Chapter 74: Conflagration Clash

Outside the palace entrance, an immense plain awaited us, teeming with countless trolls.

"Kia, Kia!"

They watched us from a short distance beyond the flickering flames.

Their eyes gleamed with a foreboding red tint as they swung their swords threateningly.

Squeak, squeak.

The door behind us began to close.

One of the warriors, who had recovered from wounds, pulled the lever.

It functioned as expected.

Our exit route was cut off.

Our main choice remained to push forward.

"Take your positions!"

"Yes!"

Emerging from the fiery inferno, a bold troll sprang forward.

With a swift stroke of my blade, I beheaded the troll.

We quickly settled into formation—a triangular plan revolving around the mage. I stood at the apex, Jenna on the right, Aaron on the left, and Eolka in the middle.

Though the encircling flames kept the trolls from approaching easily, we couldn't foolishly charge out either. We needed to carve a path through their ranks.

"Eolka, use Level 1. Focus less on potency, but scatter the flames as widely as possible."

"Understood."

With closed eyes, Eolka initiated the casting.

"Keep the trolls under control!"

The initial burst ignited by the spell gradually weakened.

The escalating storm played a role. Some trolls managed to slip through the flickering flames and breach our defenses.

A swift thrust of my blade pierced the troll's throat, painting the rain-filled air with sprays of blood.

Aaron gripped his spear, dispatching them one by one with precision.

Though his skill level wasn't the highest, his extensive training shone through. His thrusts displayed impeccable accuracy.

"Kyarurur!"

The crossbow-trolls' eyes gleamed. Bolts shot forth from three crossbows. Their target: Eolka. Two bolts were deflected by the shield, while one was expertly parried by a sword. Meanwhile, I threw a stone, sending it hurtling towards one of the trolls. The foremost crossbow-troll staggered, blood mingling with his tortured breaths.

"20 seconds."

As the intensity reached its peak, the searing sensation touched us from behind.

"Reversal!"

We quickly shifted from a triangular formation to a reversed triangle.

I took the left flank, Jenna occupied the upper right, and Aaron positioned himself below.

Clearing the front, we created a firing lane for Eolka.

"La Gran Integio!"

"Whooooosh!"

Flames surged forward from the opening. The blazing inferno swirled and scattered this way and that.

"Kiaaaa!"

The acrid smoke and the scent of burning flesh assailed my nostrils.

"Get through!"

We quickly reverted to our initial triangular formation and surged through the blazing plain. The trolls were thrown into disarray, desperately fighting amidst the engulfing flames.

Though we felt the scorching intensity seep through our leather armor, we could endure it to some extent.

We hadn't needlessly thrust our hands into a raging furnace.

"Trolls are weak against fire."

"They have an innate fear of flames."

Having Eolka on our side proved to be a fortunate turn of events.

If it had been just us, breaking through the encirclement would have been an even more daunting task.

But of all weathers, it had to rain.

Yet again, after a brief respite, many trolls surrounded us.

Scattered traces of fire lingered, but the heavy rain quickly dampened their power.

Eolka brushed her wet hair to the side and nervously bit her lip.

"Shoot again. A single shot, one taste of mana. Savor it slowly."

"I know!"

Eolka took a sip from a vial of mana potion, quickly gulping it down.

Again then, she chanted the incantation.

Trolls surged forward from areas where the fire hadn't fully spread.

They emerged near Jenna's position.

"Aaron, offer support on the right. I'll handle this side alone."

"Understood!"

Though the left side was engulfed in intense flames, trolls still rushed out. Some of them were burning from head to toe, yet they bravely charged at me.

Their attack patterns were well within my grasp.

I diverted their swords with my shield, piercing their hearts. Bolts were deflected, spears dodged. With the edge of my shield, I crushed skulls and tore through necks.

"An additional 20 seconds."

"Reversal!"

"Whooooosh!"

The second surge was unleashed.

A temporary gap appeared within the encircling throng of trolls. We quickly seized the opportunity, darting forward with the flames serving as our backdrop. Though our bodies quivered as if seared, there was no time to hesitate. Once the breach was made, it swiftly closed up. We had to make as much progress as possible within that fleeting opening.

"Kira, Kirara-ro!"

On one side of the plain, a troll stood on a towering boulder, vigorously waving a banner.

Clad in iron armor and adorned with a red cape, it was a troll commander.

"Jenna!"

"Target obtained. I'm on it!"

Jenna swiftly plunged her dagger

into one troll's forehead, then quickly drew her bow and released an arrow.

The arrow found its mark, accurately piercing the troll's temple.

"Kki? Kiki!"

Two trolls, appearing as guards, stood nearby, unsure of how to proceed.

Jenna swiftly dispatched the trolls, sending them to the realm beyond.

"Ping! Ping ping!"

The crossbow-trolls focused their shots on Eolka.

"Don't you dare interfere with her!"

As the bolts were released from the crossbows, my mind quickly calculated their trajectory, speed, and the optimal way of redirecting them. Perhaps I had a computer in my mind, analyzing what was happening. This was the effect of the shot defense skill. My body moved accordingly, and the shattered remnants of bolts swerved this way and that.

"Whooooosh!"

The third torrent.

This time, we covered an even greater distance.

The absence of their commander seemed to have thrown the trolls into prolonged chaos.

Their original target was likely the northern gate, not us.

Out of the flames, a spear suddenly thrust forward.

I deftly dodged it and then pulled the troll toward me with my left hand. The hapless troll was engulfed in flames, turning into a roasted spectacle.

There was no need to mention the state we were in—it was utterly foul.

The rain poured relentlessly, burdening our leather armor. The flames, stubbornly refusing to be extinguished even by the deluge, left burn marks scattered across our bodies. The combination of raindrops and smoke obscured our vision, and the sodden ground impeded our movements.

One moment it was searing, the next frigid. It's enough to make anyone mad.

With a swift stroke of my blade, a troll's forehead was cleaved in two.

It was time for the fourth surge.

With a quick dodge, I avoided the flames sweeping across the front.

Aaron panted for breath as he pushed through the wall of fire.

"If we hadn't adhered to your instructions, we would have been roasted by now."

"That's exactly why following orders is important."

"Understood."

Aaron swung his spear vigorously, felling two trolls.

The flames engulfed them, burning them from head to toe.

"Finally."

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