Chapter 270: – Flaming Goats. |
The instant the wagon passed through the gate, the world changed. The waypoint vanished behind them, replaced by what could best be described as a military camp. As the gates closed and the massive wall disappeared from view, a series of smaller fortifications came into sight. They stood in a half oval formation around the entrance, with overlapping layers of defenses designed to ensure that no enemy could even reach the main gate.
It reminded Rusty of the outpost city he had once protected. Most of the people here wore some form of armor. Soldiers marched between barracks while adventurers moved in small groups, carrying weapons stained from recent use. Supply wagons rolled through the compound loaded with crates, arrows, and preserved food. Unlike the area they had come from, nobody here appeared relaxed.
'That looks like an adventurer guild... similar to the ones I've seen before.'
Even though this world was different from his own, some things remained the same. Adventurer guilds existed here as well, and some of these people would be accompanying them. Their wagon continued forward before eventually stopping beside a group of adventurers. The teacher stepped outside to speak with them.
"I can't hear what they are saying..."
Astrella leaned back in her seat with her hands behind her head.
"What could they be saying, Rusty? They're just confirming the details of the job. Once we reach Rose Knight Academy, they'll be handsomely rewarded."
"I see..."
It made sense. They were hired help, there to protect them from harm. The adventurers had their own mounts, creatures that resembled large wolves. There were ten of them in total, and they soon took positions around the wagon as it resumed its journey through the camp.
Most commoners feared nobles. Even minor nobles possessed influence, connections, and the power to make life difficult for anyone who crossed them. Rusty remembered hearing stories of entire villages suffering because a noble had taken offense at some imagined slight.
The convoy continued onward. Before long, the last of the fortifications disappeared behind them. For the first time since arriving in this world, Rusty found himself looking at a truly open landscape. The tightly controlled academy grounds were gone, along with most of the restrictions. Only the spell within the wagon still forced him to remain in his smaller form.
'They really don't trust these young summoners with their power.'
He could hardly blame the older mages for placing restrictions on them. If even one summoner allowed their monster to grow inside such a confined space, chaos could follow. Some summons were enormous, others notoriously difficult to control. Many summoners focused solely on obtaining stronger creatures, each one requiring higher attributes and greater control than the last.
The well-kept fields were gone, replaced by rough terrain untouched by generations of farmers. Tall grass swayed in the wind. Clusters of trees dotted the landscape at irregular intervals, while distant hills rose along the horizon. This was no longer cultivated land but a fully expanded area teeming with living creatures.
“I can see movement…”
Rusty immediately realized that non-humanoid monsters were hiding in the tall grass and among the trees. Some resembled serpentine birds, peeking their long necks out as the wagon rolled past. The road they traveled on was in good condition, and he noticed lights placed along its edges that seemed to keep the creatures at bay.
“What are those?”
“Those are protective lights. They should be able to keep the weaker monsters from attacking.”
“Only the weaker ones?”
He asked Gwen, prompting her to elaborate.
“Yes... If any strong monsters appear, we might be in trouble. But that will probably not happen, so let us just enjoy the trip instead.”
Gwen was in high spirits, but Rusty was not nearly as relaxed. He knew this was a mission chosen by the Soul Forge. Under normal circumstances, there was probably little chance of anything happening, but with him involved, those odds seemed to increase exponentially.
For the time being, the journey continued uneventfully. Syber, despite having rested at the hotel, fell asleep almost as soon as they started moving. The girls returned to their game, and while Astrella did not improve much, Gwen finally began expanding her strategy and playing more proactively.
On the second night, they arrived at their first stop. It was another walled checkpoint, complete with large towers, ballista-like weapons, and protective lights scattered throughout the area. It seemed that the people of this world relied heavily on strong fortifications and magical wards to keep monsters at bay.
The hotel they stayed in was more modest this time, and the students had far fewer comforts than before. The boys and girls were divided into separate groups and slept together in larger shared rooms. While some of them complained, Rusty considered it a much safer arrangement. There were no secluded rooms where someone could easily release a venomous creature to target his unsuspecting summoner.
He remained vigilant, keeping watch over the area and staying ready to act or make enough noise to wake everyone if necessary. Yet no one made a move that night. Either they had given up, or there were simply too many people gathered in one place to attempt a stealthy attack.
The adventurers rode their wolven mounts alongside the wagon, maintaining a steady formation as it continued down the road. Their vigilance, however, left much to be desired. No one seemed to expect any sort of attack. Rusty could not entirely blame them, as the journey had been remarkably uneventful.
And so it remained for more than half the trip, until everything changed.
“I could go for some strawberry cheesecake right now...”
Astrella grumbled, looking exhausted. They were now on the fifth day of their journey, and the youths had finally grown tired of their board game. What seemed destined to become another dull day of travel suddenly took a different turn.
‘The teacher... he noticed something.’
While the children were distracted by their own activities, Rusty noticed a change in Quinten's behavior. The teacher was examining something through his monocle, which appeared to be an enchanted item of some sort. Rusty could tell that Quinten's attention was fixed in a single direction, and whatever he was observing seemed to be drawing more and more of his focus.
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“Is something coming?”
Rusty said as he moved toward the window, trying to catch sight of whatever had drawn attention outside.
“Something is coming?”
Gwen asked with a yawn. The day was drawing to a close as they traveled through the rocky terrain of a mountain range they needed to cross. Their next destination was a waypoint embedded within the mountains themselves, but before they could reach it, they had to navigate the final stretch of winding roads that climbed higher into the peaks. To the left of the wagon was a steep drop with no protective railing to keep them from plunging over the edge.
Professor Quinten rose from his seat and moved toward the rear of the wagon. His expression had become noticeably more serious. The adventurers riding alongside them seemed to notice it as well. Several straightened in their saddles and repositioned themselves along the rear side of the wagon as though preparing to defend it.
“Isn't it shaking more than usual?”
Astrella was the first to notice. Even through the dampening magic that normally smoothed out the wagon's movements, they could feel a faint tremor running through the vehicle. Then they saw it. A massive dust cloud was racing toward them from behind. Within it moved strange creatures.
The beasts burst from the dust cloud like an avalanche. At first glance, they resembled oversized mountain goats, but only from a distance. Their bodies were covered in gray scales instead of fur, and sharp spiral horns curved backward from their skulls. Each creature was nearly as large as a horse. Their hooves struck the stone road with enough force to crack it, and their heads appeared skeletal, bathed in flames.
“Hell Ashrams. Get ready, students.”
Their teacher dispelled the silencing spell surrounding the wagon as the monsters rapidly closed the distance. Everyone who had been asleep jolted awake at the sound of his booming voice. The pounding of the drakehorses' hooves grew louder as they accelerated, accompanied by the distant roars of the Hell Ashrams.
“Hell Ashrams? Why are we being chased by those creatures?”
Astrella pressed her face against the window, trying to get a better look, but she could barely see anything.
“Those monsters are attracted to mana. Were they drawn to us?”
Gwen mumbled as Rusty listened.
“How could that be? We're using concealment enchantments. No mana should be leaking through!”
Astrella countered, her voice growing increasingly nervous.
“I don't know...”
Rusty was almost certain he was the reason for this one in a thousand predicament. Either the enchantment had failed, or this was another scenario created by the summoning chamber. Nevertheless, he needed to stay vigilant.
“I thought this was supposed to be a safe trip...”
“If they reach us, they'll tear us apart!”
The other students began whispering among themselves, panic spreading as they listened to the strange sounds coming from outside. Before their fear could truly take hold, Quinten's voice rang out once more.
“Calm yourselves. This is exactly what you've been practicing for. The restrictions on your summons will now be lifted. Anyone with ranged capabilities, meet me on the roof.”
Quinten's tone was cold and resolute. The moment he finished speaking, Rusty felt the restrictions on his body vanish. He could now assume his full form, and so could all the other summoned creatures traveling within the wagon.
That was not the only change. Moments later, part of the wagon's roof began to open. A set of stairs formed from the interior structure, allowing people to climb upward. Their teacher was the first to ascend, stepping onto the broad roof and taking position on the elevated platform from which he intended to protect the students.
Some of the students were too scared to move. Others gritted their teeth and forced themselves toward the stairs as the wagon continued to shake from the impacts of their pursuers.
“Gwen, let’s go! I can use my bow!”
With his restrictions removed, he could help as well, and he was eager to take part in the defense, which was probably part of the mission. Archery was not his strongest specialty, but he could still use a few skills and kill some of those goat-like monsters.
“...”
Gwen did not answer immediately, but after clenching her fists, she finally nodded.
“Wait, Gwen. I’m coming with you. I’ll give everyone some buffs!”
Astrella was willing to help as well, but many of their friends were not sure if they should join them.
“I’m more suited for close-range combat...”
Syber frowned, knowing his bestial form would not be much help. Eldric’s snakes had no ranged capabilities, and Aldric specialized in heavily defensive golems. Even Aranea was at a disadvantage, as her massive spider would probably only get in the way.
Only a handful of students headed for the stairs. The roof was fairly spacious since the wagon itself was large. Rusty remained in his smaller form while Gwen carried him upward, her hands shaking slightly. As soon as they emerged onto the roof, the wind whipped past them with such force that several students nearly lost their footing.
“Be careful and don’t lose your balance!”
Quinten shouted as many of the students dropped to their knees the moment they arrived. A protective railing surrounded the roof to catch anyone who stumbled, but it was still a dangerous place to stand.
The air around their teacher shifted as he began summoning something. Moments later, the creature revealed itself. Blue, icy energy condensed before them, and even Rusty’s metallic body started to gather frost.
A strange being composed of ice and swirling snowy energy emerged. It floated above the ground, supported by long, thin upper limbs and a triangular body that looked almost unnatural.
“It’s the teacher’s Ice Elemental! Those Ashrams won’t stand a chance!”
One of the students shouted as the creature fully materialized before them. Though large, it hovered directly overhead. Cold mist rolled from its body in slow waves, coating the wooden planks beneath them in a thin layer of frost. The temperature dropped so rapidly that several students began to shiver.
Then it unleashed its full power. Massive spears of ice shot into the distance. Each was far thicker than an ordinary spear, and their destructive power was undeniable. They streaked through the air in graceful arcs like oversized arrows. Whenever one struck a monster, the result was immediate.
The spear pierced straight through its target and froze half of its body solid. A storm of frozen projectiles filled the sky as more of the creatures were struck and immobilized. Yet the chase continued as though the horde had no end.
After witnessing their teacher’s overwhelming display of power, the students wanted to contribute as well. Rusty expanded into his normal form, drew his bow, and began firing. His arrows flew alongside the ice javelins. While they dealt far less damage, they still managed to pierce the monsters’ burning flesh.
More students joined the fight as additional summons appeared. One was a gigantic plant that launched spikes from its strange, gaping mouth. Astrella provided support magic, strengthening everyone’s abilities. Together, the relentless barrage of projectiles gradually forced the pursuing avalanche of ram-like monsters to retreat.
“We are doing it! I knew we were already top-notch summoners!”
Astrella cheered as everything was going great.
“Don’t be careless. This isn’t over yet.”
Quinten’s voice rang out as he adjusted his monocle and looked ahead. Rusty turned with him and soon saw what had caught his attention: a strange black cloud approaching from the opposite direction, filled with countless glowing skulls.
“Hell bats!”
One of the students shouted as the mass ahead revealed itself to be a swarm of black bats with flaming skeletal faces. Without warning, they swooped toward them like a tidal wave, forcing their teacher to react.
“Ice Elemental, shield!”
He shouted, and his summon spun around, quickly conjuring a thick wall of ice encasing the front of the wagon. The bats slammed into it with tremendous force. The carriage shook violently, and the students lost their footing, crashing into the safety railing.
That was when it happened. Rusty saw a series of vines lash out, shoving Gwen in the direction she was already stumbling. The push sent her over the railing. He reacted on instinct, lunging forward and vaulting over the side after her as they both plunged from the cliff together…
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