Suddenly, my body felt as heavy as if dozens of elephants were pressing down on me. The weight was so overwhelming that it was painful, yet I couldn’t even figure out what was happening.
Was lifting my head supposed to be this difficult? My throat emitted strange sounds in protest, but I managed to look forward despite the discomfort.
Beyond the trench, I saw a bald member of the Demon Tribe watching me. I recognized him as one of the two demons I had encountered in the Aindrehi swamp.
It wasn’t his baldness that made me recognize him; rather, it was the shape of his breathing apparatus and horns that jogged my memory. Though blood wasn’t flowing well to my brain at the moment, making it hard to recall, he was originally quite hairy.
There was no doubt that this demon had done something suspicious. An unnatural flow of magic was crushing me. But… didn’t they say they couldn’t use magic?
Then, what is this magical force? Is it from some magical artifact? Whatever it is, it’s clear that staying down would lead to disaster.
If this pressure had hit me while I was trying to leap across the river, the thought alone sent shivers down my spine. I can’t swim properly without armor, let alone with it. Without the ability to manipulate the earth with magic, I’d have drowned helplessly under the water.
“…Guhh… this much…!”
I tried to rise by moving my arms. As I pushed up, my arms trembled violently like when Yuna was pulling her bowstring, protesting that they couldn’t handle the strain.
Slowly, I injected mana into my limbs like a snail crawling, and only then did the trembling stop. But it still wasn’t enough to lift my body.
If I could’ve used mana normally, shaking off this pressure would’ve been easy. Even if I lacked strength, I could’ve manipulated the ground to free myself.
When I attempted to move the earth, the mana pressing down affected not just me but everything else too. Moving a small pebble required twice the usual effort. To free myself…
I tried calculating, but my mind wasn’t functioning well, so I gave up. Gradually, I began feeling disoriented, realizing how dangerous this situation was. Despite being impervious to bullet storms, I couldn’t succumb to such tricks.
Baring my teeth, I infused all the mana and strength I could muster into my arms and managed to lift my upper body. After struggling, I finally managed to kneel on one knee.
Though I maintained this position using my greatsword as support, the sluggish flow of mana slowed my progress significantly.
Behind me, Yuna and Myungho were shouting something, but I couldn’t hear them clearly due to my fading consciousness. Were they asking what was going on or telling me to run?
With whatever mana stored in my limbs, I burned it all at once and finally stood up. Immediately, I adjusted my stance to prevent falling again.
Judging by the lack of increased pressure, this might be the maximum the bald demon can exert. His expression of surprise confirmed my suspicion.
The bald demon shouted something towards the trench, and suddenly soldiers wearing iron helmets emerged, aiming their rifles at me and firing bullets.
But nothing happened. Their bullets either fell into the river following an odd trajectory or merely grazed past me.
Only one bullet, fired by a soldier who held his rifle unusually high, managed to hit me, harmlessly striking my skirt.
Could it be… because of the pressure? If the pressure prevents bullets from flying properly, that makes sense. But then, what’s the range of this pressure?
“…Huh, not my problem. I’ll… kill you all…”
It’s none of my concern. My body creaks, but it still moves. My greatsword feels heavier than ever, but I can still swing it. Seeing the soldiers in the trench unharmed, it seems this area isn’t affected.
While dodging the hail of bullets, I calmly focused my mana and began raising the earth from the bottom of the trench. It moved far slower than when I stood up. The rain of bullets also disrupted my concentration.
Let them struggle. Since they can’t harm me, I don’t need to rush. They’ll run out of ammunition before I collapse from exhaustion.
My dizziness lessened as my heart pumped blood vigorously throughout my body. Although still dizzy, I felt much better than before.
Time is on my side. If only they had invented cannons. Though their helmets hide their faces, I smirked.
You will pay for this trouble with your life. While glaring at the bald demon’s shiny head, I steadily circulated my mana.
Because of this, I failed to notice the faint blue light shimmering beyond the horizon in time. Before I could identify it, instinctively, I raised my greatsword as a shield and prepared for defense.
Whatever it was, it didn’t feel good—
Before I could finish my thought, a bluish-white beam erupted.
—
That must be what they mean by “monster.” Saroolum thought this as he watched Alterra stubbornly rise after being pinned to the ground.
No matter how powerful someone may be, enduring seven times the normal gravity and still resisting is beyond his comprehension.
Even he, proud of his physique, couldn’t withstand it. What exactly is she? Saroolum shivered as he overlapped the image of a Hero with Alterra.
Even the Sword Witch, who nearly killed him, and the companions of the Hero group he fought long ago during the First Demon King’s reign, seemed weaker compared to her. He clenched his lips at this realization.
If only he were more skilled with this device, he could’ve eliminated this monster.
According to Elizabeth’s report, albeit reluctantly trusted, this monster particularly fears water. Had he not been tense, Alterra might have floundered at the bottom of the river.
Even if that had happened, Saroolum wouldn’t have regretted it much since he didn’t know exactly what would happen if Alterra drowned.
Hypergravity and trenches are merely tools to delay this monster’s advance. Dealing with her is the job of his kin and humans who chose a different path.
He concentrated solely on infusing mana into the device. The Demon King hadn’t ordered him to capture or kill this monster but rather to delay its advance as much as possible.
Though he said “infusing,” in reality, the device was forcibly extracting his mana, channeling it through needles pierced into his body to activate the runes inscribed within.
He knew he was nothing more than a battery. That’s why he was chosen—though not among the Four Heavenly Kings, he was still capable enough to be considered the right-hand man of one.
“…Charge! The magic cannons are almost ready! By any means necessary, stop that monster from advancing!”
Even knowing they were allies, the roar of the demons was too much for the ordinary soldiers to bear, especially the scholars among them. Despite knowing bullets were useless, the soldiers frantically fired at Alterra.
Due to the drastically increased gravity, most bullets veered off course, barely hitting her, but Saroolum never expected significant damage anyway.
“Raise your rifles higher! Due to the gravity, adjust for a curved trajectory!!!”
Interference.
By any means necessary, he had to disrupt Alterra’s attempt to manipulate the earth with her mana. His judgment was correct.
To Alterra, it was like annoying insects buzzing around her ears. But it was enough to keep her restrained.
– Three magic cannons charged. Waiting for coordinates.
As Saroolum’s mana was gradually depleting, the good news came: not just one but three cannons were ready. This was enough to give him hope.
Hope to take down this monster.
“Coordinates incoming! Upon receipt…”
Should they fire all three simultaneously? No, that’s excessive. If they misfire, they might hit their own side. Believing one shot would suffice, Saroolum instructed the artillerymen on the wall.
“Fire only one cannon! Keep the other two on standby!”
– Coordinates received. Target acquired. Calculating trajectory. Adjusting cannons. Condensing mana inside shells. Objective achieved.
Fire.
Saroolum looked at Alterra. In the instant before closing his eyes, a blue light from beyond the horizon struck where Alterra stood, causing a massive explosion.
Even the tough Saroolum was thrown back by the mere shockwave. If that was the wind pressure, what must it have been like at the epicenter?
Expecting her demise, Saroolum trembled as the dust settled.
The half-dragon clad in black armor still stood there.
