Chapter 42 - Death and Destruction

It felt like I couldn't breathe as my figure was forced down to the ground like a missile.

BOOM!

The impact stole the air from my lungs as I felt multiple parts of my body ache in excruciating pain. I had no time to think as I saw the gorilla now diving down with a fist outstretched. My body was covered in a golden glow as I cast [Guardian's Light] and pulled away from the deep pit, the fist smas.h.i.+ng down missing me by a second

I wasted no time as I retaliated, casting [Frigid Impermanence] multiple times towards the huge beast. It seemed to instinctively evade the 5 meter cold blasts as the first two hit air, with only the third catching it while it was dodging and making contact

ROAR!

It called out with a furious expression as its left hand had deep red gashes with a blue freezing flame dancing on it. Fury took control of me as I kept on hearing the screams around me as more and more [Frigid Imparmanance] was cast towards the huge gorilla. It was able to evade less and less after the first hit, the cold flames permeating in its bones as more of the skills smashed onto its body

The fur and skin that seemed to provide it tremendous defense were tattered and bleeding, it's smiling expression completely gone as it looked at me in fear. My only response was more freezing blasts that smashed its body further down into the ground. I only watched as its body become more and more mangled, and soon enough there was no sound coming from the beast

The area around it was still decimated from the cold explosions, but as it cleared I saw a s.h.i.+ning [Skill Book] and glistening [Core]s on the ground. I dived down to grab what I saw as I began turning my attention to the hunters fighting the slightly smaller beasts in the background

I checked the information on the skill book as I began casting [Doom Bolt] multiple times towards the monsters clas.h.i.+ng with the hunters. It was a rank A skill called [Instant Transfer- Move to any location you can see in an instant]. It was a very straight forward skill that I learned right away while furiously flying across the skies and continuing to shoot down red lighting to any monsters I saw

I couldn't cast [Frigid Impermanence] as they would destroy the surrounding hunters too, and could only strike down with the highest damage single target skill I held. Elizabeth was already on the move along with other rank A hunters that had been clearing the rank B dungeon. They had been taking down the monsters while saving as many lower level hunters and soldiers they could

I saw a hunter about to be eaten at a far off distance where I definitely wouldn't make it there by flying. [Instant Transfer] was used for the first time as my body disappeared and reappeared next to the man about to have his head devoured. My defense skills knocked the monster back as another red streak of lightning struck its chest and blew it away

The hunter thanked me while roughly breathing and I disappeared once more for another location, moving across the battlefield and taking down as many of the beasts as I could. There were mixtures of gorillas, apes, and orangutans that were 3 meters in size running around the field. Their numbers quickly dwindled as they were taken down by rank A hunters, with rank B hunters putting up a fight as well

The area was soon coming to a standstill as mostly hunters remained, many injured and dead as they looked around them in fear and anguish. Friends they were talking to just a moment ago laid dead in their surroundings.

After blasting remaining monsters with [Doom Bolt] I flew around casting [Guardian's Light] to all the hunters that were badly injured and still breathing. All reservations were out the window. I cast as many skills as I could, minimizing much of the damage. I already saw the looks of hope and wonder from the gazes of high ranked hunters as I finished healing the people in the surrounding

I took a second to stop in the air as I looked into the city where smoke could be seen and explosions continued to resound. The battle was still going on there, and even more casualties were occurring. I looked at the hunters below me that were either almost out of energy or looking towards the city in anger.

I was already flying towards the center of the city as my voice rang out powerfully while using [War Cry], "Snap out of it and stick together, save as many as you can!"

My words trailed behind me as I rushed towards the city even faster, with my brain quickly churning and giving me the idea to use [Eagle Eye] in conjunction with [Instant Transfer]. My eyes focused and moved to a position a bit over a mile away in the city where hunters were about to be overwhelmed by monsters, and my figure quickly disappeared from my current position as [Instant Transfer] was used

---

Magnar was looking at the sight in front of him with fear and trepidation. Just minutes after they watched the complete breakdown of the monolith that used to be [Lion's Den], the world began shaking...and it happened again

The same as before, dungeons appeared. The newly appeared dungeons quickly flashed red and a dungeon break occurred. Monsters rushed out and he was now fighting on the front lines while trying to mitigate the damage as much as possible

"PULL BACK!"

He was screaming commands towards his soldiers as he saw them being overwhelmed. A large number of rank B monsters were running amok, with a huge t.i.tAN upfront being held back by a rank A hunter that stayed behind

Apprehension continued to grow in his heart as he saw more and more soldiers fall. His own power wasn't enough to protect those he cared for. Screams continued to ring out as blood and gore followed from the claws or teeth of the beasts

His breathing got rougher as he felt the low energy that remained in his body. He spent the majority of his time in the office, never exerting himself this much before. He looked at the despondent faces of his soldiers that were pushed far back, trying their best to hold on. No, he wouldn't let it end like this

"Find a chance to break through!"

He screamed out another command as he moved to the front of the defense line and his body blazed in a colorful light. He absorbed the blows of two monsters as he grabbed a soldier and threw them to the back. He would save as many as he could with the strength he had left

THUCK!

He then felt a deep impact as something heavy pierced the armor wrapping his chest, and a metallic taste filled his lips. His soldiers screamed and tried to move in, but could come no closer as his body was surrounded by monsters, the defense line pushed further back.

Magnar looked at the distorted face of the beast that had its arm in his chest as memories of a different time flashed through his mind. He felt his body slump onto the ground as the beast pulled out the hand piercing his chest and formed it into a fist before smas.h.i.+ng down again

Memories and expectations of hope for the powerful hunter that had gone towards the other side of the city some time back were repeating in his head as his clear eyes began closing. The fist rus.h.i.+ng down was abruptly stopped as golden swords, red lightning, and a golden light began descending from the skies

His eyes that were about to shut opened a bit more for the last time as he saw the hazy figure of a man materializing above them. Relief pa.s.sed through him as he hoped this wasn't an illusion, and his eyes snapped shut. The lightning and swords struck down to meet the monsters, and the light went towards him

The golden light began descending on his body, but his eyes stayed shut. A second. A third. A forth light descended down, but his eyes remained closed. The destructive lightning and golden swords had reached their target on time, but the golden light did not

A frenzied howl rang out in the surrounding as more golden swords and lightning flew at the bounteous groups of monsters that still surrounded the hunters