Chapter 183: [183] Death Flag

[You have slain level 30 Cleopathra, The Stormy Legion! +400 exp]

[Jenna has leveled up! Lvl 17 >> Lvl 20]

[Mountain has leveled up! Lvl 15 >> Lvl 17]

[Inquisitor has leveled up! Lvl 17 >> Lvl 19]

[Sumo has leveled up! Lvl 16 >> Lvl 18]

__

Ark’s eyes surveyed the room. All the knights that attacked alongside Cleopathra had all met their demise.

They had been an experienced force, and all his shadows, apart from Jenna, had died at least once during the fight.

But each time, Ark would resummon them, and then send them back into the battle. The repeated summoning, paired up with his fight with Cleopatra, had left him completely drained of mana.

Ark was sure he had only a few spells left. He was also missing a few toes and quite a number of ribs.

’Cleopatra...’ Just saying her name made his back ache. She had been strong.

He stared at Clyeretha, the princess, watching as she cried while holding her sister tightly to her chest.

Life was strange in that way. You often had no idea how much you loved someone, how much you valued them, until they were ripped out of your hands.

Why were humans not wired to appreciate the little things, the things they loved?

Most people were so busy with work that they disregarded their loved ones. They were up by seven and back by nine, never once speaking to their families.

Even children were this way, caught up with games and entertainment, they barely had time to spend with their parents.

But once there was a snap...

An incurable illness, an accident... it would be then, and only then, that they realised what they stood to lose.

Dark memories, like hazy demons, rose in Ark’s mind. He suppressed them and tore his eyes away from the sisters.

Although they had won the battle, it didn’t feel very much like a victory.

And worst of all—

"SHIT! GET DOWN, NOW!"

There was no time to mourn the dead.

[00:00]

The shadow. It was upon them.

BOOOOM!

A large, green claw suddenly ripped through the glass and walls as though they were paper. Shards of glass were sent flying, accompanied by chunks of earth that exploded into the room.

Ark had been blasted to the other side of the room by the attack. He quickly got up to see if Clyeretha had survived, and then he let out a breath.

Sumo stood right above her, his back impaled by dozens of thick, large glass shards that were now leaking shadows.

He had saved her, without even waiting for his command. That was the only reason they were not all dead.

Cold air poured into the room, accompanied by the blizzard raging outside. The castle shook. And then a large head drew closer, a green reptilian eye staring right into the space.

[Threat detected! Elder Wyvern, Level 50x 1!]

[Threat detected! Goblin Wyvern Rider, Level 30x 1!]

Ark felt cold tendrils racing up his spine and climbing up to his skull. Maybe it was because of the cold, or maybe it was because of his weakened body, but his limbs felt odd.

"An... Elder Wyvern?"

Wyverns were already dangerous monsters that could rip apart most adventurers to shreds.

Their skin was so tough that most blades couldn’t cut through, and they were all able to command elements.

But an Elder Wyvern? They were aged wyverns two times the size of a fully grown wyvern! Now that... that was on a whole other level.

Worst of all, it was being commanded by a goblin rider at level thirty-five. Ark was not even confident he could beat the high goblin alone, especially not in this state.

Hell-level difficulty...

Now Ark knew why the system had warned them to escape. It was because if they somehow encountered them for any reason, then they would trigger that scenario.

Sudden Death.

Sumo crumbled into the shadows.

[Your Summon has been destroyed]

And then the wyvern opened its mouth, its throat glowing with a bright green light. It locked its eyes on Clyeretha, and then—

"MOUNTAIN!" Ark screamed at the top of his voice. The giant was there in a second. He kicked Clyeretha into the air, right at him, then slammed his gigantic shield down.

SWISH!!

A wave of cutting winds tore out of the wyvern’s mouth like a demonic howl. The rest of the castle wall was basically disintegrated, sliced into countless tiny pieces, just before the winds eviscerated Mountain.

When it came to defence, Mountain was the best of his shadows, and yet he had been destroyed in the blink of an eye.

Ark gritted his teeth. Clyeretha was whimpering and trembling with fear, but he was not listening.

At that moment, Ark’s mind was racing. He was searching for a solution. How could they escape the monster?

Inquisitor charged at it.

Defeating it was certainly out of the options. They somehow needed to escape this hall. But Ark had no idea how long the hall was, nor did he know how much time it would take to escape.

Inquisitor managed to dodge one attack, just before he was also sent back to the shadows.

The wyvern turned its attention to Jenna—

BOOOOM!

The entire spot where she had been, the walls, and everything behind it were blown into smithereens. But Jenna was not caught up in the attack, because Ark had summoned her to his side.

He placed Clyeretha on her feet, but she crumpled to her knees, her legs weak out of fear.

Ark stepped forward, a maddening laughter escaping his lips.

Clack—Clack!

Glass bottles fell to his feet, empty mana potions, health potions and a single strength potion.

Sumo, Mountain and Inquisitor appeared behind him. But there were also two new faces, Tai and his sister, Kenny. The moment the salamanders saw the wyvern, they snarled, their voices rippling through the space.

The wyvern turned its attention to Ark, its eyes narrowing as it stared him down.

Its gaze was enough to paralyze most people, and judging by Clyeretha’s reaction, it was unleashing a terrible amount of bloodlust.

But Ark was immune to those... theatrics. ℯℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

"If I was told I would be fighting a wyvern today, I would have at least written my will," he joked out loud.

Sparks fizzled into the air as a black staff materialized in his hand, gleaming like polished obsidian.

"Release the princess, and I will grant you a quick and merciful death!" The rider snickered, his voice filled with mockery.

"No."

"What?"

"I said no."

"...."

The rider’s face turned red with rage.

"Then you have chosen death!" He raised his staff, and the wyvern opened its maw wide. "Waste them all, Fimbulörmr! Not even ashes will remain!"

The air in the hallway vanished. Ark heard Clyeretha gasp.

"W-we are going to die, we are g-going to die," she repeated with a lost look in her eyes. "What about the k-kingdom? What about Father’s plan?!"

BOOOOOOOM!

The gust of searing wind poured forward, and Ark watched as it reduced everything in its path to molten, rippled debris.

And yet he did not take a step back, because Ark... had a plan.