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Chapter 24: Silentium Eden
Further away, there were even burlier Rock Shieldwall Mitachurls holding massive rock shields, slowly approaching with heavy steps. In the sky, several Assault-Class Honkai Beasts—resembling mosquitoes with white exoskeletons marked by pink patterns—vibrated their transparent wings, emitting a buzzing sound as they sought an opportunity to raid. This was a clearly divided monster group composed of long-range, mid-range, melee, ground, and aerial units.
"Robin, watch out for those fire arrows!"
Aiden shouted low, his body already moving.
He didn't choose to tank the hits. Instead, relying on his agile footwork, he weaved through the crisscrossing stalagmites, easily dodging the first volley of fire arrows. Facing the charging Hilichurl Berserkers, he stopped using magic. His longsword unsheathed, bringing up a streak of silver light. Aiden didn't retreat; he advanced, rushing straight at a Berserker. At the moment of impact, his body twisted at an incredible angle. His sword traced a tricky arc from bottom to top, precisely slicing open the Hilichurl's wrist holding the club.
The Berserker screamed as the burning club flew from its hand. Aiden didn't pause. He closed in, slamming his elbow into its chest. The immense force stalled its figure, and immediately after, his sword swept horizontally, sending a masked head flying into the sky. Having dealt with one, he didn't even look as he casually parried another Berserker's attack with a backhand strike. Borrowing the force to leap backward, he spat out that syllable of destruction once more.
"Gospel!"
An invisible sound wave bombarded a Hilichurl Grenadier on the distant stone platform with precision. The monster didn't even have time to scream before it exploded into fragments along with its crossbow.
However, the moment he used magic, a lurking Assault-Class Honkai Beast seized the opening. From Aiden's blind spot, it turned into a white lightning bolt, thrusting with amazing speed, its sharp mouthpart aiming straight for his heart from behind.
The sharp sound of breaking air came from the blind spot behind him. That Honkai Beast had caught the momentary gap in Aiden's chanting. Yet, facing this sudden ambush, there was no panic on Aiden's face. Having been "beaten up" by Alfia in various inconceivable ways for years, he had long honed a combat intuition and sensitivity to danger that surpassed ordinary people.
More importantly, he wasn't fighting alone. He had a partner he could trust absolutely. Sure enough, just as the Honkai Beast was about to succeed—
"Resound!"
A crisp and elegant chant rang out. A sound wave arrived first, hitting the Assault-Class Honkai Beast's flank with pinpoint accuracy.
Buzz—!
Under the high-frequency sonic impact, spiderweb-like cracks instantly covered the Honkai Beast's hard carapace. Its high-speed momentum stalled abruptly, and its entire body lost balance in mid-air, tumbling to the ground. Aiden looked back, meeting Robin's lake-green eyes. The two shared a tacit smile; everything was understood without words.
The rhythm of the battle didn't stop. Aiden finished off the struggling Honkai Beast with a backhand strike, then locked his gaze onto the giant Slimes. The Large Pyro Slime was accumulating heat, its body like a miniature volcano about to erupt. The Large Cryo Slime was condensing sharp ice spikes on the ground around it, while the Large Geo Slime pressed forward slowly like a moving fortress.
"Gospel."
Aiden used Alfia's magic again. The invisible sonic cannon bombarded the Large Pyro Slime. However, the effect wasn't as good as before. The gelatinous body of the Large Slime was thicker. Although the sound wave knocked it back repeatedly, it failed to kill it in one hit.
At the same time, Robin moved. She raised her hand, her slender fingers tracing a graceful arc in the air.
"Resound!"
Sharp sound waves shot from her fingertips one after another. They didn't attack the thick-skinned Geo Slime but struck precisely at the Hilichurl Grenadiers still firing cold shots from the distance. The sound waves penetrated their crude armor and exploded inside their bodies, clearing out these ranged units one by one.
Aiden immediately understood Robin's intent. He stopped wasting mana blasting the Large Slimes and turned his target to the Rock Shieldwall Mitachurls advancing steadily with giant shields. He took a deep breath, sinking his body slightly, his sword returning to his waist.
"Gospel!"
This time, the sound wave wasn't a linear cannon shot. Instead, it formed a shockwave invisible to the naked eye in front of him, blasting violently forward. The two Mitachurls charging at the front were flipped over by this immense force, exposing their backs. Aiden's figure vanished from his spot instantly, like an arrow leaving the string, passing by the overturned monsters.
During the charge, his longsword brought up a silver arc, precisely slicing through the gap between the shield and body of a Mitachurl, taking off the arm holding the shield. Without the shield's protection, the burly creature was like a lamb waiting for slaughter. Aiden didn't even look back as he pierced its heart with a backhand thrust.
At this moment, another Assault-Class Honkai Beast dove from the sky. This time, Robin's magic exploded on its path just right, forcing it to change its trajectory. This brief pause was enough for Aiden. He tapped his toe, leaping high into the air. With an incredible mid-air rotation, his sword slashed downward, cutting the Honkai Beast and its wings in two.
The moment he landed, a scorching heat wave attacked from the side. It was the Large Pyro Slime. It had finally finished charging and spat out a massive fireball. Aiden didn't dodge. He chanted again.
"Soul's Repose."
A layer of almost transparent sound waves wrapped around his body, forming invisible armor. The moment the powerful fireball touched the invisible armor, it was annihilated silently, like a popped balloon.
Silentium Eden—Alfia's enchantment magic.
The instant the fireball was nullified, Aiden charged forward again. His sword thrust straight, sinking precisely into the pulsating magic stone core within the Large Pyro Slime's body.
Amidst the noise of battle, Robin's hood was accidentally blown back by a shockwave. Her silky silver-purple hair cascaded down like a waterfall, reflecting a dreamlike luster in the dim light of the Dungeon. Her stunningly beautiful face, capable of outshining the gods, was exposed to the air without concealment.
As the last Large Cryo Slime was shattered by the combined efforts of Aiden and Robin, this brief but intense battle finally came to an end. And these scenes, comparable to art, were fully captured by two people in the shadows of a stalagmite not far away.
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