NOVEL WEB Chapter 23: Arialight in Darkness
I was transported past the large gate and I'm currently in a safe spot that is under the walls, in between the large gate and a smaller gate that leads into the city.
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[Beyond this gate is the quest area. Once all participants are ready, pull the lever on the left.]
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So it says.
I walked towards the lever stated and immediately pulled it down, opening to a smaller gate which would allow me to begin the quest.
Now let's see what kind of monsters there are— Whoa!
This city is bigger than I expected! Look at those buildings!
My excitement at the first sight of Arialight in darkness was soon interrupted unfortunately, when I heard the monsters' growling nearby as a whole lot of them seemed to be approaching me.
I guess sightseeing will come later.
I readied myself for combat. Waiting for the first monsters to appear before me so that I can raze them to cinder.
That just so happened to be kind I am well familiar with: Scrowlers.
"Multi-Fireball!"
The Scrowlers were easily defeated. However, more monsters soon came into the fray. Some monsters I have recognised and have fought before; some were monsters I am meeting for the first time but have no trouble with.
However, as I stood in one spot killing monsters left and right, more monsters would come in and fill the numbers fairly quickly. Making me realise that it would be bad if I were to stay for too long.
Got to move.
"Moon Walk."
I left the monsters I was fighting behind and teleported out of the area. Then, I checked my progress.
So, I have already killed over 50 monsters.
......Huh? Wait. What the heck?
While checking my progress on the quest, I noticed something was off about the first task I needed to clear for it.
When I started the quest, it said that I needed to kill all of the monsters in the city in addition to two other tasks. And the number of monsters was stated to be 2,000.
So, what in the world is this!?
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Liberation Quest: [Liberate the Holy City, Arialight.]
Arialight is under occupancy of the Umbra Lords. Complete the following objectives to free it from their control.
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Kill all monsters in the city (53/2,127)
Destroy the Shadow Gates in the city (0/3)
Cleanse the Sacred Altar (incomplete)
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The numbers have clearly increased, haven't they!?
And it just increased again to 2,134.
Don't tell me I have to kill the monsters at a faster rate than they can spawn? No. That can't be it. There's got to be something else.
But while I was distracted looking at my quest progress, I failed to notice a giant monster behind me as it smacked me off the roof of the building I was on. Fortunately, my Magic Buckler's Magic Shield auto-activated and took most of the blow for me. Resulting in my health to decrease only by a bit.
This buckler is better than I expected. Thanks, Diego.
Expressing my gratitude will come later though. For I needed to get away from the giant monster which is called a Shadow Titan.
Moon Walk-ing my way out of the Shadow Titan's next attack, I then applied Haste on myself and ran.
For the time being, I need to figure out the situation before doing anything else.
The maximum number of monsters are increasing as time passes. However, looking at my quest screen, it would seem that the number increases at a ten second interval. Meaning they are spawning from somewhere every ten seconds.
Which begs the question: Where?
".........I need to find a high ground."
Up there.
Seeing the tall tower as my target, I make haste towards it while the monsters are chasing after me.
They are relentless in their pursuit. Even going so far as to using their own comrades as a footstool to boost themselves closer to me.
"Stay away! Firebomb!"
The spell blasted the monsters away. Putting some space between me and them. However, they are persistent regardless.
As I continued to run towards the tower, I started casting Magic Shields in front of me. Creating an alternate path that will lead me to the very top of that building, rather than climbing up when I reach the base of it.
The monsters followed me using the same path as well. But it was not of any worry as I could simply dispel the Magic Shields behind me and let the monsters fall to the ground.
Splat.
Oh? Looks like some of them died from the fall.
Finally, I made it up to the top of the tower. As I looked down to observe the city below, I was mesmerised by how big and beautiful it is, regardless of the darkness which engulfs it.
No, wait. That's not what I should be looking at now.
I observed the city below once more in an attempt to figure out where the monsters are spawning from and how to stop it. Because surely it can be stopped. Otherwise, it's just impossible to clear the quest. With or without a party regardless.
The monsters that were chasing after me are also climbing up the tower as well, so I needed to be quick in finding their spawn point... or points.
Then, I noticed three spots of the city in particular where the monster population are most dense.
Three spots..... I see.
Seems like what I need to do is destroy the three Shadow Gates first which is the second mission of the quest. Only then can I eliminate the monsters without worrying about more spawning in.
So now that I know what needs to be done, it's time I head to one of the three spots where the Shadows Gates are most likely at.
Hop hop... and away~!
"Multi-Magic Shield."
Creating a path in the air for me to make my way to the destination, I casually made my way to the destination without worrying about the monsters pursuing me as they can't really do anything when I'm up here high in the air. Not even the Shadow Titans, which seemed to be the biggest monsters, can touch me.
"Air Walk. Just kidding~"
But man, would I kill to be able to fly. That would be fun, won't it?
I've arrived on top of my destination. There are a lot of monsters below from what I can see. Coming out of that one small house through the broken doors and windows, which I would assume to be where one of the Shadow Gates is.
Now, how do I get down from here?
If I make a path down safely, the monsters would attack me the moment I'm in their range. Therefore, the only way for me to do this is to jump!
And so, I stood on the edge of my platform, spread my arms out and leaped from there, aiming for that bundle of hay I saw on the ground.
As if. I would die if I did that.
"Moon Walk."
Just before I crashed into the ground, I teleported and safely landed instead. Following up with a Multi-Firebomb to my surroundings as I had landed in the middle of a large number of monsters, who immediately attacked upon seeing me.
Once the first attacking monsters were subdued, I applied Haste on myself and charged into the house where they were coming out from, using Magic Shields to block every entrance they could enter from and Firebombs to eliminate the ones that were still inside.
When that was done, I quickly searched the place for what would look like a Shadow Gate.
But there was nothing in here, aside from the monster corpses and broken house furnitures. On the other hand, there is a large hole in the floorboard which seemed to lead to an underground cave of sort.
Obviously, one would believe that the Shadow Gate is down there. So, I went in there to check it out.
It is dark in the cave. But with Night Vision, I didn't have to worry about it. What's more, the cave wasn't that deep as I could soon see a glow of purple light, not long after I had entered the cave.
"So that's a Shadow Gate...?" I remarked, gazing intently at the swirling purple portal before my eyes. Amazed by how cool it looks and how big it is as well.
Now how do I destroy this thing?
While around the Shadow Gate for an off-switch or something of the sort, I then noticed an prism-shaped object at the base of the Shadow Gate, glowing in the same purple light.
"Could this be it?" I asked myself.
However, there wasn't any time to think about the answer as a new set of monsters were poking their heads out of the Shadow Gate, about to be spawned on this side where I'm at.
Without a second to waste, I lifted my staff over my head and dropped it down onto the object. It shattered like glass and was smashed into pieces. Upon being destroyed, the Shadow Gate closed and the monsters that were about to spawn got beheaded as a result of the gate closing.
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[Destroy the Shadow Gates in the city (1/3)]
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All right! Looks like I've done it.
And now, two more Shadow Gates to go. So it's time I hurry as the more time passed, more monsters would spawn.
I exited the cave and went back to the house.
The monsters have yet to break through my Magic Shield barricades, it seems. However, upon coming out of the underground cave I was in, my body flinched, seeing an eye of a Shadow Titan peering into the house and just staring at me.
That scared me for a second. What in the AOT type of shit is this?
The Magic Shields then started to crack. Taking note of that, I reapplied the Magic Shields on all of the entry points except for one, as there was no way I could stay in this house for long.
First, I need to escape from this house. Then, head to the second location where another Shadow Gate might be. Finally, destroy that Shadow Gate and repeat the process once more for the third and last one. All while fending off the army of monsters that will be throwing everything they got to kill me.
With a slap on my cheeks to hype myself up, I begin with step one of the plan and remove the one Magic Shield which I did not replace. Firing a barrage of Firebomb at the exit to clear the path as I dashed out of the house in no time.
To the next Shadow Gate I go!
