The Gamer's POV-Chapter 247: Heralds of Madness [7]

~~~~~~ Character Profile ~~~~~~

Character Name: [Aurora Beaufort]

Age: [18]

Level: [21]

Grade: [2]

Element: [Water]

Class: [Knight]

Exclusive Class Attribute: [Battle Cry]

Bond Name: [June]

Bonded Ability: [Absolute Zero]

Exclusive Skills: [Pale Panoply - Lv10], [A Touch of Ice - Lv10]

EXP: [125/10,000]

~~~~~~ ============== ~~~~~~

Cedric’s gaze quickly went to the level section, and upon seeing that Aurora had crossed the threshold, he heaved a breath of relief.

It was absolutely necessary that she met that condition. Advancing to Grade Three would significantly increase the cadets’ chances of success when they left for Bhujanga-dwipa, specifically because of her exclusive class attribute.

Her Battle Cry granted her the ability to empower those in whom she had inspired hope. It could temporarily clear a bit of fatigue and boost the strength, speed, and fortitude of her allies, providing a vital edge in prolonged combat. An important detail, though, was that this attribute only functioned on people who were lower in level compared to her. However, if she were to be a full grade higher than her targets, the effects of the boost would be even more potent.

This was probably the reason she had decided to come all the way out here, pushing herself to evolve before their deciding journey to Bhujanga-dwipa.

The only saddening thing about this attribute, at least to Cedric, was that it had no effect on him. This was not just due to the disparity in their levels, but also because Aurora had never actually inspired hope in him. After all, he was the sole source of his own hope.

’It would have been really great if I also received that boost,’ Cedric thought, his eyes lingering on the missed opportunity, before quickly shifting his gaze from her screen to Celeste’s.

~~~~~~ Character Profile ~~~~~~

Character Name: [Celeste Anele Martini]

Age: [16]

Level: [21]

Grade: [2]

Element: [Fire]

Class: [Warrior]

Class Attribute: [Berserker]

Bond Name: [Lilith]

Bonded Ability: [Queen after Death] 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

Exclusive Skills: [Demon Queen’s Chains - Lv10]—>[Conditions not met], [Thou shall not die - Lv10]—>[Conditions not met]

EXP: [1440/10,000]

~~~~~~ ============== ~~~~~~

Although Cedric already knew that she had crossed the threshold, seeing the confirmation made him feel elated. Turning away from her screen, he was about to check his when a stone suddenly fell onto his conical hat from above.

He looked up to the top of the empty spire before looking down, and then he noticed that the ground was subtly vibrating. At that moment, his raven, which was keeping watch in the sky above tugged at his attention. He quickly shared his vision with the bird, and that was when he saw that a swarm of Heralds were closing in on them in a half circle.

He could also see one Herald that looked different from the rest. This one was flying above the others with the help of large, transparent, shimmering wings on its back that made it look like a bloated insect.

When he saw that, Cedric immediately recognized it. The Heralds had their own hierarchy and lived in large groups. The further up that hierarchy a Herald was, the more different it looked, with the most distinct being the Queen herself. That particular Herald was called a Drone, and its purpose was to lead the others on the hunt.

’We have to scram, Cedric!’~~ Aika shouted, while also writing in the air with a finger in the same manner Cedric had done earlier:

"Retreat!"

Finishing that, she quickly pushed the message and it began expanding as it ascended into the air. When Aurora saw the flames, she frowned and took a step back in the air, before turning around and retreating as fast as she could.

Celeste too saw the flames, but she didn’t move and instead, kept tapping her legs even more aggressively on the ground. After a few seconds, she actually began taking steps toward the direction of the oncoming swarm.

When Cedric, who was just about to retreat, saw that, he quickly ran to her front and began to wave his arms frantically in a manner that signaled her to stop!

Celeste halted, and her piercing, reptilian red eyes locked onto him with an intensity that made his skin crawl as she resumed tapping her feet with a rhythmic, heavy thud. In those eyes, Cedric could see and feel pure rage and malice, and in that moment, he wondered just how he was going to get her to stand down.

Fortunately, he didn’t have to do anything because just then, her tapping began to slow, growing quieter until it finally ceased altogether. She looked back up at the flames saying Retreat, and a flicker of understanding finally returned to her gaze.

Slowly, she turned around and began retreating, following behind Aurora. Cedric heaved a heavy sigh and, without wasting a second more, he quickly followed behind her.

They ran as fast as they could for some time, and as they weaved through the jagged terrain, Cedric could see that Aurora had a frustrated expression on her face. He guessed that she was probably worried about retreating without having met her condition, considering that she had no way of knowing exactly how much exp she had gained.

However, Cedric did not linger on her for long because he could see that the flying Herald was going to be a problem, considering it was closing the distance at an alarming rate. Even if they were to somehow outrun the swarm, the airborne monster would quickly catch up to them before they could even exit the territory.

So, he immediately ran to Celeste, who wasn’t even using half her full speed. When he got to her side, he pointed at Aurora running some meters in the air above them, then he did a cradle baby motion with his arms before finally doing a running motion.

Celeste seemed to understand exactly what he was getting at. She quickly turned her attention from him to Aurora, and when she did, the violent flames that usually licked her figure began to flicker and disperse into the air. The intense heat that usually radiated from her skin also rapidly faded, growing colder as she suppressed her power to avoid harming the girl. Then, in a sudden burst of speed, she leapt into the air and caught Aurora mid-flight before landing firmly on the ground.

Celeste paused in that position for a few seconds to give the startled girl a moment to adjust, then with Aurora now securely in her arms, Celeste crouched. Her muscles coiled like springs, and the next instant, she took off with such speed that it cracked the earth beneath her feet.

The shockwave from her departure kicked up a cloud of dust, and the distance between them and the swarm widened in a heartbeat. Aurora could only cling to her as the wind whipped past, the scenery turning into a blurred streak of grey and black.

As for Cedric, he reached for his connection to a feather he had left at the entrance to this territory, and another that he had left at the spot where he had been resting in the rocky landscape. Then he changed both feathers into ravens, and while he was still running, his form began to scatter and disperse into a cloud of dark feathers.

In the next instant, he reappeared at the spot of the raven some meters outside the entrance to the territory. He waited for a few moments, and then his form dispersed again, coalescing back together at the spot where he had rested upon arriving at the rocky landscape.

Turning around, he spotted the two silver horses several meters away. He began walking towards them, and at the same time, his Yoroi began fading away, leaving him in just his base layers. He took out his long coat and put it on, followed by his newsboy cap.

When he got to his horse, he mounted it, adjusted his cap, and waited tensely for his sister and the princess to arrive.

The minutes passed in absolute silence, and then, after what felt like an eternity, he finally saw the silhouette of his sister advancing toward him with the princess in her arms. Behind her, a cloud of dust trailed in the air, kicked up from the sheer speed of her dash across the landscape.

At that moment, the horses began to grow frenzied and restless. They started neighing loudly and pulling at their reins, their instincts screaming at them to flee from the approaching creature. Cedric tapped the neck of the one he was on, stroking its silver mane with a small smile in an attempt to steady its nerves.

Meanwhile, in order not to cause the horses to bolt in terror, Celeste began to decelerate the closer she got. She gradually slowed her pace until she eventually halted a few hundred meters away, where she gently placed Aurora down on the ground.

Aurora then continued running on her own toward the horses. In the seconds that followed, Celeste’s monstrous form was briefly engulfed in fire before the flames died down, leaving her in her human form as she ran along behind the princess.

Not long after that, the Drone flew out of the jagged line of spires, moving toward the girls with terrifying speed. A few seconds after that, the rest of the Heralds burst out like a chaotic tidal wave of pale flesh and thrashing limbs. They spilled over the rocks in a tangled mess of reaching arms that seemed to move with a single, hungry mind.

’Come on...’ Cedric thought, his grip tightening on the reins as he watched the gap between the girls and the monsters rapidly shrink.

Then, with a final desperate sprint, Aurora reached her horse. She mounted it in one fluid motion and immediately nudged it closer to Celeste while reaching out her hand. When Celeste grabbed it, she pulled Celeste up behind her. Without wasting a single heartbeat, she kicked the horse into a gallop and the two horses thundered away, putting distance between them and the slowing Heralds.