Chapter 031. Grazing the ground with explosions
At the same time, Satty parkour through buildings after buildings with practiced ease to the direction of a straggling leviath.
Ayla managed to catch up behind her while hiding the fact that she was using her aurora to keep up. They have no choice but to quickly switch to Plan B since one explosion is not proven enough to stimulate all leviaths to gather in one position.
Fortunately, they had already considered this possibility early on.
Ayla exhaled after placing down the last makeshift bombs with the use of glass bottles on the table.
She then clapped her hands to get everyone’s attention. “Now, let’s discuss our back up plan. There’s a 90 percent chance that the first plan will fail.”
However, she didn’t let them talk and continued, “thus, we’ll have to get close to the leviaths and lure them to Miroh’s position by ourselves.”
They had to group themselves into twos based on the fitness scale of everyone since they have to work in unison—those that are less physically fit should be separated.
“There are six leviaths in the field. So we have to lure in two leviaths closest to us at that time.” This was like leaving a trail of breadcrumbs to guide the leviaths.
Ayla thump her knuckles on the table lightly. “This will be a demanding task for everyone and we’ll have to work together in unison for this to succeed. So, are there any questions?”
“Damn that smell is really horrible.” On the way, Satty swat her hand in front of her face to dispel the smell.
Ayla also had a slight discomfort present on her face because of the strong smell. However, her expression immediately harden upon sighting the huge stature of the leviath.
This was their target.
Ayla intentionally increased her speed to run slightly ahead of Satty.
“I’ll lure the leviath to us first. Make sure to keep up with the rhythm.”
She left Satty with that statement before using the grappling hooks attached to their belts and leaped out of the roof straight to the side of the leviath’s head.
She angled the twin daggers in her hands diagonally to get a firmer grip without any aid of her aurora. The law of Physics will become her greatest weapon today.
Before the leviath could twitch a muscle, Ayla had already dug a clean cut across its beady eyes, taking away its vision temporarily.
It was a very swift execution thanks to the pull of the grappling hooks creating enough force in her hands to dug deep in its skin.
Ayla rolled on the roof on the other side before raising her hand to signal Satty she was alright. Satty didn’t waste any seconds right after Ayla rolled on the roof and located the nearest barrel with water.
Water was the catalyst of this entire operation. A slight contact of the inactive solution in Satty’s hand into water can create volatile sparks.
“Hey, ugly! Try to find this!” Satty sneered then pulled her arm and threw the explosive straight to the water.
The barrel completely burst in pieces after the explosion, leaving a pool of fire at the site. The surrounding areas also wasn’t spared and got damaged or slightly burnt.
Her quick feet helped her deftly escape the explosion range safely. She had just barely reached another roof of a building before the explosion happened, emitting the yellow fumes once again.
At the same time, similar explosions occurred in seconds interval. All emitting the same yellow fumes and intensity of explosion.
At this point, the intense smell was starting to hurt the bridge of Ayla’s nose. But that was the least of her concern since this meant that the leviaths were experiencing far more stimulation in their sense of smell.
They watched with bated breath as the two leviaths began to trash around, trying to look for something with their blindness. Their backs were arched very tightly as a defensive mechanism.
Satty could almost jump and cheer. “It’s working!”
Ayla rubbed her nose, while sniffling quietly. “Well, let’s get moving. The regeneration in the head is faster than other area of the body.”
Her casual reminder immediately douse Satty’s enthusiasm. She straightened her posture and saluted. “Yes, ma’am!”
While running, Satty can’t help but ask Ayla something she was curious about. “By the way, you were so cool while slicing the leviath’s eyes, Ayla! You didn’t even flinched being that near in their face!” Satty was still immersed in her thoughts that she didn’t noticed Ayla’s face froze.
Fuck she didn’t thought that far in doing something about her face. Should she cry this time? But the only thing she was focused on was doing well!
She wasn’t an actress in the first place! She accepted her role, but she didn’t say that she will be good at it.
Ayla who was unintentionally criticized for being too natural as herself was too stunned to speak.
Ayla cleared her throat and almost lost her timing to jump on the other scaffolding. “Well, I am from a family of knights. So I have some background in using the hooks and was less squimish than others.” She explained as much as she could cough out. Well at least she wasn’t entirely lying to Satty’s face.
“Wah! You’re really a different breed than others! Being raised by knights must be something else."
‘You have no idea…’
She cried in her heart.
“Oh! It’s Satty and Ayla!”
They heard Hika’s voice coming from their right. Hika look like a wet chicken at the roadside in a stormy night from how drenched he was from top to bottom. Fortunately, he was being carried by Hamal in the back.
Hika noticed their confused stare after getting down Hamal’s back and immediately started explaining while waving his hands around in panic.
“I was afraid we might delay the team so Sir Hamal offered to carry me!”
He then bowed down and apologized profusely. One more provocation, and Ayla’s afraid Hika’s shaky eyes would roll backward.
“I’m sorry for inconveniencing everyone, and most importantly, Sir Hamal!”
Hamal still look very polite and reticent like a model servant after the exhausting work they just did.
“You need not to worry. It’s expected for people without training to get tired in this circumstance. Might I add that Recruit Hika poses no encumbrance in my movements as a petite person.”
This was the longest statement that Hamal uttered ever since he met them. Mostly he would lurk in the side like a wallflower and only spoke to Ayla in curt sentences.
Hika’s expression drooped down upon hearing Hamal mention about his thin build. After this ends, he’ll really start eating three cups of rice to bulk up!
From outside, the atmosphere between them was surprisingly harmonious and very much in a leisure mood. So far nothing serious had happened and their guard had dropped down.
Although that quickly change at the arrival of Neil and Yael.
Fate truly have its own evil ways to drive anyone into a corner.
“They’re here! They’re getting closer!” Yael’s voice had a hint of urgency before landing messily to where they are.
As if on cue, animalistic roars sounded in dissonance. But it didn’t sound very optimistic.
“What happened?” Ayla immediately asked after seeing Neil’s shaken expression. It was strange to see Neil look dishevel and wrung out unlike his usual erudite and clean appearance.
Neil avoided making eye contact to anyone. His words becoming more incoherent and all over than the next.
“I-I don’t know…e-everything happened to fast. I- I got caught and—“ Neil didn’t get to finish his words before he retch his guts right there.
Others were immediately alarmed and began crowding around him to help him.
Ayla had already pointed her binoculars at the leviaths after seeing Neil’s terrible complexion.“They’re more erratic than expected. Did something stimulate them—“
“BLOOD!”
Satty’s shrill voice captured everyone’s attention. Her hand that were obviously tainted in dark red liquid wouldn’t stop shaking.
“Ya-yael…Yael’s hurt!”
Yael groaned in his disoriented state, sensing someone calling him. They were too caught up with Neil that they didn’t notice Yael’s unusual silence.
Hamal lifted Yael’s arm that was angled suspiciously close to his body and reveal a huge laceration at the right of his hips. The red color was blooming bigger around the wound; an ominous sign that he was losing too much blood.
For him to carry both of them up to here with that serious injury was already close to a miracle.
Ayla felt extremely pissed off right now. Her mission was supposed to look after promising students to poach into their branch. But how can she do that if they die?
What Ayla hated more is when the world seem hellbent in going against her way.
“Hamal, Hika, come with me! I’m sick of this already.” Ayla snapped. Her demeanor that was originally easygoing and restrained was now different.
It’s time to finish this quickly.
The two look at each other and wordlessly followed Ayla. She didn’t even bother hiding her aurora and quickly reach the heart of the campus. It was a large open field that is towered within five annex buildings.
However, what makes this area important is the statue that carries the visage of Mattias, the first headmaster of the military academy and one of the three founders.
It just that sightseeing and showing patriotism is the least of their concern as of the moment.
Rather their attention was zeroed on the large fountain underneath Mattias’ feet, dashing to it with a sense of purpose.
The clear water glisten under the light. In a normal day, it was the perfect time to visit this place when the sun was tilted just right on the water.
Too bad they’ll have to mess up this place today.
Oh, how exciting it is to do something so sacrilegious for a good cause!
Ayla felt a rush of excitement in her anger imagining the expression of the stuck up geezers once they heard about this. Their high blood pressure might really get them this time. Fingers crossed.
“Is it okay to just leave them alone there, Sir Hamal?”
Because of their shared hardships earlier, they were beyond the stage of polite strangers and got more or less acquainted. So Hika was less muted in his attitude toward the person.
“They will be fine. Somebody will probably come to them by now.” He recall the Summer tide knights lingering around them. They done quite a crappy job as if purposely making their presence known. Unfortunately, the rest of the bunch remained oblivious.
Ayla had probably sense the presence since the beginning and so was more confident to leave the three behind in that state.
Of course, he still took the initiative to send a quick word to Satty and Neil, the only conscious people back there, as to not cause unnecessary panic.
Ayla, who have yet to hone her interpersonal skills in this department, thankfully has Hamal as her spokesperson and assistant even here.
Hika not knowing anything was just relieve. “Thank goodness.”
Miroh can’t help but contort his face in distaste as he place the last explosive down. Months with Ayla and the gang had made him slightly proficient in handling these things into good use.
However, he didn’t appreciate navigating here again. He had forgotten how big and complex the campus and took a handful of wrong turns along the way.
Because of the embarrassing and cringy memories this place brought to him, he basically buried everything after graduating like a defense mechanism.
Fate, this spiteful little shit, just like to mess around people and make them eat their words every damn time.
He jumped down using his aurora deliberately after spotting Ayla and the rest below. “Hey, where are the rest?”
“Something happened. We’ll explain later, “ she brushed it off and simply changed the subject. “Anyway, what about your side?”
Miroh had no choice but to go along with Ayla’s words. He patted the now empty bag smugly. “Got everything in place.”
She was about to speak more when two leviaths suddenly appeared and let out an earsplitting shriek. They were clinging on the building. Their razor sharp claws which are the size of a man’s head, digging through the concrete.
It didn’t help that their eyes were already half restored.
Of course, why does she always hope they’ll have time to speak properly. Ayla cursed mentally, rolling her eyes in annoyance.
‘Always interrupting her, every damn time.’
“Everyone, the plan stays the same. Keep all six in the fountain!”
“Wh-what!?” Hika exclaimed and hastily bring out the explosive bottles—the only tool of defense in his possession. It seems like he was the only one out of the loops at the sudden excitement.
“Let’s just wing it! Hamal, guide Hika what to do.”
Like a well-oiled machine, the three had already separated to do their own thing.
“Sir Hika, we’ll need your help in assembling the final bomb.” That was what Hamal uttered before dragging Hika somewhere.
Afterwards, Ayla and Miroh brazenly used their aurora to skillfully maneuver their bodies against the leviaths. Because their weapon weren’t imbued with aurora it didn’t cause a lot of damage to the leviaths except lagging their movements and delaying the restoration in their eyes.
“Tch, why can’t they be more cuter and less scary?” Miroh sneered as he run his sword on a leviath’s legs, weakening its knees enough to prevent it from jumping around.
The leviath stumble a little, but they didn’t even let it breathe before Ayla’s blade cut across its eyes.
One word to describe Miroh and Ayla’s tandem is: RELENTLESS.
The leviaths shrieked after having enough of being abused under their unending attacks, rushing toward Ayla and Miroh in an abrupt change of manner.
Miroh cursed in his head after barely missing the leviaths claws from tearing his face off.
“Are you okay?”
Ayla looked up at Miroh with an irked grin after landing on the ground. Her chest visibly rising rapidly yet her expression didn’t show any exhaustion. “They finally have enough of our annoying asses.” She laughed drily.
The two of them continued the push and pull method just infruriate the leviaths even further. It wasn’t something that they hadn’t experienced before so they took their sweet time. However, this was seen entirely different from the outside.
“Hey, are we gonna intervene? The kids look very pitiful.”
A knight nudge his partner while concealing their presence from the people below. The battle was still raging on from their view, although the two look like they were keeping up as of now, but the knight was hyperaware that the two won’t be able to kill the leviaths with those ordinary weapons in the end.
Moreover, they seem to have no knowledge of the leviath’s weak point.
The female knight beside him gave him a side glance before going back in watching the fight. There was no expression on her expression as if spectating something disinteresting. “The team leader said to intervene when it looks like they’re gonna die.”
Right, they weren’t dying yet. How could he disrupt the potential to grow for those kids. He comforted himself with those thoughts.
It was very cold hearted for them, who also underwent the same thing, however…
this aptitude exam could be considered the least bloody event in military history.
They are very lucky.
‘It’s probably time.’
Miroh thought with a grin. Right on cue, multiple bombs planted in all directions exploded, spouting different colors with the same fatal smell.
A simple burning rope tied on the explosives over every bucket of water does the trick.
The leviaths shriek in unison, causing everyone to slightly bow their heads and cover their ears because of the piercing pain followed by a terrible whirring.
“Let’s go!” Ayla urged Miroh, flying to the top of Mattias’ head—an unprecendent feat that will probably reach Keid’s ears and will cause brain spasm for those old geezers. But that will be a story in the future.
At their sudden movement, the wild and sensitive leviaths followed their direction like bullets with their nose blaring sharply. Well, Ayla did a very good job in cutting their eyes.
‘What kind of dangerous stunt is that!’
“What are they doing—“ The male knight almost jumped over the ledge if not for the other knight holding her arm over him and holding him back.
“Just wait! They’re planning something!”
“Hika, NOW!” Ayla jumped and flew away with just enough distance to remain unscathe when the explosion detonated.
It was so powerful that it went so far as to create a mini shockwave from its epicenter.
“Something like this…” The male knight could only mutter weakly before something clogged in his throat rendering himself speechless. What kind of mad man will set off a bomb in here?!
A thin streak of light blue light suddenly appeared out of nowhere and created a woven pattern of swift movements out of its wielder. Obviously, it was the work of a knight using aurora. The following noises of cutting fleshes and shrieking leviaths can only be taken from a vicious fight.
The man was scarily tall with a huge frame, holding a huge sword from the hilt that was stabbed on the hard ground. The whole persona was exactly someone that could cut the ground like butter with an air of oppression—if not for the white long sleeved polo tucked in a black pants that formed a very conflicting combination for new eyes to see.
“Is everybody okay?” The female knight immediately come down to assess the student’s state, while the male knight secure the perimeter and get to know the unknown knight.
Ayla was bewildered since she hadn’t thought that there would be knights coming to them this fast. They looked at each other then back to the concerned knight before saying in unison, “we’re alright.”
“Ayla, Miroh!” They turn toward the souce of the sound and see Hika had landed on the ground albeit clumsily.
“I’m glad you both are alright.” He sighed largely in relief, wiping the grime and sweat in cheeks without much thought.
Nobody had yet realize it but there seem to be a gradual change happening from everyone between now and days ago.
The female knight stayed silent at the side after making sure there weren’t serious injuries to let the three converse to themselves.
Ayla quietly noted another knight had come to Hamal before focusing her sight back at the two as to not arouse the female knight’s suspicion.
They would probably be inquiring about his identity and connection to them. In any case, she know Hamal will be able to handle it well.
“Senior, what are we gonna do?” Hika asked the knight to their side uneasily. He was actually hinting about the reparation since they clearly wrecked a lot of places.
The knight was still standing idly at the corner as if making sure none of them tries to escape. Well, that was it looks like for Hika anyway.
The female knight completely misunderstood Hika’s queasy expression and her gaze softened. “You guys can sit down over there. We’ll wait for the medical team to come here to check you before moving.”
By now porters and knights were flooding the site, fortunately none spare them a glance yet which helped a lot in easing their nerves.
“Honestly, you guys had a lot of luck over there. It’s a good thing this ended well.” She said as an afterthought.
“Say, how did you plan something like this?” The female knight can’t help but ask curiously, eyes lingering at the destruction caused by the explosives.
The carcasses were already steaming so bad that it made the structural damage around them stand out.
“Hika and one of our friend actually devised this entire plan with explosions. We actually planned something different than this, but…” Ayla trailed off with a stiff smile, “well, we didn’t even expect this to end like this.”
The other two bean sprouts: “….”
Ayla eyed her accomplice with a heartfelt expression. Her eyes just oozing with relief and gratefulness for them. “I think you can say we were just desperate to survive.” She finished it off with her business smile.
The female knight blinked at the sudden attack of face value. Somehow it feels like the man (Ayla) should have sparkles and blooming flowers around him. How come spring arrived too early this year?!
“Ah-ah huh…I see. I think I can understand that.” The female knight cleared her throat hastily after almost getting drag away by Ayla’s visual.
Ayla took no notice of the knight’s strange expression and continued her tirade with conviction. “Yes. If not for the knight’s help…we would not be standing right now.” Ayla tossed that statement out sincerely.
The female knight eyes were full of pity for the three as she nodded in agreement. The kids were probably feeling hopeless and desperate after seeing the leviaths keeps on regenerating. What can a bunch of greenhorns do at that moment?
The female knight place both hands on her hips with a sigh. “That’s—leviaths are completely invunerable to ordinary weapons except imbued weapons…I really don’t get why they still put barely adults in this situation.”
“How’s the recruits?” The male knight from earlier come up to them, followed by Hamal in tow.
“Fortunately, no obvious injury. I can see partial fatigue and nothing else. Medics can probably take a closer look for internal injuries.”
She then eyed the standoffish giant behind him with an inquisitive gaze. Only a small number of people had reached the level of wielding an intangible tyrfing in every generations, and if her eyes weren’t tricking her earlier, then this guy certainly belongs to that small number.
“This is?”
“Ah!” The male knight perked after being reminded then enthusiastically gestured to Hamal. “The person that assisted you is Sir Hamal. He works for the Logistics department of Black Wintermoon. He said something about taking a part time job to practice cooking.”
He then slapped Hamal on the back lightly like good buddies. “We’re actually planning on drinking after in a pub, right buddy?”
Sometimes she really envy her friend’s ignorance in life. While she almost forgot to breathe in panic as if staring at a fool tickling the lion’s mouth.
The female knight placed a hand on her forehead in disbelief. She had a pretty good grasp of the person’s identity—or better yet, Hamal’s direct superiors.
In short, this person is not any other ordinary knight.
Her pursed her lips and decided not to dwell on it. The reason why one of the Black Winter moon Chief tactician’s men is pretending to be a rouge chef over here is none of her concern.
For the sake of their small lives and the one who carried the burden of awareness, it’s better to steer clear from troublesome things.
“Then we’ll guide the medic here to check on you three. Just listen to their instructions after. We’ll probably be cleaning up here until the next morning.” She wasn’t even affected with the idea of putting an all nighter.
“You always let them slave us around like this. Can we get a break?”
‘Ignorance is bliss,’ she console to her heart.
“Hey, don’t bother Senior with your terrible drinking habit. Let’s go, let’s go. We’ll probably work overtime today.” She tugged the person’s ear as she dragged him away and turning deaf ear on his complaints.
They watched the two quickly get away. The words like ‘pushover’ and ‘work slave’ can still be heard from a distance.
“Seems like she found out who you are.” Ayla remarked dully.
Hamal only snorted.
“What are you guys talking about?” Hika asked ignorantly.
“Nothing, just saying that the female knight is very kind.” Ayla replied with a casual smile.
“Oh, yeah, she is very kind. The other knight is also very friendly.”
Hamal snorted once again, glancing at the three solemnly.
More like super perceptive to quickly jump out of the boat after just meeting these troublesome passengers.