Chapter 66: B-Grade Quest Indeed
The situation looked very grim for the Demons. They were trapped in a difficult position. No matter what they'd do, it would still bring a lot of loss for them. Honestly speaking, they did underestimate Ragna's group's ability, but what's happening was beyond their wildest imagination.
They had left a rogue to escort their rear. In fact, there were also archers in their ranks. Unfortunately, Dreg had insta-killed the rogue without him having the opportunity to struggle. He's already gone before the archers could locate him. Using this moment of hesitation, he also killed their shaman, reducing their number to 8.
This time, however, he couldn't get out unscathed. After getting hit by a barrage of their attacks, his health dropped to yellow bar. Of course, if not for his exquisite footwork and evasive skills, he would be dead 10 out of 10.
'This is enough,' he thought inwardly. As long as he could distract the long ranged attacker's attention, Ragna could fight the rest of them. It was only a matter of time before the group of Demons crumbles.
Naturally, the Demons wouldn't let that happen.
They quickly changed into a defensive formation. The same situation could also be seen in their rear. Everyone covered each other while slowly moving closer to the other group. This way, their vanguard could once again regroup with the rear. It was very brilliant. It's quite hard to think that they're merely Demons. Their thought process wasn't even a bit worse than human.
'This... they are amazing,' Ragna exclaimed. This situation was indeed a bit different from what he had encountered during his previous battle with the scout group. It seemed like even within the ranks of Demons, this group could be considered above average.
The Demons got closer and closer. Ragna and Dreg immediately reacted, they keep sending their barrage of skills toward the Demons. Now that they had become passive, it's their best chance to attack.
After a few breath, another Demon warrior fell. Meanwhile, on Dreg's side, he also killed a Demon Archer and Mage. However, they managed to regroup, substantially increasing their defensive capability. It's true that they suffered some casualties, but it's still a lot better compared to the collapse of the whole group.
This situation should be disadvantageous for Ragna, but instead of frowning, his lips turned into a smile.
"Now!"
The ground where the Demons stood suddenly turned into a deep quagmire. They were startled but quickly resumed their defensive position. Shamans and Magicians prepared their defensive spell. But contrary to their expectation, there was no attack aimed at them. Instead, a huge earthen wall suddenly sprang from the ground, blocking their vision!
"Run! The Ruin is straight ahead," Prince Artha shouted.
The Demons were dumbfounded. They immediately realized that their objective wasn't to stall, but to prevent the group from entering the Ruin. They had been tricked!
From the moment when they were still on the offensive until the current situation where they had no choice but to be on defense, Ragna's control of the battlefield could only be described as perfect. He could control the whole battlefield, making the Demons unable to see through his plan.
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"ARRGH!"
The Demons eyes' turned crimson once again. They immediately struggled to break through Ragna's quagmire. Unfortunately, Ragna kept on spamming his skills while also increasing the distance, slowing the process substantially. As for Dreg, he also threw his hidden weapons to interrupt their spells.
'As long as we can stall them, Prince Artha should be able to enter the Ruin together with his followers,' Ragna and Dreg shared the same thought.
It was slightly unfortunate that they couldn't also enter the Ruin. Their sense told them that the place would be full of opportunities and treasures. Alas, one couldn't get too greedy. To be able to gain a lot of contribution points was already a great fortune for them. If they insisted on entering the Ruin, there's no telling what would happen. In fact, there might be unknown danger and internal strife among Prince Artha's group and them.
...
Sir Arnold and Rakshani are still engaged in a fight. Brilliant sword and saber lights could be seen flying about. Rakshani took a glance at the current situation of the battle and he was a bit startled to see what was happening. Sir Arnold had also noticed it and he was trying his best to block Rakshani from interfering.
"What? Do you still have enough strength to watch over another battle?" Sir Arnold shouted. The light that shrouded his sword got brighter, emanating a terrifying pressure. Whenever he swung his sword, a deep crevice would appear. It was the power of the older generation. The terrifying strength of the experts inside the kingdom. At this stage of the game, it was only a wishful thinking if players wanted to wage a war against the kingdom.
Rakshani only smirked in response, "Do I need to, though?"
...
The escape ran very smoothly. In just a while, Prince Artha's group could already see the outline of the Ruin. Following a distance behind them was Ragna and Dreg who were still busy stalling for them. If not for Lily's potions and Prince Artha's buffs, Ragna's mana might not suffice. Furthermore, he also had his strange soul stats.
'Soul... what a strange type of energy. It could replenish my mana and health when it reached a certain point. If not for this, I'm afraid my wisdom and intelligence stats won't be enough to handle the spell's mana consumption,' Ragna muttered.
Because of his soul stats also had its own regeneration rate, he could somehow sustain all the spells he cast. It was akin to having about twice of his usual regeneration rate. Plus, the conversion wasn't always 1:1, it could change depending on the situation.
Seeing that the Ruin was already close, Dreg shouted, "There shouldn't be any more surprise, right?"
"Why is it that I feel like there's something when you say that," Ragna retorted.
"GRROAARR!"
Unfortunately, there's indeed another surprise. An earth-shaking roar could be heard at the direction of Prince Artha's group. A huge Demon holding a great sword suddenly appeared in front of Prince Artha's group. From the looks of it, the Demon should also have reached at least Leader rank.
Using its huge arm, the Demon swung its greatsword toward Prince Artha. Judging from the raw pressure it emitted, there's no way they could block it.
BAM!
One of Prince Artha's follower desperately blocked the attack and was sent flying because of the terrifying force behind the attack. He smashed into a tree before losing consciousness. His body was covered in blood and wounds. He's seriously injured.
The knight's sacrifice wasn't for nothing. Because of him, Prince Artha was able to survive unharmed. However, they could no longer leave by now as their path was being blocked the Huge Demon.
Ragna and Dreg looked at each other with a complicated expression. Even if they didn't say it, they already knew what their counterpart's thought was.
'This really is a B-Grade Quest'
...
Inside Prabu's room, Digdaya HQ, Jakarta City.
"Have you found the person?" A clear and dignified voice resounded within the room.
The man was already more than fifty-five years old, but he didn't look aged and decrepit. Instead, he had a rather vigorous look on his face. You could feel your heart clench just by standing in front of him. It's a natural pressure that he built over a lifetime of experiences. He was Prabu, the owner of Digdaya Corp. The creator of Maya.
"Unfortunately not, there's no other sign of him/her appearing," Patih answered while kneeling on one knee.
Prabu sighed, "Nayana really hid them well. If not for the fact that we found Arthur, this expedition might have become our loss."
Patih nodded and left, leaving Prabu alone inside the room. Meanwhile, the latter's eyes were fixed on the former's back.
Prabu muttered slowly, "I hope you won't disappoint me like him..."