Sword of Dawnbreaker

Chapter 89: Blown Up

The explosion initiated by magical power crystals and the explosives on Earth were two totally different things. Even though the final outcome for both would be magnificent fireworks, the process was vastly different. The latter was a once-off swift and violent chemical reaction, while the former, by its very nature, was a magic process.

As such, the detonation of magical power crystals did not have a strict demand on its packaging; neither was it particular about the container used. It also had no requirements to be loaded into a chamber. But in place of that, it required all storage crystals to be placed within range of the explosive magic circle; it required precision in the explosive magic circle itself as well as the high quality and compatibility of the magic conducting materials; it also required the total amount of magical power stored in the crystals to be full.

And in the situation where all these conditions were met, its might would please any person controlling the explosion.

The entire cliff was cloaked in a blinding white light. Within the range of exposure of the explosive magic circles, every crack and opening packed with crystals began to produce a violent explosion of magical power. The aberrations who had crowded together and started climbing up the cliff wall fell into a momentary confusion due to their target’s abrupt disappearance. Following that, ‘the art of explosion’, which suddenly befell them, tore into them…

Regrettably, Heidi, who had been pulled into the shadow realm by Amber, wasn’t fated to witness this spectacular sight.

The collapse of the cliff set off a chain reaction. The boulders above the path that weren’t stable enough also came loose in the violent quake. Rocks and masses of soil drenched down on them like a torrential downpour, and those gory titans were successively buried under these falling soil and rocks. Amongst them, a good number were crushed then and there, snarling as they dissolved into elemental mist, which was continuously transpiring.

By the time the crumbling ended, close to half of the monsters were still alive. Some of them were outside the range of the landslide, while others simply weren’t killed by the impact. Those especially strong aberrations casually overturned the boulders and soil covering them and shakily crawled out of the rubble. The primal magic released by their surrounding companions swiftly repaired their ragged limbs. In the brief moment of a few breaths, those monsters who had their limbs destroyed by the impact had resumed 70-80% of their mobility.

Heidi and Amber’s auras were gone. However, the monsters that had survived recovered from the chaos and turned their heads towards the north one by one.

They had ‘smelled’ another aura, slightly farther, but in great numbers. Over there was a large number of living humans as well as active magic.

Aberrations did not have anything like morale. The stimulation from the aura of their ‘prey’ pushed them into a primitive and manic excitement. The gory titans pushed forward, throwing those companions who had been reduced to torn meat and crushed bones behind, and charged towards the northern paths like hyenas that had smelled blood.

Then they stepped right into the minefield array that was spread out everywhere over the hills and plains.

The sound of the explosion and collapse that occurred at the Dark Range was like a burst of thunder. It could be clearly heard even at camp. A hint of commotion could not help but emerge amongst the soldiers who were in combat readiness upon hearing those loud noises. But right after, they were suppressed by the snaps of Sir Philip and Sir Byron.

Contrary to his soldiers’ mood, Gawain sighed in relief when he heard the explosion. There was an explosion, which implied that at least the first step of the plan had succeeded.

With Amber coordinating with her over there, Heidi’s safety should be guaranteed. From hearing continuous rumbles mingled with the sounds of explosions, he could confirm that the collapse of the cliff had also happened like he had planned. Then subsequently, he would wait for those brainless monsters to be blown up into the sky one by one.

More than ten minutes later, another explosion finally sounded from the mountains.

Those were noises completely different from the first explosion — they were slightly weaker, but continuous. One would sound almost every few seconds — as if there were two mages with only the fireball spell casting them at each other (sideward glance at Rebecca) — and those sounds were getting closer and closer. In the beginning, they had been coming from deep in the mountains, but soon, they were heard near the mountain pass.

Gawain could almost imagine the sight of those monsters rushing into the minefield array with their heads buried. How delightful would that scene be?

The soldiers listened to the noise that was entirely unlike their previous battles. Apart from grasping their weapons tightly, they could only exchange glances with each other. They knew that there wasn’t a single defending trooper in the mountains, but that stir was so loud that it was startling. Hundreds of gory titans were passing through those cramped and meandering mountainous paths, and what was stopping them weren’t brave warriors but a cluster of exploding traps… Was such also war?

The commotion in the mountains naturally spread to where the civilians resided. At the very start, those trembling laymen only hid at the back, but the explosions that sounded ceaselessly made it difficult for them to contain their curiosity. That didn’t sound like soldiers desperate at war; instead, it sounded like thunder rumbling. The villagers from the rural areas would never have the chance to see high-ranking mages in their entire life. Of course, they had also never heard the stir of archmages throwing big fireballs and flame burst spells at each other… Hence, they could only dream something up — even if there were scores of master mages warring outside, the commotion would probably not be more than this.

Finally, some of them who were especially bold and could not suppress their curiosity inched out of their tents and came to the southern side of camp; they were emboldened by it and looked far into the distance in the direction of the Dark Range. At this point, the explosions in the mountains had finally spread to the mountain pass — or rather, the aberrations that recklessly made their way here had finally set off the land mines along the mountain pass.

A cloud of smoke dust and mist curled up from the foot of the mountain. In the dark-red dust cloud, the first gory titan charged forward with a growl. It ran across the minefield array that was everywhere and dashed for the human camp amidst blood and fire. Then, in the process of doing so, it was thrown into the air by an explosion and landed on the ground after being divided into more than twenty portions and subsequently trampled into minced flesh by those behind…

The soldiers guarding camp stood by and watched as the first monster completed the entire process of snarling appearance, fearless charging, exploding on-site, spinning ascension, demon disintegration, and then ‘loving’ this land very deeply (that is, being buried deeply into the land). They had instinctively tightened their grips on their swords and held their breath, but it still felt slightly awkward…

Other than those soldiers who’d once helped Rebecca and Heidi test out those explosives, for 99% of the laymen present, it was their first time realizing that the wooden boxes they’d made and buried into the ground would actually have such might.

However, this was only a start.

Billows of dust clouds surged from the mountain pass; they were the crushed stones and dust that had been whipped up from the multiple explosions on the paths, and there was a chaotic demonic mist formed from the aberration blood and pieces mixed in it. Meanwhile, dashing out of the rolling dust clouds were countless gory titans battered from the explosions.

Gawain very quickly realized that it indeed felt really satisfying to blow up people using minefield arrays, but since those being blown up were a bunch of boors, it would severely affect the operating experience. These aberrations without much intellect were like a swarm of insects that had lost their leader. They only knew to focus on the direction of food. Lowering their head and seeing only an ‘A’ in brackets. They charged forward into the minefield. One stepped in as another fell, then spun into the air in all sorts of poses, and landed in a random number of pieces and direction from the quaking chain explosions. Despite so, they remained completely fearless and still charged in the same direction. Moreover, there would constantly be new monsters running out from the mountain pass.

Some monsters that had been destroyed waist down were still moving with an indomitable spirit; they were crawling in this direction using their remaining limbs.

This wouldn’t do; not only would it not bolster the troop’s morale, many people might, instead, be jarred by this horrifying scene.

People who have sunken into fear would even neglect the fact that the number of monsters had been drastically lowered.

Gawain believed he ought to do something, but right before he took action, he suddenly heard Sir Byron beside him breaking out into laughter.

This gray-haired Knight, who had switched profession midlife from mercenary to knight, used the sword in his hand to point at those deformed freaks being blown up, blown apart or crawling on the ground. He laughed till he was panting for breath. “These—These things are really stupid and weak. Look at how they’re still crawling here and there after being disorientated from the explosions… Haha… Better yet, a good half of them are being trampled into minced meat by their own before they’d even covered half the distance! Why were we (hahaha) intimidated by such things back then?! Haha…”

Sir Byron’s tone was filled with sheer scorn. Apart from laughing, he even used his shoulder to nudge Sir Philip. “Sir Philip, what do you think?”

Then Byron quickly whispered, “Damn it. Back me up. It’s so awkward to do this alone.”

Sir Philip straightened up at once and looked towards Byron with a straight face and a righteous look. “Knights should not mock the weak. They are in such a state now only because we had the aid of our ancestor’s wisdom…”

The surrounding soldiers were already infected by Byron. At this point, Phillip’s stern and just words built on it as they struck a responsive chord in their hearts. The slight commotion from earlier swiftly ended. They watched those monsters that continuously streamed out and were repeatedly blown up into the skies. The fear gradually faded away at last.

Some poised individuals were even rather tempted to laugh.

Meanwhile, Gawain looked at the two knights beside him, slightly dumbstruck. He suddenly felt that this territory really had hidden talents; these two knights were both competent people, especially that Phillip. He usually appeared to be such a serious and proper person. Who would’ve known he was such a joker…?

Yet Phillip himself was completely oblivious to all these.

He had gripped his knight’s sword tightly and took half a step forward.

According to his memories of the ‘minefield’, he determined that not all of the monsters would be wiped out in the explosions. At least a few dozens should survive. They were really close now… This could lead to real hand-to-hand combat!

Gawain had also come to the same conclusion. Lifting the longsword in his hand, he commanded the soldiers in a loud voice, “We’ll celebrate after we’ve exterminated these freaks. — Everyone, attention. Raise your swords!”

The cold light from a sea of steel lifted their spirits. Under the illumination of the huge sun that was starting to set in the west, a faint layer of luster surrounded the soldiers’ armors and weapons.

The enchanted weapons and armors became especially ‘striking’ in the eyes of those aberrations.

The first monster to rush out of the minefield array came staggering before the troops. Its only (half-missing) arm waved towards the sky, while a muddled snarl echoed from its chest. Then it charged over.

“Fight!”

Footnotes:

In StarCraft, the letter ‘A’ is the hotkey for attack