“Thanks for the information. I’ll head for the palace. As for you both, you should fall back. With the current situation, you won’t be of much help here and I’m sure the other cities of the empire will be glad to have your support. The surge isn’t over yet, and we have to deal with local monsters overcrowding.” Edward declared.

“We can’t!! We have taken the vow to protect the emperor at any cost,” one of the knights protested vehemently.

Edward sighed. “I’m glad to learn about your enthusiasm to help the emperor, he must be a decent man. But you must accept reality, the capital has already fallen. Visibility is almost null, and dangerous monsters at or above your level are roaming in the vicinity. The most probable outcome is that you will die before you even reach the emperor. And even if you manage to find him you won’t make much of a difference against any creature strong enough to threaten him. It is better if you retreat, your help will be needed elsewhere. Honestly, even leaving this place might prove to be an ordeal if you encounter more of those centipedes.”

He paused to take a breath.

“Also, when I warned you against local monsters I’m not talking without reason. Gobéliard was sieged by an army of monsters and almost fell. And I’m choosing my words carefully, there were almost thirty monsters at the predator levels coordinating with each other and implementing basic strategy.”

The knights frowned not having heard about such developments. They mused for a few minutes before reaching a conclusion. “All right if the situation is I you say, our help will be more effective elsewhere. However, you have to swear to try your utmost to reach and protect the emperor.”

Edward nodded. “That works for me. Don’t worry it’s not my first time being isolated inside unknown enemy territory.”

With this matter settled, the group separated, the knights heading towards the outskirts while Edward headed for the center of the capital.

I hope they will make it. It should be fine, they are close to the mist border.

Edward moved from street to street, soon leaving the district. He kept a low profile, moving silently at high speed. Killing monsters was fine but it wasn’t efficient as long as the mist was present, more than half of the monsters’ energy was recycled upon their death after all. Besides it had already been two weeks since the capital had been invaded and by that point, there weren’t many people to save. The imperial knights were the exception having reached the predator stage and with equipment able to protect them against the passive madness induced by the mist. Even now Edward could feel the persistent malice attempting to invade his mind only blocked by his aura.

He made a pause to find his direction. I’m glad I studied the map beforehand. This mist is a real bother. And signs and street names getting destroyed at random by the monsters’ rampage is not helping either.

Just then he sensed something flashing in his direction, he bent out of the way without thinking. The next moment he heard a whooshing sound followed by an explosion as the wall next to him was reduced to rubble.

What the heck?!

He straightened up. I didn’t even manage to see what attacked me. He was alone in the middle of the deserted street and surrounded by mist as always. If it were not for the now-destroyed wall, he could have thought that he had been dreaming.

Edward stood with eyes wide open, not moving, and waiting for the next attack. Seconds stretched with increasing tension. A drop of cold sweat slid along his back but he kept his focus, relying on his aura even more than his sight.

When the second strike came, he was ready. He didn’t even try to avoid it but simply teleported into the air above it. “Rèng khwāmrĕw”. He used his acceleration immediately since his opponent was so fast. He hadn’t wanted to use it before since he was not sure when the next strike would come, but now was the time to use it. With his perception increased he was able to see a long brown tentacle ending with a larger bulb retreat back into the mist at great speed.

Got you! Edward chased the tentacle down. With this kind of opponent, it was for the best if he didn’t give them any more opportunities to ambush him. He had to chase down the origin of the attack before the perpetrator could change his location and hide further inside the mist. Such a low-visibility environment was perfect for an assassin.

Even as he was running after the tentacle another one came swooping down at him. Edward side step to the side while advancing, his increased speed and perception helping him to avoid the blow. The strike missed and fell on the street, destroying the pavement on its whole length. Edward took out his dagger ready to cut the tentacle that had missed him, but two more came to assault him from the same direction forcing him to abort his offensive.

How many of them are there?!

If I’m unable to cut the one coming for me, I will just go directly for the source.

Edward accelerated, jumping above another tentacle that had tried to chop his legs. At the speed he was moving he was able to close the distance before his opponent could add another attack. In front of him stood his assailant which had finally been revealed, the thick mist not able to hide it anymore at this distance. It was a two stories house size snail, numerous tentacles were coming from under its shell and it left a trail of smoking and bubbling mucus behind it.

Seeing that Edward had managed to come this far, the snail retreated its slug part inside its shell while keeping the tentacles out and ready to strike. What the hell?! I was wondering what kind of monster could be so fast and … it’s a snail.

The creature had fifteen tentacles-like whips coming out of its shell, the bulbous part at their end acting like a hammer. As Edward was shocked by the creature’s appearance, the latter didn’t lose any time and immediately went on the offensive. The tentacles whipped at him from every direction forcing him to fall back. Each missed strike left great destruction in its wake destroying pavements and walls alike as if they were but as tough as a crumbling biscuit.

Even as Edward was retreating the tentacles followed him maintaining their pressure on him. I can’t continue to fall back. If this monster was able to ambush me from so far away its tentacles have a great reach. Falling back won’t help me, I need to push to attack its main body. Edward steeled his resolve and dived into the attacks. Thanks to his increased speed and reaction time he had just enough margin to manage it. He had to rely on his aura steps, being in the air offering him better maneuverability. Additionally, the street was utterly destroyed with made footing treacherous.

To maintain his offensive the creature had to pester Edward with tentacles from all sides, which meant there always was one in his vicinity. Edward knew when to seize an opportunity when he saw one, and he didn’t content himself with avoiding the snail’s attack and took his shot at cutting its tentacles.

His blade, coated with a compacted aura, cut straight through one of the monster’s appendages. This is crazy. This creature isn’t even protecting itself with aura and yet I feel a slight resistance when I should be able to cut through it like butter. The cut tentacle shuddered from the pain and retreated back swiftly inside the shell.

With one less appendage, the pressure on Edward decreased by a small margin only facilitating his attacks. As the confrontation continued the balance tipped swiftly in Edward’s favor as he kept cutting more and more tentacles rendering the monster’s offensive ability null.

Seeing its end approaching the creature started to seal the entrance to his shell. It coated itself in bubbles, the bubbles seemed to be made from the same corrosive liquid it left in its trail, and smoke was escaping out of them when they burst.

Eww. Why fighting monsters has to be so disgusting? Can’t have I a straight epic fight instead of this? Edward complained internally.

Rather than tempting his chance in the corrosive bubbles, he teleported himself directly onto its shell. He punched at the carapace with his daggers but he only managed to cut out a small nick at a time. How tough is this thing?! This is going to take forever. This thing is a real moving fortress. It has fast attacks but a slow-moving speed and is able to anchor itself when push back too far. Let’s do this another way.

He teleported back in front of the shell’s entrance still sealed by corrosive bubbles. There is no way I will put my arms in that. But I didn’t train my mastery over aura for nothing, I do have range attacks as well. Edward let go of his daggers and materialized a javelin made from his aura, he threw it at the monster, the javelin easily piercing through the bubbles without getting damaged. Moreover, Edward was still in control of it and aimed it so that it followed the pathways inside the shell rather than uselessly colliding with an empty shell. It pierced through the monster’s body which was a lot more tender than its shell, roughly comparable to rubber in resistance.

The monster shook within its shell, liquid mist dropping down and mixing with the bubbles. They really are made from the mist, heh.

It took three more attacks for Edward to kill the beast. Just like the others it dissolved into fog, half of its energy getting absorbed back by the ambient mist. It sucks that I’m not able to absorb their essence. I didn’t use that much aura but still. Seeing the remnant of the monster being absorbed back Edward frowned in contemplation. The monsters that I killed earlier got sixty percent of their energy absorbed back. Does this mean the stronger the monster I kill the less energy gets absorbed back?

This monster wasn’t quite yet at the patriarch level but it certainly was more than what predators can handle. Monsters are getting stronger and I’m still quite far from the capital center, I’m starting to understand how even with several patriarchs available they weren’t able to resolve this problem.