HBWnovel Chapter 51: The Demonic Beast Purge (2)
Chapter 51: The Demonic Beast Purge (2)
Chapter 51: The Demonic Beast Purge (2)
The Demonic Beast Purge began formally, and the participants rushed to earn as many points as possible. As per its name, the only way to earn points and prestige in this event was to eliminate as many Demonic Beasts as one could. The first day was always the easiest, with the most Demonic Beasts around during the start of the event.
As the event drew to a close and there were fewer Demonic Beasts around, it would turn into a scramble where Knights would sometimes fight each other to obtain a kill for themselves. Hence, it was important for all the participants to start as fast as possible and eliminate as many Demonic Beasts as they could.
Leon and Lydia were no different.
When the event began, they rushed towards a remote part of Solfea and actively searched for Demonic Beasts. And surprisingly, their hunt began with a good start. Through a digitised map given to every participant, they could zone in on the areas with the highest concentration of suspected Demonic Beasts. In the first few hours, Leon and Lydia could hunt various small game, such as Demonised Rabbits and Birds.
They had hunted a dozen Beasts each in no time, earning themselves a decent amount of points. While it wasn't extravagant, it was a good start for their first time participating in the Purge.
"12 points... Not a bad haul for a first day."
"Is it enough? I heard that last year, the winner got over two thousand points."
While Lydia happily counted her points, Leon didn't share the same sentiment as his cousin. The fights with the weak Demonic Beasts were relatively easy, and the pair barely broke a sweat. For Leon, who was yearning to showcase his abilities, the points he obtained were hardly enough.
"Haha, don't say that. We're not here to win, just to show a good performance. Besides, don't look down on small beasts like rabbits or birds. They may be weak to you, but it's common for them to be a menace to the general population. The more we kill, the better."
"A-Ah, I didn't mean it that way."
"Haha, I know you don't."
Lydia was well aware of the pressures that Leon faced, so she didn't demean the young man in the slightest, though it was good for her to remind him of the Purge's importance.
It didn't take long for the light in the sky to dim. Solfea's temperature in August was relatively warm, so there was no need for them to find warm accommodations. They could simply set up camp nearby to rest for the night before continuing again. Fortunately, they were close to a serene lake, which was the perfect place to camp for the night.
"Let's rest for tonight. It's just the first day. We have plenty of time to hunt for more Demonic Beasts tomorrow."
"Alright."
While Leon felt he could continue the hunt for much longer, recharging for now wasn't a bad idea. Given that the Purge lasted for a week, there were still plenty of opportunities to hunt for beasts with higher points.
The two cousins found their way to their rest point and immediately began making the place cosy. As Apprentice Knights, with one being a squire, they were adeptly trained to live in the wilderness. Pitching a tent and procuring drinking water and food were done almost instantly, and they sat around the campfire while cooking some fish they caught.
As they waited for their meal to be done, they had some quiet free time, and Leon opted to break the awkward silence with a question:
"So, Sister Lydia, will you tell me what happened between you and Amon?"
"Huh? Where did that come from?"
"Well, I'm interested to hear how my cousin somehow got intertwined with a married man."
"They're not married yet..."
Lydia heaved out a long sigh, her tone filled with defiance. However, it didn't take long for her curt voice to be replaced with a defeatist yawn. Twirling her fish above the campfire, she began to speak:
"Thanks, Sister Lydia."
"Don't sweat it."
The cousins exchanged pleasantries, but they didn't release their tension. Staring right at the quiet pond, they had an uncomfortable feeling. As if their earlier experience was a lie, there wasn't any sound of movement from the lake—just eerie silence.
"Did I kill it?"
"No, if it dies, we'll see signs of its body. That Demonic Beast is still alive, alright."
Being the more experienced one, Lydia gave her conclusion after one glance. She immediately put her left hand forward and concentrated a lot of mana into her fingers.
"Fire won't work here. It's an aquatic Demon, so fighting in its territory would only put us at a disadvantage. Cover me while I cast a spell."
"Got it!"
Like two veterans on the battlefield, the duo instantly divided their tasks. Lydia began casting while Leon stood before her, ready to tank any damage their enemy might send. Fortunately, no such attack came, and the young squire had completed her spell.
"Chain Lightning: Twin Purple Dragons!!!"
Mana turned into a magic circle, and two sinister-looking fiends ascended to the skies. Holding enough voltage to melt a house down, Lydia's Lightning spell unleashed all of its fury upon the silent lake, and the water bubbled with the intensity of a volcano.
Seeing the carnage of that spell almost sent Leon into a coma. He'd always known that his elder cousin was talented, but to use a Lightning spell of this degree was impressive, even for a cadet of her calibre. After all, Knights weren't trained to be Magicians. At best, they would learn one or two spells to cover their weaknesses. Yet, Lydia's spell would give any mage her age a run for their money.
While Leon was impressed, Lydia was exhausted. That spell drained a quarter of her mana, and that sudden strain placed a significant mental load on her. However, Lydia knew that there was no time to rest. She watched with bated breath as the silence of the lake soon turned into an unknown dread.
"Leon, dodge!!!"
Both sensed something rising from the pond, and it was moving at a breakneck speed. Without even thinking, the pair split from each other and evaded in different directions. It was fortunate that they did.
BOOM!!!!
An invisible force sped past where they once stood and crashed into the trees behind them. Although they could not see the creature, Leon had a rough gauge of where the beast was. Immediately reacting, he sent yet another wave of Aura Fire flying and burnt the Demon as it was. The flames spread quickly and the pair was able to identify the shape of their assailant accurately.
"An invisible snake?"
Leon muttered in wonder. The Demonic Beast was over twenty metres, and its reptilian face and serpentine body were easily recognised. However, with Leon's inexperience, he could only deduce that it was a snake. On the other hand, Lydia knew exactly what opponent they were facing.
"A Glass Serpent! We lucked out, Leon! That Beast is easily worth a hundred points!"
"Is that so?!"
Just the sheer amount of points was enough to make Leon salivate. His vigour regained, the young hero circulated all of his mana and channelled out the Two Suns from within. As before, his Two Suns had two smaller fireballs orbiting them, significantly increasing the amount of mana available to him. His golden hair fluttered in the wind as a thick Aura enveloped his entire body. As he opened his cerulean eyes, Leon pointed his sword directly at the Demonic Beast and declared without mercy.
"Dawn."