I Can Devour Monsters' SSS Talents

”Right now, I’m the one asking the questions.” Lian lifted the broken tree trunk with one hand and threw it aside.

Then he grabbed Varesh by the front of his armor and leaned him against another intact tree trunk, the commander groaned in pain.

”How many more armies are on their way to Vhalaris?” Lian asked.

Varesh stayed silent.

Lian waited for a few seconds, but no answer came.

[Glacial Reaper Claw.]

Coldness formed around his right hand, he placed the claw on Varesh’s injured shoulder.

Ice slowly spread across his armor and skin, the commander clenched his teeth.

The cold was more painful than his wound.

”I won’t ask again, you better answer, otherwise your death can be very painful.”

Varesh looked into his eyes. Then his gaze moved toward the bodies of his army, he knew this was not an empty threat.

”This... was the Advance Legion.”

”Continue.” Lian kept the claw in the same place.

”The main force of Cinderhold is behind us.”

”How many?”

”More than a thousand, but it’s not only us.”

”How many cities sent soldiers?” Lian’s expression changed slightly.

Varesh stayed silent for a moment and at the same time, the cold of Glacial Reaper Claw became stronger and the ice moved from his shoulder toward his neck.

”Three cities sent forces, Cinderhold, Emberwell, Ashenreach.”

”So your main capital? Rootcrown?” Lian asked.

”They aren’t sending the main army, most of their forces are fighting near the Death Zone, but they sent some Elites and commanders to coordinate.” Varesh laughed, but his laugh turned into a cough.

”Maelor sent an emergency message before the Network was cut.”

”The message didn’t only reach Cinderhold, it reached all the cities.”

So Maelor had considered the possibility of Vhalaris falling even before the complete defeat.

”When the communication was completely cut off, the Cinderhold Council ordered a full mobilization.” The commander looked at him for a few seconds.

”Before that, the plan was to capture the Outsiders, but after Vhalaris fell, the order changed.”

”Vhalaris must be reclaimed at any cost, and all humans except their leaders must be executed immediately.”

Any cost meant that if necessary, even civilians would be sacrificed, if necessary, Ashfall would be destroyed.

If necessary, the Cindari inside the city would be killed along with the humans.

”How long until they arrive?” Lian asked.

”The main force of Cinderhold... less than a day, Emberwell will probably take a day and a half, Ashenreach will take longer.” Varesh answered.

”Two to three days until they all gather.” The timing was exactly the worst possible.

They also needed time to reach the Forgotten Tree, if they returned and defeated the Cinderhold forces, Emberwell would arrive.

Then Ashenreach, then whatever forces the other cities had.

The war could continue for days and during all that time, the Forgotten Tree would get closer to death.

Lian was also completely sure that the Awakeners had no chance against the main army of the Cindari, even with his help, victory was impossible.

Although right now it looked like he had won easily, that was not really true, he had used the element of surprise and completely disrupted the entire army.

After he spread fear among them, he used Bloodborne and the terror increased among them and caused most of them to run away.

And in the end, he ran low on Mana, meaning that if those Cindari had not run away and had stayed until the very end, they could have defeated him.

Fortunately, they were too stupid to realize that.

The sound of One moving came from behind, Seris and Aren approached the battlefield.

When Aren entered the area, the speed of his steps became slower, until a few minutes ago he had only seen the mist from a distance.

Now he could see the result, his eyes moved across the bodies and broken equipment.

Even after twenty-five years of living in this world, he could not get used to this sight.

”Bad news?” Seris looked directly at Varesh and could feel a small amount of worry in the air.

”Three more armies are moving toward Vhalaris.”

”Three?”

”The main force of Cinderhold, Emberwell and Ashenreach.”

”Rootcrown also sent Elites.”

”Are we going back?” Seris looked toward the west for a moment, she could understand how serious the situation was and she also knew that the Awakeners had no chance.

In fact, even with them there, the situation might not change that much.

Lian also looked in the same direction, Vhalaris could not be seen from here, only the trees of Emberroot stood between them and the city.

”No.” Then he turned his gaze back toward the path to the Forgotten Tree.

Seris waited for an explanation without objecting.

”If we go back and defeat Cinderhold, Emberwell will arrive, then Ashenreach, then whatever forces the other cities have.”

”So you’re going to let them attack your friends?” Aren asked.

”No, but the way to end this war is not to kill every Cindari army.” Lian looked at him and stayed silent for a few seconds.

”We need to go to the Forgotten Tree and complete the Main Quest.”

If the Forgotten Tree was saved and the Corrupted Titan was stopped, the Quest reward could allow all the Awakeners to leave the Special Area.

They no longer had to protect Vhalaris forever, they only needed to hold it for long enough.

At that moment, their biggest enemy was no longer the Cindari, it was time.

Aren had no idea what they were talking about and decided to stay silent and leave dealing with the situation to them.

Lian looked at Varesh again, the commander said nothing and seemed to be thinking about what would happen to him, would he die? Or would he survive?

The young Vorhelm ignored him in the end and took a communication Crystal out of his storage space, he had received it from Rindo before leaving the city.

According to the Student Council President, this was what the Cindari used to communicate and he had made it possible for the Awakeners to use it as well.

The plan was to use it to inform each other if something dangerous happened.

Lian turned on the Crystal, for a few seconds there was only static and then the light inside it changed.

The connection was established.

”Vhalaris.”

There was a short silence and then Rindo’s voice came.

”Lian?”

”Yeah.”

”What happened?” Rindo’s voice immediately became serious, they were only supposed to communicate in the most urgent situations.

Lian looked at the destroyed battlefield.

”We found the Cinderhold advance army.”

”How many?”

”About six hundred.”

”And?”

”They’re no longer a problem.” Lian said without changing his tone.

There was silence for a few seconds, Rindo probably decided not to ask exactly what had happened.

”What’s the bad news?”

”Three more armies are on their way, the main force of Cinderhold is less than a day away, Emberwell comes after them, Ashenreach has also moved, and Rootcrown sent several Elites.” He added after explaining how serious the situation was.

”Don’t get into an open battle, hold the bridges, use Maelor and Kael for negotiations, buy as much time as you can.”

”Are you coming back?” Rindo added after thinking for a moment, he knew they had no chance against an army, so buying time was the only way.

”No, if I go back, this war won’t end, besides, there are too many of them and even with me there, it wouldn’t make much difference, we’re going straight to the Forgotten Tree.”

”I understand.” On the other side of the Crystal, Rindo’s short breath could be heard and then he spoke, a few seconds later his voice became firmer.

”Finish your job, leave this place to us.”

”Stay alive and if things get really bad, run, you should create a way to escape and retreat from now.”

”That’s already the plan.” The Student Council President nodded.

The connection was cut.

Lian lowered the Crystal.

Varesh was still leaning against the tree trunk, his eyes remained on that human.

”Do you think going to the Forgotten Tree will change anything?” He had understood from the words of these humans that they wanted to go to the Forgotten Tree.

It was not hard to understand that the humans seemed to think their way to survive was there.

”If it doesn’t, all of you will soon have a bigger problem than us.” Lian looked at him and added with sarcasm.

Varesh understood that he meant the Corrupted Titan, he said nothing.

With a controlled strike to the side of the commander’s neck, Lian sent him to join the rest of his soldiers.

Then he turned around.

One lowered its body, Seris silently sat on its back but Aren stayed in the battlefield for a few more seconds.

His eyes were fixed on the place where the Cinderhold army had stood before the battle.

Six hundred people and .... now only silence.

He slowly mounted One, this time keeping a little more distance from Lian.

Lian noticed, but said nothing.

One started moving, first passing slowly through the broken equipment.

After leaving the battlefield, it increased its speed.

Emberroot once again turned into dark red lines around them and the wind hit their faces.

The young Vorhelm looked forward, behind them, three armies were moving toward Vhalaris.

The first main force might reach the city in less than a day, the other two armies were moving behind it.

And in front of them, the Forgotten Tree was getting closer to death every moment.

There was no time left to stop, either they had to stop the disaster before the armies arrived or when they returned, there might no longer be a fortress left to return to.