Chapter 152: Runaway (2)
“Hmm?”
Solitas, who was paying close attention to the work in the forge, stopped what he was doing. The wood sculpture and the graver left his hands, and Solitas gazed out at the north.
I just felt an explosion.
It wasn’t near here. It was yonder over the northern area of the fiefdom. A human couldn’t feel it because it was far, but he could since he was a dragon.
Is it just a simple explosion? No. I felt the mana.
He found himself already standing. Then, concentrating his senses on the north, he walked over in that direction, and the remnants of the mana could be felt more clearly the closer he got.
An explosion of mana. Magic. The pattern of the mana shaking. Necromancer’s bringing of the dead. Then, could it be the corpse explosion? But it was way more powerful than the usual ones.
The excellent dragon that he was, Solitas could almost get an accurate picture even though it happened miles away from his studio. And he was also aware of who was in the direction of the explosion.
Lloyd Frontera. Hmm. I wonder if he’s involved.
Solitas waffled over whether he should help out. But he couldn’t be bothered. Then again, he thought it was only right that he should go. As the internal debate took place in Solitas, there came an acid comment behind him.
“Well, well, look at you! During my time as an apprentice, I hyper-focused on my work and never did anything else, be it a cough, until I was done with what my master assigned me to do.”
“…”
When Solitas turned, his gaze locked with Corgidus, his teacher, and the latter was stringently looking at him.
“Tell me, are you done with the carving I told you to do?” asked Corgidus.
“Um, no. Not yet.”
“Then, you should finish it.”
“…”
“Focus on the work I gave you. Start with the wood, and then we will move from plaster to granite to metal. Once you get used to them, I shall let you work on the pebbles that are the size of a nail, and only then will you learn how to deal with jewels. How long this will take all depends on you.”
“Hmm, I see.”
Solitas agreed with his teacher. After all, Corgidus was right. But there was one more reason why he easily got back to work.
Javier Asrahan. Does he have the same level of senses as mine?
Solitas’s gaze moved to the main road, and he saw the silver-haired knight dashing in that direction. It was Javier, and he was zooming northward.
I knew it.
Solitas figured that the knight, too, felt the explosion a moment ago. That must be the reason why he was sprinting northward. As such, Solitas was relieved.
He’s on another level. I felt it from our last fight too.
Once that man of monstrous caliber went to help, Solitas had nothing much to worry about. If there was anyone he should be worried about, it was himself.
Whew. Why is carving wood so difficult?
Solitas returned to the studio and picked up the block of wood again. It was ugly, with its edges all pointy and irregular. But Solitas had put a lot of effort into this. He sighed as he looked at his product. At this rate, the future looked undeniably bleak. It would take eons until he worked the stones well and got ready for marriage.
But I’m not giving up. Dating, marriage, or revenge.
Javier Asrahan. Solitas vowed to himself that he would pay back the shame decades later. Resolving such, he picked up the graver again.
“Whew.”
Lloyd picked up the shovel and gazed at the south. The workers were growing distant now, surrounded by the protective engineers and the White Cavalry. Just then, an event that happened a moment ago came to his mind.
Sir Blanc is one stubborn figure.
Lloyd said he would buy them some time so no one was to fight the undead Mastodons head-on. The rest must help out with the evacuation and run together. But the plan prompted violent opposition from Sir Blanc, who clamored that it could never be done as they were the swords and shields of Her Majesty. As such, the suggestion to turn back in the presence of the enemy was preposterous. The man voiced strong determination as he sternly looked at Lloyd. And so, Lloyd was left with no choice but to order.
“This isn’t a request. This is an order.”
Lloyd put on a straight face and spoke strictly on purpose. He said that the authority to give an order belonged to him as the White Cavalry was dispatched to the Frontera county under the orders of the Queen at the moment and thus rightfully subjugated to the orders of Count Frontera. And the person in charge of the construction supervision was him, that is, Lloyd, as the count had relegated his powers and authority to Lloyd. And what about the White Cavalry, which joined the construction project as workers?
“Obviously, you are within the boundaries of my responsibilities. Moreover, since an unexpected accident took place to risk many lives, the operation control to command the whole site belongs to me all the more. Plus, tell me, what is the point of this meaningless debate? Do you not think that it is right to take action as one amid this crisis instead of chitchatting?”
Lloyd spoke fast, emphasizing each word and never drawing his breath until he was done. Then, he stared Sir Blanc in the eyes. The trick must have worked. Sir Blanc finally nodded.
“It appears… that you have a plan in mind. Anyway, do be safe out there.”
After that, Sir Blanc joined the rest of the workers as he led the White Cavalry in the rear formation. Sir Bayern and the engineering corp were with them. And once they were gone, Lloyd was left alone in the wilderness of the undead Mastodons. Actually, Lloyd was with five baby Mastodons.
“Anyone not happy with the plan?” asked Lloyd.
“Chuuu!!”
“No complaints, right?”
“Chu!!”
The five baby Mastodons flared their noses in nervousness as they shook their 6.5-foot tall body. An apologetic smile faintly formed on Lloyd’s face.
“Yes, I’m sorry,” Lloyd said. “I’m not doing this because I want to do this, but I need your help on this one.”
“Chuuuu!!”
“All right. Okay. Okay. Don’t lick my face. You haven’t brushed your teeth.”
“Chu!!”
Lloyd soothed the baby Mastodons for a while. The sudden explosion and the following herd of undead Mastodons shook the babies to the hilt. It was reasonably chaotic and terrorizing. Nonetheless, they had to remain calm.
“So, I need you all to move with me calmly. Okay? That’s how you and I all can survive,” explained Lloyd.
“Chuuu!!”
“Okay, okay. Good kids. So, are you ready?”
“Chuuu!”
Rumble…
The ground was shaking now, and Lloyd turned toward the north to spot the herd of undead Mastodons charging in his direction about 200 yards away. He also saw Ppodong, who was running way ahead of them.
“Okay!” said Lloyd. “Ppodong, come here!”
“Ppodong!”
Lloyd hopped on Ppodong’s back when he arrived, all panting and breathing hard. His hair was a mess, as though he had a big scuffle with the Mastodons as he stalled them. Lloyd was hurt with a pang of gratitude and sorriness. He then lifted his head. The herd was now about 100 yards away. Now, things mattered from now on. It was the real deal. Lloyd had to do it right to propel the Mastodon herds to stop pursuing the workers and be on his heels instead. Come hell or high water. That was the only way to ensure the workers’ safety. Resolving such, Lloyd grabbed Ppodong’s nape.
“All right, let’s go! Off we go!”
“Ppodong!”
“Chuuu!!”
Ppodong leaped, and five baby Mastodons followed beside him.
“To the west!”
Lloyd sped, and he soon turned around to bawl at the undead Mastodons that were heading south.
“Look here!”
Lloyd held up his shovel and pointed at the baby Mastodons, who were running parallel to Lloyd.
“I got your babies in my hands!”
Lloyd’s shout grew louder.
“Unless you come to save them! What do you think I will do to them? I am going to kidnap them! And take them to the slaughterhouse! And! Their horns and tusks will be pulled out! I’ll also skin them alive and sell them for a good price!”
Lloyd wielded his shovel violently, and using the Asrahan Core Technique, he loaded the mana into his voice.
“Can you hear me?!”
Lloyd’s mana-charged yelling clanged aloud throughout the wilderness until it came within the earshot of the undead Mastodon herds heading south. Lloyd observed their movement with bated breath.
Please… Take a right. Please.
Just then, Lloyd recalled a part in The Knight of Blood and Iron.
Mastodons. They were giant herbivore monsters who lived in vast plains. It was said that they live in groups and collectively raise and bred their babies as one, much like the buffalos inhabiting the fields of the North American continent.
The book also said that they’re obsessive when it comes to babies. It was so serious to the point that such motherly instincts still existed in part even after they became undead.
From the moment Lloyd was hit with the part in the story, he thought he could capitalize on their strong instinct, which was even more powerful than death. So, he devised a plan in a flash and evacuated everyone to a safe place. Lloyd figured that he could buy them enough time for them to run away.
“Okay, so! I have your babies! I’m going to kill them! I’ll kidnap, hurt, beat, and sell them!”
Fwoosh! He wielded the shovel violently, and the baby Mastodons wailed after being terrified by the ferocious shovel.
“Chuuu!!”
Just then…
“Gwoak…?”
The Mastodon herd charging south slowed at once. They turned to Lloyd’s side. And their blank eyes suddenly held a glint of a vague motherly emotion.
“Gwoak… Gwoak!”
Babies. The babies were there. Fledgling and young babies who still needed the protection and care of their mothers. They were crying there. When they realized the presence of the babies…
“Gwoahhh!”
Gallop! Thwack! The undead heart changed the direction to the west. They angrily made for Lloyd’s side.
Awesome.
Lloyd clenched his fists. He succeeded in drawing their attention. Right now, the only job left was to safely run away and lose them.
“I already had the path in mind. Ppodong. Continue to head west!”
“Ppodong!”
Lloyd cut across the wilderness, and at times, when the distance with the undead neared, Lloyd fired mana blasts. When he did…
Thwack! Thump!
“Gwoak!”
The Mastodon on the lead got knocked out by the mana blast, which pierced from the head to the butt in a straight line. It flopped to the ground and burst.
Kaboom! Corpse explosion. The file was greatly disturbed, at least for a while, and Lloyd broke out in a cold sweat as he saw it.
Good that I didn’t choose to fight them head-on. I made the right call by sending the White Cavalry away.
It appeared that the corpse explosion magic got activated automatically when they were neutralized. Had the White Cavalry proceeded and fought head-on, they would have suffered huge casualties by the explosion.
I made the right call. Good job, earlier Lloyd.
Lloyd continued to run and sped faster. Sometime later, at last, there appeared a steep cliff on the edge of the wilderness. Lloyd pointed at one area of the cliff with his shovel.
“Hey, Ppodong. Over there! See that?”
“Ppo-do-dong?”
“The valley on the side of the cliff!”
There was an entrance to a narrow valley where Lloyd was pointing at. The valley was so narrow that it was as though someone wielded the ax to split the cliff in half.
“Enter there! We’re going to pass straight through the valley!” yelled Lloyd.
“Ppodong!”
Past the valley, there was a forest of considerable size.
We can hide there. I can make Ppodong small again. Then, we can lose the undead very well.
Lloyd and Ppodong hopped into the valley as he thought about the plan again. But a few minutes later, he learned that a great hurdle lay ahead of him.
What the heck? Why is the valley torn down?
Lloyd had to stop Ppodong, and with disappointment and despair in his eyes, Lloyd gazed at the blocked wall that stood in front of him.
“Dammit…”
The valley had collapsed, and the path straight ahead was blocked entirely. Both sides of the cliffs crumbled, causing tens of thousands of tons of dirt and rocks to barricade their way.
Is it because of the spring rain?
It appeared so, indeed. Lloyd’s heart pounded violently.
Crap. If it’s like this, my plan’s a failure.
Behind him was the herd of undead Mastodons that wanted to kill him. And in front of him, the valley he thought was well-paved was blocked by the landslide. The path he had taken to get here was long and narrow, so there was no way to the other side. In other words, Lloyd was at an impasse.
Shoot.
Lloyd heavily broke out in a cold sweat, but he didn’t allow himself to be gripped with panic. He didn’t waste his time by fussing about this predicament, either. Instead, he immediately shouted aloud.
“Everyone! Get close to the cliff!”
This cliff wasn’t suitable for climbing, and it was evidenced by his quick surveying skill.
It’s sandstone. They break easily. Try to climb the cliff, and you’re sure to free fall. Besides, the ground is still wet from the recent rain. If I’m out of luck, I’m going to cause a landslide.
And he would be buried alive. As such, the attempt to climb up the cliff and make it out alive was better put aside, especially when Lloyd was with Ppodog and baby Mastodons. Lloyd, having done the math in seconds, stared at Ppodong.
“Listen to me carefully now,” Lloyd said quickly and straightforwardly. “I need you to hug the baby Mastodons. And stay right close to the cliff. Don’t come near me until I tell you to do so. Okay?”
“Ppodong?”
“Got it?!” demanded Lloyd.
“Ppo…dong!”
“Good boy.”
Ppodong was always a good boy. Being a good boy, Lloyd stroked him once before turning around. He then headed to the narrow path he had taken, and in the distance, he noticed one undead Mastodon rushing along the curved path of the valley.
“Gwoack!”
Kaboom! There was a murderous look in their eyes. But Lloyd didn’t stop. Instead, he simply stepped forward to face them as he lifted up his shovel. He clashed three manas and fired the triple mana blast into the sky.
I can’t use the mana blast at them in this narrow place as the corpse explosion will cause a landslide. So… this is the best shot I have against them.
He used every bit of his energy to use the triple mana blast. The wretched exhaustion and dizziness following it forced Lloyd to collapse to the ground. And he scoffed as he looked at the violent herd coming his way. He was resolved. He closed his eyes and allowed himself to fall into a trance. At the same time, a clear alarm rang in his head.
Ding dong.
[The Asrahan Core Technique Skill Option ⑤: Supercharge has been activated.]
[You are absorbing a large amount of mana from random surroundings.]
From then on…
Ziiiiing!
The undead Mastodon herd was ready to pulverize the valley. Lloyd flopped in front of them with aplomb. And he, who became a mana blackhole, started to engulf everything that came his way.