“That young girl is crazy! Who the hell thinks of blowing up a hospital room on the seventh floor? Especially with Greek Fire?!”
I had just witnessed one of the most bizarre things in all my life! It surpasses the sight of a blood-red sky and monsters materialising and causing destruction. A girl had just used blades and shields and ferried the civilians and the target onto the ground! Not only that, but she also uncorks a bottle of Greek Fire and tosses it into a horde of Undead Ghouls! And then she leaps out of the building like she was shooting some sort of action movie!
I watched all of this go down with my breath sucked in on the floor directly under them. I was going to kill Sam by throwing my daggers right underneath the burly man and dip right out once I confirm he was dead. My daggers were laced with a deadly toxin that could kill ten fully grown elephants in under a minute. But my plans changed abruptly when, out of the corner of my eye, I saw a Chinese man plummeting to the ground. And then a bunch of more people descended from the hospital. Before I could wrap my head around what was happening, my instincts kicked in, warning me about a danger soon approaching. Following it as I always had, I dashed out of the room just as an explosion occurred! Thankfully, I escaped from the hospital in the nick of time.
I was now standing outside the premises, hiding behind a police car. The Jennie Sealy Hospital was engulfed in a cloud of black smoke that was pouring out of the top floors. The peaceful blue sky quickly turned a dismal gray as the ash and smoke billowed over the hospital, creating an eerie storm-like effect. Before long, the Greek Fire will spread to the lower floors, and the metal beams holding the hospital will crumble, and soon the entire building will collapse.
I was unaware if the Undead Ghouls I created were still alive. You can’t kill them through conventional means such as decapitation or striking their heart. They will just regenerate what they lost. The only way to kill them was by destroying every cell in their body, leaving none intact. Since that woman used Greek Fire on the Undead Ghouls, they’ll most likely be burning until they are nothing but ash. I did not know if the woman was aware of how to properly kill an Undead Ghoul.
I poked my head over to the side of a cop car. That same woman, alongside the Chinese man, Sam, and some redhead alongside the people they saved were at the front entrance of the hospital. With swords and spears in hand, they were slaying demogres, goblin riders mounted atop fierce dire wolves, and the strange webbed-winged, beaked creatures with a pterodactyl-like appearance. The name given to those creatures was Fliosaur. Whoever gave those monsters its name was clearly drunk.
Their group was holding them off pretty well. The Chinese man and black woman cleaved through rows of them in a tidal wave of flying swords and quick strikes. The red-haired woman, Sam, and the other superhumans defended the noncombatants while the first two went on the frontal assault. If things were to continue like this, a chance to make up a past blunder would slip.
“They aren’t that far away, to begin with. I can probably kill Sam at this distance if I focus long and hard…”
I quietly stood up from behind the cop car, still hidden, and aimed a dagger at the back of Sam’s neck. He had his back turned to me and was exposed. He was unaware of the danger of someone wanting to take his life.
Before I could throw my dagger, an unforeseen development occurred. To the left of the parking lot, the familiar shape of the massive beast stood out against the sky. The gears in my brain worked overtime as I concocted a new plan instantly. My lips curled into a sinister smile as I lowered my arms.
To think it would return! Today must be my lucky day! I’ll let this lumbering oaf finish what it started. I’ll watch the scene unfurl at a more… safer distance. This upcoming battle will get messy…
I activated the magic [Shadow Portal] right under my feet. I slinked right through the black mass to avoid the gaze of the colossal figure.
****
I winced in pain every time I swung my rapier to kill a monster. When I hopped out of the hospital, the explosion seared my back. Before I drank a health potion, the skin on my backside was charred black, and my hoodie reeked of smoke. Though the smoke is still there every time I inhaled, my skin was back to its previous color. However, the pain persists. It was like an itch that never goes away, no matter how many times you scratch. I’ll just have to grit my teeth and deal with it.
A stray dire wolf lunged forward after I skewered a goblin with a mana blade. The dire wolf flicked its long tongue and bared its fangs, snarling and growling menacingly. I raised my right leg and kicked its chin. Its jaw exploded and its teeth shattered like ceramic glass. The dire wolf flopped to its side and lay there motionless. I watched the dire wolf for a couple of seconds and even stabbed its brain for good measure. After confirming it was dead, I went on to the next one.
A goblin stood before me, its small spear held tightly in its fist, and I could feel its hatred radiating from its scowl. It had a pointed nose and beady eyes. The goblin took one step forward, ready to charge, but it stopped. It tilted his head upward and sniffed the air. When it craned its neck, its eyes shifted from a fiery determination to a fearful glint. The scared creature dropped the little spear and ran away, shrieking. Soon after, the rest of the goblins followed along, either running on foot or climbed on top of the dire wolves and galloping away. Even the demogres and those weird flying monsters fled alongside the goblins. This was way too uncharacteristic for monsters who revel in killing and plundering…
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Sol leaned forward curiously.
“Yea… What’s got them so spooked?”
As I turned my head in the same direction the monsters were looking, I felt a chill run down my spine. I almost dropped my rapier when my eyes landed on the thing that had the monsters fleeing in terror. From beyond the parking lot and behind a five-story office building was a gigantic head peeking out from the corner. It was a face that was ugly and bumpy, as if a demogre and the world’s ugliest troll had a baby. It had a bushy beard and an untamed head of hair, like a barbarian from long ago. A single, round eye pierced from the middle of its grotesque face.
“Woah! Now that’s a face only a mother could love!” Chen Ling chuckled. While I was too busy staring slack-jawed at the creature, I hadn’t heard Chen Ling coming up from behind.
“If I’m not wrong, that is a Cyclops,” Chen Ling muttered, scratching his chin. Cyclopes are big, man-eating creatures with one eye, correct?”
“Yea,” I nodded grimly. That Cyclops must’ve been attracted to all the commotion over here and decided to check it out. Now, it sees delicious morsels all packed up in a nice little bow. I know that because it’s licking its crusty lips right now!
In my peripheral vision, Fiey and Sam were running toward Chen Ling and me while gazing at the Cyclops.
“Damn! That bastard came back!” Fiey fumed.
“This is not good,” Sam sighed.
The man was holding a silver, rectangular shield in his left hand. He wore a small white fabric on his right eye and had a lot of scars on his tattered chest piece. Since the man was missing his right arm and right eye, he was having trouble adjusting to his new condition. I’ve been keeping a close eye on Sam while he was fighting monsters and the mans in worst condition than everyone here. He can’t accurately judge the distance between him and his enemy. His depth perception has gone to shit, and he now has a new blind spot to his right. He had to stick close to Fiey just so that the woman could assist him when needed. I really felt bad for Sam. For the strongest Dungeon Conqueror in America to be reduced to this state…
Sam noticed I was staring at his right arm and smiled apologetically. He mouthed the words ‘don’t worry about me’ and nodded over to the Cyclops. I guess that’s his way of saying I shouldn’t be paying attention to him but to the looming threat marching toward us!
The Cyclops had stepped away from the building it was hiding behind and revealed itself. It stood at a shocking 18 feet tall, the same height as a giraffe, and had broad shoulders and the heavy but muscular build you would see pro heavy lifters have. The Cyclops also had a primitive appearance, using a loincloth of shaggy, dark brown fur and the untangled mess of hair on its chin and head. With every step the Cyclops took, the cars, buildings, and the ground rumbled, creating a miniature earthquake. The civilians to our left were screaming bloody murder as they pointed at the Cyclops. I even saw a yellow liquid leaking out of one kid’s pants.
“Please save us!”
“M-M-M-Monster!”
“What are you superhumans waiting for? Go kill it!”
Sol wrinkled her nose at the sight.
“Tch. Idiots,” Fiey murmured. She turned her body to face me. “Laila, I’ll make this quick. That Cyclops over there is the reason we were hiding out in the hospital. Out of nowhere, that damned bastard was hurling trains, cars, trucks, you name it, at our bunker when we least expected it. This all happened three days ago, the same day you, Chen Ling, and a few other superhumans accepted the call of the First Stage. Chen Ling only arrived just yesterday-”
The ground shook with even more intensity as the Cyclops slowly approached. It grinned from ear to ear, exhibiting its unhygienic teeth- yellow and black with pieces of raw meat stuck in some of its meat. There was even a dab of blood on its canines. Fiey saw this but continued speaking in a hurried tone.
“That Cyclops returned and is out for blood. It has immense strength and intelligence for a monster. I don’t know if even you can beat it.”
“No, I can beat it. Alone, actually.”
“Really?!” Fiey doubted. Before she could ask how I know that for certain, I snapped my fingers to get Fiey, Sam, and Chen Ling’s attention.
“We don’t have much time, so I’ll only say this once. Yes, I can beat it alone, but it would be better if Chen Ling fought alongside me. Fiey and Sam, I want you to take the civilians to a more secluded and safe place this time. The smoke from the hospital is getting worse and before long, the hospital will be reduced to rubble.”
“Understood,” said Sam without a moment’s hesitation. Fiey snuck a glance at Sam, staring at his right arm.
“Alright,” Fiey sighed, running a hand through her hair. “We’ll protect the civilians while you deal with that thing. Sam and I will lead these poor saps to the Field House down the street. Meet us there once you’re done.”
I gave Fiey the thumbs up. “Got it. Chen Ling, it’ll be your time to shine. Show me what you got.”
“Wonderful! I’ve been itching to fight this thing ever since I heard of its existence from Officer Fiey!” Chen Ling snickered. The man threw his weapon into the air and leaped on top of his sword. The pommel and guard had a rich gold color and black wrapping that made it seem like only kings would use. Chen Ling caught me staring at the craftsmanship and winked before flying away.
“Haha! A good fight awaits me!” He hollered cheerfully as he zipped away. Fiey and Sam had already left the scene and were herding the civilians away past a collection of buildings and stray vehicles. The hospital behind me was now just a sea of red flames. Plumes of fire billowed out of each room as shards of glass burst out and litter the streets. It was getting hard to breathe from all the ashes and smoke.
“Sorry Sol. I’ll start moving.”
I took one last good look at the ruined hospital. I hadn’t gotten a message that the Undead Ghouls were defeated, which had been eating at me for a while. That means that the Undead Ghouls are still alive. If so, then where are they? Are they still in the hospital, their rotten skin smoldering in the pit of fire? Or have they already escaped?
These questions were picking at the back of my brain as I finally tore my eyes away and ran toward the Cyclops.