Chapter 44: Chapter 30: Dire Straits (Part 2)

The two men exchanged a look, a suspicion forming in their minds.

Empty.

The Mutant Beasts swarmed in like a tide, fearless of death. The ferocious monster stood guard. There had to be a reason for it all, and the truth was very likely inside that valley wall!

Howard Everett was the only companion he had brought back from the outside into The Dead City. They had known each other for a long time; a single glance was all they needed to reach an understanding. No matter what, they had to get in there!

However, the time wasn’t right yet.

Paige Summers had a quick mind and soon understood their plan. Her gaze shifted from the valley wall to the battlefield below. ’All they could do now,’ she thought, ’was wait.’

Their wait lasted for half a day and through the entire night.

The six of them took turns resting and conserving their strength while the heated battle below devolved into a struggle of exhaustion.

At dawn the next day, as the sky began to lighten, Paige Summers roused herself from a hazy sleep and looked down into the valley again. The ground had been stained crimson, littered with mangled limbs and corpses—a gruesome sight. Of the hundred-plus Mutant Beasts on the right, fewer than thirty remained! They were no longer fighting in waves but swarming the monster all at once, their roars growing ever more shrill.

The monster’s presence also felt much weaker than the day before. The worst of its injuries was a long, deep gash on its inner thigh that exposed the bone beneath. Its earth-yellow fur was matted with large patches of blood. It was in a sorry state, but its attacks had grown even more vicious than yesterday.

’It must want to end this fight as quickly as possible...’ Paige Summers watched in silence, realizing their turn to enter the fray was not far off.

Nearly two hours later, when only six Mutant Beasts were left below, Marcus Monroe began to assign tasks.

"Martin and I will be responsible for pinning down this monster. Howard, you and Grant Yardley need to keep an eye on the Mutant Beasts and prevent any surprise attacks from those that aren’t fully dead. Vince, you try to control the monster with your spiritual power. Its intelligence shouldn’t be low, so just do what you can. Don’t overextend yourself. Paige..." He stared at her, his expression grave. "Your task is the most critical. Ready your Poison Arrows. The moment we have its attention, you must find the most effective range and hit your target!"

Paige Summers pursed her lips and nodded.

This was... not going to be easy. The monster’s hide was abnormally thick, leaving it with few weaknesses. Normally, the organs above the neck were the most vulnerable, but it was just too tall. She couldn’t guarantee her accuracy unless she got very, very close. As for other parts... she looked it over again and again. It seemed the only obvious targets were its lower body and the wound on its thigh.

’Oh, heavens... Grandpa, you have to forgive me! It’s not my fault this thing is parading around completely naked, forcing me to be so shameless!’

Time ticked by. When only three Mutant Beasts remained below, Marcus Monroe led the group as they shot down into the valley.

Marcus Monroe and Martin Warren charged in first. They were both long-range attackers and had grasped the monster’s weakness—its refusal to move an inch from that section of the valley wall. This meant they didn’t even have to enter the sweeping range of its long arms. A current of electricity and a blade of white light were already striking at its wound!

The monster roared in fury at the attack. The long battle had already made it agitated. Now, just when it was about to get some rest, a few more pests had suddenly appeared, running around and constantly harassing it. It was filled with pure, violent rage!

When it found it couldn’t hit them by swinging its arms, it began to shake its head frantically, as if it had lost all reason. 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

Sneaking up on it from the side, Paige Summers realized in an instant, ’It’s about to unleash a major attack!’

’I have to act before then...’

She abruptly picked up speed, shooting toward the monster like a bolt of lightning!

Her Crossbow was already loaded with five of her most toxic Crossbow Arrows. In the blink of an eye, the small projectiles shot from the string one after another!

’A hit!’

Paige Summers saw it with perfect clarity. Two of the arrows struck the monster’s rock-hard hide and fell to the ground, but the last one solidly grazed the massive thing between its legs and buried itself in the wound on its thigh!

However, after a pause of several seconds, the monster slammed its claws into the ground. Amid a deafening, bloodcurdling shriek, it violently ripped up a huge section of earth several meters in radius...

She was too close, and the attack came too fast. Paige Summers had only just begun to turn; she had no chance to retreat!

She was nearly thrown to the ground. In that moment of crisis, she threw herself outward with all her might... She avoided being knocked over, but what came at her was a rain of large rocks and massive, hard clods of earth. Seeing that she was about to be buried under the barrage—if the impact didn’t kill her, the weight surely would—Paige Summers dropped and rolled, then scrambled to her feet and ran!

She dodged as she ran. Unfortunately, while her instincts helped her avoid the larger projectiles, she was repeatedly struck in the back by smaller, faster-moving rocks. One hit her squarely on the spine. Gritting her teeth against the immense pain, she channeled all the energy in her body into her legs.

After using this move, the monster’s body was already swaying unsteadily. Perhaps sensing its own demise and filled with a burning hatred for the one who had ambushed it, it completely ignored the valley wall it had been guarding. Disregarding the fierce attacks from the others, it took huge strides and lunged toward her, its massive body propelled by a desperate, suicidal ferocity!

A wave of unprecedented fear and indignation washed over Paige Summers!

’I don’t want to die!’

’I don’t want to throw away this second life I fought so hard for! The will to survive... it’s so strong!’

As if in answer to her silent plea, just in the nick of time, an agile White Lion came tearing through the air. It nimbly dodged the obstacles, arrived in front of her, and snatched her up in its mouth, continuing its forward charge without a moment’s pause.

Paige Summers thought she was saved. But before she could even breathe a sigh of relief, in the very next moment, the girl and the lion, having avoided being crushed by the monster’s falling body, failed to dodge the desperate, final swing of its arm...