Chapter 88 - The First Boom

Chapter 88: The First Boom

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

The stonemasons and their apprentices were resting on the ground and watching with eyes of admiration and reverence while the materials were lifted into the air with Heidi’s magic guidance. It was then drawn on the surface of the cliff with precision while a giant translucent palm was assisting on the side. It would remove the vines that would affect the drawing of the magic circle or adjust the minute details of the runes’ lines. It would also embed the crucial parts with enhancement materials like magical crystals. Furthermore, the various spaces of craters and pits that they had dug out were filled with sparkling crystal ‘grits’.

In their eyes, those crystal fragments that were only the size of a rice grain were indeed like ‘grit’.

Up till now, these exhausted people still weren’t aware of the task they were involved in. They didn’t even know that Gawain was going to blast the cliff. They were merely following the orders of the lord, and when Amber saw these people, she had a spontaneous and strange feeling.

Apart from the final drawing of the explosive magic circle, the entire process was mostly completed by ordinary people. The steelworks’ serfs had produced the crystals, while the Magic Web 1 that energized the crystals were also constructed by ordinary craftsmen. Rebecca might have been involved in the design of the magic web, but she didn’t use any magical power during the entire process either. Afterward, commoners transported the crystals to this place, while stonemasons dug out craters on the cliff and stuffed them with the crystals…

In fact, had it not been the time constraint, even the drawing of the magic circle could have been done by ordinary people. As long as they could guarantee that all the runes were drawn at the correct positions and that all the crucial points were installed with the magic-guiding materials. Even though such things might require knowledge and skill, it didn’t require any extraordinary power. Amber believed that as long as the commoners received lessons and practiced, they would also be able to do all these things.

As for how people without magic were going to activate this magic circle… Rebecca had already developed the rune trigger, and it had been proven to be usable with the explosive magic circle. Even without the rune trigger, the territory’s ‘Magic Web 1’ had already shown its ability to supply energy to the area around it. If Magic Web 1’s supply line was extended here, even an ordinary person would be able to detonate this thing that Gawain addressed as ‘large-scale art’.

It was true that the entire process was much more complicated and more difficult than a Master Mage’s attack. But merely considering the feasibility of the entire process had made Amber tremble a little.

A group of ordinary people without magic could actually use this ‘magic equipment’ to blow up an entire cliff…

While thinking, she couldn’t help but look at Gawain with peculiar eyes: This strange man that didn’t look like a noble… Did he actually know what he was doing?

But her mind flashed with a slightly stern consideration for a short moment. Amber was only left with a little bit of her proper work before her job was done. She clapped her hands and looked up at the sky and realized it wasn’t time to eat yet. She then turned around and vanished in the shadows.

She was going to continue monitoring the movements of the aberrations and report back when appropriate; it was a rather important task.

On the other side, at the mountain pass southwest of the camp, Philip and Byron, the two knights, were accompanying Rebecca and doing something they had never done before.

They were commanding their subordinates to install underground traps — the type of traps that would explode.

The soldiers and the commoners were responsible for digging the pits. Rebecca would then bring the craftsmen to install the ‘landmines’ in them. As she put the rune triggers on the magic circles, those seemingly harmless crystals would then become dangerous toys capable of blasting holes in mountains. Thus, every rune trigger would be personally adjusted and placed in position by Rebecca. In order to prevent any dim-witted person from accidentally activating the mechanisms, Rebecca had placed a red stone as a marker at each of the traps.

Yes, putting markers was completely not conforming with the basic function of landmines, but it was fine as they were bullying those brainless aberrations…

Sir Philip had a strange expression as he watched the soldiers scatter some dirt on an installed wooden box. He then looked at the others who were digging pits in a frenzy. He finally couldn’t hold back and muttered to Byron, “Isn’t this a little… contrary to a knight’s chivalry?”

“Contrary to our chivalry? Are you talking about digging traps?” The grizzled-hair middle-aged knight looked at the talented and handsome youth before asking, “Then what do you think a knight with chivalry should do?”

Philip placed his hand sternly on his sword hilt and said, “A knight shall fight against his foe in an upright manner, equip himself with bravery and righteousness, confront the strongest foe, and protect the citizens and the land. If a knight is victorious, then he can return with glory. If a knight fails, then he shall be buried in the battlefield… But we shouldn’t be digging traps like this—”

Byron didn’t wait for Philip to finish before he quickly gestured him to stop. “Stop, stop, stop… Your shortcoming is truly unfixable. You are so young, yet you behave like an old believer. Don’t forget that these traps are the instructions of our duke. He is a knight among knights, the hero among heroes. The current knight’s rules are drawn up with him as the reference. Do you think the things that he arranged would be contrary to the knight’s chivalry?”

Philip was already in conflict with this matter, and after hearing the question, he was at a loss. “Thus the reason I don’t understand.”

“In my opinion, it conforms just fine to our knights’ chivalry.” Byron rubbed his chin and started to use the eloquence nurtured during his mercenary days to speak some preposterous arguments. “We are openly digging the pits in this place in an upright manner. It is as upright as the cheval de frise 1 on the battlefield. It is the same as your armor that is an upright equipment. Afterward, we will be challenging the strongest enemies… Take a look at this ground filled with pits. The monsters that are able to walk past them would definitely be the strongest, and only the strongest will be able to reach the final defense line and fight with us. The monsters that cannot even make it across these pits are all weaklings. Battling with weaklings is a true humiliation to the knight’s chivalry…” [E/N: WTF… This paragraph reminds me of the Chewbacca defense.]

Philip thought carefully before looking at Byron with suspicion. “According to what you mean, these traps are to screen for the truly formidable enemies?”

Byron nodded and said, “That is roughly my meaning.”

Philip thought carefully again and said, “I still feel you are talking nonsense.” [E/N: Go with your feelings, Young Padawan.]

Byron laughed and turned around to instruct the craftsmen that were installing the ‘landmines’. “Pour a little more rocks or something over here. Just don’t press on the mechanisms. I have seen these things explode. If there are rocks in the pits, the explosion will be even more incredible…”

At the side, Rebecca’s eyes instantly lit up. “Oh? It can actually work like that?!”

“That is natural.” Byron smiled and said, “Don’t underestimate a mercenary’s wisdom… and a knight’s righteousness.”

“Then wait for a moment, I will ask men to bring out the extremely dilapidated scrap metals and bury them with the traps…”

The knight who only obtained knighthood at an old age and the foolish young viscountess smiled at one another before reaching a mutual understanding. They acted in collusion and worked shamelessly…

Sir Philip, who witnessed everything from behind, let out a long sigh.

A few hours later, all the preparations had been done, while the soldiers and commoners retreated back to the camp.

Gawain had also returned.

Those monsters were already very near, and according to Amber’s report, they were getting close to the first trap at the north of the mountain.

Once the monsters started to sense the presence of living humans and active magical energy, they would switch from the slow, roaming state into a violent and aggressive state. They would rush towards the location where they could feel the highest concentration of humans.

The front of the camp had also completed its preparations. From the western mountain pass to the camp, there was a large area that was an empty land without any obstructions. After passing through the empty land, there were wooden fences and spikes that had been constructed at the last moment. Of course, these things might be nearly negligible against the aberrations, and it could delay their movements slightly at best.

Behind the fences were fully equipped knights and soldiers. They were the camp’s final line of defense.

Gawain stood together with the guardians of the camp. Beside him was the nervous Rebecca who was holding her magic staff tightly. Behind him were the two knights, Byron and Philip. Some other soldiers and militiamen, wielding blades and shields, were guarding the south entrance of the camp… Because those monsters didn’t have any ability to think, they wouldn’t know about strategies like flanking. Hence, as long as they could defend this entrance facing the Dark Range, it would mean that they had safeguarded the defense line. This was probably the only advantage when battling against the aberrations.

Gawain noticed that Rebecca had already taken her third deep breath; thus, he asked casually, “Nervous?”

“A little.” Rebecca squeezed out a smile. “Strange, I was obviously not nervous when I fought against them previously…”

“Because you didn’t even have time to be nervous previously. But this time, you knew they were coming, three days in advance. Waiting is the most terrifying thing in this world.” Gawain smiled and shook his head. “But don’t be afraid, you have to believe in the power of those crystals… they are your creations.”

Rebecca nodded but then quickly shook her head. “But I have never done anything reliable since young…”

Gawain quickly coughed twice to conceal her voice. “*Cough* *Cough* Don’t say that here. It will demoralize the army.”

Why was this child’s shortcoming not fixable?

Fortunately, it became obvious that the nearby soldiers weren’t paying attention to the conversation between their lord and their previous leader.

They were only paying attention to the mountain pass and waited for the moment of explosion that their lord had mentioned, the ‘boom’.

In the Dark Range, that mountain pass’s path was one that had to be taken. Heidi stood alone at the top of the cliff, on a giant rock that was jutting out. She quietly watched the meandering and natural mountain path.

She could already smell those foul monsters.

The air beside her distorted slightly, and Amber’s figure emerged from the shadow. The half-elf had a stern expression that was unprecedented as she said, “They’re here.”

Heidi nodded and looked at the end of the mountain path below.

A foul mist was rising up, and the plants were withering due to the mist. Deformed creatures of blood and flesh ambling out from the mist like the giants they were. One, two, three… the numbers kept increasing.

Heidi released the Concealment spell that was cast on her, instantly revealing the presence of a living human as well as her magical energy. In the eyes of those monsters that originated from the Dark Wave, these two kinds of presences were as dazzling as a flame in the darkness.

The monsters that were originally roaming slowly had been ‘awakened’ and roared with primal insanity. Immediately after, they were like a pack of hyenas who had detected the reeking stench of blood and suddenly increased their speed. They started to charge in Heidi’s direction.

The giant figures started to sprint on the mountain path. Amber instantly felt a layer of goosebumps on her skin, while Heidi quickly surveyed the horde. She stood at the magic injection point of the giant explosive magic circle but didn’t do anything yet.

“So—so close!” Amber called out nervously in a soft voice.

“Not yet.” Heidi shook her head. “We need to bury as many as possible in this place so that we will face less pressure. So, we need to wait a little longer.”

Amber grabbed Heidi’s arm while she felt half her body starting to turn into nothingness. “Okay, I will wait for your signal. Once you detonate it, I will immediately pull you in!”

Heidi nodded and raised her hand before she released the most simple Illumination spell at those monsters.

This most fundamental spell would cause even more obvious magic fluctuations. It had made those monsters flock over even more frantically. They were pushing and shoving, and had thronged together. They were like lumps of flesh and blood that formed a giant aberration as they rushed to the center of the mountain path. They even attempted to climb the cliff Heidi was standing on.

Heidi didn’t hesitate and activated the magic circle below her feet and tugged on Amber’s arm while saying, “Go!”

The duo instantly vanished into the shadows.

The cliff’s magic circle released a blinding white light. One second later, it detonated the countless ‘magic crystals’ that were buried in various spots on the cliff.

It was truly just like the roar of thunder.

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