Seeker 191

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Chapter 191. Dwarf Warriors VS Monster Horde

We ran up a gently sloping mountain path flanked by trees on both sides.

We couldn't leave behind Eslyn-san and the others we were supposed to escort, so Kazane-san followed me. 

While Yuzuki, Yusefia-san, and I proceeded ahead.

As we approached the scene, the sounds of battle became more intense.

Among them, I could hear several voices that seemed to belong to the dwarves from the village.

"Gwaaah!"

"Darn it, Barad is down! Can healing magic catch up?"

"At this rate, the monster will breach the gate!"

"Enough, the gate is already done for! We have to sally forth!"

Following that, a loud, creaking sound like a massive door being opened echoed, and we could hear the triumphant shouts of warriors. 

In addition, there were sounds of roaring flames, beastly growls, and eerie laughter.

As we continued up the gentle slope, we reached a point where the incline became even more gradual. 

There, at the end of the road, we witnessed the battlefield.

From our perspective, it unfolded several tens of meters ahead. 

There sat a small but sturdy fortress that marked the entrance to the Dwarf Town of Dagmahar. 

If we didn't pass through the gates of that fortress, it would be difficult for us to step foot into the town beyond.

Right now, the double doors guarding the fortress's entrance were wide open from the inside, or our side. 

The opened wooden doors were burning fiercely on both sides, on the verge of collapsing.

Guarding the open gates were over 10 dwarf warriors. 

These warriors wore chainmail and Viking helmets, wielding heavy weapons like battle axes, halberds, and war hammers, attacking the monsters that swarmed before them.

These warriors have the same strength as us, and their weapons are made of magic stones. 

As we watched, one of the beastly monsters struck by the warriors' weapons turned into black mist and transformed into a magic stone.

The dwarf warriors weren't just engaging in close combat in front of the gate.

There were also dwarf warriors positioned in the fortress's windows and on its walls, attacking with crossbows and magic.

There were about twenty dwarf warriors in total. 

On the other hand, they were facing a larger horde of monsters, numbering around thirty.

It seemed that there were two types of monsters among them. 

One was Flame Skulls, surrounded by blazing flames, resembling floating skulls. 

We had encountered them in the ruin floors dungeon of our world and when we fought against Stone Golem. 

The other type was a monster with a large, dog-like body, which we had never encountered before. 

These monsters, too, were enveloped in flames.

Roughly half of the monsters were of each type. 

Although their numbers amounted to 30, they gave off an imposing aura compared to the monster group that had attacked the Elf village.

"That burning dog over there is called a Hellhound! Its stats are higher than Mutant Apes! It's strong against small fry!"

Yuzuki relayed the results of her [Monster Appraisal].

I couldn't help but feel that calling it a dog was an understatement. 

While it resembled a Doberman, its size was more like a horse. 

In terms of strength, considering the pressure they were exerting, they were probably around that level.

For us right now, they were formidable opponents due to their numbers.

The dwarf warriors, although they seemed to be skilled, were struggling despite their disadvantage in numbers. 

It appeared to be a tough battle for them.

Now, what should we do? Kazane-san was with Eslyn-san and the others, and it'd take them a while to reach this location.

Our only fighting force here now consisted of Yuzuki, the enlarged Griffin, Yusefia-san, and me.

If those 30 monsters suddenly turned their attention toward us, it could be a dangerous situation. 

While I wanted to help the dwarves, I had to consider whether it was safe to attack and draw the monsters' attention.

However, at that moment, Yusefia-san stepped forward.

"Hmm, I can't see Bargamund's appearance. Some of these monsters have area-of-effect attacks. We need to avoid a total wipeout, but there might be casualties. Alright, let's lend a hand."

Yusefia's body begins to envelop itself in dark magic. 

"...Quite bold, aren't you?"

No, I wonder if Yusefia's combat abilities will be sufficient. 

By the way, when it comes to area-of-effect attacks, I think they are considering the risk of death when becoming incapacitated. 

Seekers like us and adventurers and warriors in this world. 

Let's just call them "Awakened One" since it's less of a hassle; only fall into a state of incapacity when their HP reaches zero; they don't immediately die.

When our HP reaches a negative value equal to our maximum HP, we die. 

So, if an Awakened One has a maximum HP of 100, they won't die unless their current HP falls significantly below zero, like reaching -100.

Furthermore, people said that monsters prioritize attacking incapacitated Awakened One who are still active as long as there are no casualties among the nearby Awakened One. 

So, incapacitated Awakened One aren't attacked by monsters and don't die unless there's one with area-of-effect attack abilities.

That's because we could get caught in the range of the area-of-effect attack.

And that burning giant black dog, the monster known as Hellhound, seems to have the ability to attack a wide area by spewing flames from its mouth.

Additionally, despite a slight advantage for the dwarves, the battle is finely balanced, and it wouldn't be surprising if there were a few casualties among the incapacitated.

What Yusefia is concerned about is indeed possible. 

In any case, if Yusefia is going to attack, we should join in.

Thinking that way, I call out to Yuzuki. 

"Yuzuki, we're joining in! Let's all hit them with area-of-effect magic at once."

"Understood! Ugh, they both have fire resistance, so my magic might not be very effective."

Yuzuki and I activate our magic for casting spells. 

I keep my Griffin on standby for now.

At this point, it seems like some of the monsters have noticed our presence. 

However, there is still some distance between us and the horde of monsters.

Yusefia's magic is the first to activate. 

"Rage forth, dark thunder—[Dark Thunder]!"

A basketball-sized dark sphere materializes in front of the Dark Elf girl's outstretched palm. 

Immediately after, it got launched towards the horde of monsters.