Chapter 69
The distance gradually increased.
Many monsters were attracted to the high-grade monster corpse.
Azek motioned toward Emilene and snapped his fingers. The spell collapsed, and Emilene stopped injecting mana into the circle in front of him.
The crossroads crumbled, and earth boulders buried the pathway completely, wiping their tracks.
Monsters rushed mindlessly, but the path was sealed.
The carriage continued forward at full speed.
By nightfall, the horses were completely exhausted. The carriage protection magic had also run out, as they had used it to deal with monsters instead of fighting directly.
They moved underground, slowly crawling forward.
Genevieve created tunnels using wind blades while navigating by wind direction.
They were halfway through their journey, and their destination was Solar City.
Once they reached even the periphery, they would be out of trouble.
After crawling the entire night, they emerged into a secluded area surrounded by hills.
Everyone collapsed, gasping.
Eyebags were visible. Emilene and Professor Zain looked haggard.
"What is the situation on the other side?"
Azek asked Professor Zain after resting for a bit.
"Still alive," the professor replied.
Mana stones which they had exchanged before their departure still glowed.
It meant the caster was still alive.
They decided to take a brief rest as this area was devoid of monsters.
They took turns for watch and when it was Azek and the professor's turn to take a rest—
Suddenly—
A scream resounded, echoing through the hills.
Azek snapped awake and his mind went fully alert.
Princess Lyana stood sweating.
A giant monster python had captured Emilene.
The magic knights who were guarding them throughout their journey lay there with poison dripping down their bodies, lifeless.
Crack!
The python split into chunks.
Azek looked in the direction of the caster.
Professor Zain, who was standing there between quickened breaths, lowered his hands and collapsed.
He had been constantly maintaining the protection spell and ensuring their safety throughout the night. He was running on the lowest mana reserves.
Azek and the others rushed toward him.
Azek laid him on the ground and opened his belt. A magic pouch was there, storing magic crystals.
Azek crushed mana crystals. Professor Zain had instructed them not to use them, as they were the last resort.
Genevieve cast a healing spell with the help of mana crystals.
The magic barrier, which had collapsed with Professor Zain becoming unconscious, was supplemented by mana crystals as well.
At least it could last them for three hours or so, Azek had thought.
But then—
Monsters began gathering again.
Azek had buried the knights' bodies alongside the monster to avoid attracting any other monsters, but it was as though fate was hell-bent on toying with them.
He bit his lips. They were trying to just survive only in this world but time and time again they were reminded of the horrible crisis this world was going through.
Lyana looked at Azek.
Azek felt something was gradually dying out in her eyes.
There were only students and the professor left now, and they had to decide.
Azek looked at Professor Zain, who was still unconscious.
His body had grown sluggish after healing and was trying to recover.
He took deep breaths to calm the turmoil in his mind. Right now he couldn't afford to rest easy or be careless.
Otherwise he would also meet his end just like magic knights who he had buried.
Their bodies had melted due to poison and they didn't even have a proper burial.
Lyana looked toward the horizon and then at the monsters again.
"Princess."
Azek grabbed her shoulder tightly. If this was another occasion, it would be a breach of etiquette, but right now they both couldn't care less about it.
"I think it's time to prove your words earlier."
Lyana looked straight at him with sharpened eyes.
Azek looked serious unlike his usual nonchalant stoic expression.
she sensed a resolve.
"We are going to break through?" she asked.
Azek nodded.
"We have no other choice. Now we have to put our lives on the line."
Her expression grew serious as well.
Emilene wasn't injured externally but was having a hard time breathing even after simple healing. Professor Zain was unconscious.
"I will spearhead while Genevieve, you have to keep both of them safe."
He gestured toward Emilene and Professor Zain, who were wrapped in tree vines by Lyana.
Emilene tried to say something but no words came out and besides she even couldn't do anything as she had run out of mana.
In the end she sighed helplessly and tried to recover as much as she could.
"And Princess, you will have to support the rear and sides. Please make sure nothing gets closer to us."
He gathered all mana crystals allocated to their party.
Monsters were still growling outside the magic barrier.
"Get ready."
He took deep breaths.
A boulder shot out from the earth, and they stood on it.
Genevieve completely covered their surroundings with a wind-blade dome to protect Emilene and Professor Zain's bodies.
Lyana conjured mana with magic crystals.
A large vine formed in her hand, with fire thorns erupting on it.
She got into stance.
Azek looked at their preparations and got ready.
Magic crystals were crushed in his hands, and a sophisticated spell started getting written.
The boulder took a spear shape in front, with spiked protrusions on the flanks.
He signaled Lyana and Genevieve to sit and lowered his posture.
BOOOOOOOOM
The magic barrier crumbled, and the stone platform shot out rapidly.
The monsters in front of it got crushed due to the sheer speed it exhibited.
Lyana and Genevieve, who were sitting, clenched the platform tightly.
Azek had already told them that he would break through using speed at the start, so they would take a passive role initially.
BOOOOOOOOM
Another explosion resounded, and trees in front and at the side of a small hill got crushed as Azek rapidly navigated through complex terrain.
The platform shook violently through the impact.
Their initial speed had granted them some relief as they broke out from encirclment if monsters but now Azek was risking it all by taking shortest pathway.
And it was littered with monsters.
And when they broke through hillside and emerged, a high grade monster appeared in front of them.