Chapter 58: 58:Mayhem
Reigns stared ahead and frowned after noticing that the dead man wasn’t dissolving into particles like monsters usually did.
The corpse simply remained there.
Blood slowly spread across the ground while the lifeless body twitched faintly before going completely still.
That sight made Reigns’ chest feel heavy for a moment.
But he didn’t even have the time to think properly before another wave of attacks came crashing toward them.
POPP! POPP! POPP!
Splash Shooters continued firing wildly from behind the lines while glowing orbs streaked across the battlefield from every direction.
At the same time, arrows rained down from the villagers as loud shouts and explosions echoed nonstop through the area.
BANG! BANG!
Several villagers charged forward while others stayed behind to support with their bows and spears.
The battlefield had completely turned into chaos. Dust rose everywhere, and the smell of blood slowly spread through the air.
One of the men suddenly managed to break through and get close to the Splash Shooter lines.
Holding the sword tightly in his grip, the villager rushed forward with a fierce expression.
"Die!"
He raised his sword high into the air and swung it down toward one of the Splash Shooters, trying to cut the plant apart.
But before the blade could land, something massive slammed into him with brutal strength.
BAM!
The man’s eyes widened in shock as his entire body was sent flying through the air like a broken ragdoll.
Reigns was startled and quickly turned toward the source.
The Dryad had moved.
Its thick root-like legs slammed heavily onto the ground as cracking sounds echoed around it.
CRACK! CRACK!
The massive creature suddenly jumped forward with terrifying force and smashed into the man again before he could even recover.
BANG!
The villager crashed violently into the ground and rolled several times across the dirt.
Reigns stared at the scene with widened eyes.
"Holy shit... That guy was Lv13, but Dryad smashed him as if he were nothing."
Even he hadn’t expected the Dryad to possess such terrifying physical strength.
Amidst the chaotic battlefield, someone suddenly sneaked behind Reigns without making a sound.
The villager tightly gripped his sword and aimed straight for Reigns’ back.
At the last second, Reigns felt a cold chill crawl across his spine.
His eyes widened. Without even turning around, he instinctively activated Phantom Steps.
SWISH!
His body blurred and shifted to the side instantly.
A sword violently pierced through the shadow he had left behind.
THUD!
The blade stabbed deeply into the ground where Reigns stood just a moment ago.
Reigns quickly turned around, breathing heavily, and finally saw the attacker.
The man was Level 12.
His hollow eyes stared directly at Reigns while he tightly gripped the sword with both hands.
The man wasted no time and immediately rushed toward him again.
CLANG!
Reigns quickly raised his scythe to block the incoming strike, sparks flying from the collision.
The impact made his arms tremble violently.
"Damn!"
Reigns gritted his teeth as he forced the man back.
The battlefield around them was already completely out of control. Explosions, screams, and arrows filled every direction while Splash Shooters continuously fired glowing orbs across the battlefield.
He knew he needed to finish this quickly.
Without hesitation, Reigns activated Lightning Steps and Berserker at the same time.
A surge of power rushed through his body, and his veins bulged slightly from the sudden increase in strength.
His movements instantly became faster and more violent, and he gripped the scythe tightly as he swung it toward the man with killing intent.
SWISH!
The villager barely managed to block the attack before countering immediately.
CLANG! CLANG!
The two locked into a fierce struggle as their weapons continuously collided. Sparks flew repeatedly while the sound of clashing metal echoed loudly around them.
Even with his skills active, Reigns was still under pressure because the enemy’s level was higher than his own.
The villager suddenly twisted his body and slashed his sword across Reigns’ side.
SHHK!
Blood splashed into the air, and pain shot through Reigns’ body.
The pain forced him to stagger slightly, breathing heavily as he clutched his side for a brief moment.
But at the same time, the small Healing Sprout floating nearby released a soft green light over him and slowly began healing the wound.
The cut gradually started closing.
The villager roared and attacked again without giving him any time to recover.
CLANG!
Reigns blocked the strike with his scythe, and the two weapons locked together in the middle of the clash.
The two stood face to face, struggling to overpower each other.
Their weapons trembled violently as both sides pushed with all their strength.
Reigns suddenly narrowed his eyes.
At that exact moment, he released one hand from the scythe and quickly drew out the dagger from his belt.
Before the man could react, Reigns violently thrust the dagger forward.
PUCHII!
The blade pierced straight into the man’s head.
The man’s body suddenly turned limp.
[You have killed Lv12 Human.]
[You have gained 1300 days of tradable lifespan.]
His sword slipped from his hand as the still-warm blood slowly trickled down the dagger.
Reigns stood there breathing heavily, staring at the man lying before him.
Then, slowly and steadily, the villager’s body began dispersing into particles before disappearing completely.
Under the heavy bombardment from the Splash Shooters, the attackers desperately tried to take cover.
Many villagers threw themselves behind the houses, wooden carts, and even stone walls while glowing orbs continuously exploded around them.
POPP! BANG! BANG!
Several people screamed as explosions blasted the ground apart and sent dirt and debris flying into the air.
But despite their effort to hide, many of them were still caught in the relentless assault.
Some villagers were blasted away while others collapsed to the ground one after another.
The battlefield had now completely descended into chaos.
The Splash Shooters continuously fired glowing orbs without break while the Dryad guarded the frontlines like a monstrous wall.
Reigns stood amidst the battlefield, breathing heavily. Blood stained parts of his clothes, and sweat dripped down his face.
Then the familiar notifications suddenly began ringing nonstop inside his mind.
[You have killed Lv11 Human.]
[You have gained 1050 days of tradable lifespan.]
[You have killed Lv10 Human.]
[You have gained 950 days of tradable lifespan.]
[You have...]
More and more notifications rapidly appeared before his eyes.
Reigns’ expression slowly turned ugly as the endless system messages continued stacking one after another.
"Damn it..."
He clenched his fists tightly.
He didn’t even have time to process how many people had already died.
Suddenly...
RUMBLE!
The ground beneath everyone suddenly trembled violently.
Reigns almost lost his footing as the earth shook beneath his feet.
"What the hell?!"
Large cracks rapidly spread across the ground as if the earth itself was splitting apart while houses swayed violently from side to side.
The villagers screamed in panic while some fell to the ground from the sudden quake.
RUMBLE! RUMBLE!
The trembling only grew stronger.
Dust began falling from rooftops while nearby trees shook violently.
Even the Splash Shooters became unstable as their roots lost their support from the quaking earth.
Reigns quickly turned his head toward the massive hole near the Shattered Canopy.
His heart suddenly tightened.
The tremors... they were coming from below.
