I Am Not Goblin Slayer

Chapter 349: Fireball Spell – Purgatory

Even with such severe injuries, this wyvern did not die immediately."What tenacious vitality."

The piercing, powerful roar it let out in agony was still deafening even amidst the chaotic battlefield, forcing the soldiers below to cover their ears.

Some unfortunate ones who were too close even had their ears bleed from the shockwave, lost their balance, and were helped aside by their companions to receive treatment and rest.

Serlandul began continuously casting healing spells, providing aid to the injured soldiers.

This was the cruelty of an ordinary person being placed in such a battlefield. Forget about facing such powerful creatures head-on in direct combat, even the residual shockwaves from their attacks were difficult to endure.

"Don't stop! Uninjured men, keep firing arrows!"

The captains behind them continued to roar orders for the soldiers to fire freely outside the city walls.

Gauss in the sky had just retrieved the Godwater and was preparing to shoot a second arrow, like beating a drowning dog.

Then, a second wyvern in the sky arrived right after, reaching out with a pair of incredibly sharp giant claws to grab him.

A violent, fierce wind swirled around the front of those claws, which were powerful enough to easily split mountains and shatter rocks. Gauss had no desire to test their power with his own body.

Reluctantly, he had to temporarily abandon the second shot.

However, Albenia, who had been waiting for an opportunity below, suddenly leaped high into the air. Coordinating with Shadow, one on the left and one on the right.

"Ah!!!"

Albenia swung her giant axe in a full arc, chopping into the wyvern's relatively weak wing.

Meanwhile, Shadow appeared on the other side. With the help of her clone, she pierced through the wing membrane while also firmly pinning the wyvern against the wall tower.

"Rip!"

Green corrosive blood gushed from the wound, splashing onto the city bricks and instantly leaving several large pits that emitted white smoke.

Gauss was being harassed by the remaining wyverns in the sky.

The Red Drake, Hephaestus, was temporarily holding off one for him.

"Thousand Threads Severing Boundary!"

Gauss shouted softly. The pale blue water threads around him, as fine as hair and almost transparent, suddenly began to vibrate intensely.

It wasn't an ordinary vibration, but an extremely high-frequency, high-speed cutting oscillation infused with mana.

Under his precise control, these water threads, like living creatures, rapidly expanded outward from him, weaving a deadly, interwoven domain.

"Roar!!!"

The second wyvern that was swiping its claws at him unexpectedly plunged headfirst into this newly formed web of water cuts.

Following a series of scalp-tingling, dense cutting sounds, the wyvern's incredibly hard giant claws, upon contacting the outermost water threads, began to disintegrate layer by layer as if thrown into a meat grinder.

First, the thick, tough leather, followed by the tendons which began to snap after a brief period of high-speed cutting. Green, viscous blood turned into a diffuse, foul green mist, revealing the stark white bone within.

The wyvern frantically flapped its wings, trying to gain altitude.

Gauss then looked at the injured wyvern that Albenia and Shadow had jointly pinned to the city wall.

The web of water threads transformed into countless streams that converged in his hand, once again forming a large bow.

With a thought, without any extra deliberation.

He simply tilted his body slightly, lowered his left shoulder, and drew back his right arm. The elegantly curved bow glowing with a blue-gold luster in his left palm instantly shone brightly, illuminating the dark night sky.

Another portion of the water rapidly gathered, compressed, and elongated between the index and middle fingers of his right hand, transforming into a deep blue magical arrow.

"Hum!!!"

The mana from [Control Water] continuously converged into the arrow shaft.

Unlike the hastily fired arrow before, the energy accumulated this time caused both the bow and arrow to emit a heart-palpitating hum, like a giant whale singing in the deep sea.

The bow gradually bent, its graceful arc drawn to fullness, a blue crescent moon appearing horizontally in the air.

Mana surged and flowed turbulently on the arrow, its glow growing brighter and brighter, casting Gauss's focused profile in a deep blue light.

His gaze became utterly concentrated, all emotions stripped away.

His clear line of sight, the arrow shaft, and the target wyvern were instantly connected into a deadly straight line.

Shadow and Albenia, in perfect sync with him, had already dodged away the moment he summoned the bow.

His breathing halted the moment the bow was drawn full like a full moon.

Time seemed to freeze at this moment.

The soldiers' roars below the wall, the rumbling of the monsters below, and the wyvern whose pupils flashed with terror as it sensed something—all seemed to have been paused.

"Twang!"

Like the starter's pistol shot in a race.

A clean, crisp, and elastic twang of the bowstring suddenly resounded!

All the accumulated force and mana found their only outlet in this instant.

The bowstring violently snapped back, imparting that immense force and surging mana unreservedly to the arrow.

A flash of deep blue light!

The moment the arrow left the string, several sonic boom air currents rolled, leaving a clear blue afterimage trail in the air that lingered for a long time.

That deep blue arrow crossed space in an instant, then with pinpoint accuracy, embedded itself into the target wyvern's skull, right at the brain.

"Hum!!!"

Upon impact, the arrow exploded with a blue magical halo.

Almost instantly, it pierced through the hardest skull bones of its entire body.

The inside of the pierced wyvern's head felt as if an extremely compressed water elemental bomb had been stuffed inside.

The blue magical halo, upon hitting, frantically compressed and pierced inward, then released countless fine yet incomparably sharp high-pressure water blades from the inside out.

In less than a tenth of a blink of an eye, the wyvern's head was completely shredded by the exploding water arrow, the entire head along with most of its neck utterly annihilated.

First wyvern, dead!

"Commander-level Monster Wyvern *1 killed."

Gauss successfully unlocked a new Commander-level Monster Encyclopedia entry.

Cheers erupted from below.

In the eyes of many soldiers, while this wasn't a true Dragon, this ferocious beast with its initial dragon-like form was still terrifying, fierce-looking, and incredibly fast.

Yet Gauss had cleanly shot it down with just two arrows.

This was truly heartening to see.

He shifted his gaze to the other two wyverns nearby.

Hephaestus was currently wrestling with one of them.

The other one, the third wyvern whose flesh had been shaved off by his Thousand Threads Severing Boundary, was hovering in the sky.

Clearly, the death of its companion had also made this Commander-level creature apprehensive.

"Boom!!!"

Anti-air bolt cannons began firing from other sections of the city wall.

Forcing it to dodge, pulling its altitude up to a disengagement distance.

This temporarily diverted Gauss's attention from it.

His gaze fixed tightly on Hephaestus and the other wyvern locked in combat.

By now, the portion of the arrow that had been shot had already transformed back into water and returned.

He drew his bow and nocked another arrow.

Once again releasing the [Control Water] spell to condense into an arrow.

His eyes remained fixed on the scene of the two dragons fighting in the sky, not rushing to release that arrow.

Finally, after a brief wait.

Hephaestus finally created a shooting opportunity for him.

He bit the wyvern's neck, twisted his body, and flung it to the side facing Gauss.

Seizing the moment the wyvern struggled, Gauss's actions—drawing the bow, pulling the string to full draw, aiming, and releasing his fingers—flowed seamlessly into one.

"Twang!!"

A blue line sliced through the night sky.

The highly compressed energy accurately struck the wyvern's abdomen.

"Rip!!"

The exploding water-based mana shredded the wyvern's relatively weak abdomen.

Since this was also a charged shot, its lethality was equally impressive.

A bloody, gaping hole was blown open in the wyvern's abdomen, and the blue mana, like poison, continuously seeped into the surrounding flesh, causing further damage.

Hephaestus was also startled by Gauss's charged shot.

However, Gauss controlled it well. While grievously wounding the wyvern, he tried to avoid Hephaestus's location as much as possible. The energy was almost entirely absorbed by the wyvern in front. Moreover, compared to attacks like Fireball, the arrow shot from the Water Transformation Bow combined with Control Water mana excelled more in single-target killing power and armor-piercing effect, but its controllability and area of effect weren't as wide. So Hephaestus wasn't affected.

Hephaestus twisted his neck and flung the now out-of-control wyvern down into the monster horde gathered in front of the city wall.

"Thud!!"

His brute force, combined with the wyvern's size and the force of its fall, actually produced a decent effect.

The wyvern crashed into the monster horde like a meteor, instantly crushing another dozen or so monsters to death.

Gauss retrieved the arrow.

Aimed at the second wyvern, now on its last breath.

Quickly fired an ordinary shot.

The arrow crossed space, also accurately hitting the wyvern's head, piercing its brain.

"Commander-level Monster Wyvern *1 killed."

The second wyvern also perished instantly.

Gauss looked up at the sky.

As for the third wyvern, it had already flown away without a trace.

Who knew if it had fled out of fear, or was temporarily retreating to avoid the sharp edge, moving to other battlefields.

Gauss shook his head.

He wouldn't bother with it for now.

The first wave of Elite-level monsters, under the cover of ordinary monsters, had already reached the edge of the city wall.

Mainly Ogres. They grabbed Goblins and Gnolls and hurled them into the air.

The monsters rose to their highest point and began to fall, just clearing the low wall on the city wall, landing on the walkway.

"Wah wah wah!!!"

Close-quarters slaughter began.

Some Ogre spellcasters also began casting Levitate, sending other Elite monsters that didn't have flight capabilities into the air.

Ladders with reinforced mechanisms were propped against the city wall. Monsters, like ants, surged up the walls under the covering fire of spells and arrows from their companions below.

"Whoosh whoosh whoosh!"

Soldiers on the wall continuously fired arrows.

Under the barrage of countless arrows, Goblins climbing upward were constantly shot down, falling to their deaths below.

Scalding, sticky, foul-smelling, pungent "golden juice" poured from the iron cauldrons behind the battlements, cascading like a waterfall onto the heads of monsters climbing the ladders.

"Ah!!!"

Screams so shrill they seemed inhuman instantly erupted.

The skin and muscles of monsters drenched in the golden juice visibly emitted white smoke, rapidly blistering and festering. The intense pain and toxicity from the scalding caused them to lose their grip, screaming as they fell from the ladders, knocking down even more companions below.

Inside the special watchtowers.

The military mages began coordinating.

A 1st-circle Grease spell, combined with a 1st-circle Burning Hands or a 0th-circle Fire Bolt, could create a wall of fire in a short time.

These magical flames were harder to extinguish than ordinary fire. They could only be suppressed by spellcasters among the monsters using Ray of Frost, Chill Touch, extinguishing incantations, or other water or cold-based magic. Alternatively, monsters could use Jump spells to leap over the fire wall and then take a few large strides to jump onto the city wall.

The city wall could block the vast majority of low-level monsters, but for Elite-level monsters, they possessed more means to climb the wall.

Various adventurers were fighting the monsters that had climbed onto the wall in small team formations.

Gauss, flying in the air, swept his gaze and took in the entire battlefield situation at a glance.

Human soldiers and adventurers were fiercely clashing with the frenzied monsters at every inch of the battlements. Blood soaked the bricks, and death was occurring every moment.

Flames, acid, frost, swords, and flying arrows constantly collided along this narrow, elongated frontline.

He adjusted his breathing slightly.

Swallowed a few low-grade magic stones, replenishing the mana in his body to an optimal state.

After replenishing his mana, he activated his Sturdy Scale Bloodline. His whole body lit up with a glow, and the White Wand was gripped in his hand once more.

"Fireball!"

He hovered in place, the Artillery Mage feat quietly taking effect.

His mana control increased significantly, and his spellcasting range also extended.

Several fireballs continuously erupted within the distant monster army.

"Boom!"

Almost every explosion resulted in dozens, even hundreds, of monster casualties.

"Hoo—"

Cast spell, fly to a new point, hover, select a suitable position, cast spell again...

He continuously released seven or eight Fireball spells.

Several hundred monsters died within the rising clouds of flame.

Furthermore, Gauss also interspersed the release of countless Magic Missiles during the gaps between casting Fireball.

Those missiles weren't aimed at directly killing enemies, but rather precisely destroying those scaling ladders. Monsters continuously fell to the ground, causing even more casualties.

When the flames subsided.

Before the city wall, a horrifying scene appeared.

The monster front line had been blasted into literal "gaps" by him.

Within each scorched, blackened crater where snow had melted, lay scattered the remains of countless monsters, unrecognizable in their original forms.

Some monsters not completely dead yet twitched and writhed at the edges.

The fervor in the minds of those monsters fortunate enough to survive seemed to slowly recede. They looked up in terror at that terrifying figure hovering in the air.

The soldiers and adventurers on the city wall below were equally shocked.

The ground beneath their feet still seemed to tremble. They peered outside the wall at the apocalyptic, tragic scene.

This was... the power of magic?

This was the slaughterous hellscape created in mere tens of seconds by that young Crimson Dragon Knight, single-handedly.

After a few seconds of silence.

An earth-shaking cheer erupted. The adventurers surrounding those who had climbed the wall gripped their weapons with more strength.

It seemed as if a peculiar momentum enveloped them, allowing them to burst forth with greater power.

Conversely, those monsters that had been on a rising momentum, having climbed the wall, all collectively shrank their necks, as if finding themselves isolated and without support.

Though momentum was intangible, at this moment, it clearly presented a situation of one waning as the other waxed.

"Kill!!!"

"Long live Lord Gauss!"

"Kill these monster scum!"

The invigorated soldiers and adventurers continuously cut down monsters, leaving corpses strewn across the city wall.

Gauss in the sky looked slightly pale.

Using Fireball continuously in a short time, even for him, required time to recover.

Although Fireball was a 3rd-circle spell, to truly unleash its power, it generally required a Master-level spellcaster. And most of them probably didn't possess destructive power like his.

It could be said that he alone achieved the effect of a one-man army.

Those shocking explosions, besides causing massive casualties in a short time, more importantly dealt a fatal blow to the morale of the nearby monsters. In just one minute, they completely tipped the balance of the situation along a thousand-meter stretch of wall in their favor.

He took a deep breath, adjusted his physical state, and consumed a few more magic stones.

Seeing that the wall section he was responsible for was already decisively won.

He looked at other parts of the battlefield. Honestly, there were both encouraging and worrying sights.

Because of his presence, this nearby wall section was originally the area with the strongest defensive forces.

In areas where the enemy had concentrated a large number of elite forces, some sections of the wall had already been breached by explosions.

Monsters were pouring in through those breaches in the wall like a flood.

"Woo woo woo!! Woo woo!!"

"Wah wah!!"

Horns sounded.

Adventurers and soldiers were fighting fiercely with the monsters that had surged into the town, who seemed pumped up with adrenaline.

Eberhard, riding his griffin and conducting coordinated sweeps for defense, flew to Gauss's side.

The walls being breached at points of weak defense had been anticipated before the battle. The monster army also possessed its own scouting methods, able to avoid their strong points for breakthroughs.

Currently, those Commander-level Ogres had breached sections of the wall.

Fortunately, the residents within the city had been evacuated in advance, and fast, mobile defensive cavalry had been dispatched from behind the city for resistance as soon as the breaches occurred. So, the monsters weren't allowed to advance unimpeded into the interior of the town.

Apart from Gauss, Eberhard, and Sir Belock, the Grayrock Town side had several other Commander-level combatants. For example, Grom from the blacksmith shop, Vice President and Warlock Sherry, Sir Belock's deputy from the Anvil Fort side, and a level 6 Ranger adventurer were fighting there.

"Gauss, several light cavalry units will sally forth from the side gate soon. We'll coordinate with the pressure they apply from the flank and raid the monster command tent."

"Understood."

Gauss followed Eberhard's gaze, looking deep into the rear of the monster army.

The sounds of the horns were being relayed from within.

Those horn sounds possessed a unique magic. The reason this army composed of monsters of different races and temperaments could fearlessly sustain their assault was largely due to that magic.

It strengthened the monsters and, imperceptibly, acted like an invisible hand controlling the monster offensive.

As long as it was crushed, the monsters would be unable to form a concerted force and would receive a heavy blow to their morale on a psychological level.

His Fireball was good, but it couldn't always achieve results like just now.

On one hand, as the battle progressed, the frontline lengthened, and monster density was rapidly decreasing. Moreover, a significant portion was already engaged in melee with human forces.

He couldn't ignore those humans and drop Fireballs that didn't distinguish between friend and foe.

Raiding the monster command post could both destroy the enemy's brain center and attract monsters to fall back for defense. He also wouldn't have to hold back from using large-area lethal magic for fear of harming other humans.

But it must be noted that, correspondingly, that place was also more dangerous.

Not long after the two of them finalized the plan.

Several light cavalry units charged out from a side gate, attacking the monster army formation from the flank. Harnessing the explosive power of their charging horses, they continuously swung their weapons, hacking at the surrounding monsters.

The charging cavalry quickly attracted the attention of a large number of monsters.

Following the commands relayed by the horns, a portion of the waiting wolf cavalry surged toward them.

"Let's move."

Gauss leaped up, landing on Hephaestus's draconic back.

The other members of the team, enveloped by Shadow's ability, also came up.

The Red Dragon beat its wings, skimming over the monster army formation, shooting into the depths of the monster horde like a sharp arrow.

The griffin couldn't match its flight speed and followed somewhat behind.

At the main gate, Sir Belock, currently commanding soldiers to reinforce and defend the breached wall sections, looked up at that red figure speeding away. He quickly understood the purpose of Gauss and the others' action.

"Maintain the frontal offensive! Archers and crossbowmen, extend your firing range!"

He took hold of spear after spear, rapidly throwing them out.

Each spear could easily impale and kill an Elite-level Ogre.

They had to provide enough diversionary pressure on the front. Otherwise, once the monster army redeployed large numbers of troops to reinforce their rear, Gauss's team, deep in enemy territory, would face unprecedented pressure from the enemy's military might. That terrifying momentum would, like a nightmare, continuously wear down the strength of those trapped within, eventually swallowing them in the quagmire.