[Floor 10]
[Mission Type – Defend]
[Objective – Prevent the fall of the city!]
We all read the mission window with nervous sweats beading down our temples.
Before anyone could speak up, I let my voice out.
"Let's head down and rejoin the others."
My comrades nodded to me and we all quickly made our way back to the goddesses statue in front of the city hall.
Party 2 and 3 were talking amongst themselves as we arrived there. No doubt about the mission window they just saw.
"Serafina, did you see the mission?"
Zecht asked. He was slightly nervous as well.
I nodded.
"A new one. 'Defend.' We need to prevent this city from falling to the monsters' hands."
"Monsters?"
Jyrgil repeated confusedly.
That was right.
Party 2 and 3 did not get to see what was over the walls yet.
"So here's the situation…"
I proceeded to tell them about the goblins and ogres situated in the east and south of the city. The human soldiers barricading the city and the people fleeing to the west.
They wore troubled look as I told them the facts. Party 1 was also troubled when we first learned of them too.
They began to ask questions afterward.
"Serafina, what exactly is the condition for this trial?"
Norn asked. She continued to clarify.
"I've seen how the fifth floor was cleared and how most mission works. But how do we know we've defended the city? And what exactly should not happen if we don't want the city to fall?"
Indeed.
The mission window was not quite clear on how we were supposed to clear it and the condition of its failure.
The fifth floor told us to escape the designated area.
It did not specify we needed to head to the goddesses statue. Let alone showing us the direction we were supposed to go.
But I had formed ideas based on my experience back then.
I stared at the statue of two winged-maidens embracing each other.
"It is likely that the city will fall once the monsters destroy or lay their hands on this goddesses statue."
I told them. I continued.
"This statue also appeared on the fifth floor and it possessed special role in that trial. That is probably why the statue in this tenth floor is placed at the center of the city."
I continued again with a heavier tone.
"Meanwhile, in order to defend the city, we need to make sure all threats to it are eliminated."
"You mean we need to kill all those monsters outside?!"
Maddock of Party 2 asked bewilderedly.
I nodded.
"If we wanted to clear this trial and return, yes. Those thousands of monsters need to be eliminated."
"What would happen if we failed to protect the statue?"
Ashta of Party 3 now asked.
"Naturally, we will fail the mission."
I replied.
"What would happen to us then?"
Another yet good question.
"I doubted the three scouts sent to this floor before us even tried to fight the goblins. But considering they never returned from being sent to this trial, I believed they died when the statue was claimed by the monsters."
I said.
"So we'll die anyway if something happened to the statue even though we managed to stay alive?"
Luan of Party 2 concluded.
I nodded again.
Murmurs and nervous glances were exchanged between all parties.
They now understood the importance of the statue.
"Serafina, how are we supposed to clear this trial?"
Trudy asked.
Shanny seemed wanted to ask the same too.
"The enemies have doubled since the fifth floor. Though most of them are just goblins, we won't be able to defeat them with only the fifteen of us and the soldiers outside. Not before the monsters claim the statue."
She added.
"Maybe Serafina can cast a powerful spell if we buy her time. Like that huge one near the end of the fifth floor trial. It burned a whole forest, after all."
Jonah said recalling my casting of Maha Naraka.
I turned down his proposal.
"It was still a miracle I was able to cast it at all, Jonah. And even then I did not have control over the spell's impact. I still don't."
I looked through the mountain ranges pitting the city.
"If I try casting that Fifth Circle spell here, I would end up destroying the entire city, including the statue. If not, the triggered avalanche would definitely bury us all alive."
I recalled the army of goblins stretched far into the Surga Pass.
"Even then I am certain many monsters would still survive. Most of them would had died, sure. But their remaining number would still be enough to hunt the statue, if the statue was not already destroyed then."
The same applied to wind magic.
Even if I knew how to cast a Fifth Circle wind magic, which I did not, the entire city would be wiped out along with the monsters.
I would probably have more control of Fifth Circle fire spell had I never took up wind magic and focused on the fire element.
But it would not be wise to trade versatility with strength for the long run.
I could not attain both as I was at the moment.
That just showed how lacking I was as a mage.
Was I still enough for you, Jonah?
I could not help but think of that line back then.
"Then how do you suggest we clear this trial?"
Jyrgil asked.
There was still a hint of condescending tone to his voice. But it was surprising he was actively asking others' suggestions.
I scoured my mind to think about the Quintal Trial.
Though it was nearly impossible, the fifth floor, the previous Quintal Trial, still expected us to do something achievable.
Terribly difficult. But not impossible. Just nearly.
I was certain the tenth floor would not be any different.
The second Quintal Trial expected us to defeat the monster army of more than ten thousand strong.
There had to be a way for us to accomplish this.
Clues for this solution must had lied within the sixth to the ninth floor.
There had to be a reason as to why those trials were showing us everything we saw in those floors.
I started to trace my memories backward.
The ruined garrison. The dam. The buried path. The buried valley. The imperial army ship. Traces of black powder.
The imperial army ship!
"Records said the fall of Loro could not be prevented because the imperial army could not make it in time to save the city."
I suddenly told all of my comrades of the three parties.
Passages from history books began flowing into my head.
"Since the entire imperial army air fleet was deployed to defend the three largest eastern border cities against the wyvern invasion, the ocean route was the fastest way for ground reinforcements to reach Loro. But the paths connecting the northern coast to Surga Pass were already sealed by the monsters."
I quoted and went on.
"The imperial army reinforcements had to return to Jiorgi Naval Base and switched to inland route. However, time had been lost and Loro had already fallen before the army even reached a quarter of the way to the city."
My comrades in Party 1 raised their eyebrows in revelation.
"The buried valley!"
Jonah exclaimed.
I nodded.
"Since we're back in time, I believe the imperial army reinforcement is currently making their way to Loro via ocean route just like the records told. I predict that they plan to reach the city through the northward valley which connected to the coast."
"But didn't you say the valley was buried when you found it on the sixth floor?"
Zecht asked.
I turned my gaze toward the rows of intact buildings around the square.
"So was this city in ruins on the ninth and the eighth floors. Yet it's still standing right now."
The others in Party 2 and 3 turned more cheerily upon my words.
"So reinforcements will be arriving?"
"We don't have anything to worry then!"
"Yeah! The imperial army can definitely take care of those monsters!"
I shook my head and stopped them from celebrating.
"Not if the goblins blow up the mountains and bury the valley. We still need to prevent that from happening."
"So shall we head outside the city and go to this valley?"
Jyrgil asked.
I objected.
"Party 1 will take care of securing the valley. We are the ones who went to the sixth and seventh floors. We knew the route best."
Jyrgil frowned.
"What are the rest of us supposed to do then?"
I turned my gaze toward the outer walls.
"Party 2 and 3 will make sure the statue is secured. The monsters have siege towers that goes over the walls. So it'll be over if just one goblin managed to climb over the outer walls and make their way to this statue."
I looked to Zecht and his comrades.
"I need Party 2 to go to the outer walls battlements and guard the eastern border. The gates should be robust enough to hold even with ogres pushing them open. So you only need to prevent the monsters from climbing over the walls and into the city."
I shifted to Jyrgil and his teammates.
"Party 3 will handle the south. Don't let any monster get past you."
I now turned to both Party 2 and 3, addressing the two groups.
"It's important that both parties hold their line. If one side is breached, the entire outer walls will be compromised. Should that happen, retreat to the inner walls. And retreat the second time to the square should the inner walls fell as well."
I grabbed three out of five golem cores from my pouch and poured my mana into them.
[Elemental Attribute, Conditional Activation]
The three golem cores flew up from my hand and they remained floating in the air around the central square.
"I've enchanted three golem cores to activate once they detect a monster stepping into the square. They will help you protect the statue for 30 minutes after their activation."
Three were all that I could spare to defend the statue.
We still did not know what kind of obstacle awaited us on the path to the sixth floor valley.
I turned back to the fourteen people along with me in the tenth floor.
"Does everybody knows what to do now? Any question?"
They all remained silent. Each of them were already steeling themselves for the big battle ahead.
I nodded and let the three parties parted with these words.
"Very well. May you all outlive your foes, my comrades."