"Everyone get back!"
Nikola's shout reverberated in the city before a giant hand, made up of rock, smashed into the Lesser Demogorgon's body, sending it flying back out of the city.
However, the middle-aged Dwarf didn't end his counterattack there. Nikola raised his hands and several earth spikes jutted upwards from the ramparts of the city wall, annihilating all the monsters on top of it.
These spikes then moved like a saw, continuously shredding the rest of the monsters that were still climbing over the city walls.
"Are you alright?" Lux ran towards Aina, who was currently being supported by Colette.
Aina shook her head, "I just sprained my ankle. But I already applied healing magic on it. It will recover in a minute or two, but I'm very exhausted and can no longer fight."
"Looking at your expressionless face, I find it hard to believe that you are exhausted," Lux commented.
"How rude. I get tired like everyone else."
"Well, I guess you do have a point. Let's retreat for now. Sir Nikola will handle the rest."
Lux then summoned his Skeleton Fighters and Skeleton Grand Archers. He then ordered them to pick up Aina, Colette, and the rest of the Dwarves that had fallen from the explosion earlier.
The Skeletons had only taken a dozen steps when Lux suddenly frowned before looking at the walls of the city. As if waiting for him to do that, Diablo's body was hurled over the walls, crashing a few meters away from where Lux was standing.
A few seconds later, the Skeleton Rider turned into particles of light. Diablo's attack and defense had increased to over three hundred thousand, and yet, the Lesser Demogorgon was able to defeat him easily due to one of its unique Skills called "Abyss Touch".
Similar to Diablo's Ethereal Damage, this ability ignored all defenses, and dealt true damage to the Lesser Demogorgon's enemy.
Without batting an eye, Lux once again summoned Diablo. The earlier boosts in attack and defense that he had accumulated had been reset. But, the effect of Bloody Fervor started to activate once again, increasing Diablo's damage and defense at a rapid pace.
"Fall back!" Nikola shouted. "I will not be able to block it for long!"
Lux, Aina, and Colette knew that they would only hinder Nikola if they stayed, so they immediately evacuated the scene, leaving the Ranker to deal with the Monster from the Abyss alone.
Suddenly, a loud explosion took place. When the dust settled, the city gates of Whitebridge City lay in rubble, and the Lesser Demogorgon walked past it, with an intimidating aura.
Nikola pressed his hands together before slamming it full force on the ground. A few seconds later, a thirty-meter tall boulder materialized in front of him and was hurled at the Abyssal Creature, whose body had turned a shade darker.
The Lesser Demogorgon let out an ear-piercing shriek before using its tentacle-like hand to cut the boulder in half.
Nikola clicked his tongue when he saw that his attack didn't work. Just as he was about to follow up his attack, a giant wind blade descended from the sky, which cut off the tentacle arm of the Abyssal Monster, making it shriek in pain.
"What took you so long?!" Nikola shouted. "If you didn't come sooner, I might have died, you know?"
"Hahaha, sorry," a Dwarf who looked to be in his early twenties with silver-white hair said in a carefree manner. "I didn't know that you couldn't even handle a weak Lesser Gorgon by yourself."
"Bastard, give me a hundred more years and I'll wipe the floor with that Lesser Gorgon and you at the same time!"
"Tsk. If I knew that you would be this ungrateful, then I wouldn't have come. Okay, fine. I'll leave. You handle this yourself."
Nikola almost choked after hearing the Dwarf's words. He knew that if his comrade left now, he would be hard pressed to resist the Lesser Demogorgon on his own.
"I was just joking, you know?" Nikola laughed in a carefree manner. "I'll treat you to a mug of your favorite drink in the Capital. Can you help me deal with this rascal first?"
"Well, since you begged me nicely, I guess I have no choice," the silver-haired Dwarf said with a smile. "But, I want two mugs, okay?"
"Just one mug!"
"Ohh… I no longer feel motivated to fight. Only three cups of my favorite drink will restore my mood."
"Y-You bastard! Are you planning to take my entire month's salary in one sitting?"
The silver-haired Dwarf gave Nikola the "if you don't like it then I'll leave" gaze, which made the latter feel his liver ache from frustration and anger.
"Fine! Three mugs then!"
"Now we're talking!"
The silver-haired Dwarf was about to say more, but the Lesser Demogorgon had unleashed a giant fireball in his direction, making the Dwarf frown.
"Don't interrupt us, fiend," the silver-haired Dwarf waved his hand in a casual manner and dispersed the fireball using his wind magic.
The Dwarf then glared at the screaming monster, who was conjuring another spell on its left hand.
"I guess you're eager to be put in your place that badly," the silver-haired Dwarf stated. "Fine, I'll play with you for a bit. I just hope that you won't break that easily."
—--
On that day, Lux and the other defenders of Whitebridge City witnessed a scene which made them feel both fear and excitement at the same time.
Fear, because an Elder Wind Elemental appeared above Whitebridge City and conjured three Living Hurricanes which were strong enough to wipe them all from the face of the world.
Excitement, because the Elder Wind Elemental was fighting on their side, and commanded his Summons to suck up all the Monsters in the vicinity, and shred them to bits.
The Lesser Demogorgon roared in anger as the Elder Wind Elemental trapped it in a whirlwind, allowing the silver-haired Dwarf to attack it without any means to defend itself.
"Time to end this," the silver-haired Dwarf said as he raised his hand forming a gigantic crackling spear made up of the element of wind and lightning.
"Ultima Spear!"
The wind howled as the spear flew straight towards its target, who had erected a barrier to protect itself. However, this barrier lasted only for a few seconds before it broke apart, allowing the Ultima Spear to pierce through its body, disintegrating it until only its Beast Core was left.
The silver-haired Dwarf waved his hand, and the Beast Core flew in his direction.
"Say, Nikola, that is the rumored Half-Elf, right?" the silver-haired Dwarf asked before glancing at the Half-Elf who was looking at him in awe. "Our latest member?"
"Aye, that he is," Nikola replied.
The silver-haired Dwarf hummed before playing with the obsidian colored Beast-Core in his hand.
"Here," the silver-haired Dwarf said as he tossed the Argonaut-Ranked Beast Core towards Nikola. "Tell him that this is a gift from one of his seniors."
Nikola caught the Beast Core. He grumpily looked at the silver-haired Dwarf who was also the strongest member of the Order of the Griffon. "Why don't you give it to him yourself?"
"Now is not the right time," the silver-haired Dwarf answered. "If he becomes strong enough to travel to the Capital City, then I will personally meet him. But now, he's still not ready."
Nikola snorted, but he could also understand what their leader was saying. "Fine. I'll give this to him later."
The silver-haired Dwarf nodded. "Don't forget your promise. I will wait for your return to the Capital."
Without saying another word, the silver-haired Dwarf flew upwards and disappeared in a matter of seconds. He couldn't leave the Capital City for long, sinc his duty was to always be by the King's side.
He only came to Whitebridge City because Nikola had sent him an urgent request for help. As the leader of the Order of the Griffin, he just couldn't ignore the request of one of the pillars that ensured the safety of the Kingdom of Gweliven.
After the great battle ended, cheers rang out from the city as all the Dwarves celebrated their victory. Now that the Beast Tide was over, everyone could only feel happy that they had survived such a calamity.
"Big Brother, let's eat dinner together!" Colette said with a smile. "My treat!"
"Very well," Lux replied. "I'll be happy to have dinn–"
Colette, who was standing in front of her Big Brother screamed when he saw a blade pierce through the Half-Elf's chest.
A second later, the blade was pulled out and a hooded figure immediately ran away, leaving the Half-Elf, clutching his chest that was now soaked with his blood. Everything happened so fast that no one was able to react to the assailant, who had chosen the moment, when they had relaxed their guard because the battle was over, to attack.
"Big Brother!"
"Pa!"
"I-I'm alri…" Lux wasn't able to finish his words before he collapsed on the ground.
Soon, the plaza suddenly became chaotic as the Dwarves, who were celebrating with Lux only minutes ago, scrambled to help the fallen Half-Elf, as well as pursue the attacker that had stabbed him in the back.
Before Lux's vision failed him, the words that the assassin had said to him replayed inside his mind.
"This is payback. Enjoy your trip to hell."
That was the last thing that the Half-Elf thought before Colette's and Eiko's screams were silenced by the darkness that came crashing over him without any shred of mercy.
