Chapter 695 - 694: A Fatal Hesitation

Chapter 695: Chapter 694: A Fatal Hesitation

For the first time since Dummy had joined the battle, the humans finally had a reason to believe they could bring the creature’s rampage to an end.

Their plan had worked. Despite the casualties they had suffered and the enormous amount of mana the mages had already invested, they had successfully lured the beast into the area prepared for its capture.

And now, all that remained was to spring the trap.

The moment Dummy reached the designated area, the ground collapsed.

An enormous pit opened beneath its feet, swallowing the creature before it could react. The hole was several dozen meters deep, giving Dummy little opportunity to escape before the mages began sealing it.

Tons of earth poured into the opening, burying the creature beneath an enormous weight of soil and stone. The mages continued their spells until the pit was completely filled, compressing the earth so tightly that even a monster possessing tremendous physical strength would’ve struggled to move.

Under ordinary circumstances, the sheer weight would’ve been enough to crush most monsters unfortunate enough to be caught in such a trap. And even if one somehow survived the pressure, there was little chance of escaping before eventually suffocating.

The amount of mana required was considerable, leaving several of the spellcasters visibly exhausted. But after witnessing what Dummy had done to their companions, none of them regretted the expenditure.

At least, not initially.

Even after the pit had been completely sealed, several of the warriors remained fixated on the spot where Dummy had disappeared. They knew there was little chance of the creature surviving, much less escaping. Even Baka, with its tremendous strength and durability, would’ve been unlikely to survive being buried under so much earth.

Yet after everything they had witnessed, some of them still found themselves gripping their weapons, almost expecting the monster to emerge again.

Unfortunately, they couldn’t afford to remain distracted. With Dummy finally dealt with, their attention needed to return to the rest of the battlefield, where the situation had somehow grown considerably worse.

More of Noah’s creatures had entered the fight, and despite the humans still possessing a numerical advantage, their forces were suffering losses at a rate that shouldn’t have been possible. Whatever relief the warriors might’ve felt from finally stopping Dummy was quickly overshadowed by the realization that the rest of the battle was slipping out of their control.

But before they could decide what to do next, the earth began moving again.

Several of the mages assumed Dummy was attempting to dig its way free. They hurriedly poured what mana they had remaining into reinforcing the soil, hoping to keep the creature buried long enough for the others to recover.

Yet the ground continued shifting despite their efforts.

And then, to their disbelief, the earth began opening on its own.

The soil that had been compressed around Dummy separated, creating enough room for the creature to rise back toward the surface. Its enormous body emerged from the pit, still bearing injuries from the attacks it had endured earlier, but visible before their eyes, they witnessed those injuries healing.

The mages could only stare.

The mages had spent an enormous amount of mana burying Dummy under enough earth to crush even the strongest monsters. Yet somehow, the creature had managed to free itself, and worse, it had done so by interfering with the very magic they had used to bury it.

And the worst part was that the creature hadn’t even attempted to attack them with magic.

It had only used its affinity with the earth to prevent them from interfering with its meal.

Whether it was a B-ranker desperately attempting to defend himself or an A-ranker confident in his abilities, neither group had found a reliable way to deal with the two monsters.

And they couldn’t afford to devote all their attention toward finding one.

The goblins and trolls hadn’t stopped fighting, but even with their continued resistance, the humans had managed to maintain their advantage. They still possessed the greater numbers, and with the Holy Field supporting them, there was little reason to believe that advantage would disappear anytime soon.

At least, that had been the case before more of Noah’s creatures entered the battle.

Individually, these newcomers weren’t necessarily stronger than the trolls empowered by chieftain’s curses. Some were considerably weaker in terms of physical strength, but what they lacked in that regard, they made up for with their natural agility and unusual abilities.

The humans had already grown accustomed to fighting enemies that relied heavily on their strength and durability. Now, they were being forced to contend with creatures whose abilities they knew almost nothing about, and their attempts to adjust were costing them more lives than anyone had anticipated.

They were losing, and badly.

But what made the situation even worse was that something strange had begun happening throughout the battlefield. It wasn’t immediately obvious, especially with so many different fights taking place at once, but by the time anyone began noticing a pattern, far too many warriors had already died.

On numerous occasions, a human fighting one of Noah’s creatures would suddenly hesitate in the middle of an action. It didn’t matter whether they were defending themselves, attempting to kill an opponent, or rushing to save a companion.

Whatever expression they had been wearing would disappear, replaced by confusion as they struggled to understand what had just happened.

And in a battle where even a moment of hesitation could prove fatal, most never had the opportunity to figure it out.

None of them realized that Dobby was responsible.

Despite taking no direct part in the fighting, the old cat had become one of the most dangerous creatures on the battlefield.

His ability to absorb negative emotions was something that shouldn’t have existed in this world, and the effects were beginning to demonstrate why even the being that tried to not interfere too much with Earth had seen fit to impose limitations upon it.

Without those restrictions, Dobby might’ve been capable of defeating the entire human force on his own.

A warrior preparing to deliver a killing blow could suddenly find himself without the murderous intent that had driven his attack. His weapon would falter as he struggled to understand why he had been so determined to kill the creature before him only a moment earlier.

Others experienced something similar while defending themselves. A soldier who had instinctively raised his shield out of fear would suddenly lose that emotion, and with it, the urgency that had compelled him to protect himself. His guard would lower at the worst possible moment, leaving him exposed to an attack he would’ve otherwise blocked.

And because the effects differed depending on what each person had been feeling, the surviving warriors had little reason to suspect that all these seemingly unrelated mistakes shared the same cause.

It was only after the incidents became frequent enough for those supporting the fighting from behind to witness several of them that the humans finally began to understand something was terribly wrong.

They still couldn’t identify what was responsible, much less how to defend against it. But they had seen enough to recognize that their companions weren’t simply making mistakes. Something was interfering with them, and whatever it was, it was only occurring when fighting against the newly arrived creatures.

By then, the situation had deteriorated beyond anything the remaining warriors could reasonably hope to overcome.

Unless one of the S-rankers could abandon their own battle and intervene, there was little chance of turning things around. And with their numbers continuing to dwindle, even retreating was becoming increasingly dangerous.

For the humans fighting on this part of the battlefield, the battle was effectively over. The only question was whether they would recognize it in time to escape before the rest of them were killed.

They could only take comfort in the fact that the Holy Field was still supporting them.

But even that reassurance was beginning to disappear.

As the fighting continued, the humans noticed that the demons were growing stronger while they themselves were becoming weaker. Initially, the difference was small enough to mistake for exhaustion, but as time passed, it became increasingly difficult to ignore.

And it wasn’t limited to those fighting against Dummy and the other monsters.

The same changes were occurring throughout the battlefield. Even the S-rankers and the Church’s summoned warriors were beginning to experience the difference as the Holy Field’s influence gradually weakened.

The humans had relied heavily on its protection from the beginning, and despite everything that had happened, it remained one of the few advantages keeping their forces from being completely overwhelmed. If the Holy Field disappeared entirely, the outcome of the battle would practically be set in stone.

Unfortunately, Malachi was in no position to do anything about it.

His face had grown increasingly flushed, and despite his attempts to maintain his composure, his movements were becoming more frantic.

He didn’t fully understand what was happening across the battlefield, nor did he have the luxury of investigating. The pressure weighing on his body was already enough to tell him that the Virtue he had summoned was struggling against Ailetta, and with every passing moment, he could feel the strength in his body being drained.

No, his holy aura was also being drained.

He needed to finish the ritual.

Fortunately, Bailey’s body was already glowing with holy light. What had initially been concentrated around certain parts of her body had gradually spread until even her skin seemed to radiate the energy gathering within her.

There was only one procedure remaining.

Once it was completed, he would be able to summon a celestial being that would allow the voice to finally descend.

Malachi tightened his grip on the cross.

A narrow blade suddenly emerged from its lower end, transforming the sacred object into something resembling a ceremonial dagger. With it, Malachi would bring Bailey’s mortal life to an end and complete her ascension.

Everything had already been prepared. All that remained was to drive the blade into Bailey and offer her life to the being awaiting its descent.

But just as Malachi prepared to complete the ritual, something happened.

For a brief moment, the entire battlefield came to a standstill.

Humans and demons alike stopped fighting, and even the celestial beings seemed to forget the enemies standing before them. Dummy, whose desire to eat had remained undisturbed by everything the humans had thrown at it, was no exception.

Malachi froze as well, the blade still in his hand.

And then, almost simultaneously, every creature on the battlefield turned its attention toward the sky.