ALL NOVEL Chapter 37- The hunt~1
Grotesque yet funny are the terms I can use to describe this Demon.
It hasn't moved since it destroyed the first line of defense and has been patiently waiting for its minion to do the job while the Gnome watched with an extended smile on its ridiculous face.
There were twelve Imps around the city front at the moment. And all twelve of them seemed around D-rank.
Bat-like wings, skull faces, bony bodies, crooked postures and using tridents as their weapons. These Imps are mostly found in desert regions or used as scavengers in big prisons.
Regardless, they weren't that strong that I would have to exhaust too much energy. The most problematic part is their flight ability which allows them to scatter around and prevent me from annihilating them at once.
Troublesome.
I stood on a building top while gazing at the ongoing battle. The human side was not even strong enough to damage a single Imp to the verge of death but in response more than three dozen men have died already.
This much was under my calculation so I didn't panic. But any more than this would be troublesome.
Imps are cold-blooded beings who seek warmth and follow the path of light—and no, I am not being metamorphic here.
Summoning Alpha on my palm, I raised it high above my head and conjured a simple yet huge flame that illuminated the whole region.
The flame eruption was enough to make all the Imps stop in their tracks and look at me. Even the Demon turned its neck to gaze at me—but I knew, it was far from interested in attacking yet
'Strange...I thought this Gnome has lost its sanity...' It wouldn't be a lie to say I wasn't nervous a little. But backing off at this point was no longer an option.
*HIRRRRR*
*HEEEEEEHHEEHH*
The ominous laughter and giggles of the Imps reached my ears as they gathered side by side and began rushing in my direction; abandoning their previous targets.
I smirked at that—pretty foolish creatures.
"Alpha: Liner Burn!"
Summoning a Two-Circle spell, I shot the huge fireball in the direction from where the Imp approached
The fireball was about a football in dimension but hitting them directly never was my goal.
They might be foolish but sensing the approaching doom, the Imps tried scattering around and avoiding the trajectory.
With a swift motion, my connected index and middle fingers parted, causing the fireball to split into two streaks. At my command, they surged forward with increased velocity, effectively restraining the creatures and maintaining the formation.
The twin lines of flames served as a barrier, encircling the Imps, who appeared to have overlooked their ability to ascend higher into the air.
It was a psychological maneuver, compelling them to believe they were caged within the fiery enclosure.
The momentary shock of the Imps was enough for me to draw another magic circle above the horde and this time, I went for three circles.
"Alpha: Meteor Fall!"
Three large boulders appeared from those huge spell circles and rushed toward the Imps.
However, before it could have made contact with its target, a dark red orb flew toward the meteors and exploded them into pieces.
**BOOOOM**
I instantly took cover behind a wall since the explosion sent the burning meteor fragments in all directions.
The loud howls of humans and Imps resonated across the battlefield—suggesting that I had caused damage to either side.
'That damned demon has awareness of the surrounding...how can it sustain its intelligence? ' It was making me frustrated now.
I jumped back on the rooftop and glared at the Demon.
The smirk on its face seemed a little more profound—much to my ire.
I looked at the Imps and found six of the twelve had burned enough to be rendered useless.
Regardless I didn't take a chance, and summoned Alpha-Linear and formed a thin arrow.
Alpha: Linear allows me to freely manipulate flame in any shape. However, the size of the flame is reversibly proportional to my control over it—that's why I only conjured a thin streak for now.
I shot the arrow toward the fallen Imps and this time the Demon didn't stop me from piercing their heart with flame and ceasing their life.
The brethren of those fallen gnashed their teeth and shot their blood-red eyes in my direction
The first one to attack me was the smallest Imp from the group.
I wielded my spear and clashed against its trident.
*CLANG*
Deflecting the attack was no big deal but the Imp was no amateur fighter as well. It purposely showed its back to me and directed the sharp butt of the trident toward my torso.
'Cheeky eh.... ' I held the trident by its end and released my spear for a moment—only to grab my weapon from its neck.
The Imp was trapped in my hold since it couldn't let go of its trident on time.
I seized the opportunity and brushed the tip of my spear blade against the nape of the Imp—before a fountain of reddish-black blood began to spurt.
"*KHEEEEEEK*" The Imp helplessly flailed and cried, but I didn't release it.
In just three seconds, I dispatched the first Imp, and before I could fully grasp the victory, the second one was upon me.
Thanks to Beta, my awareness extended to 360 degrees, allowing me to sense the one sneaking up from behind. It received an unexpected strike of my elbow spear to its skull before I swiftly spun around and cleaved my spear in a full arc, severing the Imp's head from its body.
The battle with the remaining flying creature went as easy as I anticipated. Thankfully, they never stopped charging nor even started using their mind. They had the advantage of flight and townspeople could have been used as my weakness. But well, thankfully, they kept it straight and simple.
*SLASH*
Cutting off the last Imp into several chunks, I heaved a long breath.
The sweat accumulated on my head was wiped away as I rechecked my surroundings.
The pile of six Imps surrounded me while the other six lay on the surface with their body pierced and burned.
My body hasn't received a single damage but my clothes have been tainted by my opponent's blood.
Those people who were watching this spectacle had a slacken-jaw reaction. I see, I must have given them an overwhelming show.
'Should I make a pose or something?'
Abandoning my needless thoughts, I focused on the Gnome once again.
It was no longer smirking. And for some reason, that made me smile.
'Did I piss off Grandpa fool?' Jerking my spear I swatted away the blood before preparing myself.
The Gnome was about fifteen feet in height and its body was definitely stronger than an ice pillar. It can conjure those curse balls or whatever they were and have any stats-enhancing ability.
If what I remember from my past life about this Demon is true then I have a definite plan on how I can deal with it.
Flexing my fingers, I summoned Beta in my free hand before I saw the Demon also preparing to attack.
So this gonna be who attacks first huh. Very well.
'This surely would be the toughest battle I have ever faced...'
******
A/N:- Didn't include the battle against Demon since it would have felt rushed. I will wrap up this arc in two more chapters, then finally, we will proceed to Academy arc.
Let's see~