He flapped his wings and prepared to leave when the Beast Lord charged over and shot another twenty silk threads over. The bird snorted. Now that he knew his opponent and what it could do, half the battle was won. He expertly weaved his way through the net of threads, evading them with perfect precision. The attack failed to touch his feathers. The failure did not deter the beast. Instead, it fuelled its rampage! The beast crashed its way through the forest, knocking trees down and pulverizing boulders to dust, leaving a trail of carnage in its wake. It shot another volley of silk at Elder Unvo, the quantity was three times more than before! It was a mystery how this beast stored so much silk inside its body. Facing the dense attack, Elder Unvo was forced to use a movement technique that rapidly accelerated him away.
He roared, "Stop, you stupid beast! You can't hurt me! You'll only attract other Beast Lords over!"
Rank 2 Beast Lords, like the Silk Snapping Turtle Insect, gained intelligence equivalent to a young child. That meant they could be reasoned with, unlike normal beasts. So, Elder Unvo was not randomly shouting at the air. He was attempting to communicate with the creature! Despite his best efforts though, the 'child' continued to throw a 'tantrum'. The forest was getting increasingly destroyed, as animals escaped frantically. However, there were a few Beast Lords looking over curiously. They wanted to know who was rampaging in their territory. Some were even headed in this direction… Elder Unvo did the most sensible thing and flew straight into the sky, piercing into the cloud layer. The Silk Snapping Turtle Insect lost its target and thrashed about violently. Another wave of destruction followed.
In the sky, Elder Unvo sighed softly. Since that Silk Snapping Turtle Insect intruded on the territory of multiple local Beast Lords, there would surely be a battle. That entire area would become chaotic and dangerous. In the unlikely scenario, the chaos could spread to the entire mountain, or even the whole Mordrigan Peaks! This was obviously bad for the treasure hunting Elder Unvo. He cursed his bad luck. As for Elizabeth and her party… Well, they had themselves to blame for ignoring his advice. It was not his fault they wanted to kill themselves on these mountains. Who knows? Maybe they already got killed? He wondered how he would explain himself to the other elder birds or Protector Avin if that happened.
"…I suppose I should see how they're doing."
Inside the caves, Elizabeth and her party continued to fight the silk bugs. They had already slain more than fifty of the creatures. Their biggest threat was those silk projectiles. The projectiles defied common sense with their extreme speed and penetration power! It was unlike anything Elizabeth had ever seen. It was not so much of an issue when they shot into the walls or the ceiling. However, when they were shot horizontally, parallel to the ground and straight into Elizabeth's party, the projectile became near-fatal. The knights at the front might be able to dodge in time, but what about the people behind? Unable to react, they would definitely be hit. Their armor was not as useful here as the silk could cut right through. They had to pray it did not strike a vital spot.
Fortunately, when they discovered this, nobody sustained any serious injuries. Benedict quickly took command and ordered their formation to spread out. Since he and Shirley could use martial techniques, they would hold the vanguard. The Grand Knights and Arcane Knights would act as support, eliminating anything that made it through. Elizabeth and Freon did not stay idle. Elizabeth double-casted two spells: Wind Edge and Formless Step. Wind Edge created cutting winds around weapons. Formless Step generated wind currents around people's feet. Freon also double-casted two spells: Three-Pointed Barrier and Verdant Apathy. Three-Pointed Barrier created a triangular barrier around their bodies. Verdant Apathy dulled their sense of pain and exhaustion. With these four spells stacking on top of Benedict and Shirley, they reached their strongest state!
Whoosh! With a single step, they accelerated forward, leaving behind an afterimage. Benedict used Moon Flash, and Shirley Energy Acceleration. Their speed was further enhanced by Elizabeth's Formless Step, making them almost too fast for their bodies to handle. Freon's Verdant Apathy helped here. Benedict raised his sword, and Shirley her halberd. They could not use any destructive martial techniques for fear of causing a cave-in, so they resorted to simple slashes and cuts. Although the bugs had a durable 'turtle shell' on their backs, Benedict and Shirley boasted more than enough power to cut through it with their Martial Energy and Elizabeth's Formless Step.
Sword and halberd light flashed everywhere, as corpses rained down. The two skillfully controlled the battle tempo. Whenever the bugs shot their silk out, Benedict and Shirley had ample space to dodge. They did not interfere with each other, nor did they put anyone in harm's way. The silk was either cut down or pointed at the walls. If something did go wrong, Freon's Three-Pointed Barrier acted as a first layer of defense, giving them enough time to respond. Nothing got past them! The Grand Knights and Arcane Knights who were supposed to act as their support were appropriately dumbfounded. The difference between their performance and now was like night and day! Elizabeth and her friends were unbelievably strong! No wonder they were regarded as famous war heroes. Their reputation was well-deserved!
Lady Kalasena's two maids had their jaws dangling. Previously, they still had some pride and arrogance about their abilities. They thought the stories about Elizabeth and her friends were too embellished to be true, but seeing was believing. They were terrifyingly strong! Lady Kalasena kept her eyes peeled, watching Benedict and Shirley's every strike with total focus. Although their power and speed were outside her capabilities, she could learn about their coordination, tactics, and thought process. Her little battle experience was her greatest flaw, so this demonstration was very valuable to her. On the other hand, Yuna shook. Condensed Drop Core Level and double casting… Freon had surpassed her in the blink of an eye. At this point, she could only gaze up at his shadow. Her place beside him was gone. And what about in the future? He would only go further away. This made her anxious and scared.
Boom! Benedict and Shirley successfully killed all the silk bugs and cut a path into a vast open cavern. Upon seeing how wide it was, everyone was relieved. Fighting in a tight passageway with those damned bugs was not a good experience. This way, they could finally use their numbers to their advantage. Elizabeth squinted. It was too dark to see the entire cavern. Their torchlight could hardly light up the surroundings. This did not comfort her, because what if this was a nest for those silk bugs? What if there were hundreds or thousands lying in ambush? Their numbers would easily overrun Elizabeth's group! Everyone else realised this, as they quieted down, their faces deadly serious. Martial and Magic Perceptions swept out, trying to sense any bugs nearby. Depending on the situation, they might have to retreat. Freon was especially nervous. Where was Nassandra?
Huh? She's fighting something! Freon sensed the bursts of her Magic Energy in the distance. He wanted to charge into the darkness to save her, only restraining the impulse at the very last second.
Meanwhile, Benedict frowned seeing his sword. Although he could cut more effectively with his Martial Energy and Elizabeth's Wind Edge, it did not magically change his sword's durability. He had to exert enormous force to cut through the bugs' armor. This, in turn, damaged his blade. It was now chipped, dulled, and dented from the abuse. It could not be used as a weapon anymore. Shirley was similarly surprised to see the state of her halberd. The blade was on the verge of shattering, and the shaft was almost split in half. A little more pressure, and it would fall apart! Had their weapons always been this delicate? How were they supposed to fight like this? Suddenly, they understood what Elizabeth said about crafting stronger weapons and armors. Their current weapons were ordinary Mortal Grades. They were unsuitable for their Rank 2 Lord strength. To compliment their newfound strength, they needed Noble Grade armaments!