Chương 89: The Monsters Wore Boots

The group continued climbing through the upper passage while following the human footprints. Lucia's scouts remained ahead, but the narrow turns prevented them from maintaining much distance. A faint fluttering sound emerged from a crack above Kart's guardian constructs. Eight bats dropped from the ceiling before Lucia's scouts could mark every target. This time, Sieghart did not wait until someone became surrounded. Sieghart raised both hands and projected two narrow mana threads.

He suppressed their signatures until the pale glow disappeared, then extended one toward Hernan and the other toward Kart. The first thread reached Hernan and spread beneath his clothes. Protection formed under his skin before Muscle Reinforcement synchronized with his movements. The second thread connected with Kart. Sieghart repeated the process, adjusting the reinforcement to accommodate the larger teenager's heavier body. Both spells activated successfully.

Hernan stiffened when the familiar strength returned, but he recovered faster than during the previous fight. His first summoned sword accelerated toward the closest bat. Kart looked down at his arms as Muscle Reinforcement spread through them. He carried a thick metal control rod used to guide and repair his guardian constructs during battle. The weapon was normally too heavy for quick strikes. Reinforcement changed that. Kart swung the rod upward and struck a diving bat beneath its jaw.

The impact snapped the creature's head backward and threw it against the tunnel ceiling. His nearest guardian jumped immediately, caught the stunned monster between its metal jaws, and dragged it down before it could recover. Hernan attacked from the opposite side. He launched two spears toward the bats while using his reinforced legs to move beneath their flight paths. One spear pierced a wing and pinned its target against the wall. Hernan reached it a moment later and drove a summoned sword through its chest.

The remaining monsters attempted to retreat toward the ceiling. Lucia's scouts emitted disruptive pulses, confusing their sense of direction long enough for Mellia to trap them beneath a curved barrier. Kart's guardians climbed over one another and reached the enclosed bats. Their metal limbs crushed wings while Hernan's weapons finished the injured creatures. Sieghart maintained both reinforcement threads throughout the fight.

Dividing his attention between two bodies created more strain than he expected, but his Mentality kept the connections stable. The final bat attempted to escape through the same crack from which the group had emerged. Lucia's scout marked it before Hernan launched a spear through its back. A system notification appeared. White Magic gained 10 experience points. White Magic gained 10 experience points. White Magic gained 10 experience points. White Magic gained 10 experience points.

Sieghart's eyes narrowed with satisfaction. Supporting two people had doubled the reward. The system apparently evaluated each meaningful contribution rather than limiting experience to the encounter itself. He immediately attempted to add Mellia. A third mana thread began forming from the connection extending through his right hand. Sieghart tried to divide the existing line and direct the new branch toward her. Both sections became unstable.

The original thread around Hernan flickered, and Muscle Reinforcement weakened throughout his body. Sieghart abandoned the third connection before the entire structure collapsed. He tried splitting the thread projected through his left hand instead. The result was identical. Each hand could sustain only one stable remote connection. The problem came from control rather than power. Sieghart dismissed both spells after the battle and looked at his palms. He had discovered another limitation that required training.

Perhaps he could learn to project multiple threads from each finger. Mana Rune might also divide one connection after it reached a prepared formation. For now, two simultaneous targets represented his maximum. Kart flexed his fingers after the reinforcement disappeared. Hernan looked as though he wanted to ask several questions. The footprints ahead distracted everyone before he decided which one to use. Lucia's forward scout had stopped above a dusty section of the tunnel.

Several fresh boot prints crossed beneath its crystal eyes. They were clearer than those found near the intersection. At least ten different people had passed through the upper route. Kart crouched beside the tracks.

"They're all going inward." Mellia studied the surrounding ground.

"No returning prints."

"Maybe they used another exit," Lucia suggested.

"Or they're still ahead," Hernan said. The group looked toward Mellia. Discovering human tracks changed the mission considerably, and everyone waited to see whether she would order an immediate retreat. Their instructions required them to investigate possible hostile involvement, but they remained a young guild team inside unfamiliar territory. Mellia examined the prints, tunnel, and timekeeping tool before deciding.

"We continue." Hernan nodded immediately. Kart appeared less certain, although he did not object. Lucia recalled two scouts closer to the group.

"How far?"

"Until we identify who entered or find evidence that continuing is too dangerous. We don't engage people unless they attack first." Mellia looked at every member before continuing.

"If we encounter an organized force, we retreat. Information is more important than finishing the nest today." Sieghart approved of the decision, although another concern remained. The four summoners handled monsters without hesitation. Fighting humans would be different. None appeared old enough to possess much experience taking lives. Lunar Arc probably trained them against human opponents, but sparring ended when someone surrendered. Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road.

Report any occurrences. Bandits, infiltrators, or enemy soldiers would not follow training rules. If the worst happened, hesitation could become lethal. A moment spent deciding whether to deliver a fatal attack might give the enemy time to do the same. Sieghart had already crossed that boundary. He disliked killing people, but the Firians taught him that enemies would not become harmless because he felt uncomfortable. The man who destroyed his grandparents' farm had reinforced that lesson.

Sieghart could act if necessary. He did not know whether the others could. The group resumed its advance with the formation tightened. Kart's guardian constructs remained close enough to block the entire passage if ordered. Mellia maintained two barriers at the front and one behind them. Hernan reduced his floating weapons from six to four, preserving mana for a longer fight. Lucia's scouts moved carefully through the darkness. She kept three within sight while allowing only one to travel beyond the next turn.

Sieghart prepared his remote mana threads without attaching them. He could reinforce two people immediately, but choosing the correct targets would depend upon the enemy. The tunnel continued rising for another hundred meters. Its walls became smoother, and the tool marks appeared more recent. Someone had widened parts of the passage long after the mine was abandoned. Broken stone had been removed instead of left along the floor. Lucia stopped walking. Her face tightened as she focused on the forward scout.

"What happened?" Mellia asked.

"I lost it."

"You recalled it?"

"No. The connection disappeared." Lucia attempted to restore the link. Nothing responded. One of her scout constructs had been destroyed so quickly that she had not seen the attack. That meant whoever waited ahead had noticed it before Lucia noticed them. Mellia raised one hand, ordering everyone to stop. Her defensive plates moved closer while Kart's guardians lowered their bodies.

"Can you see anything through the others?" Mellia asked.

"Not beyond the turn."

"Send nothing else ahead." Lucia recalled her remaining scouts until they circled directly above the group. Mellia looked toward the darker passage, deciding whether they should retreat or establish a defensive position. Before she spoke, quick footsteps echoed ahead. Not one person. Many. The sound approached rapidly through the narrow tunnel. Metal struck stone, weapons scraped against armor, and several voices shouted brief orders.

"They're coming," Lucia warned. Mellia shifted every barrier forward.

"Defensive formation. Don't turn around." Kart's three guardian constructs moved into a triangular wall. The largest occupied the center while the others protected both sides. Hernan created all six weapon constructs and positioned them above the guardians. The first humans rounded the bend. Ten rough-looking individuals charged toward them. Their mismatched leather armor carried repairs, stains, and stolen pieces belonging to several different military groups.

The front line consisted of five men carrying short shields, axes, and heavy blades. Two more followed with hooked chains and small bags attached to their belts. Three remained behind them with bows and crossbows already prepared. Several wore scarves across the lower halves of their faces. The others possessed enough scars and poorly maintained teeth to make the disguise unnecessary. If they had given Sieghart cards with the word bandit written across them, he would have been inclined to believe the description.

The attackers showed no surprise at finding children inside the mine. Their weapons remained raised, and the archers aimed before anyone attempted to speak.

"Bolts!" Lucia shouted. Mellia brought her defensive plates together. The first volley struck the barrier. Crossbow bolts hit hard enough to produce cracks, while arrows deflected into the walls and Kart's guardian constructs. One bolt entered a metal guardian's shoulder joint. The limb locked, but Kart shifted the damaged construct backward before it collapsed. Hernan launched two spears through the narrow gap between Mellia's plates. The bandits raised their shields and blocked both.

Kart directed his remaining guardians forward. They collided with the enemy front line and stopped the charge before the attackers reached Mellia. The tunnel became crowded immediately. Metal constructs pushed against human shields while axes and blades struck their armored bodies. Kart reinforced the guardians through his control rod, but every impact consumed stored mana. Lucia's scouts marked the enemy archers. Hernan launched swords along the targeting lines, forcing the backline to retreat around the bend.

For several seconds, the young summoners held the advantage. Mellia's defenses stopped every projectile. Kart's guardians controlled the narrow passage, while Hernan prevented the archers from aiming freely. The bandits changed tactics without exchanging more than a few shouted words. One chain wielder threw his hook over Kart's central guardian. The second looped another chain around Mellia's left defensive plate. Both men pulled while the front line struck from below. The guardian lost balance.

Mellia's plate shifted several centimeters, opening a gap inside the defensive formation. An archer had been waiting for exactly that opportunity. His arrow passed between the plates and traveled toward Lucia's chest. Sieghart moved a Mana Shield into its path. The arrow shattered against the translucent surface. Lucia flinched but maintained control over her scouts. Hernan looked toward Sieghart.

"Focus ahead."

"I am." The bandits did not allow them time to recover. Two attackers pulled small cloth bags from their belts and threw them above Kart's guardians. Hernan cut one open with a summoned sword. That was a mistake. The bag exploded into a cloud of pale powder. It spread across the tunnel, carrying a sharp chemical smell that immediately burned Sieghart's nose. The second bag struck Mellia's barrier and burst against its surface. Powder rolled around the edges and entered the group's formation.

"Cover your faces!" Mellia shouted. The front bandits lowered scarves over their mouths. One kicked loose sand from the tunnel floor while another threw a handful through the gap between the guardians. They had used the tactic before. The powder forced targets to close their eyes and disrupted breathing. The sand blinded anyone who tried to watch through the cloud, while the attackers' covered faces allowed them to continue moving. Lucia lost sight of her targeting lines.

Hernan's weapons slowed, and Mellia's concentration faltered as she raised one arm over her mouth. The bandits surged forward. Sieghart extended both hands. Wind erupted through the defensive formation. The spell passed around his companions before striking the powder cloud. Sieghart controlled its direction carefully, forcing every particle away from the young summoners. The wind carried the powder and sand back through the opening between Kart's guardians. The bandits had covered their mouths.

They had not protected their eyes. The cloud struck their front line with greater force than before. Men shouted, cursed, and raised their arms while sand scraped across their faces. One stumbled into another. The chain pulling Mellia's barrier loosened, allowing her to recover the defensive plate. The archers lost sight of their targets. One released a bolt blindly, and it struck the back of his companion's shield. Kart's guardians pushed forward together.

Their metal bodies drove the blinded front line several steps down the passage. Hernan and the others hesitated. They had openings everywhere. Several enemies were defenseless, yet attacking humans carried a weight that killing bats never possessed. The bandits did not share their uncertainty. One wiped his eyes and raised an axe toward Kart's damaged guardian. Another reached for a dagger while moving around the side. Sieghart kept the wind pressing powder into their faces.

"Deal with them quickly." Mellia looked toward him.

"They attacked first," Sieghart said.

"They won't give you time to become comfortable with this." Hernan tightened his jaw. His six weapon constructs rose around him while Lucia's scouts found the blinded targets again. Mellia restored the shield formation and opened three precise gaps. The bandits had used experience, numbers, and dirty tactics to overcome the young summoners' first defense. Now the four guild members had to prove whether their teamwork survived against enemies who could think. Their hesitation ended. The counterattack began.