Chapter 58: The Mayor’s Resolve

Chapter 58: The Mayor’s Resolve

The mayor looked at the ruined tunnel and let out a deep sigh. That was close, he thought, and gently set Fjorn on the ground. If I keep taking risks like this, I won’t live to see my sons settle down and give me a grandchild.

The mayor had been born the poor son of a tanner, and after finding a strange herb in the forest, he managed to unlock his mana at the age of six. After that, he became a hunter and developed his own group. Later, his group began cooperating with the military, who were extracting ore from the village's hill. He was often sent on reconnaissance missions that lasted for months. He had lost many friends but had gradually risen through the ranks. The military was one of the few organizations that invested well in its people, though it demanded long service.

He gradually developed his body magic, having consumed hundreds of Earth treasures, and was now capable of slicing a satyr's body in two with a single powerful stroke of his enchanted sword. He was terrifyingly fast, and his sword knew how to find gaps in most armor. Only battles with magical monsters posed a challenge for him.

He had also invested heavily in his sons. His eldest, though twenty-five years his junior, already possessed nearly the same strength as his own. The mayor hoped that his children's future would far surpass his own.

During his service, the mayor had accumulated many treasures, arcane techniques, and knowledge. He had attracted the attention of the gods and had completed many small and medium quests as an Acolyte of Demeter—goddess of the harvest and agriculture, presiding over crops, grains, food, and the fertility of the earth. It was said that she never forgave Zeus for the story of her daughter Persephone and was one of the first to side with Prometheus.

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"I told them earlier we should look for other tunnels. But no one listens to me," Emilia grumbled. "If only we were a bit stronger, we could have looted the treasures of these castles. Instead, my bag is empty again. Most of the herbs went into those formation flags…" After a moment, however, she remembered the incredible knowledge she had gained and sighed helplessly. "Maybe if I were a little older. A little stronger." The greed in her eyes intensified, and her heart clenched at the mere thought of the potential treasures left behind them.

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Douglas was breathing heavily, lost in thought about his latest quest. He was an Acolyte of Boreas, God of the North Wind, storms, and winter. One of Normor's primary patron gods.

Douglas had set out on a three-year voyage for trade across the lands of Ellada and then further into the continent. For some unknown reason, a god as distant as Boreas had taken an interest in this isolated spot in the dark forest. Douglas himself wasn't overly concerned with the intrigues of the gods, except when it came to his homeland, Normor. Who knows, maybe Boreas owed someone a favor here, he had thought to himself.

The proposed reward, however, was very good. If he succeeded in this strange undertaking, the purity of the Kronos blood in his veins would increase by another ten percent. This gift was not something that would only benefit him, but would be passed down through generations. Such gifts were exceedingly rare, especially for pure-blood Echidrids like him. Yet, the risks he had taken were by no means small. And a number of his Echidna subordinates had lost their lives both in the dark forest and here, in this private space. And they still had to think about the long journey back to icy Normor.

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As time passed and the group tended to their wounds, a terrible rumble echoed from a distance. It was as if something large and heavy had crashed down. This was followed by a loud, deafening howl, the cry of a dog. The howl was incredibly savage and terrifying. Emilia felt the primal dread emanating from it.

"Mental attack resisted," she heard the voice of the Great System.
"Quest updated: Defeat Cerberus and destroy the primordial root."

At that moment, a massive three-headed dog—a Cerberus—leapt out in front of them. It had three heads with yellow eyes, and steam rose from its mouths. Its paws were as thick as two of Douglas's arms and ended in heavy claws, sharp and curved, seemingly made to sink into and tear the flesh of its enemies. It had three tails, each tipped with sharp spikes that it lashed menacingly.

Douglas and the Echidrids quickly formed a battle line, while the mayor and his son took the far left flank. "We need to spread out and surround it," the mayor's son shouted.

Just then, the Cerberus roared again, and a powerful jet of fire erupted from its mouths, attacking the defenders. Emilia activated a defensive talisman, and at that moment, she heard the voice of the goddess.

We don't stand a chance, Emilia thought, her gaze falling on Fjorn, who lay on the ground. I have to do something.

The cavernous hall was filled with roots as thick as a forest, various ruins partially embedded in the walls, several ancient statues with broken hands and heads, and a huge sacrificial altar where a strange yellow-blue fire burned.

The Cerberus attacked Douglas, but the Echidrids kept it at bay with their spears. The mayor and his son arced around from the left and attacked one of the heads. Douglas’s skin was badly scorched, and pain was etched onto his face.

The Cerberus attacked and moved with incredible speed, trying to break through the Echidrids' battle formation and constantly lashing the mayor and his son with its tails. However, these soldiers had decades of combat experience. Despite their fatigue, they fought bravely, their feet moving at an astonishing speed. Emilia had trained for many long months with Kassian, but these warriors had decades of experience and were far faster and more precise than she was.

As a young man, the mayor had participated in hundreds of battles with monsters, and his every movement was perfected. His strikes were powerful, and his movement method relied on small, quick steps, where he poured large amounts of mana so that he could attack like lightning and retreat instantly back into formation. He was like a giant wasp, going in to sink its stinger into the enemy's flesh, perpetually flying, dodging the Cerberus’s blows.

His son had lost his two-handed sword and was fighting with two copper sabers. He clearly had some experience with them, but he was nowhere near as good as he was with the sword. Therefore, he used them mainly to block the Cerberus’s strikes and occasionally counterattack. His task was to support his father, but Emilia could see that he lacked significant experience as a defender. He often moved too far away or committed to pointless counterattacks.

On the other hand, the Echidrids managed to hold the Cerberus's main attention. They used their long spears to attack it relentlessly, but they often had to back off from its fire attacks. All of them had sustained various minor burns, and the Cerberus's hide was extremely tough and difficult to pierce.

Pushed from two sides, the Cerberus rapidly shifted its targets, attacking first left, then right. Soon, it found the weak point in the defense—the mayor's son, who was wounded and had lost his weapon.

The battle again swung in the monster's favor, and it gradually weakened the defenders with fire and unexpected strikes from its tails. At the same time, it relentlessly tried to bite someone with its three heads; if it succeeded, its sharp teeth and mighty jaws would inflict incredible damage in mere seconds.

The Cerberus often plunged into deep attacks, relying on its tough hide and the protection of its tails. The defenders either scattered like water before its charges or retreated with lightning speed. They managed to counterattack successfully at times, but the wounds they inflicted were mostly superficial.

The Cerberus was gifted with fiery blood, and its wounds healed exceptionally fast. The defenders were pressed and steadily losing ground. If they were pushed too close to the walls, they would have no room to maneuver away from the three-headed monster's fierce attacks, and it would be only a matter of time before they fell before one of them.

The mayor's son was the most frequently attacked. His entire body bore traces of burns, and he had lost one of his swords. He relied solely on his movement method, having long since stopped trying to counterattack. Two of the tails had managed to sink into his body, and thick red blood streamed from the wounds.

He tried to circulate his mana, sending energy toward the lacerations. The mana-rich blood began to clot and plug the wounds.

The monster's incessant attacks prevented this process from finishing and, at the same time, inflicted more and more damage.

Desperate, he allowed one of the jets of fire to graze him, twisting his body at a precise angle so the fire's intense heat would cauterize the wounds, sealing them temporarily. This was extremely dangerous and painful, and his groans of agony echoed across the battlefield. In desperation, his father gripped his sword even tighter and charged without regard for defense, risking everything to buy his son a moment's respite.

Douglas also noticed the mayor's desperate attack, grit his teeth, and rushed forward to defend him.

The Cerberus was forced to retreat temporarily, and the defenders managed to catch their breath for a moment. Soon, however, the monster managed to press them again, but this time the defenders were much weaker. The mayor's son had lost his weapons and was unable to assist the others. His father was forced to protect him, and the group thus descended into a desperate defense.

"Where is Emilia?" Douglas suddenly asked.