Chapter 149 - Episode 149: The Invasion. (15)
Chapter 149 – Episode 149: The Invasion. (15)
Thousands of ballistae are being pushed by players all around the city that they have prepared by Ivonna and the players from the Alliance Kingdoms' faction even before the invasion started. There are also bigger ballistae on top of the towers and walls around the city that are attached and bolted on the floor of the towers and walls. If they could bring all the ballistae, catapults, and trebuchets that the other factions have prepared, there will be more than hundred of thousands of them, but sadly it will take more than a week to bring all of them to the Cruzm Kingdom.
They're all pointing at Shazjae with steel bolts that are attached to a long and thick steel chain that is attached and tied to a strong building while the ballistae on the towers and walls use a thicker steel bolt. They're planning to penetrate Shazjae's skin with those bolts and hope that it's enough to make him stop. Even if they failed to do so, at least the buildings that are attached to the steel chain would drag him down, and if they're lucky enough, those steel chains can make him stumble and fall to the ground. The only problem is that it can backfires at them if those boulders or debris of the buildings are flying around randomly that might land on the players.
Ivonna then looks at Francesca and Grisell that are walking toward her with dozens of players carrying barrels. She looks at those barrels with worries but she's already agreed to this plan.
Francesca then looks at Ivonna and puts her hand on Ivonna's shoulder.
"Don't worry too much.. This is what we all agreed on. Even if it's going to backfire at us, it's nobody's fault."
Ivonna nods.
"I know. I just hope this is going to work."
Grisell looks at Ivonna.
"This is going to work. I'm sure that these things can do heavy damage to him."
Kingstar and Queenstar approach them. Kingstar is looking at the barrels and then looks at Grisell.
"Is everything ready? We should do it now."
Grisell nods.
"It's ready to eat its prey."
Kingstar nods while smiling.
"Alright. Tell the frontline to get ready to retreat because we are going to throw everything at him."
Ivonna nods while messaging Michael who's at the frontline with Chelsea, Emma, and William.
(At the frontline of the battlefield.)
Michael is pointing at the monument statue.
"Everyone! Get ready to retreat to the statue as we have planned. Remember! Every man is for himself! Don't look back and just keep running when they send us the signal!"
Michael then looks back and hundreds of players are following him. Michael nods.
"For us the sacrificial team, we need to lure this big dude to the middle. I will reward every single one of you when the invasion ends."
They all cheer while smiling and grinning nervously.
A dim red flare that is slowly getting brighter and brighter the higher it goes up high in the air that is coming from the wall indicates that the plan is ready to be executed. Michael is looking at every single one of them while nodding and breathing heavily.
"Alright! Half of you, start moving now! The rest will move after the second signal!"
Half of the players are scattering and moving in different directions. The reason why they do that is that they don't want to attract Shazjae when he sees a larger group of players is running in the same direction. So they scatter around and let the rest of the frontline players attract Shazjae since they look like an easier target to kill.
Michael is exhaling deeply.
"Get ready ladies and gents. We are going to see something amazing and terrifying at the same time."
Another flare is sent into the air. Michael then shouts.
"Now! You all, retreat!"
The other half of the players are scattering and start running in different directions like earlier. The plan is a success. Shazjae is ignoring the players that are running away from the battlefield and keeps on chasing Michael and his team. They're running as fast as they can and a few of the players are stumbling and fall to the ground. Nobody is looking and paying attention to them nor helping them. As Michael said, every man is for himself.
They almost reach the center of the city. Michael looks back and checks on everyone. They're all looking at Michael smiling brightly.
"I don't know who are you guys, or where do you guys come from, but knowing that you all following me like this is giving me a hell of a lot of emotion. Man, I love you guys."
They all laughing and chuckling while running for their lives, but then another flare is sent into the air. They all look at it for quite a while and then they all suddenly stop moving and turn around looking at Shazjae staring down at them with his massive steps that shake the ground every time he moves. Everyone is taking a deep breath while looking at the massive foot that is going to stomp them to death.
Sounds of whistling coming from the sky above them and from all the directions are slowly getting louder and louder. Thousands of steel bolts hitting Shazjae's body and legs rapidly. Shazjae starts growling in pain, and then he looks down at Michael and the others and starts lifting his foot, and moves it right above them.
Michael lifts his sword.
"F*ck you!"
Kingstar lifts his sword.
"Fire!"
Dozens of catapults are throwing the barrels toward Shazjae. Barrels are thrown at Shazjae's legs and feet. As soon as it breaks, a pale green smoke starts coming out from the barrel. Then it starts to explode. A purple flame and blue flame start blazing around Shajzae. Shazjae is growling again and it's louder than earlier. The ballistae keep firing Shazjae, but this time the bolts are attached to a different strong building.
A cloud of big black smoke is blocking their vision, even the players from the towers and the walls can't see anything. There's no sound only silence. The steel chains are not tense and there are no movements. Everyone starts coughing and covering their mouths and noses using a wet cloth because of the strong sulfuric acid that Grisell made from the sulfur minerals that she found when she was wandering around the Alliance Kingdoms' territory and combined with something that nobody knows what that was. Grisell is confident that the acid is going to work since it's different from what she usually experimented with in real life. But then the sounds of chains getting moved are echoing through the whole city.
Kingstar takes a deep breath and starts screaming as loud as he can so all the players can hear his voice.
"KEEP FIRING!"
All the players start putting the bolts back into the ballistae, but then a loud growl is deafening all the players. The steel chains start to tense and then the buildings start crumbling and falling down. All the players near the ballistae and the buildings start running away and immediately jump and roll over. The buildings are being pulled so fast that the whole building is still intact when flying up in the air and then hits Shazjae's legs.
The cloud of smoke is still blocking their vision, but then Shazjae is walking past the cloud of smoke like nothing happened to him, but when they look at his feet, it did a lot of damage to him, he even took about 1.800.000 damages from all that. Grisell did warn them that the sulfuric acid fume is extremely dangerous and it will take a while until it disappears. Everything it touches will start to dissolves. Not just the fume is dangerous, but also Shazjae's feet are covered with acid and it definitely will backfire on them.
All the players on the statue monument have no idea what to do and they don't want to get near him with that acid all over his feet. Ivonna gulps nervously because everything seems promising at first, but then they made everything worse.
"We need to evacuate everyone. Bring all of them here, now."
Kingstar looks at Ivonna.
"What do you mean to bring all of them here? What are you going to do even if we brought all of them back here?"
Ivonna glaring at Kingstar so seriously that for some reason makes Kingstar feel a bit uncomfortable by her glaze.
"Just do it, please?"
Kingstar nods without saying anything.
Everyone is running toward them as fast as they can, and thanks to that, they attract Shazjae and now he's coming towards them as well.
Ivonna is walking to the front on her own with a shield and lance in her hands. Every player is walking past her and she's just staring at Shazjae that seems to be running toward them. Kingstar and the others are watching Ivonna on her own at the front with confusion.
Ivonna drops the shield to the ground and stabs the lance in front of her. She turns around and looks at them.
"Run… as fast as you can. I will buy you guys some time to regroup and think for a new plan!"
Kingstar is about to question her decision, but then a white magic circle appears under Ivonna's body that shines so brightly. She then grabs the lance and holds the tip of the blade instead of the handle while staring at Shazjae that is a hundred meters from her. She's pointing the blade into her own body and then thrust the lance into her body.
[Exclusive Skill [Sacrifice] has been activated]
[A life-holy-barrier that prevents everything from walking past the barrier. Cannot be destroyed. Cost 10% Max HP every second until the player dies]
Kingstar then turns around and shouts.
"RUN!"
10…
9…
8…
7…
6…
5…
4…
3…
2…
1…
[You died]
Queenstar looks back and the barrier disappears.
"We won't be able to make it out alive!"
Kingstar keeps focusing on running.
"Survive… we only need to survive."
Shazjae is now running and nobody can outrun him this time. Everyone just hopes for the best.
When Shazjae is about to stomp on them, a white mist in the sky is coming towards them. An ember-haired guy with gold eyes riding a wolf with his famous chained sickle in his hand flying past through them. Everyone looks back and lifts their heads.
[Divine Aura is activated]
[Frenzy is activated]
[Bloodbath is activated]
[Dominion is activated]
"Azrael, please lend me your strength."
Azreal nods.
"Yes, Master!"
[Temptation is activated]
[HP is increased by 4.865, STA is increased by1.450, ATK is increased by 1302, DEF is increased by 725, MDEF is increased by 800]
I jump off from Azrael's back and free-falling toward Shazjae's head. He slowly lifts his head and looks at me. I unwrap the chain on my arm and hold the chain with both hands.
I smirk while staring at Shazjae.
"Your opponent is me now."