The soldiers opened fire at once, filling the cavern with deafening gunfire as bullets tore through the darkness above.
Arlo’s pupils contracted.
Even with the bright flashes illuminating the darkness, what he saw still sent a chill through his entire body.
The creatures raced across the ceiling on all fours, moving with unnatural speed as their glowing red eyes shone through the darkness.
Dark scales covered their bodies, each coated in a thick layer of slime that reflected the flashes of gunfire.
At first glance, they looked almost human, but only almost. Their torsos were humanoid, while the rest of their bodies were lean, twisted, and built for hunting.
Their legs resembled those of wolves, ending in razor-sharp claws that dug deeply into the stone.
Every time they moved, those claws carved two-centimeter-deep marks across the rocks as they launched themselves across the ceiling, transforming into streaks of darkness.
Yet something else drew Arlo’s attention...their hair.
Their hair writhed like octopus tentacles, twisting and moving on its own, with every strand ending in a razor-sharp blade.
Arlo’s heart pounded within his chest, his hands trembling in horror.
There were no monsters like this back in Umbrasol. Their only enemy where the other kingdoms who were of course humans like them.
Unlike Arlo, the soldiers around him had trained for nearly two years for moments like this. In an instant, they closed ranks, backs pressed together as they aimed their weapons in every direction.
"The Vorath’s dark magic mainly originates from their bodies,"
Captain Ennessa’s voice rang out above the chaos, calm yet powerful enough to reach every soldier.
"Their hair and claws are their greatest weapons. Do not allow them to approach. Maintain distance, and they will fall."
The squad responded immediately.
Bullets filled the cavern as the Vorath twisted and leapt across the ceiling, avoiding shots with horrifying agility.
However, the soldiers adapted just as quickly, adjusting their aim and maintaining their formation.
Arlo, with gritted teeth, raised his weapon and pulled the trigger.
BANG.
The bullet missed.
BANG.
Another miss.
The creatures were simply too fast.
Before he could properly aim, they had already disappeared from his vision.
"What the..."
The words caught in Arlo’s throat as one of the Vorath appeared directly before him, far too close.
A mass of writhing hair lashed toward his face with enough force to tear his head apart, and for a split second, he couldn’t move.
His instincts screamed at him to move, yet his muscles refused to obey as the attack grew closer.
In desperation, he closed his eyes.
SLASH.
PUUUUNCH!
Hot liquid splashed across Arlo’s face, and his heart sank, but no pain came. Only a strange, salty taste lingered on his lips.
Slowly, he opened his eyes.
The Vorath stood frozen, its writhing hair cleanly severed.
A sharp blade had extended from Captain Ennessa’s forearm, cutting through the tendrils before they could reach him.
Almost instantly, a pistol dropped from the weapon holster attached to her waist.
BANG.
BANG.
BANG.
Three shots, and the Vorath’s head exploded, its body collapsing heavily onto the ground.
For a brief moment, Captain Ennessa looked at him. It was only a single glance, but...
Her assault rifle was back in her hands, and she was firing once again.
"Get to the center, kid."
Her voice reached him.
"They’re trying to break through from your position."
The squad immediately opened a path, and Arlo didn’t hesitate, slipping into the center of the formation as the soldiers kept firing around him.
Three minutes later, the cavern fell silent.
The only sounds left were the soldiers’ heavy breathing as they stood ankle-deep in dark blood among the scattered corpses of nearly two hundred Vorath, their bodies torn apart by relentless gunfire.
Even then, not a single soldier lowered their weapon, continuing to scan the dark ceiling with their flashlights.
’Monsters.’
It was the only word that came to Arlo’s mind.
These people had just killed nearly two hundred creatures that would have terrified any ordinary person, yet their faces never changed.
There was no excitement, fear, or relief, evident.
"That should be all of them in this area."
Captain Ennessa’s voice finally broke the silence.
"You can relax."
The soldiers lowered their weapons and broke formation.
"Did anyone sustain injuries?"
"No, Captain."
"None."
"Everyone is fine."
Ennessa nodded.
"Good."
Her gaze shifted to Arlo as she walked toward him, her slow footsteps echoing through the cavern.
Covered from head to toe in dark Vorath blood, with her weapon still giving off faint heat, she looked like she had walked straight through hell.
Arlo’s heart tightened. At least now what she had said before was true.
His ’arrogance’ did not help him, as he had done nothing but remained frozen all through the fight.
Arlo braced himself for the scolding he was sure was coming, but before Ennessa could speak, he sensed a violent surge of mana racing toward them at impossible speed.
His eyes widened as he looked past her.
Something was coming from behind, and if it struck now, it would tear straight through her.
"Captain!"
He shouted as his body moved on instinct.
With a single step, Arlo burst forward, the chain attached to his dagger snapping through the air as the blade shot past Captain Ennessa’s face.
She reacted at the same instant, dropping to one knee and in a split second, three gunshots rang through the cavern.
BANG!
BANG!
BANG!
At the same time, a dark, half-meter-long needle shot toward the back of her head, but Arlo’s dagger met it head-on.
CLANG!
The collision lasted only an instant before the impact exploded back through the chain.
Cracks raced along Arlo’s arm, blood burst from his mouth, and he was hurled backward like a cannonball.
BOOOOOM!
His body tore through the cavern wall, shattering stone before disappearing beneath a mountain of rubble.
At the same moment, a horrifying screech echoed through the cavern as Captain Ennessa’s bullets found their target.
THUD!