"They're being quite cautious," Bastion said after hearing Elyra's report. "It's a good thing we didn't place traps in the labyrinth."
"They're professionals," Ariel said. "They must've been hunting in this labyrinth for centuries before deciding to rob those who rented rooms. We'd be foolish to underestimate their experience when it comes to navigating the labyrinth."
Once their assailants finally arrived outside the entrance to the Burning Wastes, Elyra reported that they began summoning hordes of creatures. Before long, the creatures poured into the room, only to be engulfed in flames and die horrible deaths.
"Why don't we have summoning contracts like those?" Ariel asked.
"Right! You didn't study with us at the Royal Academy, so you wouldn't know," Seraphina said. "Basically, none of us had the talent for it when we tried to obtain summons during Summoning class. The only one who got lucky was Bastion, who managed to secure a spirit contract. The rest of us failed to obtain summoning contracts, let alone ones that would allow us to summon hordes like those."
"We should consider adding more members, specifically a summoner," Ariel said. "Having a disposable army would be quite handy."
"We'll see if luck favors us in the future," Bastion said before noticing the main force finally moving through the corridor. "Here they come."
The gorillas managed to activate most of the traps just outside the entrance. Following behind them was the main force, led by a line of 2-meter-tall warriors wearing medium armor and carrying large shields. Just as they breached the entrance, Lilia activated the wall while Bastion activated the golems. In an instant, the warriors were caught in a storm of metal that threatened to tear them apart.
"Shield Wall!" the burly man at the front center of the formation shouted.
Silver light erupted from him before spreading across the other warriors, forming a barrier that covered the entire group. The barrier was immediately battered by the storm of bullets, sending sparks flying as metal shredded against its surface. Yet it held firm as the group continued advancing, bullets ricocheting away and fragments scattering across the ground.
"A warrior's group skill," Bastion said, his brows furrowing.
Among all the classes, warriors were best known for their group skills, which allowed them to multiply their collective strength. The barrier the lead warrior deployed, for example, was far more powerful than what someone of his rank should've been capable of producing alone. That was especially impressive considering they were enduring a barrage from 150 Gatling guns, each capable of dealing Rank 3 damage.
"Ariel, coordinate with me for a combined shot. Aim for the Rank 3 warrior in the center of their front line," Bastion instructed.
The pair took out their Rank 2 cannons, each capable of dealing early Rank 4 damage. They leapt onto the top of the wall, aimed at the lead warrior, and opened fire.
Before their massive bullets could land, however, a silver, translucent shield suddenly appeared and intercepted both projectiles. The shield shattered from the impact, but the bullets continued along their path with drastically reduced momentum before slamming into the silver barrier behind it. The barrier easily withstood the remaining force.
This happened each time Bastion or Ariel fired their cannons. Even when they fired separately, shields formed to dampen the attacks before the bullets harmlessly reached the barrier.
"That doesn't look good," Seraphina said. "Should I—"
"No," Bastion interrupted. "It's still too early for that. Let's make them waste their stamina and mana first."
Once the main group reached the edge of the cleared ground, the mages at the back finally got to work. They unleashed a barrage of area spells, including Rank 2 Fire Balls, Ice Explosions, Arcane Explosions, and Wind Blasts, toward the space between themselves and the wall of guns. Most of the spells were detonated midair by the barrage of bullets, but a few managed to reach the ground, prematurely activating traps across a wide area in front of them.
Explosions rocked the space between the golems and the main group, clearing the ground between them. It created enough space for the main force to advance and close the distance to the golems, finally allowing them to launch a counterattack.
It was just in time, too, as the silver barrier was beginning to waver, forcing the bards at the back to join the battle. They drew their instruments and began playing songs of valor, heroism, and tenacity. Their music rejuvenated the warriors at the front, restoring their stamina and strengthening the silver barrier, allowing the group to keep pushing forward.
One of the bards maintained a wide-area song that granted resistance to fire damage, allowing the group to fight comfortably amid the Burning Wastes' deadly heat. Another played songs of tranquility and serenity, helping the mages recover their mana while keeping their minds calm enough to cast their spells with greater focus.
Each bard supported the others, their abilities complementing one another and amplifying their effectiveness far beyond what their numbers alone would suggest.
"Bastion?" Seraphina asked.
"Keep waiting," Bastion insisted.
Once the main force was finally within range of the golems, a dagger shot out from within the group and landed at the edge of the cleared ground. With a flash, the dagger was replaced by a Rank 3 thief wearing black leather armor. Before Bastion and the girls could even blink, he vanished, replaced almost instantly by a Rank 3 female mage, who immediately unleashed a skill as pink mana exploded outward.
The immense surge of mana engulfed the golems and Gatling cannons lining the wall, bringing their barrage to an abrupt halt. The blue glow of Bastion's mana surrounding their bodies flickered violently as the invading energy spread through them, drowning out his control. Within moments, the golems were glowing entirely pink.
One after another, they turned toward Bastion and the girls, their weapons following suit.
Bastion's eyes widened. The mage had seized control of his golems.
Fortunately, he had prepared for precisely this kind of situation.
Arcane Lockdown
A translucent blue dome instantly descended over the entire line of golems, sealing them within its boundaries. He quickly followed it with a second skill.
Arcane Pulse
A wave of blue mana exploded from Bastion's body and flooded the dome, shoving the hostile golems off their feet while permeating every inch of the enclosed space. His Corruption-attributed mana immediately began eating away at the pink mana controlling the golems. The mana mixed as it was gradually devoured, causing the golems to cease functioning one after another. Their weapons dropped, their bodies fell inert, and even the Gatling cannons went silent.
It was unfortunate that Bastion's mana didn't contain intent. Otherwise, he would've been able to reactivate the golems and at least directing them toward their enemies. Unfortunately, he didn't possess the mage's ability to control them in such a way. He was simply lucky that his Corruption attribute was strong enough to consume her Rank 3 mana faster than she could establish control, preventing them from being targeted by his own golems.
The female mage scowled at the sight and immediately attempted to reclaim control. Pink mana erupted from her body once again, surging toward the disabled golems and flooding them. The golems abruptly came back to life, their weapons beginning to rise as her mana reasserted control.
Before they could fire, however, Bastion unleashed another Arcane Pulse, flooding them with Corruption-attributed mana once again. The pink energy was rapidly consumed, causing the golems to shut down once more.
Bastion watched the exchange with a grim smile as his theory was confirmed.
As long as he remained near the golems, they couldn't be used against him and the girls for more than a few insignificant moments. His Corruption-attributed mana would continuously eat away at her influence, forcing the golems to shut down before they could become a threat.
"Thalen!" the female mage shouted behind her.
The group's tight-knit formation instantly broke apart as the warriors dropped the shield barrier and charged forward. They shouted at the top of their lungs, their bodies enveloped in a blood-red aura as they surged ahead. The scouts split off to either side, moving to circle the wall and attack the flanks in a pincer maneuver, while the mages unleashed powerful single-target spells at Bastion and Ariel atop the walls. Behind them, the bards sang songs of bloodshed and gore, enhancing the group's offensive power and movement speed.
"Now!" Bastion shouted behind him.
Seraphina didn't hesitate as she fed mana into a detonator. It was connected underground to a series of Rank 3 explosive potions buried beneath the effective range of the traps. The explosives covered the entire area from the room's entrance to the front section of the wall.
For a brief moment, nothing happened, allowing the enemy force to scatter before the entire floor beneath them erupted.
BOOM!!!
A thunderous explosion rocked the room, sending tons of gravel into the air and crashing against the illusory ceiling. It was as if one of the four volcanoes had suddenly erupted, spewing black ash into the air as a massive mushroom cloud bloomed.
Bastion and the girls weren't safe from the blast either. The force of the explosion tore through the wall, knocking them off their feet and sending them flying hundreds of meters away. As for those caught directly above the explosives, there was so much debris filling the air that it was impossible to tell what had become of them.
"Oops…" Seraphina blushed as she slowly got to her feet, admiring her handiwork. "I might've fumbled the formula a bit... ehehe."
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