EULE 34

Chapter 34

Around Nathan, arrows imbued with water attributes kept materializing without pause.
The arrows shot forward at high speed, piercing through the barrier and skewering the Kerakums.
But for every one Nathan killed, more of the creatures shoved their way in, filling the space endlessly.

The Kerakums rammed violently against Nathan’s defensive barrier.
Under the relentless assault, the barrier finally shattered.

“These damned things.”

No matter how many they cut down, the Kerakums—so overwhelming in number—kept surging forward.

Fire orbs conjured by Adrian scattered down upon the enemy.
Most struck the Kerakums, but some collided midair with Nathan’s arrows, exploding or vanishing before impact.

Adrian ground his teeth as his attacks were repeatedly nullified.
“Hey! Can’t you aim properly?”

Nathan simply opened and closed his eyes slowly, filling his face with a calm smile.
“Don’t use magic. Focus on close combat.”

“How I attack is my choice!” Adrian snapped, kicking down a Kerakum that had crawled up the cliffside.
This was what it meant for their affinities not to match.

The sheer numbers of the Kerakum made it impossible to break through by just hacking away at the ones before them. They needed a new strategy.

Nathan and Adrian were too busy holding off the endless tide below the cliff.
The only one with a shred of time to think was Jaeylin.

I have to do it. I have to come up with something.

She tried to focus, but the sight of the monsters before her made her head spin.
The veil of steam was thinning. The longer they delayed, the worse it got.
If the steam cleared entirely, Kelastine would surely spot them. And then there would be no escape.

Flying Kelastine. Sound-sensitive Kerakum. Heavy steam. Sheer cliffs. Dry sand. Withered trees. A forest of white poplars.
Images of the surroundings flashed rapidly through Jaeylin’s mind.

“Sound.”

That was the key—the very reason this strategy had worked so far. Sound.

Not far off was the white poplar grove. If she could just divert the Kerakum’s attention until they reached it, they might escape.

“T-that tree! What if we blow it up to draw their attention?”

She pointed to a dried, shriveled tree in the distance.
Adrian launched a magic orb at it.

The orb struck, bursting into flames. Sand sprayed up as the dead tree caught fire.
The Kerakum rushed toward the blaze, but realizing no living beings were there, they quickly surged back toward the group.

“This isn’t enough.”

Adrian erased the noise-suppressing magic circle and, receiving a spare blueprint from Jaeylin, drew a much smaller one—just big enough to cover Jaeylin and a few nearby.

“Go first.”

“B-but…”

“The injured don’t have time. While Nathan and I hold them, take the wounded ahead. We’ll follow.”

“…Alright.”

Adrian glanced at Nathan, who nodded in silent agreement.
Adrian hurled another fireball at a dead tree farther away.

The Kerakum broke off to chase the sound. Seizing the chance, Nathan and Adrian leapt down the cliff, while Jaeylin slid down to help the injured soldiers descend.

Supporting one another, the soldiers moved toward the grove, Jaeylin close behind.

Once they reached the trees, Jaeylin glanced back.
The Kerakum were already rushing back at Adrian and Nathan.

Thanks to the cloaking spell, she and the soldiers were safe. Nathan and Adrian stood firm like a wall, holding the Kerakum back and covering her retreat.

But suddenly, Jaeylin realized—she could see them too clearly.

The steam was far too thin. They had lingered too long, and the wind was blowing the last of it away.

I’m forgetting something important.

Her eyes caught on a massive shadow gliding above Nathan and Adrian.

Danger.

Heart pounding, she ran full speed into the cover of the white poplars, gasping for air. She had to confirm it—what was flying above them. She had to warn them.

I can do it. I must.

Though terrified, she forced her eyes upward, refusing to look away.
It was Kelastine.

And now, Kelastine was diving rapidly at Adrian and Nathan.

“A-Adrian! Nathan!”

Her voice rang out, but the cloaking spell blocked it from reaching them.

“N-no…”

There was no time.
The spot where Nathan and Adrian stood was completely exposed, unlike where she hid among thick branches and leaves.

What do I do?

Thanks to the mana they had lent her, Jaeylin still had a fragment left. Just a handful. But that was all she needed.

One shot.
That was all she could manage.

If she poured every last drop into it, she could unleash a single, decisive attack.

Adrian and Nathan had protected her all this time. Now, it was her turn.

Kelastine’s body was massive, broad—a big target. But its reputation among mercenaries was terrifying, all because of its carapace.

The shell was so thick and magically resistant that most blades couldn’t pierce it. But there was one weak point: the eyes.

Hitting them, however, was nearly impossible. A pinpoint target on a flying beast.

But Jaeylin couldn’t afford to fail. She only had this one chance.

Please… just hold on a little longer.

She gathered all her remaining mana at her fingertip.
Drawing a magic circle in the air by hand demanded absolute concentration—one slip would ruin everything.

Green light flared at her fingertip as her hand traced rapidly.
A complex dual-layered circle, for pursuit and attack, bloomed into existence.

She pressed her palm against it, pouring in every last drop of her mana.
Her knees buckled from the drain, but the spell activated.

A small, streamlined projectile rose from the glowing circle. Despite its size, it held compressed, lethal power.

It didn’t even need her to aim. It spun once in the air, then shot straight toward Kelastine.

Meanwhile, Nathan and Adrian were still unaware of the threat above, fully focused on holding the Kerakum line.

By the time Jaeylin and the soldiers reached safety, Adrian finally looked back to check. She and the soldiers had made it.

“Good. Now we can move too—”

But before he could finish, a massive shadow engulfed him.

He looked up. Kelastine was plummeting straight at them.

“Damn it!”

He had been so focused on the Kerakum that he hadn’t noticed the steam thinning enough to expose them.

Now Kelastine’s dive was too fast to counter.

It’s already too late.

Adrian let his sword arm fall slack, a bitter smile tugging at his lips.
It seemed this mock battle would end with his death.

Still, as long as Jaeylin and the soldiers survived and reached the exit, at least they wouldn’t all fail the exam outright.

Even for him, retaking the same subject twice was not something he looked forward to.