Chương 97: Freezing It Only Made It Angrier

The beast threw the first fallen boulder aside and resumed its pursuit before the group reached the next turn. Its broken bones had already straightened, although patches of unfinished flesh still hung loosely around several joints. Every stride made the tunnel shake. Its claws carved through the floor, while its shoulders repeatedly collided with walls that had never been wide enough to accommodate something of its enormous size. Those collisions became almost as dangerous as the creature itself.

Stones rained from the ceiling every few seconds, forcing the group to dodge falling debris while maintaining enough speed to remain ahead. Mellia sent her barrier plates above the formation, catching the smaller rocks before they struck anyone. Larger pieces shattered the magical barriers and forced her to replace them while running. Kart placed his remaining guardian behind Lucia.

Whenever the exhausted girl stumbled, the construct pushed her forward or shielded her from debris without interrupting its heavy pace. Hernan's rings flew around the group and knocked smaller stones aside, but every impact drained more of his limited mana. His control was weakening despite his attempts to hide it. Sieghart used short blasts of wind to propel himself whenever the uphill passage slowed him.

His physical body was still that of a ten-year-old, and even Muscle Reinforcement couldn't remove the limits of his stamina. The creature roared behind them. Its voice traveled through the passage and shook another section of the ceiling loose, sending a slab of rock crashing between Kart and Sieghart. Kart leaped over the obstacle, while Sieghart used Wind Magic to push himself sideways. The slab shattered behind him when the guardian stepped directly through it without slowing. Running clearly isn't enough.

Sieghart strengthened his legs with Muscle Reinforcement before jumping. Once his body left the ground, he twisted in the air and aimed both hands toward the pursuing beast. A powerful gust erupted from his palms. The force carried him backward through the tunnel, allowing him to remain airborne for several seconds while still moving in the same direction as the others. He summoned a Fireballs beside each hand and launched them in quick succession.

More appeared around his shoulders before following the first pair toward the creature. The narrow passage gave the enormous beast almost no space to evade. Fireballs struck its skull, ribs, shoulders, and unfinished forelegs before exploding throughout the tunnel. Flames expanded around its body, and the overlapping explosions filled the passage with orange light. The pressure shattered loose stones and sent burning fragments bouncing between the walls.

Sieghart fired more before gravity pulled him toward the floor. The second barrage struck the creature's exposed ribs, producing sharp cracks that were barely audible beneath the explosions. Dark scorch marks spread across the ancient bones. Several thin fractures appeared near one shoulder, but the attacks failed to penetrate deeply enough to reach the forming organs or crimson core. At least the creature hadn't absorbed the spells.

The surrounding darkness weakened Mana Swords and other constructs by draining their raw energy. Fireballs transformed mana into heat and explosive force too quickly for the creature to consume them before impact. That distinction gave Sieghart a usable method of harming it. Unfortunately, usable didn't mean sufficient, and the superficial marks covering its skeleton proved how little damage his current Fireballs could inflict.

Sieghart landed with one hand against the floor, used Wind Magic to soften the impact, and immediately resumed running. The others had gained several meters while he attacked, but the creature quickly recovered. The beast emerged from the flames with red light burning inside its empty eye sockets. Fire had blackened its skull, yet its speed remained unchanged as it lowered its head and charged. Its shoulder struck another wall and tore away a section large enough to crush a wagon.

The impact opened several cracks across the ceiling, causing the entire tunnel to groan.

"Keep moving!" Mellia shouted.

"This section is coming down!" The group raced beneath the collapsing ceiling as stones fell behind them. The beast continued forward without hesitation, allowing the debris to strike its back while its core restored every broken bone. One boulder smashed its hind leg and briefly forced the creature down. It tore the damaged limb free from the rubble, leaving several pieces of bone behind before new material began replacing them. Sieghart watched the restoration while running.

The regeneration had slowed since he dismissed his persistent spells, but the guardian still possessed enough stored mana to repair ordinary damage repeatedly. The passage ahead became narrower as they approached the point where the newly formed section connected with the abandoned mine. Everyone passed through without difficulty, although Kart's guardian scraped both walls. The beast reached the opening several seconds later.

Its shoulders struck both sides simultaneously, stopping its momentum and sending a violent tremor through the surrounding stone. Sieghart hoped the narrow passage might delay it long enough for them to reach the surface. That hope lasted until the creature pulled one foreleg backward and struck the wall. Stone exploded outward. The guardian attacked again, breaking away enough rock to force its head through. Each movement expanded the passage while causing more sections of the old mine to collapse.

The creature didn't bother searching for another route. It simply destroyed everything preventing it from reaching the source of mana escaping uphill. Lucia gasped while forcing herself forward. Her face had become pale, and one damaged scout hung limply from her belt because she lacked enough concentration to maintain it. Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.

"I'm starting to get tired of running uphill..."

"You can't stop now," Mellia answered.

"I wasn't planning to, but..." Hernan glanced backward as another part of the opening collapsed around the creature. His usual irritation had disappeared beneath the urgency tightening his expression.

"We need to do something quickly. It will catch us before we reach the surface." Sieghart measured the distance between them and the beast. The creature remained slower inside the narrow passage, but every destroyed wall allowed it to move more freely.

"I can freeze it for several seconds." Hernan looked at him.

"Several seconds won't kill it."

"No, but all of you can attack while it can't move. I would prefer burying it and leaving before it escapes, but apparently that isn't an option." Mellia shook her head while watching the crimson light behind them.

"We need to kill it somehow. If we bury the body and leave the core intact, it will continue absorbing mana until it reconstructs itself."

"We could bury the entire mine."

"And what happens when it digs toward Bellhaven instead?" Sieghart didn't have an immediate answer. The creature had already forced its way through solid stone once, so burying it would only delay the inevitable unless they destroyed its core. Mellia raised one barrier to block another falling stone before looking toward Sieghart. The others were exhausted, but the narrow passage offered their best chance to restrict the guardian's movements.

"Do it. We'll strike together." Sieghart nodded and shifted toward the rear of the group. He waited until the others passed the next turn before stopping in the middle of the passage. The beast tore through the remaining wall and charged toward him. Its reconstructed claws struck the floor hard enough to break stone, while torn flesh continued spreading around its shoulders. Sieghart resisted the urge to retreat immediately.

His current Water Cannon required a stable stance, and missing the first attack would leave him directly in the guardian's path. He raised both hands. Water erupted from his palms in a concentrated torrent. The blast struck the creature's skull and spread across its ribs before pouring over its incomplete body. The guardian lowered its head and continued advancing. Water Cannon lacked enough force to stop something that massive, but Sieghart maintained the spell while adjusting his aim.

He drenched the creature from its skull to its forelegs, filling the gaps between its bones and coating its newly formed muscles with a thick layer of water. The crimson core began pulling mana from the spell, but the water had already become a physical substance. The guardian could absorb some remaining magical energy without removing what covered its body. Sieghart ended Water Cannon and immediately changed elements.

He drew his arms backward, gathered Wind Magic around both hands, and forced the air to become as cold as he could manage. The creature was less than fifteen meters away when he released the blast. Freezing wind struck the water covering its skull and shoulders. A layer of white frost appeared instantly before spreading across the creature's ribs. Ice expanded between its exposed bones, locking the joints together. The remaining water froze around its legs and connected them to the floor within two seconds.

The guardian tried to take another step, but its forelegs refused to move. Its momentum pushed the upper body forward until the surrounding ice stopped it completely. Frost covered the red veins spreading through its flesh. Even the crimson core became partially obscured behind several thick layers of ice.

"Now!" Sieghart shouted. Mellia positioned two barriers beside the creature's skull and slammed them inward. The impact cracked the ice around its neck and forced the head sideways. Kart's remaining guardian charged with both arms raised. It struck the beast's foreleg repeatedly, breaking the frozen flesh and widening an existing fracture across the exposed bone. Hernan's rings transformed into a long spear with a spiraling point. He directed the weapon between two ribs, aiming directly toward the crimson core.

Lucia used her final active scout to guide the attack. A thin blue line appeared between the spear and its target, correcting Hernan's aim as the weapon entered the rib cage. The spear struck the ice covering the core and produced a deep crack. However, the frozen layer absorbed most of the force before the weapon could reach its actual target. Sieghart launched Earth Bullets into the damaged sections of the rib cage. Each projectile broke more ice and chipped away fragments of ancient bone.

Mellia compressed another barrier against the creature's shoulder. Kart's guardian struck the same location, while Hernan pulled his spear free and attacked through a different gap. Their combined assault produced visible damage, but every impact also shattered the ice restraining the monster. Cracks spread across the frozen shell surrounding its legs and torso. Sieghart realized the problem too late.

Freezing the creature had stopped it, but attacking the frozen sections removed the very restraints holding it in place. Their strongest blows were effectively helping the guardian escape. One foreleg broke free with an explosive crack. The creature swung it immediately, striking Kart's guardian and throwing the construct through Mellia's nearest barrier. Both spells shattered against the wall. The guardian twisted its shoulders and destroyed the remaining ice around its chest.

Red mana erupted from its core, spreading through every fracture created during the attack. Broken ribs pulled themselves together. Damaged flesh expanded around the wounds, consuming the remaining frost as its regeneration accelerated again. Hernan recalled his spear moments before the creature's jaws snapped shut around it. He stumbled backward while his rings separated and returned to his arms.

"Run!" Mellia shouted. The guardian released another roar. The sound shattered every remaining layer of ice and launched frozen fragments throughout the passage like blades. Sieghart raised Protection and crossed his arms. Several fragments struck him, cutting his clothes without penetrating the reinforced defense around his skin. The others turned and resumed their uphill escape. Mellia created barriers behind them, but the enraged creature smashed through each one before it finished forming.

Their attack had damaged several bones and nearly reached the core. Unfortunately, it had also freed the guardian and convinced it that the people fleeing ahead represented an immediate threat. The beast abandoned its previous caution. It charged through walls, supports, abandoned rails, and every obstacle between itself and the group, causing the mine to collapse around them. Lucia used Kart's shoulder to keep herself moving, while Hernan supported Mellia whenever she stumbled.

Sieghart remained behind them and used Wind Magic to avoid the falling debris. He glanced backward once and saw the guardian gaining ground. Pieces of ice still clung to its unfinished body, but its movements had become faster and more violent. Freezing it had bought them several seconds. Attacking it had given those seconds back. The creature roared again and lunged through another collapsing section, its crimson core glowing brightly between the damaged ribs.

Their attempt to stop it hadn't weakened its determination. It had only made the monster angrier…