struck by a beetle-like Demon that had burst from the trees. He wasn’t airborne for long, however; he planted a foot on a tree in his flight path and vaulted back to his companions.

"You okay?"

Hilbert asked in a low voice.

"I’m fine!"

Shaking his arm, Zhao Kai fought back the urge to vomit; his guts were still churning from the impact.

"At least we crippled one!"

Not far away, the giant bladed insect had several holes blasted through its body. Most of the legs on its left and right sides were broken, and it could only lie there, twitching.

The Holy Spirit glanced down at the insect from the sky.

’Still not very skilled... but there are plenty of opportunities to practice.’

...

More powerful Demons kept appearing. In less than ten minutes, their numbers had swelled from the initial two to more than a dozen.

The eight of them fought with all their might but had only managed to kill one creature in total—the insectoid Demon from the beginning. The other Demons were merely wounded at best and continued to lurk nearby.

They were now in a wretched state, completely cornered.

Four of the six rookies were down. A black shadow had brushed past them, leaving them completely drained of stamina and with splitting headaches. All they could do was endure the pain that threatened to knock them unconscious, lying under a tree and watching their teammates fight on.

Zhao Kai’s legs had been crushed by the behemoth, his lower body nearly pulverized. He had used a Flower of Life to keep the injuries from worsening, but he would need to return to the Association to fully recover. For now, he was immobile.

Hilbert had also been hit several times. Although he had no critical injuries, his body was covered in minor wounds, and he was mentally and physically exhausted. With Zhao Kai only able to provide cover fire from the back, the pressure on him had more than doubled. His breathing was ragged, like a broken bellows.

"Hilbert... It looks like... I’m the one who doomed us all..."

Zhao Kai’s face was slick with sweat. He endured the agony in his legs, his knuckles white as he gripped his Magic Steel Hand Cannon.

"Hah... hah... No, I’m the one who doomed us. I was too reckless... I acted like a fool back in the car!"

The surrounding Demons seemed to have vanished into hiding, and the survivors couldn’t sense their locations. Such stealthy Magic Creatures were terrifying.

"Are they... waiting for an opening?"

Fos panted heavily. He had repeatedly used explosive techniques, draining too much of his stamina in just a few minutes. These damn things were absurdly strong, and their ability to predict their attacks was terrifyingly accurate, filling the rookies with a rising sense of despair.

Before anyone could respond to his guess, they all felt a sinister chill wash over them. A dozen meters away, a bizarre black shadow materialized, resolving into a four-legged monster. Magic Power writhed around its body like flitting shadows.

Its gaze swept over everyone before finally focusing on Hilbert.

"I’m afraid... they want you to hand me over..."

The hoarse voice spoke again, startling everyone. The battle had been so intense, they had almost forgotten about the book.

Wasn’t the current situation exactly what the voice from the book had predicted?

PS: First Chapter for Friday.