Chapter 532 Mercy

’This way.’

’Everyone, move quietly. It’ll be a headache if we catch the eyes of the monsters below.’

The mercenaries moved cautiously across the rooftops toward the city walls.

Since the streets near the outskirts had all been converted into paths for the monsters to move through, they couldn’t cross them directly.

From rooftop to rooftop. Crossing temporarily installed bridges, the mercenaries arrived near the northern wall.

A gathering point slightly away from the northern gate, where they were currently luring monsters inside. The mercenaries who arrived there huddled together and cautiously looked out beyond the wall.

The streets of Labyrinth and the area outside the walls were already filled with monsters.

And even now, countless monsters continued to approach Labyrinth. It looked as if a black wave was surging toward the city.

A few mercenaries looked at it and muttered involuntarily.

’There’s an insane amount of them.... You’re saying we have to break through that? Will that be easy?’

’You’re talking pretty comfortably since you’re in the support group and don’t have to go down. Want me to take you along?’

’No, that’s not what I meant, geez.’

A few of the mercenaries bickered in such a small way.

Of course, it was just like the usual small routine mercenaries go through before a big battle, so it didn’t escalate into a real fight.

Moreover, while the other mercenaries held their tongues, they felt similarly in their hearts.

The mercenaries’ gazes naturally shifted toward the giant monster straight ahead.

The target was the culprit of this current situation.

It was Calamitas, the giant monster that had emerged from the labyrinth.

As it was the source generating this massive swarm of monsters flocking to Labyrinth, the path leading toward it was packed with creatures.

Far off, within the blazing flames of Calamitas, new monsters could occasionally be seen emerging even now.

The vice-captain standing next to Frey spoke softly in a low voice.

’Isn’t the number a bit much? It’s much worse than I thought.’

’It’s similar to the invasions that came every year.’

’No, back then we didn’t dive directly into that. Besides, the monsters look a bit stronger than usual.’

Frey turned around and spoke to everyone as if it were no big deal.

’Well, then let’s just think of it as being inside the labyrinth. Didn’t about that many come out when we accidentally touched two Obsidian Chests at once?’

’That’s not comforting at all... sigh.’

Since there really was no other way in the current situation, everyone sighed and raised their weapons.

While the other mercenaries were talking just before departure.

Ian, Rin, and Ria, who were part of the group, also shared a brief conversation.

’Um... Master?’

’Yes?’

’Over there.’

Ria spoke to Ian with a slightly anxious expression next to him.

Where her finger pointed was the front-line command post of the defense force set up nearby. It was the northern gate watchtower where the defense commanders and Rebecca were located.

’I know it’s a bit late to say this after coming all this way. But how about just staying over there? We don’t necessarily have to go directly into that horde....’

’No. I have to go.’

’Sigh.’

Ian replied as if it couldn’t be helped.

In the meantime, Ian’s level had risen quite a bit, making it difficult for low-level monsters to wound him. Still, jumping into that was certainly a reckless act.

But even so, it couldn’t be helped. Ian was absolutely necessary for this task, so even if it was dangerous, he couldn’t stay behind.

Next to the sighing Ria, Rin spoke as if it were inevitable.

’What’s the big deal? Just think of it as a labyrinth.’

’Your way of thinking is starting to resemble that person’s more and more....’

...Of course, the reason Rin reacted so calmly was thanks to having heard the plan from Ian before Ria did. When she first heard it, she had the exact same reaction as Ria.

Eventually, Ria shook her head with a face that said she gave up. She seemed to understand that it was something they couldn’t suddenly change after coming this far.

’Fine. Then at least stay stuck as close to my side as possible.’

’Ah... wait, I’m going to be there too.’

As Ria stood close to Ian’s side, Rin stuck close to the other side.

Ian stared at the form of Calamitas visible in the distance. Although it was quite far away, its shape was so massive that he had to look up even from that distance.

Since things had come to this, he had to see it through somehow.

Even though it was a much more roundabout path, it was the path he had personally chosen knowing it might be a loss.

Frey, confirming that all the mercenaries were ready to depart, approached Ian’s side.

’I’ll grant that we’re going. But do you have a plan? What do you intend to do about a thing that size?’

’Yes. If we can just somehow arrive in front of it....’

’Right. If you have one, then let’s not waste time talking. Everyone, move out.’

Frey nodded and signaled to everyone.

The mercenaries on the wall jumped down all at once.

* * *

The mercenaries dashed forward, cutting through the horde of countless monsters.

’Don’t stop, keep moving forward! Keep the path open!’

’Rotate the wounded to the inside! Get next to the Paladins!’

Frey and her mercenary members led the charge at the very front.

Everyone followed behind them, cutting down monsters swarming from all directions as they advanced.

It was a quite reckless movement performed while surrounded by countless monsters, but it was an unavoidable choice in a situation where they had to go forward.

Either way, this was a matter of whether it could succeed or not—nothing in between.

Everyone had long since abandoned the idea of folding the operation and retreating in case of emergency.

’Captain, right!’

’Where!’

Hearing the signal, Frey’s body immediately leaped into the air.

Stepping on the heads of a few monsters and bypassing all the obstructing minions, Frey soon found the target and dove toward it.

The target was a large-bodied monster whose height protruded about a head taller than the others.

It was an enhanced monster with special abilities.

’Right here!’

Landing with a shockwave from the air... Frey pushed away the obstructing monsters with an unknown falling technique that appeared to be an original skill, and immediately took out the monster enveloped in a red aura.

The monster’s red aura was immediately sucked in as if being absorbed by Frey.

It was the [Headhunter] trait, which steals the highest stat of an enhanced monster and restores combat resources.

Through the gap created that way, a massive figure leaped in following after.

A presence so large that the gazes of all the nearby monsters were drawn toward it, causing the offensive against the main group to weaken for a brief moment.

Hamel knocked away the monsters blocking the front and delved into the gap in the horde.

Because that advance was so fast, Hamel moved far ahead of the main group to a point that looked dangerous.

’Here I go!’

With that voice, light erupted from Hamel.

To be precise, it was light flowing from the staff held in the hands of Kria, who was clinging to his back. It was a brand new staff, entirely different from the equipment she had used before.

Kria, who blew away the surrounding monsters with sparks, aimed the staff forward.

From it, a massive beam poured out.

Along with a loud explosion, the shining beam swept through the monster horde, punching a large hole in the creatures ahead.

Using that gap, the mercenaries moved forward quickly.

Hamel and Kria, who had rejoined before anyone knew it, returned to Ian’s side. Kria hugged her new staff tightly and shouted to Ian.

’Kyah! Master Ian! I really don’t have to give this back later, right!’

’I told you so.’

It was a question and answer they had exchanged at least ten times already.

What Kria held in her hands was a new staff found in the dungeon from the treasure map Ian had handed her.

It was a staff that converted all activated attack magic into a beam skill called [Energy Ray].

Since this ray calculated damage proportional to the sum of the activated skill’s attack power, it was most effective when held by a mage specialized in area-of-effect attack magic.

’Instead... please use it as much as possible right now. That’s the only way we can reach that place.’

’Yes! Hamel, over there this time!’

Hamel, with Kria on his back, nodded and ran forward again.

- Kuaaa!

’A big one is coming from the front!’

Along with a monster’s roar, a mercenary’s shout was heard. Hearing it, everyone turned their eyes toward that direction.

A large-scale monster of a size that forced everyone to crane their necks back was approaching.

The monsters were all covered in something like shadows, making it difficult to distinguish their original appearance, but perhaps it was something like a Minotaur.

However, before everyone’s steps could stop in front of it, a flash flew in.

From behind everyone. From the city wall.

The distance had become quite far, to the point where they could no longer distinguish the people standing on the wall, but the trajectory that flew from there struck the monster’s head accurately.

The identity of the thing that flew from the wall was... an arrow.

The arrow stuck in the large monster immediately caused a massive explosion, and the monster collapsed helplessly just like that.

—Atop the walls of Labyrinth.

The rear-guard units who remained behind for support were gathered there.

’Captain. A medium-sized monster is approaching the main force from the north-northwest.’

’Frey is near that one. Leave the medium-sized ones to that side. Next?’

’I see a massive figure in the northeast... it doesn’t seem to have spotted the main force yet. It might just pass by based on its movement path.’

Ariel raised her bow again while receiving reports from the lookouts gathered around.

Ariel reached out her hand to the side and said.

’Arrow.’

’Yes, right here.’

A nearby archer with nothing else to do quickly picked up a new arrow and handed it to Ariel.

...Of course, they had worked hard to support the mercenaries at first.

But now that the distance had grown so far that they could barely be seen, Ariel was the only one left who could project firepower that far.

The only thing left to do was to hand Ariel the things she needed and watch the faintly visible battle situation in the distance.

Ariel quietly aimed her arrow and watched the north, opening her mouth as if speaking to herself.

’Master Ian... just what on earth are you aiming for?’

She muttered as she watched the group of mercenaries making their way through the wave of monsters.