Cleaning Up Monsters

In the streets of Valoran City, thick smoke intertwined with piercing screams.

The once-bustling market was now a scene of utter devastation. Stalls were overturned, and goods were scattered all over the ground.

Terrified civilians fled in all directions, pursued by several bizarre, disguised monsters. The creatures flailed their tentacles, continuously smashing houses along their path. Slime dripped onto the cobblestone streets, hissing as it corroded the stone.

"Miss Elara, watch your left!"

Torres's roar pierced through the chaotic noise. Carrying a massive, door-sized greatsword on his back, his towering, iron-like figure stood protectively in front of Elara.

A monster's tentacle whipped viciously toward his back. He did not dodge; instead, he spun around abruptly and seized the tentacle in a death grip with his left hand. His bulging, muscular arm erupted with astonishing power.

After undergoing Ye Chuan's special training, he was no longer a traditional holy knight who only knew how to raise a shield in defense. At this moment, his strength was even more terrifying than that of a berserker of the same tier!

As long as he killed all the enemies, he could protect everyone else!

Unleash!

Torres, unleash!

"Hah!"

With a furious shout, Torres twisted his wrist with immense force. A crisp crack echoed out as the thick, sturdy tentacle was forcefully snapped off by his bare hands!

Slime sprayed all over him, emitting a nauseating, putrid stench.

He paid it no mind. Reaching back, he drew his greatsword. The blade howled as it tore through the air, cleaving ruthlessly toward the monster's head.

Slash!

The edge of the blade easily sliced through the monster's slippery skin. Blood gushed out as the creature let out a shrill, agonizing shriek. Its massive body crashed heavily to the ground, twitched a few times, and then lay completely still.

"Brother Torres, you are amazing!"

Elara's voice carried a hint of panting, yet it was exceptionally resolute.

Standing beside Torres, the tip of her staff flickered with blue light. Without a moment of hesitation, dozens of water bullets shot out like a dense shower of rain toward another monster that was about to ambush Torres.

The water bullets traveled at extreme speed, accurately striking the monster's compound eyes. Wincing in pain, the creature's movements sluggishly faltered for a split second.

In that brief window of opportunity, Torres had already closed the distance. With a sweeping slash of his greatsword, he severed two of the monster's tentacles simultaneously.

"Combat Skill: Clean Severance!"

Having dealt with the monster, Torres rested his greatsword on the ground.

"This is all thanks to Lord Xi Xi's excellent teaching!"

He gave a good-natured, honest grin. Sweat rolled down his cheeks, mixing with the slime on his body. He looked incredibly disheveled, yet his eyes shone brightly.

"The Lord said that the best way to protect others is to cut down all the enemies!"

"Then let us keep going," Elara nodded. Taking a deep breath, she channeled her magic power once more.

"High-Speed Incantation: Rapid Water Arrows!"

This time, she did not condense a massive water cannon. Instead, she split her magic into dozens of slender water arrows, firing them in a fan-shaped spread at two monsters cornering civilians in the distance.

Fast and densely packed, the water arrows instantly pierced the monsters' exteriors. Though not fatal, the attack successfully drew their attention, buying the civilians precious time to escape.

These disguised monsters were not particularly strong; even Elara and Torres could handle them on their own.

"Miss Elara, you have improved so much!"

Torres could not help but praise her while engaging in close combat with the monster in front of him.

Back in the labyrinth, Elara would panic whenever she was ambushed. But now, not only could she cast spells rapidly, she also knew how to coordinate with her teammates and provide cover for civilians. It was as if she were a completely different person.

"My teacher taught me!"

Elara bit her lip, her gaze unwavering. "Teacher said that in actual combat, you cannot just focus on attacking; you also have to learn to observe and coordinate."

Just as she finished speaking, a much larger monster suddenly burst out from a neighboring house. Its head was covered in densely packed compound eyes, and six tentacles lashed out at the two of them simultaneously. Its speed was more than double that of the previous monsters.

"Careful! This one is stronger!" Torres's expression shifted. He quickly shielded Elara behind him and planted his greatsword upright in front of him. Energy condensed on the blade, forming a pale golden barrier.

"Shield of Taunt! Blessing of Defense!"

Torres was directly using his greatsword as a shield for defense!

Boom!

The tentacles slammed brutally against the barrier. The massive impact forced Torres two steps back, leaving his hands slightly numb.

But he did not retreat. Instead, he seized the opportunity to lunge forward, swinging his greatsword down in a diagonal slash that cleaved one of the tentacles in two.

"Miss Elara, use your strongest magic!"

"Okay!"

Elara took a deep breath and gripped her staff with both hands. Magic power frantically gathered at the tip. This time, she did not aim for speed; instead, she compressed her magic to its absolute limit.

Pale blue water elements continuously converged, eventually forming a water cannon as thick as a barrel. Its surface shimmered with fragmented silver light, exuding a chilling, terrifying pressure.

"Barbara, Water Cannon!"

Carrying the whistling sound of tearing through the air, the water cannon blasted toward the monster's head.

The monster tried to dodge, but Torres kept it firmly pinned down. His relentless greatsword strikes made it impossible for the creature to break free.

Boom!

The water cannon accurately struck the monster's head. The immense concussive force blew its head to pieces, sending slime and shredded flesh flying in all directions. The monster's massive body swayed before crashing heavily to the ground, completely devoid of life.

Leaning on her staff, Elara gasped heavily for air. Her forehead was covered in sweat, and the magic depletion left her feeling somewhat drained. Yet, looking at the fallen monster, a gratified smile appeared on her face.

She had truly grown stronger. She was no longer the coward who hid behind her teacher!

Meanwhile, at the other end of the street, Aurora's crimson magic shone exceptionally bright.

She stood atop a roof, a giant fireball coalescing at the tip of her staff. With every release, she incinerated a monster into a charred husk.

"Hmph, these disgusting things actually dare to run wild in the city!"

Aurora scoffed coldly, her crimson eyes filled with disgust. The fireballs from her hands rained down relentlessly on the monsters below, as if they cost no mana at all.

Though she had a haughty temperament, she could not stand seeing civilians being bullied. Witnessing the monsters slaughtering innocents, she did not hesitate to step in and help.

The entirety of Valoran City was plunged into chaos and battle.

Mages rushed about, using detection spells to identify the monsters and coordinating with the guards and warriors to purge them.

Under the cover of the strong, civilians fled in droves toward safe zones.

And those disguised monsters lurking within the city, once exposed, went into a frenzied rampage, engaging in a brutal slaughter with the extermination squads.

Smoke filled every corner of the city. Battle cries, explosions, and the wails of civilians intertwined, forming a tragic and heroic tableau.

After sweeping through and clearing out all the monsters in Valoran, the sky seemed to gradually begin to brighten.

There were still a few monsters hiding in the shadows within the city. They originally intended to take refuge in Valoran City's sewers, but they were directly crushed into oblivion by Ye Chuan's aura.

"How about it?" After dealing with those monsters, Ye Chuan looked at the Gluttonous Lord beside him. "Do you have anything else to say?"

"Gather the troops. In three days, we depart for Milar to rendezvous with Count Kan Gong!" Count Leon took a deep breath, his tone incomparably resolute.

This time, he did not hesitate in the slightest, for he knew that this was not merely for the sake of the Hill Empire, but to protect Valoran.