Chapter 132.3: A Maverick General Cannot Live Long (1)

“Let’s get out of here for now.”

Ian’s quiet voice was heard. The situation inside the cave was sorted out that way.

* * *

“Dra-dragon! Breath!”

(Grrrr! Grk! Grrrraaaa-!)

The battle at the entrance of the cave was hundred folds fiercer than the inner cave one, as far as the fighting was concerned. Furthermore, they were being pushed back.

Although the six dra-dragons were very strong, it was impossible to take on all the gargoyles that were charging in droves with no regards for their own lives. Ultimately, the rear line was left in charge of the fairy clan and Helenelia, but that’s where the problem began.

(Haaaaa! Hah! Phew…..!)

Unlike the six dra-dragons that possessed unlimited stamina, and the masters who possessed un-diminishable life force, the fairy clan and Helenelia were ‘life forms’. That was, there were limits to physical and mental stamina. It was no wonder that they were getting sick of the endless waves of gargoyles’ onslaught, as well as exhausted.

(For crying out loud, how much longer…..!)

Breathing coarsely, Helenelia, once again, went on the gargoyle hunting. Before she had departed, she even downed a bottle of harp elixir that Ian’s alchemists had prepared for her. Although it helped, it was still difficult.

(Was there a problem?)

“If so, everyone has no choice, but to die.”

Zerbio replied to Helenelia’s murmuring. He was directly blockading the gargoyles himself, after having gotten off the dra-dragon’s back. Although he wasn’t as good as Oliver, he was rather masterful in his own right.

“Ah, you guys. We are not able to die. I envy you.”

Zerbio hurriedly corrected his words. The two hatchets in his hands were hacking the gargoyles’ bodies. He had handedly performed the work of one man.

(The queen is on her way!)

Then a several members of the fairy clan shouted. They were the members who were able to communicate telepathically with the queen, and soon everyone began to see a hope. If they were to join forces with Ian and Evantus’ magic, the pendulum of victory would easily swing in their favor.

“Please move.”

However, the situation has turned differently from how everyone thought.

Evantus was half unconscious and being helped by the Fairy Queen, and Ian, too, was projecting somewhat of a different ambience. No matter what, they were expecting the two to be immediately using magic, but not even mana was being gathered, let alone, initiating any magic.

“Have everyone move out. Everyone.”

Instead, the king of the gargoyles was flat on the ground, being dragged by Oliver’s hands. There was a sword which was pointed on the back of its head as well. Since the difference in size was enormous, it was impossible to handle it like a human prisoner.

(Krrrrkk…..?)

(Krrr! Krrrk!)

At the gruesome sight of the king, the gargoyles hesitated. Even the ferocious movements, filled with madness, have stopped. It wasn’t simply because he was a member of their kind, or a king. It was because of the after-effects of the small control, which only the king could exercise.

“Good….. Do not stop.”

Ian whispered into the king of the gargoyles. The only way to escape was by threatening the bastard, like this way. It was because, at this time, portals, teleportation, or even a broad scale magic to open a passage weren’t possible.

(Krrrrkk…..!)

All around the entrance of the cave, and even the sky were the gargoyles that had filled every passage way. The bastards began to move away slowly. Unless something else happened, they will open up an escape route, soon.

‘Even though the bastards had wings.’

As long as they were under the control of the dragon, they would not go out beyond the mountain range to terrorize. Unless that was the case, there was no way that they could have remained so calm, even to this day?

“We are going to escape. Please be ready.”

“You cannot open a portal?”

“It is difficult at this time.”

Ian replied to Bertholdo, the tailor’s question. He was given unlimited mana, how was it that it was difficult? There were questions, but he decided not to ask. It wasn’t the right time to ask detailed questions…?

(Kkkkk! Kkkk! Kkkk!)

That’s when something else happened. The captured king of the gargoyles made strange sounds. It was as if he was laughing out loud.

“…..?”

Ian and Oliver felt something strange as well.

They immediately checked on the bastard’s face.

“No!”

The bastard was damaging the dead bodies of his clan, which were spread all around, on the ground. The reason was simple. It was so that he could pick out the ‘eyes’, which was the source of the gargoyle’s unique ‘petrification’ power, and holds the power of no dimension.

“Eyes….!”

However, it was already too late. The bastard has already absorbed the powers that were contained in the eyes. As a proof, the bastard’s body began the process of petrification. The ‘king’s petrification’ which even the dragon could not destroy.

‘No.’

It was at the moment of when the king of the gargoyles no longer became a prisoner.

(Krrrrraaaahhhk-!)

Just before the final stage of petrification, the bastard let out a frightening shriek.

At the same time, the retreating gargoyles began to charge again. It was because the weak control has dissipated. At this moment, they were nothing but mad monsters.

Although they lacked the character of harmony, in order to crush Ian and his team who were before their eyes, they might even form a temporary team.

‘Who would have thought that such thing was possible…..

Ian ground his teeth. He regretted big time. It was ‘complacency’ that was the problem, from allowing accompanying petrification to happen, to now. That was, it was a problem resulting from the complacency that he had.

‘Something, something must be done…..!’

It was then- Including Ian and his team and the countless number of the gargoyles, too… A sound that attracted their attentions was heard.

Koookoookooooooo-!

Shaking the entire mountain range with its thunderous roar, ‘a sound of something enormous endlessly spinning’ was approaching from the distant sky.