Chapter 177: [177] Return To Hell (3)

Although Jenna’s blast had taken out a good number of goblins, it had also completely obliterated the entrance.

Normally, the soldiers would have had to filter in through the room, but now they had free entrance.

It was excellent. If they had to deal with them little by little, then the fight would have been more than boring.

"Exterminate them!" Ark commanded, and then like flickers of shadows in a bright room, his summons blurred past him, charging forward to wreak havoc.

Inquisitor and Sumo seemed to be racing to determine who would get to them first. The two of them were neck and neck, reaching the army in seconds.

The high goblins were a disciplined army. In less than ten seconds, they had already mounted a formation.

The heavy infantry stood in front, their large shields propped forwards to block any evaders, while the spearmen stood right behind them, their spears pointing forward like spikes.

"You traitors! The gods rebuke you!" One of the goblins dressed in fancy clothes screamed at the top of his voice, his tone bitter with rage.

He confidently stood at the center of the formation, brandishing a shiny longsword. A weapon without dents, a weapon that had sparingly tasted flesh.

The goblins had been confident in their formation, but the moment Inquisitor came upon them, it was as though they had been smote by nature itself.

The soldiers in the front side felt a hefty pressure push onto them above. Their knees buckled, and then summons appeared.

Swish!

Armoured heads were sent flying into the air, blood splashing onto their allies as their bodies gave off the liquid like rain.

Fear gripped the soldiers hearts first, just before the cold steel of their blades took their share. The formation was crumbling, the work of two undead that moved like demons from hell.

"What the hell are you doing?!" The high goblin captain yelled from the comfort of the formation.

"They are just two men!! KILL THEM

ALREADY!"

Inquistor’s head snapped in his direction and the goblin gasped as he felt his heart drop. But that was not the threat he should have been worried about—-

Sumo charged forward, an axe firmly gripped in his hands as he dashed towards the commander.

The soldiers shifted in place, stabbing at him, but he swung his axe, unleashing a gust of water that knocked into them, blasting him into the sky.

Swoosh!

The commander stared in awe as Sumo flipped in the air.

Then descended like thunder.

"Heretic!" He raised his sword and swung.

Clang—!

Both weapons clashed into each other, unleashing clandestine sounds that cut through the room.

The water gushed to the sides, washing away soldiers that tried to interfere as Sumo descended. And then in the small space created by the blast, Sumo clashed with the commander.

The high goblin proved to be skilled with the blade. His sword was clean not because he was weak, but because he never needed to use it.

Sparks ignited within the circles. Any soldier that stepped in was cut down without remorse, and so the soldiers found themselves between a rock and a hard place.

In front, Inquisitor was moving like a nefarious devil, reaping life after life, and in the center Sumo’s axe was lashing out, seeking blood to drink.

But they had faith in their commander. Soon he would prevai—

Squelsh!

That hope soon died.

Their commander’s head was suddenly split in two by a hefty vertical strike. Blood gushed out of his head like jelly out of a squished donut, he gurgled blood, just as he crumpled to his knees, his sword long discarded.

Sumo stared at the body for a few seconds, before he looked up at the rest of the soldiers, slowly.

His azure blue eyes were gleaming beneath a mask that appeared to be carved by the devil himself. He rested his axe on his shoulder and motioned at them, his intentions as clear as day.

Come.

But the goblins did not get to make that decision, because soon, they were once again bathed by blue.

BANG!

— AHHHHHKAAAAAAA

A bubbling rush of fire gushed forward, expertly circling around the goblins, incinerating them, while leaving Inquisitor and Sumo unharmed.

More goblins poured through the entrance. Jenna raised her staff, her mouth was open as she enchanted, her eyes gleaming with darkness.

Ark could not hear her words, all he could see was her results.

The room grew colder, the heat of the earlier fire dimming down until a chill settled down in the spines of everyone in attendance.

The princess hid behind Mountain, clutching tightly to his cold armour for comfort, completely petrified by fear.

At first, she had been afraid of death at the hands of her own people, but now she feared for their lives, and her heart ached as their screams tormented her.

Black ice materialized in the air, each one sharpened to perfection, each one deadly in its lethality.

"Return." Ark commanded Inquisitor and Sumo, and they dashed back, the goblins chasing after them.

Ark glanced at Jenna and nodded.

Everything happened in an instant. The ice shards soared like hypersonic arrows, pounding into the goblins.

Flesh was ripped out of bone, skulls were fractured, ribs crushed like twigs, hearts ripped to shreds, just before everything was frozen in a mess of black ice.

Fog drifted into the air as silence filtered into the room, and then Ark walked forward, stepping atop the frozen bodies, the broken weapons, and the crimson lake that had formed underneath their feet.

"Let’s go."

"—Ureghk!"

Ark turned around to see the princess doubled over, tears rushing out of her eyes as her body shivered.

She retched, emptying her stomach onto the floor. She continued staring down, unable to look up. At her people.

Just a few years ago, she had laughed with many of those men, they had chatted at functions, they had all sought the good of their kingdom.

Where did it go wrong? How had they gotten into such a mess? What could they have done differently?

She cursed herself in her mind, and slammed her hand against the floor repeatedly, just before screaming out in pain and sorrow and grief.

"W-why... wh-y am I the only one that gets to live?"

Then she felt someone grab onto her chin and slowly tilt her head upwards.

The hands were hard and cold, and yet she somehow found comfort in them as she stared into his eyes.

"You don’t need a reason to live princess." Ark said as he lifted her to her feet.

"You just live..."

He summoned a piece of fabric from his inventory and placed it in her hand. It was Soo-jin’s belt, the one he had used during training...

"Tie this around your eyes." Ark said in an icy tone as he stared at what was left of the entrance. "You’re going to need it..."

[Threat detected! Phoenix Knights, Level 21 x 50!]

Last time, he had been the prey. This time, he would be the hunter.

This was just a fraction... of the hell they would unleash on this place.