CHAPTER 62— Cave battle(2)
Soon, the trio reached the area nearest to the cave where the main battle seemed to be taking place.
The moment Rowan arrived, his eyes widened.
The battlefield ahead was pure chaos.
Dozens of students were locked in battle against the Chimeras.
Spells of flame, water, earth, wind, and thunder constantly erupted across the area.
Explosions rang out one after another.
At first glance, it looked as though the students had been overwhelmed.
But things were different now.
The arrival of Seraphine and her group had completely changed the flow of the battle.
A blazing wave of crimson fire swept through several Chimeras.
"Hey, Marna!"
Seraphine called out while casually burning another Chimera to ashes.
"Why didn't you tell me there was a dark mage attack here?"
Not far away, a brown-haired girl slammed her staff into the ground.
Several stone pillars erupted from beneath a group of Chimeras and crushed them instantly.
"How was I supposed to come tell you?"
Marna shot back.
"I was busy fighting!"
Seraphine nodded thoughtfully.
"Hmm...Makes sense."
Another wave of flames exploded from her wand.
"Why didn't you bring more students when you got to know that we have been attacked?" Marna rolled her eyes.
Seraphine smirked.
"Please."
Her crimson eyes gleamed.
"Do you really think we'd need more?"
BOOOOM!
Another Chimera disappeared beneath her flames.
Rowan stared at the battlefield.
The students were holding their ground surprisingly well.
The Chimeras looked terrifying.
But nobody was backing down.
Every time a Chimera charged forward, several spells immediately answered it.
The battlefield had become somewhat balanced now.
Rowan stared at the battle ahead.
At the students who are already fighting the Chimeras. The battle looks pretty balanced the number of Chimeras though kept increasing but the students were also not backing down and were dealing with them.
'Do i really need to fight?' Rowan thought for a second.
"Hey what are you doing?" Ritvik called him as he raised his staff mana gather around it and then his spell hit a Chimera.
"Fight. Don't just stand there."
Rowan nodded raising his axe.
"Okay."
Rowan got into his posture, raised his axe and then... swung it down.
Fire chop.
Water chop.
FWOOOOSH!!
Two crescent arcs burst forward.
One blazing red.
One deep blue.
The cresent arcs of fire and water tore through several Chimeras charging across the battlefield.
Unlike before, this time Rowan's hands weren't shaking.
They were now steady. The creatures that had terrified him only minutes ago no longer looked quite as frightening.
Rowan took a deep breath and kept swinging his axe.
The battlefield remained chaotic. Chimeras were screaming and shouting but among those terrifying noises of the Chimeras. The spells of flame water Earth wind thunder all sorts of spells were roaring out too.
But even after all this, the number of Chimeras doesn't seem to decrease that much. Somehow it felt that they are just increasing even more.
Rowan raised a brow.
'What's happening? Why doesn't they seem to decrease.'
"Hey Rowan." Ritvik suddenly called him.
Rowan looked at him.
"Doesn't it seem like their numbers kept increasing."
Rowan's eyes widened at Ritvik's words.
"Yeah, I was thinking the same too."
Ritvik's gaze landed on the cave.
"Looks like the main problem is coming from that cave."
Rowan followed his gaze and looked at the cave.
It was obvious that the Chimeras are coming out of the cave but the number of Chimeras coming out of it weren't much.
The ones emerging weren't in good condition either.
Only two or three came out at a time.
And most of them were already injured.
Some were missing limbs.
Some were covered in burns.
Others looked as though they had barely survived a battle.
Like someone was already fighting them inside.
"Hey Rowan."
Ritvik's voice brought him back again.
Rowan looked at him.
"I will create an opening."
Another spell shot from Ritvik's staff, a Chimera was blasted away.
"You go and see what's happening there."
"M-Me?" Rowan pointed at himself.
"Yes, you."
Ritvik replied immediately.
"Everyone is already busy with Chimeras."
Rowan looked around and couldn't deny it. Every student nearby was occupied. He finally had to nod.
"...Okay."
Ritvik turned his head.
"Hey, Sarina. Help me."
Sarina, who was already casting spells nonstop towards the violent Chimeras, glanced at him, then at Rowan.
"Are you sure it's a good idea to send him there."
"We need to create an opening to go inside the cave and..."
He looked across the battlefield, at the students busy fighting Chimeras nonstop.
"I don't think anyone else is willing to make an opening except us."
Sarina stared at Rowan for a moment. Then nodded.
"Be careful."
Rowan nodded back.
Ritvik and Sarina exchanged a glance. Then simultaneously raised their weapons. Ritvik pointed his staff toward the horde blocking the cave entrance. Sarina pointed her wand beside him.
"Wind drive."
"Water Cannon."
FWOOOOSH!!
The two spells surged forward.
The front line of Chimeras was instantly blown away.
A clear path opened toward the cave.
"Go, Rowan!"
"Quickly!"
Rowan quickly ran towards the opening Through the raging battlefield.
Past exploding spells.
Past fighting students.
Past roaring Chimeras.
And then Finally—
He reached the cave entrance.
Rowan stopped briefly and looked back.
The opening that Ritvik and Sarina had made was now already closed.
Behind him, the Chimeras had rose again fortunately they didn't came his way.
They were too busy fighting other students.
He was finally outside the cave.
Rowan swallowed hard looking at that spectacle then took a deep breath as he turned and took a step forward, towards the cave.
But then he suddenly froze.
Someone was already sitting there. Right beside the cave entrance.
A boy with charcoal-red hair and brownish-orange eyes sat against the rocky wall, His uniform was stained with dirt and blood,.one hand tightly gripped his injured shoulder.
A wand rested loosely in his other hand.
Despite his condition—
The boy smiled after seeing Rowan.
"Ugh... Finally some came."
He let out a relieved breath.
"I was worried nobody would show up for another five minutes."
Kaizen looked at Rowan a faint spark of hope appeared in his eyes after seeing someone finally coming near the cave.
"Umh... Who are you?"
Kaizen just shook his head.
"I don't have time for introductions."
His expression became serious.
"Quickly! go inside the cave. Ashwin is fighting alone, he needs help."
Rowan's eyebrows twitched.
'Ashwin?'
He nodded and quickly started running inside the cave.
As he passed by—
Kaizen suddenly looked up.
"Don't forget to activate Aether sight first."
But Rowan was already running deeper into the cave.
The words barely reached him.
Kaizen stared after him.
Then let out a long sigh.
"Sigh..."
He leaned his head against the stone wall. Looking toward the dark cave entrance.
"Hey Ashwin bro..."
A tired smile appeared on his face.
"Please be alive."
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CHAPTER ENDS