Eternal Elysium

[Volume 4 Road to Nowhere]

'This was not how it was supposed to go.'

Summer thought, looking down at the swarms of newborn monsters climbing her way to the top. Frowning, she raised her finger and took a deep breath, pointing it in the monsters' direction. Like the conductor of a choir starting a performance, she waved her finger in a straight line. A chain of explosions followed soon after as her breathing was jagged amidst the smoke that came from down below.

The hill started to crumble, and like an avalanche, the debris soon reached the monsters. They tried to run, but that was a meaningless struggle.

The ground started to quake uncontrollably. Monsters of several sizes and shapes raised their heads, roaring and screeching as they got crushed under the falling rocks.

"Nice!" Summer said, her grin widening as she saw the monster's blood starting to pool on the ground. But she was aware it was just the start; the smell of blood would bring another wave of monsters.

This whole thing would repeat.

And then more monsters would need to be killed by her hands.

Rumble!

"Shit! Enzo!" Summer's eyes widened as the land below her suddenly shifted, making her stumble on the spot. The ground turned muddy, and rocks started to roll down.

The small hill she had been standing on the whole time has started to crumble down as well.

Summer jumped. Her brown hair fluttered in the air as gravity pulled her down in the next instance, along with the falling hill. She didn't panic, already preparing her next set of moves.

Following her actions, the ground again quaked, and the land continued to shift, accommodating the falling hill. A thunderous roar followed as the beast below threw sparks of lightning in the air, making the debris fly in the air.

Summer's eyes searched through the barren land; her fall did not last more than five seconds as an onyx arm erupted from the ground, reaching her.

"Ugh!" Summer groaned as her legs kicked the onyx limbs, slowing her descent.

Sharp pain started to pass through her entire body. Gritting her teeth, she forced herself to stand up. Her gaze looked up at another creature from beyond, lunging her way. Taking another deep breath, she raised her hand, trying to hit the monster.

But then her hand sank, tired from the fall.

Booom!

An explosion blasted right at her face, throwing her back.

Summer rolled on the ground; a sizzling sound seemed to enter her ears as she clenched her jaw, looking up at the monster that she blasted away alongside herself.

No traces of that hideous creature were left on the ground except for charred flesh and craters from the blast.

"Fuck! How did I end up blasting myself?!!" Summer cursed, going on her knees.

She actually knew the reason for this. But accepting it was a different thing altogether. After all, who could accept that instead of firing at the monster, she has instead fired her ability on the ground, just right below her, after panicking?

'Like hell I will!'

"Huh?"

Just as she was about to stand on her feet, Summer froze in her spot. Her eyes widened in fear as another monster lunged at her with its sharp, blade-like limbs and a jaw made up of rocks.

It was going to crush her instantly.

And then—

"AAAAAK!"

A tenebrous scream followed. Summer raised her head only to see the monster being caught in numerous onyx arms and being ripped apart.

"Phew… This fucker! I thought I was about to die for a moment!!" Summer sighed in relief as her leg kicked the fallen monster.

Then she turned to look at the onyx arms, killing another group of monsters coming her way.

"Don't act rashly. We might need to fight till dawn from the looks of it." Enzo said calmly and came out of the shadows, his condition not better than hers.

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His clothes were torn and shredded in several places. Ashen dust has started collecting over his face, along with small wounds accumulating over his entire body.

"Looks like you had fun while I was busy saving my life." Summer quipped, her voice filled with sarcasm as she got to her feet. Despite the fear that had almost claimed her moments ago, she couldn't help but tease her companion.

"It was your idea to use the hill. Not mine, genius." Enzo said back with frustration, his eyes searching for any monsters hiding from their sight. Finding none, he sighed, his shoulders slouching down in relief.

Summer still felt a little shaken, her insides burning in fear, but she kept her gaze sharp to look out for any danger. She knew a single mistake could cost not only her life but her companion's as well.

But she couldn't keep it inside her anymore, this feeling of building despair. Her hand started to shake with rage as she yelled out loud for Enzo to hear.

"How in the fucking world did we end up here?"

Her words were valid, as they were simple mercenaries taking all kinds of work.

But this. This was beyond their usual scope of work.

She could already feel her life slipping away with every second she spent here in Kalista.

"If you have any complaints, please send them to the Temple, not me," Enzo whispered, his voice tired and breathing heavy. He closed his eyes and raised his fingers, prompting Summer to purse her lips together in silence.

With a simple command, another onyx arm raised from the shadows, dragging a monster out of its hiding spot inside the crack present in the debris.

The creature had its eyes upside down, with brown splinters coming from its lower back. Seeing this disgusting sight, Summer was prepared to attack but stopped as Enzo threw a small dagger in the air and caught it in his onyx arms.

Then, with a swift move, the dagger struck the monster, killing it silently.

"Sigh, that's one way to do it." Summer whispered and sighed in relief. They were surrounded by a mountain of debris that continued to fall with every move they made. This was an excellent place to hide themselves, but simultaneously something even more dangerous than before.

They had lost their way; now they would need to find a way out.

Not only that, but another group of monsters could come their way, tracking their sounds anytime.

"This way," Enzo said and started to walk forward, opposite to the monster's corpse.

Summer stayed silent and looked in the opposite direction. Soon, a cold wind came, hitting her in the face. She shuddered slightly and bit her lips before starting to follow Enzo.

"Let's complain after we go out." Summer said, already preparing the curses she would throw at the second captain.

Enzo nodded.

"Yes, let's do that…"

His words echoed as they moved through narrow paths.

An eerie silence followed. The only sound that was left was of their boots walking through the rocky paths.

Summer stayed silent as suddenly her face turned red; she gasped for air, but nothing seemed to come out of her throat.

'A monster…?' Summer thought as her vision started to go hazy and her mind empty.

Her eyes turned bloodshot as she forcefully turned her head to look at Enzo.

He nodded before falling on his knees.

And then—

Booom!

Boom!

Boom!

A chain of explosions followed her command.

The land around her started to quake as everything was blasted away in an instant, followed by waves of warm winds.

As the surroundings cleared, Summer again gasped for air, her breathing quickened, afraid the air would be gone.

"What was that?" She choked out, her eyes searching for Enzo, who was still lying on the ground, unresponsive.

Enzo turned to look at her and then suddenly pulled himself into the shadows.

From below, a strange screech echoed as a strange creature with two antennas was suddenly pulled out by onyx arms. Enzo soon reappeared on the surface and looked at the peculiar beast with wariness as it escaped the onyx limbs, trying to fly away.

And then another chain of attacks followed. A razor-sharp needle came down with a sizzling sound. Enzo dodged and threw a couple of onyx arms in the beast's direction, holding it still as an explosion happened on its face, toppling it down.

Summer looked at it warily.

"Is it dead?" She asked as she prepared another chain of attack.

"It is..." Enzo whispered and used the onyx arms to throw it away.

The creature's body smashed against the debris with a sickening crunch. The silence that again followed was eerie, as if the very earth itself was holding its breath, waiting for what was to come next.

Summer took a tentative step forward, her eyes scanning the horizon for any sign of movement. Her heart was pounding in her chest like a wild animal trying to escape its cage. The dust and ash from the explosion began to settle, revealing the path ahead.

"Let's fucking leave before we get crushed." She didn't hesitate as she started to climb her way up.

Enzo followed her lead, albeit a little more slowly compared to her.

He was not made for heavy labor. And climbing the debris of a fallen hill while making sure no monster came there was not an easy task.

"You both sure took your time."

Summer squinted her eyes as she heard a familiar voice. A hand filled with blood was then offered to her. She grabbed it and was pulled up by none other than her brother Chris, waiting above.

As she managed her footing, she saw him covered in blood with a slick spear resting over his shoulders. He gave her a mischievous grin and helped Enzo come out shortly after.

Summer was about to open her mouth but then closed it, seeing a pile of corpses not far from them.

'Why is he only good at fighting?' Summer thought, dumbfounded by the scene. Normally, this would have been a praiseworthy achievement, as she could see the corpses included a certain number of beasts as well.

Unlucky for Chris, she was not a captain. This work would go unnoticed, as she has no intention of letting him boast about it to others.

'Stars above, if he did that, we would die from overwork!' She thought silently in her heart.

"Let's leave after finishing here…" Enzo said, his eyes looking down on another group of soldiers fighting new waves of monsters.

Summer nodded; their work was mostly completed. They only needed to kill the scattered monsters; otherwise, the majority had been killed by the fallen hill and Chris.

"Good work." She said, patting Chris' head, and took two steps forward.

For another couple of hours, the land was shaken by explosions. The monsters scattered around, following the sounds and meeting their demise in different ways.

Summer had hoped that upon returning to the base camp from this cursed place, she could finally get a proper rest, but she was wrong.

Inside a room that gave the look of an office, Summer and her team stood in silence.

"You idiots blasted the hill?!! Have you gone crazy? No, all three of you are crazy!!" The man wearing a military uniform fumed in anger. He took deep breaths and rubbed his temples.

His black hair almost came out of his head as he shook his head.

A strategic post has been destroyed. The anger was reasonable.

"Any casualties?" He asked, his brows furrowed up in question.

"No, Sir. The squad sent down has not received any casualties." Enzo replied, taking a step forward.

The second captain nodded, his anger finally calming down.

"Good work. Make sure such things never happen. Each place has its value."

"Yes, Sir." Enzo nodded along with his teammates. They had mostly remained silent otherwise; a mouthful of curses would have followed from Summer's side.

But she kept it to herself and turned away, ready to leave.

"When is your captain coming? Did you get information regarding that?" The second captain asked, stopping them in their tracks.

Enzo stopped and frowned.

"He… He should be here by now."