[Guarhh!]
Overwhelmed by the monsters' heightened strength, Maddock got impaled by three different weapons through his body.
['Maddock (★★)' is on the brink of death. His life is in danger!]
His wounds did not go unnoticed by his comrades in Party 2.
['Luan (★★)' has fallen into the state of panic. All stats decreased by 50%!]
[Maddock!]
The girl screamed.
Zecht did not let her dwell in her horror for long.
He rushed to Maddock's side and tore through the enemies surrounding the injured man with his heavy sword.
[Luan, take Maddock's place! Tarran, pull Maddock to the stairs and take over Luan's!]
Tarran was a capable fighter, but he would be more effective if he fought from the rear, utilizing his arrows when the situation comes for it.
While Luan's sword and shield would be better for fending off the monsters at the frontline. Better than bow and arrows.
A fair judgment on Zecht's part.
The girl hesitantly pushed herself forward against the enemies. But she eventually managed to stand side by side with Zecht.
Tarran quickly dragged the wounded Maddock to the rear and poured the less-than-quarter of the advanced health potion he had remaining.
The boy had shared all of his vials to his comrades earlier once theirs ran out.
[Rest now, uncle. Let the potion heals your wounds. I'll protect you.]
The boy said soothingly to his much-older comrade. Maddock only grimly smiled at him with his bloodied lips.
Unfortunately, despite the advanced potion's rapid and effective healing, the wounds were too wide for the remaining drops of potion to close off.
Maddock was still bleeding heavily all over even after Tarran emptied the health potion vial. The last vial of the party's whole supply.
[Hold the line! We can't let the monsters breach the city!]
Zecht reminded his comrades as they fought against the goblins flooding into the battlements.
Bang!
A huge bumping sound interrupted the rage of the fighting. The walls shook upon the sound.
[What was that?!]
Luan shouted.
Tarran peered his head down the stairs.
[It's coming from below! The gates, I think!]
Zecht clicked his tongue while striking three goblins at once.
[It's got to be the ogres! They're trying to break through!]
Bang!
Another huge bumping sound. This time it was accompanied by loud creaking.
[They'll tear down the gates if they keep it up!]
Tarran reported, now observing the dents on the iron entrance of the eastern outer walls below.
Zecht clicked his tongue again. This time he slashed through four enemies at once.
[Damn it! There's no use for us to stay on the walls if the ogres breach the city through the gates instead! We need to fall back to the inner walls!]
[Someone needs to carry uncle Maddock! I don't think he can walk yet!]
The boy announced to his party, not realizing the wounded man's chest had become very still.
['Maddock (★★)' has returned to the Goddesses' embrace! His fighting spirit will be remembered forever.]
Bang!
Kroaahh!!!
Another bumping resounded below. The ogres' roar penetrated into the city through the terribly dented iron gates.
Zecht immediately signaled Luan to start retreating down the stairs.
[Maddock's dead, Tarran! The monsters will chase us as soon as we leave the battlements! So I need you to go down the city, find a vantage point, and cover Luan and I as we run to the eastern gates on the inner walls!]
The errand boy finally realized the corpse at his feet.
But terror did not strike him.
He simply drew a deep breath and gripped his bow tighter.
[Understood! Flee as soon as you can! I'll be ready to cover you!]
Tarran quickly rushed down the stairs, leaping four to five steps at a time, and dashed through the streets of Loro.
He swiftly climbed through the tall buildings near the wall and perched himself on the highest rooftop in sight of his comrades.
Once Zecht saw Tarran ready with his bow, he grabbed Luan's arm and dragged her down the stairs.
The two rushed downward through the steps as the goblins, both living and reanimated, chased after them.
As soon as a monster was about to caught up with the pair, an arrow struck the creature motionless.
['Tarran (★★)'s Eagle Eye has levelled up to level 3!]
Tarran made sure his comrades were able to get away safely from the walls.
Under the boy's perfect cover, Zecht touched the back of his ear as he and Luan were running down the stairs and stepping onto the streets.
[Ashta! The eastern outer wall has fallen! Take your party to the western gates of the inner walls now! Party 2 will be heading to the east side!]
[A-alright. We'll be there.]
Party 3 leader said gloomily.
[Norn is still with you, right?]
He asked, suspicious of her voice.
[Yeah. Don't worry, she's with me.]
[Okay, then! Tell me if the western gates has fallen so we could retreat to the central square! I'll also tell you if the east side fell!]
[Of course.]
Bang!
Crash!
The eastern outer gates tumbled down as Zecht and Luan were running down the streets of Loro toward the inner walls.
Ogres and goblins started flooding in from outside. The monsters on the walls were also streaming down the stairs into the outer wall district.
['Luan (★★)' has fallen into the state of despair. All stats decreased by 80%!]
[We're gonna die! We're all gonna die!]
The girl screamed hysterically at the sight of the horde.
[No, we're not gonna die, Luan! I promise you! We'll live through this! We'll return to the lobby!]
Zecht tried to encourage her.
But the girl was sobbing so loudly that I doubted she managed to hear him.
Jumping from rooftop to rooftop, Tarran kept dispensing covering fires with his bow as Zecht and Luan were escaping.
['Tarran (★★)'s Nimble Movement has levelled up to level 3!]
The boy eventually jumped down to the streets and joined his comrades as there were no more buildings on the final stretch to the inner walls.
Fortunately, the gates were still open as soldiers from the outer walls northern gates were still evacuating to the inner wall district.
Members of Party 2 managed to slip through the crowd of soldiers before the eastern gates were sealed.
Of course, the gates were soon dented as the ogres were trying to break through them.
On the other side of the city, however, what remained of Party 3 and its helper had a more difficult time of escaping.
[Move your feet, Ashta! We'll both die if you keep on going like that!]
Norn said as she blocked the monsters charging down the walls' stairs.
Ashta meanwhile was dragging her feet, trying to peer back to the battlements where the corpses of her comrades laid.
['Kori (★★)' has returned to the Goddesses' embrace! Her fighting spirit will be remembered forever.]
['Rhyss (★★)' has returned to the Goddesses' embrace! His fighting spirit will be remembered forever.]
Norn practically had to grab Ashta's arm and pulled her through the streets of Loro just so the monsters could not reach her.
[My comrades…]
Ashta murmured with a blank gaze.
[I'm supposed to…lead them…]
She mumbled as they made their way to the inner walls western gates.
[We're supposed to return…together.]
Tears started running down her cheeks. The woman began sobbing.
['Ashta (★★)' has fallen into the state of despair. All stats decreased by 80%!]
[What kind of leader am I?!]
She screamed hoarsely as the western gates swung shut behind her and Norn.
Despite the horrifying roar of monsters, the bustle of the soldiers running around Loro, and the sound of battles raging from the mirrors into the chamber, Ashta's scream resounded the loudest and penetrated deep into my soul.