Chapter 010. Emergency! The leviaths suddenly counterattacked

“EMERGENCY!”

The calm atmosphere broke in by Leo’s sudden intrusion. Judging by his ashen face and ruffled entrance, it successfully give people a sense of urgency that everybody instinctively leaped out of their seats.

Just his expression can give people a visual representation on the gravity of his word.

“What is it?” Vega asked.

“Its…” Leo had to briefly pause to catch his breath when a ferocious roar bellowed from the outside rendering him speechless.

“Huh, never mind that. I think we get it from the roar.” Vega waved him off and took the lead to go outside.

Everybody hastily piled out the tent to see several leviaths wrecking havoc from the border of the encampment.

“What kind of shitty luck is this?” Ayla let out a humorless chuckle, thinking that their situation is incredulous.

Vega’s expression hardened at the ominous number of leviaths. If they let them fester around, they could damage the artilleries that they can’t afford to replace.

They really have the worst luck!

“We need to move now. Scrap the plan, we’ll take two of these intruders as souvenirs!”

Vega suddenly conjured an intangible type claymore that looks like it could cut rocks like butter.

Her aura instantly transforms to that of a gallant soldier beside her weapon. Even the previous playful glint in her eyes can’t be found anywhere.

“Ayla make sure to secure the two leviaths as soon as possible. The rest of us will clean up the surrounding leviaths and protect the artillery!” Leaving with that order, she pushed her legs to leap fearlessly to the nearest leviaths.

Her agile movements made people had the impression of his claymore weighing nothing. Nobody was reckless enough to follow where the mad researcher went to but they knew she could manage herself.

Someone like her who seeks death for answers, naturally learned to keep her head perfectly intact.

“Hear her, comrades? Let’s quickly finish this chore pronto.” Leo and Hamal nodded gravely before dispersing to do their own thing.

After sending the two off, Caelum put his attention to the youngsters with vastly different reactions. One was keenly assessing her surrounding while the other looked like he was a about to take the biggest shit ever.

”Then, I think greenie should follow Ayla this time? She might have the most crucial part of this impromptu plan, but Ayla’s the safest person to be with.”

Ayla was aware that Miroh may be overwhelmed and tried to make her approach amiable. “Unfortunately, you have to quickly get used to your tyrfing. We can’t go with our earlier plan so we have to make the most of what’s happening right now. Do you understand?”

‘Don’t drag us down, you piece of shit.’

In Miroh’s eyes that was what Ayla’s meaning to get across.

He flinched and avoided Ayla’s shallow yet piercing gaze. “I-I understand.” He didn’t want to be tossed discriminately to a leviath’s mouth ever again.

The terrible impression is still fresh in his mind and will probably remain there for some time.

Looking at Miroh’s constipated expression, Ayla just unintentionally made him carry a nonexistent burden instead.

‘Whatever. It’s best to make him aware of danger immediately.’

Caelun and Ayla both thought in pity.

“You really have to work on your interpersonal skills, darling.” Caelum tutted.

Ayla choose to ignore Caelum and gestured to an area that is a little bit farther from the epicenter of the battle. “Head straight over there and keep your hands on your tyrfing. You’ll have to tire out the two leviaths they’ll lure later just until I could take over.”

“Okay, okay, I understand.” Miroh exhaled sharply to regain his composure, nodding firmly.

Ayla stared at him carefully before nodding to herself in approval. Miroh’s eyes clearly encapsulates his resilient character.

He may act a bit clumsy, but he possess a strong spirit as he force himself to see this through the end even when his body is trembling terribly.

Caelum stretched his arms and rotated his shoulders as if he was doing a serious warm up. ”Then I’ll get moving as well. It’s perfect since I haven’t done any exercise for awhile.”

Miroh was momentarily stun at the appearance of the intangible cross bow. It looks almost surreal. From a thin wisp of aurora flickering, it condenses and hardens into a solid weapon all in his hand.

“Pave a way so that leviaths can come to our location easily.” Ayla glanced away from Caelum, already familiar with an intangible aurora’s conjuring.

Although she more or less created the weapon, but she can’t deny that the wielder’s aurora has a bigger influence to the quality of the tyrfing.

Caelum’s tyrfing, a crossbow, looks very conspicuous that it’s more suited as decoration in a noble’s home rather than use it.

But in reality, it was formerly a patched up crossbow that they picked up from the Blue Summer tide faction. The crossbow undergo gradual changes as it became more in tune with the wielder’s aurora.

Caelum wasn’t bothered by receiving an order from somebody younger than him. He’s even smiling at her flatteringly. “Say, Ayla dear, since we’re working together, how about giving me twenty percent of this run’s allotment?”

She merely gave him a once over before flashing him a sardonic grin. ”Righteous people don’t need to be rewarded for doing what should be expected.”

Then her gaze switches to an impatient glare. The her eyes narrowed to a gaze alone could send a full on blizzard to people’s heart. “Aren’t you going? We don’t have much time left.”

“OK, OK, I’m going!” Caelum felt a chill run down his spine and it’s not because of the winter cold.

‘Ayla is really not cute like a little sister.’

Caelum thought broodingly.

“Well, then, you better be quick. I think I found a box explosive somewhere.” He hinted to Ayla as a final parting word before running away.

Ayla obviously caught on Caelum’s plan, watching him briefly take down a dawdling leviath by decapitating its head with three simultaneous arrows.

The arrows pierced through the air like divine lighting rods. Only Caelum can execute such swift and elegant form of killing.

But Ayla just snorted at Caelum’s pretentious ass. He’s obviously putting on a show fueled by Miroh’s awestruck gaze. And if you look closely enough, you can probably see him sparkle.

“We should get going. That guy might kill himself if we stay here any longer.” Ayla rolled her eyes and began walking.

Miroh rubbed his jaw awkwardly, realizing that he was caught gawking at someone like those wall worshippers.

‘That was embarrassing.’

They moved briskly from their initial position to the area Ayla had pointed earlier. By the mercy of the goddess Keren, it was easy evading one or two leviaths who would appear in intervals.

It was a fairly wide clearing surrounded by thick and towering trees and small shrubs. But these were only secondary reasons why Ayla chose this place instantly.

Miroh observed Ayla thoughtfully. He wasn’t sure if Ayla’s a wielder of a tyrfing too. A magnae can also control their own tyrfing, right?

What is more confusing is that she haven’t use an ounce of aurora until now even though she looked severely exhausted just by running and was quietly recovering her ragged breathing.

Miroh didn’t want to drag her down with his sentiments and quietly followed after her without using his aurora.

“Are you okay?”

Ayla panted, trying to maintain her expression. She didn’t want Miroh to feel anxious because of her poor stamina.

“I’m fine. Get on a sturdy branch near this position. Do your best to keep them inside the clearing.”

A loud explosion suddenly occurred, rocking the earth beneath them. Before anyone could even mentally process what is happening, another explosion came after, which sounds a lot nearer than previous explosion.

Because the explosion was a lot closer in their position, they had felt the shock wave directly, which fluttered their hair and capes backward.

“That shit!” Ayla looked momentarily horrified before her blood pressure quickly rose to one hundred fifty. The hood that kept her hair under wrap was tossed back because of the wind.

Now her hair was in disarray as if somebody had grabbed her hair in a cat fight.

She desperately want to think about better things rather than the state of her hair right now.

Ayla wasn’t a person who gets upset with a lot of things, but her hair is one of her few bottom lines.

Her naturally curly hair must be the most untamable piece of work ever existed. She agonize with its sensitive condition that acts up whether it be moisture or an abrupt change of temperature.

She wouldn’t be this hung up about it if her hair just act like any normal hair and not get terribly frizzy.

It was one her insecurities, and she tries, like any other people to placate it. Having a green haired bird’s nets isn’t helping her situation.

Miroh was startled because of Ayla’s sudden outburst. That explosion just happened out of nowhere. He thought that was the reason why Ayla looked like she wanted to unleash to the world a hellish carnage.

“M-M-Miss Ayla? Is everything okay?” He asked hesitantly. They both didn’t notice that Miroh had adapted a formal way of speaking to Ayla subconsciously.

Her tense facial expression suddenly fall apart and reveal her face looking fed up. ”Ha. I don’t know anymore.” Ayla laughed hollowly.

The sudden anger had tire her quickly that she now thought it was stupid to invest her emotions on that bastard.

‘Okay, let’s worry about the hair after!’

She closed her eyes and opened them only after taking deep even breaths to recover her focus.

“Okay. Let’s move now.”

Miroh nodded seriously and without other further ado, jumped to a random tree to perched on.

Realizing that he’ll really be facing leviaths on his own at this moment caused the anxiety on his heart to double once again. He can feel his blood rushed to his ears, muffling the chaotic noises everywhere.

He hold up the tyrfing, which seem to pulsate and glow brighter as if responding to his own emotional state. It seems to pulsate in sync with the pounding of his heart.

He took a deep breath to calm down the beating of his heart. It’s okay to have a fierce spirit, but that ferocity must not be the judge who directs your reasoning.

That short silent moment successfully kept him level-headed. He felt his five senses turn sharper and a feeling of bloodlust began to silently creep up from within him.

He closed his eyes, feeling the tingling bloodlust coursing through him. This instinctive prowess had made it possible for him to make it back from all the runs.

‘Right there!’

He pried opened his eyes in panic, snapping his head to a certain direction. The back of his nape tingle in a numbing pain. It was a telltale sign that a threat is coming his way.

Indeed, what he feared is exactly happening. Trees began shaking almost to the point of being uprooted, followed by intermediate roars.

From his good vantage point, he can see that the trees swaying were getting closer, going straight to their direction at a terrifying speed.

A breeze suddenly passed by his cheeks, carrying a strong scent of something metallic. He naturally glance at Ayla and almost fall on the branch in fright.

There‘s a deep slit on her left palm, gushing a steady stream of blood down her arm. Her face didn’t even fluctuate no matter how precarious this method is.

’This is how she’ll lure them?’

‘What kind of brain is this woman using!?’

He badly wanted to curse out Ayla for her seemingly thoughtless action.

His face lost a lot of color in an instant. A shiver went down his spine, making his hands clammy with cold sweat. Obviously, he long had guessed why the leviaths were intentionally coming here like charging bulls.

The smell of blood is like a seductive beacon for levaiths. Like moths drawn into lights, leviaths had the tendency to go berserk at the smell of blood, shooting their strength to the heights. They will prowl their way into anything that emits the scent of blood.

Intentionally spilling blood here is like holding a placard saying ‘Free Fodder’ and courting death.

“Wh-what are you doing!? Don’t bleed yourself!” Miroh shouted in agitation, desperately gesturing at Ayla to stop that reckless action.

But Ayla pretended to turn deaf at Miroh all the while focused at the task on hand.

She began to experience the side effect of losing blood, but it wasn’t anything that she could not manage.

‘Come here quickly. Little piggies!’

Her eyes flashed in an dangerous glint, patiently waiting to the battle to happen right here.