NOVEL WEB Chapter 18 – Artifacts
The Evil Eye flipped the spell book open.
Its golden plates stretched ribs that pierced into the stone bridge, securing it in position.
The tentacles danced in the air, their glowing tips drawing countless sigils.
Slade reacted to the subtle changes in the surrounding.
A magical phenomenon several magnitudes stronger than Metiva’s air protection or Violet’s earth golem was about to happen.
[They are going to blast the bridge with a massive spell!] Slade wrote in Milia's vision.
“Let’s stop them!” Milia roared.
“Miliaaaa!” Shaki screamed as the minotaur reached the gate.
The pavement of the bridge shattered under Milia’s heavy stride. Sped up by her skill, she crashed into the group of beholders, sending them flying left and right. A few beholders fell into the chasm.
It didn’t miss. Rather, the enemy’s flesh offered no resistance. The flail pulverized the giant eye ball in a cloud of blood.
Using the momentum of her charge, Milia blindly swung the flail to clear a path.
“Stop striking at random, it’s hard to approach!” Ranna said.
“I’ve never used a flail before!” Milia shouted.
The enemies jumped on Milia.
A first beholder latched on her right arm, but was knocked flying by a strike of buckler.
Two more monsters latched onto her legs, but her feet didn’t stop.
Three more beholders jumped on top of her, using their suction cups to immobilize her.
"Raaaaah!" she roared.
Her bulging arm trembled as the tentacles snapped, spitting blood.
She slowed down to a crawl.
“Break through and stop their spell!” Milia shouted to the gnollborns.
It was too late. The enemies scampered off the bridge, latching onto the side of the bridge with their suction-cups.
Slade found himself right before the Evil Eye and two beholders, as they ominously glowed.
The trio shot a light beam, converging together into a single stream of light that cascaded through the entire span of the bridge.
Milia, standing at the forefront, gritted her teeth. She planted her feets, bracing for the deadly attack with the Gnoll King’s Buckler.
The artifact reacted to the imminent threat. The shield glowed with a golden light, extending into a translucent wall.
Hope filled her with strength as she blocked the-
BANG!
She flew backwards from the impact and crashed into Ranna.
They flew together backwards, as the light poured from the Evil Eye.
“Heeeeelp!” Ranna screamed as her feet slipped from the ground.
The light beam purified the bridge as it knocked back the Gnoll King's Buckler. The exposed corpses of the fallen beholders and dead gnolls turned into dust as they burnt.
“Milia!” Shaki screamed as she latched onto Ranna.
The warriors caught Milia and Ranna, but they ended up being swept backwards.
They held the shield, using Gnoll’s Toughness to keep it firmly high.
The sliding ball of fur grew until they were pushed back to Metiva’s rearguard.
“My hands are burning!” Milia cried as her arms were scalding from her shield’s heat.
The Evil Eye bled as it sustained its attack beyond its abilities.
The Gnoll King’s Buckler flickered. Its protective wall was fading away. Its leather straps snapped, and Milia couldn’t hold the burning shield any longer.
“Aaaah!” Shaki screamed, jumping in front of the minotaur.
