Chapter 108 :

Episode 24 : Crystal (1)

Not long after JoonChul fell into the deep hole underneath him, there was HwanGi with his party that was dealing with the stalactites and the ice pellets.

‘Dammit. This is really getting out of hand. The cave is vibrating because of the storm Frostina created.’ 

HwanGi mused as he took a glance at Frostina in the middle of the storm.

While doing so, he was evading the stalactites falling on top of him. Soon enough, he didn't expect to see the stalactites turning into big rocks and stones.

"The cave is starting to collapse!" HwanGi shouted to get the other's attention.

However, when he got his gaze on where the cocoon was, his face turned grim by what he had seen.

A cocoon without the ice reenforcing it, wasn't what HwanGi was focused on.

It was the part where the cocoon was covered with stalactites piercing inside while ice pellets and acid snowballs laid outside and inside of the cocoon. 

With his vision only concentrating at the cocoon, he didn't grasp the whole situation around him nor did he observe carefully.

It was because he thought he just watched his teammates die. So next, HwanGi said the following word out of his trembling lips. 

"Guys..?" 

"Hey! Look out!" A voice coming from his left, prompted HwanGi to turn over there immediately. 

But he didn't get to see the one responsible for that voice in that moment. It was because HwanGi had noticed a massive shadow casting upon him when he was looking.

After he switched his glance up, he then found an enormous rock coming down to crush him. 

‘No way!’ HwanGi spoke, realizing that he couldn't dodge it.

In that moment, he guarded himself with ‘Divine Flame’ and ‘Vortex Wave’, releasing them in one go to blast away the rock.

However, since the surrounding wasn't advantageous toward him, the ice pellets that were supposed to hit Frostina in her battle against Noel, were unintentionally puncturing through HwanGi's feet and legs.

"Urk..!" HwanGi groaned as he was being weakened. 

The rock above him would have been destroyed if it weren't for the ice pellets craving holes into his legs. Now, as he sustained such an injury, his power was obviously using its strength to bust open the rock.

Even still, he did his utmost by enduring the wounds inflicted on him, ignoring it entirely to focus mostly on the huge rock.

In spite of that, how long will HwanGi's legs lose its strength?

HwanGi thought while in the spur of the moment. ‘I don't think my legs can support me..! Urgh!’ 

Not having the time to look at his legs, he clearly knew that there were many holes to his legs and feet. So much so that he only felt the countless pain through the openings of those wounds.

Moreover, HwanGi wasn't sure at how much blood he was losing at this moment, he only knew that his HP was depleting with the blood loss and the ice pellets attack.

At that point, HwanGi thought he was going to die by getting crushed by a rock, considering that his ‘Divine Flame’ and ‘Vortex Wave’ were weakening along with his legs.

‘I can't die yet!’ 

"I need help..!" Shouting with all his might, HwanGi sought help from those that had survived around him.

However, that was when he remembered the scene of the cocoon where everyone should be at, was damaged by innumerous stalactites, snowballs and ice pellets.

HwanGi mused, showing signs of struggle through his figure. ‘They're strong. They wouldn't die from this.’ 

"Haaa!!" He exclaimed while trying to at least push back the giant rock.

Eventually, HwanGi's hands were shaking from having to stay in one position for too long and at the same time, were shooting out two skills.

‘But what is taking them so long to get up and fight? Did the attacks damage them too much?’

A question arose in his head. ‘Did they not survive that..?’ 

Inescapably, there were some stalactites that had crashed onto the rock's top, making the weight much more heavier than before. Which in turn forced HwanGi to have an insufferable time.

"Kuek!!" HwanGi uttered as his hands were failing him, including his skills disappearing.

..Since there was nothing stopping the large rock from falling onto HwanGi, he was no doubt in a life-threatening situation.

‘No, this can't be..!’

At that moment, HwanGi witnessed a splendid performance from five javelins cutting through the rock like they were slicing potatoes.

It was extremely perfect for HwanGi's eyes to view which was why HwanGi was gasping.

"What..? Ack!" 

Despite getting his life saved, his body was in no condition to be able to fight anymore. With legs that had many holes, it surely would halt HwanGi's actions much further.

And the pain that he had to endure while trying to use his skills to stop the giant rock, exhausted him to the point of panting heavily.

"Huff.. huff.." HwanGi, out of breath, panted very quickly as he flopped knees down to the ground.

"Good thing I acted fast or else you wouldn't have survived that." Walking up to him was Louis who had saved HwanGi.

"You're..okay. Thank God. What about the others?" HwanGi asked about everyone instead of caring about himself first.

That caused Louis to scold HwanGi, taking out his own HP potion to treat HwanGi swiftly. "Worry about yourself first. Drink this!"

"But everyone.."

"Drink up." 

HwanGi didn't have a choice and so he had to drink the HP potion Louis gave him, drinking it all as his body was slowly recovering.

"Everyone is fine. We just had a bit of a problem when Frostina left the cocoon." 

Louis spoke after a sigh left his mouth, ruffling his hair while he didn't seem as though he was doing something else.

‘..! Does that mean when Frostina left the cocoon, the cocoon turned back to its original way?’ HwanGi pondered.

‘So that's why the cocoon looked normal without its icy feature..’

‘Wait.. why isn't there any rocks and stuff hitting us?’ Becoming aware of this, HwanGi looked around him.

At that time, he noticed the five javelins that saved him earlier, demolishing the remaining stalactites and ice pellets.

"Isn't this your skill?" HwanGi asked Louis in shock.

Louis spoke as if he wasn't that surprised by his own power. "Yes, so?"

All of a sudden, Raiden, raising his voice to warn everyone something, was zapping away the big rocks falling on top of him.

"We need to get out of here quickly! The cave will start collapsing on us if we don't leave right now!"

As soon as Raiden's words ended, the cave began to vibrate and a ton of rocks started to drop down simultaneously. It was enough to force the cave to crumble because of how much destructiveness the aftermath of Frostina and Noel's battle had produced.

"Urg..!" Alaine crawling out of the cocoon, grunted as she proceeded to pant afterwards.

On the spur of the moment, Alaine seemed as if she was hugging someone like a child or so. Thus, when HwanGi narrowed his eyes to check who it was, his expression was filled with gratitude and relieved toward Alaine. 

Since she was the one who put herself in danger just to protect Mya. 

Accompanied with Alaine and Mya, there was Mirai who had gone out of the cocoon. After that, she started reusing her thread to make a protective shield for our heads speedily.

Taking the lead since Frostina was busy and HwanGi was injured and exhausted, Raiden commanded everybody. 

"Everyone! Get under Mirai-Chan quickly! We need to leave!" 

And then there was HwanGi who was still tired and yet, he still had the energy to worry about others. 

"What about Frostina and JoonChul-ssi!?" HwanGi exclaimed.

Sprinting toward HwanGi's location, Raiden was striking the falling rocks with his ‘Invisible Lightning’ as he told HwanGi. 

"We need to worry about ourselves. And there is no need to be concerned about them, they definitely will be fine."

Undoubtedly, Louis also agreed with Raiden. "He's right, y'know. We'll just die trying to save them." 

Without a reply to respond to them, HwanGi bit his lips to show how frustrated he was in his ability of not being able to save anyone, understanding that what they said was possibly correct.

After that, HwanGi let a sigh out of his slightly bleeding lip as he gave his response. "Let's leave quickly."

———

Upon running with all their might to exit the cave, everyone had eventually reached the outside of the cave.

It was fortunate of them because if they were late for a few minutes, the cave would have collapsed on them. Exactly like what was happening behind them when all of them stepped out of the cave.

"Is everyone here..?" Catching his breath, HwanGi tried to speak in the midst of his breathing which caused him to cough in the process.

After a short moment of counting and making sure everybody was here, Raiden informed HwanGi. "No one is missing, except for Frostina and JoonChul."

"Everyone, stand close to me!" Mirai exclaimed with a little exhaustion.

While slowly but surely returning the shield above her back to a cocoon to shelter everybody, the objects that fell onto the net, were beginning to drop off of the net.

As such, everyone listened to Mirai's words and got nearer to her side, standing beside one another as they saw the falling debris sliding off the cocoon.

By Mirai's and Raiden's sides, HwanGi panted again and again in which he spotted Behemoth with a powerless expression on its face.

‘Cats can express such an emotion?’ Startled by a cat's expressiveness, HwanGi didn't realize he stopped panting.

At that moment, HwanGi was slightly curious about what Behemoth was thinking about and why a cat was showing its helplessness..

Be that as it may, HwanGi wouldn't know what was in a cat's mind.

‘I was useless in this situation..’ Behemoth thought while staring at Mirai who was protecting everyone.

In view of the fact that Behemoth couldn't do anything to help or protect anyone in the cave, it was because of his power which was explosive, making him seem helpless inside structures.

If Behemoth were to use his explosion, then that could easily force the cave to collapse in a second.

‘Again and again, Master is in danger! Yet, I can't do anything to help him and everyone at all!’

‘Goddamnit!!’ Behemoth bawled to himself before showing his claws and drilling them into Raiden's arms and hands inadvertently.

Raiden who was already used to Behemoth acting like this, felt sad and somewhat pitiful toward Behemoth. 

Not expressing slight groaning when his skins were being torn by Behemoth, Raiden frowned.

Coming into a conclusion from his past experiences, Raiden mused as he caressed Behemoth as a way to calm and comfort Behemoth. ‘From the look of it, this is why he dislikes Mimi..’

‘She can defend, attack and aid everyone around her while Behemoth could only do destructive attacks.’ Raiden gazed at Mirai as he was deep in his thoughts.

‘How melancholic..’