While the knights kept the monsters at bay, the wizards gathered the horses and carts into one location and cast a barrier around them.
The ground opened up as earthen walls appeared, and mages capable of ranged attacks rose to aid the knights.
However, against the undead that were not affected by magic, the wizards' help was practically useless.
"The ghouls' magic point must be around here somewhere!
We must find it," Calto shouted as he cast restorative magic on the Temple Knights.
Maxi crawled up the steep slope of the barrier.
The scene below was a sea of undead dotted with flashes of light as the knights held them back.
Ghouls crumbled into ash around Kuahel Leon with each swing of his sword.
The knights continued to advance under his command.
However, every time they cut, more undead appeared.
Calto Serbel was correct“something was fueling these monsters with magic.
As soon as he noticed, Maxi cast a tracking spell and sensed tangles of mana in the northwest, east, and south of the village.
She couldn't detect any signs of life, which meant it wasn't a necromancer controlling the ghouls.
She immediately climbed down the earthen barrier and ran towards Calto.
When he gave his report, Calto carefully examined his surroundings, reading the flow of mana.
“It’s like you said,” he confirmed, nodding.
"The village is surrounded by a barrier that distorts the flow of mana.
All three runes must be dealt with.
I will ask the knights to clear a path.
Fire and earth mages should go in pairs to destroy the runes around the village.
The ghouls are attracted to life force, so you will be able to leave more easily if you move in small groups."
Ulyseon had run after her.
"Wait!" he interjected, “Why must you undertake such a dangerous task?”
Maxi gave him a stern look.
"Tracking magic...
is a specialty of wind and earth mages.
Since wind mages are needed here to help the knights with ranged attacks, earth mages should go."
“But“”
"I've said this before, but I'm here as a mage and a member of this expedition.
If you insist on being an obstacle, Sir Ulyseon, I will not wait for Master Calto to send you back to Anatol.
I will do it myself."
Ulyseon stared at her stiffly before biting his lip.
"I understand.
Then please allow me to accompany you."
Maxi hesitated briefly before nodding.
In fact, she was secretly terrified.
Shaking off her growing fear, she hurried to relay Calto's commands to the other mages.
Elena, a senior mage, chose the three pairs.
Maxi and Miriam, while Anette and Armin were each paired with senior mages Albern and Lucain respectively.
With their assigned partners, the groups prepared their horses and opened a small passage in the barrier.
They galloped in unison.
The cannibalistic monsters rushed forward when they caught the scent of living humans.
The Temple Knights acted quickly and managed to keep them at bay.
When they opened a path for the mages, Maxi passed the howling ghouls.
The monsters reached out with their wrinkled, gnarled hands, and one of them managed to grab the helmet on his tunic.
Clinging to Rem's neck, she barely managed to free herself from the horrifying hand.
She encouraged Rem like crazy.
It was then that a ghoul broke through the knights' firm defense.
As he advanced towards Rem's neck, Ulyseon's sword severed the ghoul's head.
“Go faster, my lady!”
Under his encouragement, Maxi whipped the reins like a whip.
Agitated, Rem reared up and kicked the monster blocking the path in the chest.
Their pace quickened, and they leapt over the crowded ghouls.
The heavy impact of the landing nearly knocked her off balance from the saddle.
Somehow, she managed to regain her balance, and when they were safe from the horde of monsters, Miriam created a wall of fire behind them to prevent anyone from chasing them.
They rode through the devastated village without stopping to catch their breath.
Soon, they reached the outskirts.
Maxi stopped Rem in front of the collapsed walls.
Although the area was relatively quiet, there was no way of knowing when more ghouls might attack them.
Maxi dismounted and quickly cast the tracking spell.
It didn't take long for her to locate the rune that was providing the ghouls with mana.Pulling on Rem's reins, Maxi ran toward the rune's location.
A dark red light shone beneath the rubble of the wall.
"So?
You think you can destroy it?" Miriam said urgently, casting a shield around them.
Maxi touched the ground and tried to read the mana flow, but the rune was too complicated for her to understand.
Fortunately, she didn't need to understand how it worked to cut off the flow of mana, nullifying its effects.
“I-I think I can do it,” Maxi replied with a nod.
“Just buy me some time.”
"You better hurry!
I'm low on mana too," shouted Miriam as she watched the ghouls slowly gather around them.
These were monsters that kept coming even after being dismembered.
Maxi knew that Ulyseon, who was currently defending them, couldn't do this forever.
Biting her lip, Maxi focused her attention on destroying the rune.
It contained an unusual pattern that she didn't recognize even from her time in the Wizards' Tower.
When she infused her mana into it, she immediately felt a strong resistance.
She interrupted the flow by forcibly pushing her own energy into the rune, causing sparks to fly and extinguish.
Maxi wiped the sweat from his forehead and let out a long sigh.
However, ten minutes later, his relief was shattered.
There was a deafening roar that seemed to shake the earth to its core.
She raised her head.
From the forest, now covered in the blue light of dawn, carried three giants, their footsteps echoing on the ground.
The burly monsters had gray skin and stood at least sixteen kevetes tall.
Frozen with shock, Maxi couldn't even scream.
Beside her, Miriam was staring at the monsters with an equally astonished expression.
Coming to her senses, she cursed, "Damn it!
Quickly, on your horse!
They're ogres!"
Maxi grabbed his reins and jumped into his saddle.
A startled Rem reared up, throwing her back to the ground.
She suppressed a cry of pain as she hit the ground.
At that moment, an ogre came running towards her.
“My lady!”
Quick as lightning, Ulyseon abandoned his fight with the ghouls on the other side and was standing before her.
A deafening roar echoed across the field.
Still lying on the ground, Maxi dragged herself a few steps away.
She could hardly believe what she was seeing.
With just a thin sword, Ulyseon had blocked the ogre's steel club, which seemed to be as big as him.
“Run, my lady!” he shouted.
Holding Rem's reins, Maxi remounted the agitated horse.
She tightened her thighs around the mare so she wouldn't throw her again and pulled on the reins with all her strength.
As she had been trained to do, the mare took off like an arrow.
His escape was soon intercepted by another giant.
Maxi managed to summon a barrier before the ogre could lower his iron mace.
Hindered by the towering earthen wall, the monster roared and furiously swung its weapon.
The barrier easily cracked under the monster's raw power.
Before it could be completely destroyed, it formed a second barrier right in front of it.
She tried to escape once she was done, but turned to find a horde of ghouls blocking the other path.
“Get out of the way!”
Miriam pushed her to the side and summoned a massive flame.
Maxi instinctively turned his horse away from the scorching heat.
This time, she galloped to the right to escape the undead that were advancing through the flames.
Unfortunately, another giant was waiting for her.
Ulyseon almost flew to protect her, but it was too late.
Maxi felt the shadow of the huge iron mace over his head.
She tried to summon a barrier, but the ogre was faster.
Terrified, she closed her eyes.
It was then that he heard the clear sound of something buzzing through the air, followed by a roar like that of an enraged bull.
Rem reared up in fear, and Maxi pulled on the reins to keep from falling.
The ogre's colossal body tumbled backwards with an incredible crash.
For a moment, Maxi couldn't understand what had happened.
Her sighs came in a huff as she began to break out in a cold sweat.
The cloud of dust that had risen from the collapsed barrier dissipated to reveal a gigantic spear embedded in the ogre's skull.
After facing her second slaughter, the knight's head turned towards her.
She trembled as she met his black eyes that seemed to burn through the slit in his visor.The painful silence stretched on, burning his nerves.
Finally, he turned his horse towards Ulyseon.
“Take her to safety,” he said, drawing his sword.
Only then did Maxi notice the riders approaching quickly across the plain toward him.
A white dragon on a dark blue flag fluttered violently in the wind.
Flooded with intense relief, she let out a shaky breath.
It was the White Dragon Cavalry.
Riftan was there.