Chapter 811: Battle in the Mist
Translator: TransN Editor: TransN
"You mean these things are capable of cracking the mountain and the earth?"
Elena widened her eyes after she heard the Ice Witchâs concise introduction about the explosives. She condemned angrily, "What if these things explode in Franâs stomach? How could they not think of that?"
Franâs giant body could not help quivering at the thought.
"Itâs the lab sample that easily explodes," Agatha said as she rummaged through the box for a bag of copper pipe and showed it to Elena, "not these kind of explosives, which wonât ignite on ordinary impact or heat. The only way to make them explode is to put these pipes in explosive containers."
The explosives had aroused the other Godâs Punishment Witchesâ interest, who had heard of the splendid scene of the artillery exercise long ago from Phyllis, the Godâs Punishment Witch who they called No. 76. They had witnessed the First Armyâs battle against the incursion of demonic beasts a few times since moving to the Western Region of Graycastle and were not unfamiliar with gunpowder. But this was their first time to be so close to this kind of weapon.
"Is it really okay to burn it? The thing that can create such a loud sound when it explodes should be very volatile at ordinary times."
"It looks very much like a brick..."
"How to make it work? Does it explode once the copper pipe is put into it?"
"Who dares to do that?"
The questions troubled Agatha too, for she only knew the general principle of those firearms that His Majesty had made. Her knowledge of how to use it was no more than her Taquila fellows.
"The thing with the red mark on it is the detonator that must be ignited for it to work." Lightning suddenly leaned over and said professionally, "The blue-marked one is the detonator that is needed to pull out the string to trigger it. I remember there is another kind of detonator with a yellow mark that will be activated by electric current, but this bag only has the red and blue ones."
That got Agatha amazed, and she blurted out, "How did you know that?"
"Because Iâm an explorer!" The young girl touched her nose. "I was basically present at every new weapon test that the First Army held."
"So, should we bury these things in the cave mouth beforehand and blow our way out or cast them along the way as we retreat and carry Fran with us?" Elena tried to work out a solution. "If the explosive could hold back the enemies, I believe 10 Godâs Punishment Witches are able to move Fran."
"It doesnât matter, leave me behind..."
"Shut up!" Elena cut in. "Even though weâre not afraid of sacrifice, weâll never give up our companions easily. Donât forget what Lady Eleanor has told us."
"Every witch is of equal importance." The rest of the people joined in and nodded.
"Iâm afraid... neither of your plans work," Lightning muttered. "One bag of explosives is enough to tear us into pieces if you set it to work at the mouth of such a small cave. But if we put the explosives in a larger cave, the explosion will be unsatisfying." She looked at the shovels and spades on the ground and went on, "The explosives should have been used to make caves or open passages. Theyâre not formal weapons, and the fire and air current created in the explosion is only able to kill the beasts within 10 paces."
A silence came over them, who knew that the explosion might be fearsome enough to drive away general beasts, but not the swarm of demonic beasts that were obviously summoned by the monster on the dome of the cave. Theyâll never stand a chance to get out unless most of those demonic beasts were destroyed.
"Maybe we have one more choice." Nightingale chimed in suddenly. "Bring down their boss."
"You mean... the monster dwelling in the dome?" Elena frowned. "We canât fly."
"Even if you could fly, thatâs too dangerous!" Agatha said before Lightning found her words. "Itâs not a defensive battle where we have support whenever we ask. We all know that itâs not uncommon that some hybrid demonic beasts are able to fly, and Lightning loses her speed and flying height considerably as long as sheâs load-bearing, so itâs highly possible that sheâll never get herself close to the monster once the enemies spot her and besiege her."
"Iâm not proposing to make Lightning do it," Nightingale said word by word. "Iâm planning to put this bag of explosive into the monsterâs mouth with my own hand, given it does have a mouth."
"You?" Agatha was shocked. "Donât be ridiculous... You should know that your Mist canât hide anything in front of Magic Eyes. Wherever you see it, it notices you too."
"Its ability to see me doesnât mean that its underlings can notice me. Iâm confident that I can get through them, even if they are under their bossâs order to intercept me." She paused. "Do remember that the Mist can do much more than concealing."
"But..."
A cacophony coming from the rock formation interrupted Agathaâs next words. It sounded as though numerous cicada were eating leaves, or gravel was clashing, being smashed and ground.
The witchesâ faces changed. The sound was not unfamiliar to them.
"Damn it. Theyâve sent the devouring worm," Elena said with a stern face. "The enemy is coming. Get yourself ready."
A worm carrier was hardly a threat, but as soon as their concealed vantage point was uncovered, they were to be faced with endless demonic beasts that traveled through the wormâs stomach.
"Donât worry about me. No one is more competent in this kind of mission. Back at the time when the Witch Cooperation Association was running in the old kingâs city, my title was well-known everywhere in the central region of the kingdom," Nightingale said as she packed four bags of explosives in her bag and bound it tightly on her back. "At that time, people used to call me âShadow Killerâ."
"Wait..."
"Rest assured. Iâll finish that deformed thing before the worm tunnels its way here."
Before Agatha could say anything to stop her, she disappeared into thin air.
The last sight Agatha had of Nightingale was a thumbs up.
...
In the world of black and white, directions meant nothing to Nightingale, and everywhere would become flat and level if she wished.
It felt as though she was the manipulator of this world where everything was under her order.
Passing through the collapsed stones, she straightway jumped up to the steep cliff and rushed to the dome of the cave.
Suddenly, her vision changed the angle by 90 degrees. The monster that should have been above her hid somewhere was ahead of her now. The turbulent underground river looked like a ribbon beset on the precipice, while the broad subterranean lake now rose up like a huge window.
By then, she had caught sight of the monster, and it had her in sight as well.
Nightingale did not look away.
With her eyes fixed on the monsterâs star-like eyes, she sped up to it. In the Mist, the glare radiated from the monsterâs powerful Magic Cyclone and looked like a bloody moon, outshining the crowded light spots.
This monster could not be a simple hybrid demonic beast, she thought.
Its magic power outperformed even Annaâs.
For a moment, Nightingale sensed her mind had been connected with the monsterâs.
The feeling was chaotic and unspeakable, but she was sure that both of them had received the undisguised hostility from each other.
She grinned.
The monster raised its tentacles.
With a low roar, the demonic beasts in the cave flocked to her.