—BOOM!
A thunderous explosion reverberated through the grand hall of the royal museum, shaking the magnificent chandeliers suspended from the ceiling. The cacophony echoed through the air, leaving everyone frozen in a stunned silence.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
The rhythmic thuds of footsteps broke through the deathly stillness, growing louder and more menacing with each passing second. The anticipation in the air was palpable, every gaze fixed upon a single point.
Their eyes widened as they noticed a weathered sign, pointing towards the women's toilet, the source of the approaching footsteps. Confusion and apprehension washed over the crowd, mingling with the fear that had already taken hold of their hearts.
"... it has begun!"
I knew what was happening as soon as I heard the explosion.
This was a terror attack orchestrated by the rebel army.
But what caught me by surprise was their choice of location—the women's toilet?
As the sound drew nearer, an unsettling tension enveloped the room. Parents instinctively shielded their children, their faces etched with worry and despair.
Seeing the scene, I got a complicated thought in my head.
I knew this attack was going to happen and many were going to be killed, but I did nothing and only thought of how to exploit the situation for personal gain.
Am I really doing the right thing?
My conscience was screaming something else…
Before my thoughts could go any further, another explosion was heard.
Boom!
It was the sound of something breaking.
The wall between the women's toilet and the royal museum was smashed into pieces as the debris of the remains came flying at the bystanders.
The atmosphere in the royal museum took a quick turn.
"Kyaaaak!"
"What is that!?"
The unknown threat led to anxiety, and anxiety quickly led to panic.
The visitors, mostly merchants and some low level nobles screamed and began to run.
A part of my conscience screamed at me to stop them, but I didn't.
I knew only death was waiting outside. The somewhat safe place now was the royal museum's inside.
"Stay here! Don't go out!"
Professor Llyod shouted as he probably sensed the outsides using his detection techniques.
Currently, the outside of the royal museum was being attacked by the rebel army. They had the whole place surrounded, determined to not let anyone escape.
But if the rebel's were outside then who shattered the wall of the women's toilet? The answer soon materialized before our eyes.
Well, there was no need for more thinking as the answer presented before us.
-Krrghhhhh!!
Monstrous humanoid creatures, towering over nine feet tall, emerged from the demolished restroom. With sinewy muscles, razor-sharp claws, and menacing jaws, they exuded an aura of pure terror. Strikingly, these creatures lacked eyes, further adding to their eerie appearance.
"Urghh…! What's that?"
"My God, Save me!"
A chorus of screams erupted from the panicked visitors, their voices blending with the chaos unfolding before them.
The atmosphere got more chaotic with the monsters revealing himself as the visitors just ran arbitrarily desperate to get out of the museum.
'Purblide fiends'
I thought seeing the high-intermediate rank monsters that were wreaking havoc.
These abominations were the result of mutation between giants and orcs, a byproduct of human experimentation. Far deadlier than their ancestors as they inherited the strength and abilities of both giants and orcs.
But these mutants lacked intelligence and vision, making them ideal tools for sowing chaos.
In past life, the empire had been shocked when the rebel army first deployed these creatures to attack the royal museum.
Because five years ago, these monsters were annihilated along with their creator, or so the empire believed.
But they were wrong!
The evidence of it laid in front of us, wreaking havoc through the royal museum, turning the rich history of the Mauryan empire to useless debris.
One high-intermediate rank monster alone posed little threat to the royal guards stationed in the museum.
But…it wasn't one monster that was here.
Before anyone could notice, the numbers multiplied rapidly. Before anyone could react, the monsters had grown to a staggering fifty, their presence overwhelming the defenders.
"Calm down! The royal guards are here!"
"No harm will come to anyone, calm down"
The royal guards sprung into action, attempting to block the monsters' path. A soldier bravely thrust his sharp spear into one of the mutant creatures, eliciting a momentary sigh of relief from the onlookers.
But that fleeting respite soon transformed into abject horror as the wounded beast that was stabbed by the soldier, seized him by the same spear and engulfed his head in a single bite.
"Arhhhh!!!"
"Hoek!!"
Agonized screams filled the air, reverberating through the hall, as the monster's wound closed at an alarming rate—a testament to their enhanced regenerative abilities inherited from the orcs.
As I saw the whole situation, a calculation was going inside my mind.
A strong knight or a mage would arrive in the scene in less than five minutes, since the royal guards must have already informed the news to the higher ups.
Not to mention the attack was made in the middle of the capital where most of the strong people gathered for one reason or the other. So, five minutes was the most the monsters could rampage on the royal museum.
After that the situation would be taken care of by them in utmost ten minutes, even if we consider the rebel army soldiers surrounding the royal museum, it wouldn't be more than 15 minutes.
However, that wasn't the problem. In that five minutes, hundreds of lives inside the royal museum will be lost.
And the mere fact that the Mauryan empire had allowed such an attack despite their strong front and the inability to prevent it when it happened right in the heart of their empire is going to affect the royals a lot.
But that was all for the royal's to think about, I had different things to do.
Clang—
Amidst the chaos a sharp sound resounded.
A sharp, metallic sound sliced through the tumultuous air, grabbing everyone's attention. Babel Von Agnus emerged, skillfully parrying one of the monsters' attacks with his sword.
The claws of the monster were so strong that colliding with them was producing a sound similar to hitting the metal with a sword.
"Students who can fight, come to the front, those who can't hide in the back!"
Professor Llyod arrived at the scene and commanded, his authoritative voice cutting through the chaos. He brandished his staff, ready to unleash his magical prowess upon the fiends.
Slow. Rot. Stun.
Triple casting!
'The Genius of the Century!'
It was the movement which revealed why Professor Lloyd's was called by such an exaggerated title!
Professor Llyod seamlessly cast three spells at the same time. The incantations filled the air, as curses rained down upon the monsters, hindering their movements.
Shackles. Deprive. Sleep
He wasn't done yet, showing off his mastery at dark arts and curses, Professor Llyod cast a barrage of curse spells, relentless and unyielding, striking the monsters, further impeding their advance.
"Water Spears"
Simultaneously, Professor Isabella joined the fray, conjuring water spears that impaled the fiends, halting their onslaught. The combined efforts of a 7-star mage and a 6-star mage bolstered the defenders' chances.
"Fire ball!"
A fireball came flying and blasted off in an explosion, propelling one of the monsters backward as it threatened a helpless visitor.
"These monsters are really gross!"
It was Julia's fire magic. She was holding her staff as many fire balls appeared behind her ready to be fired at her will.
Simultaneously many arrows whizzed through the air, finding their marks on the monsters' bodies.
And at the source of those arrows stood princess Aurora with elegance and grace, holding the spirit bow with green aura.
Evan, who was just beside me a movement ago, was now stopping a monster with his bare body.
Babel has already dissipated a monster and was making his way towards the other monster.
Whereas Luna Primerose was healing the people who got injured by the monsters. I could also see Ezio moving around dodging the monster's attack and dealing damage with agile movements.
With each passing moment, the students of the Freljord Academy rose to the occasion, unsheathing their weapons and joining the professors in their valiant defense. These were no ordinary freshmen; they were the elite, the best of the best.
As the students and professors fought side by side, pushing back the relentless waves of monsters swarming endlessly, a glimmer of hope ignited within the terrified visitors huddled behind them.
Seeing them, I also took out my handgun. I thought about standing next to them, but after consideration, took two steps backward.
It was not a time for heroics; but it was time to steal!
---***---
Daily Chapter Release~~
Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!
Use arrow keys (or A / D) to PREV/NEXT chapter