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Chapter 174: Winter Eternal (6)

"Hah... hah..." Walking down on the snowy path of the forest whilst letting out a tired breath, Frey stopped at her footsteps as she soon looked back at the road that she and her group had walked on. "Are we far enough to be away from those demon monsters thingy, yet?"

"I think so," Raina uttered out. "But, perhaps we should go a little bit further. You'll never know whether some of the monsters had secretly followed us or something..."

"Mm... We're going to go further down the path?" Frey frowned. "If we go a bit more further, wouldn't Master and Ethaniel be unable to catch up? I mean... We did run quite a distance after that curse disappeared all of a sudden..."

"Right. With the distance that we ran, it'd take some time for Shinto and Ethaniel to catch up with us if we were to go a little bit further down the path," Raina sighed. "Then if so, do we just wait around here? I still feel the presence of the monsters... But, it's not as bad as the one earlier."

"Hmm..." Frey deeply thought to herself. "I guess we can just wait around here. Though... It would've been much better we were there to help them. I mean... Did we really need to run? We still had our skills! And we're still full health, right? Just drag the powerhouse that Master mentioned and we're good to go!"

"I mean, even if we stayed there, we would be pretty much baggage to protect, right?" Raina tilted her head. "I don't think it'd be helpful for them if we were there. The same goes for the two slimes with us if we're to be there as well. The only thing we can do in a situation like this is... I guess run."

"Run?" Frey furrowed her brows. "I mean... Even if that's the case, wouldn't it be on the thought of having one person doing all the work? If we all focus our strength on the goblins, then we'll definitely win this fight!"

"...I don't think that's how it works," Raina shook her head helplessly. "With the guys having more knowledge than us, I'm inclined to believe them as they've been rather helpless with the equipment, level and the disadvantages we're facing as of right now," tiredly closing her eyes, she continued. "In a situation like that, would us being there even make a difference?"

"Mmm... Even if it wouldn't, at least we wouldn't have to run so helplessly like that!" Frey pouted as she soon mumbled out. "Sigh... I want to fight too y'know..."

"...huh? What was that?" Raina blinked at Frey's sudden mumble. "I didn't catch you there..."

"It's nothing, just ignore me," Frey shook her hand as she made her way over to a tree near her. "Anyways... Um, Raina... Could you warm me up, please? All that running made me incredibly cold..."

"I guess we can just sit here for a bit whilst waiting for them to come," Raina took out her staff as she began to chant out a spell of flame to light up the branches that the slimes had gathered. However, before she could do anythinga loud roar rang through the area. "...huh?"

"What? What was that?!" Frey felt chills behind her spine upon hearing a roar which that to be that of a wolf's. "Are we in trouble again!?"

"It seems to be coming from the distance... And, I can hear some voices?" Raina thought to herself in confusion as she focused her hearing on one area.

"...a-ack! I'm gonna die at this rate!" A female's voice could be heard from the distance. "U-Ugh... Is there nothing I can do but tank this damage? None of my powerful skills is working and only the weaker versions are..."

"There must be something I can do..." Another voice protruded out in reply. "How many more hits until you're down?"

"14? 15? My shield's soaking up everything, but at this rate, it's going to break soon!" she clicked her tongue. "Are your spells still not working?"

"No..." A sigh could be heard from the other voice. "We've got to kill those mages. But how? You're both distracted and I can't kill anyone with a staff... Ugh... Should we perhaps retreat?"

"Yikes... Retreating?" The voice uttered out. "With how they're interlocked on me... I'm a goner!"

...

Listening to the conversation nearby, Raina nodded her head. "So that's where I sensed the aura..."

"They're in trouble right...?" Frey muttered out. "Should we go help them?"

"I don't know..." Raina's expression grew complexed. "These guys seem to be fighting against the same ones Shinto and Ethaniel are... Do you really think we can even help at our level?"

"Bah! Just go! We'll never know unless we try right?!" Frey cried out as she soon stood up from the ground that she sat on. "I'm going whether you like it or not!"

"H-Huh? Frey?!" Raina's eyes widened as she saw that Frey was running over in the direction of the voices. "Wait! This could go horribly wrong!"

"Not listening!" Frey's voice rang through the distance.

"U-Ugh... We might die... Do you really want that to happen?" Raina bit her lips. "..." Thinking to herself, she sighed. "Ugh... I hope Shinto and Ethaniel can make it over here before our death's guaranteed," without another word, Raina soon followed after Frey leaving behind the two slimes that had incredibly confused expressions on their faces.

"...um, do we like... Follow them too?" Erith uttered out.

"D-Didn't you hear the girl? She said they might die!" Yer shrieked. "I-I'm too weak to even help..."

"You've learnt the invisibility spell, right?" Erith asked. "If that's so... Then we're going in too. Even if I'm equipment-less, I can still use aid in the fight with the spear Ethaniel gave."

"B-But, b-but!" Yer muttered out.

"You can always use your invisibility spell to escape, no biggie," Erith reasoned. "In any case, it'll cause a much bigger problem if the humans were to actually die here. So we can't let that happen can we?"

"Argh! Fine, fine!" Yer seemed to be pouting. "Let's just go! I don't want to be blamed for people's death..."

...

"Kikk!" Waving their staves with a look of belittlement, the cloaked mages continuous cast out a wave of dark magic over the area, swiftly cancelling all kinds of spells that could be used within the area. "Grah! Grah!"

"It seems that the mages are covering their spells in the entire village," Hikari thought to herself. "If that's the case... Then..." Turning to Crowelin with a firm look she soon uttered out. "Crowelin, I'll keep these guys at bay while you head to the mages. That's the only option."

"You'll keep these guys at bay?!" Crowelin cried out whilst shielding herself from the countless attacks from the goblins. "No, that's impossible! You have low mobility in battle, a low pool of health and weak defences... I can't let you die on me!"

"Cough... My stats aren't that bloated in Intelligence," she sighed. "I invested in my defences, alright? I can sustain for as long as I don't get burst down. I can evade their basics since I've been following their trajectory... So, just go on ahead! I can't let you die on me!"

"Argh... I should've just dragged my damn brother here!" Crowelin clicked her tongue. Had she convinced Arceus to come down with them to the snowy fields, they wouldn't be at a disadvantage like this as Arceus's skills didn't rely on spellcasting unlike Hikari and herself. "If that's the only option... Then, I'll try my best to burst down the mages before then!"

"Mhm. I'll survive, don't worry" Just as Hikari was about to switch roles with Crowelin, the two suddenly turned their heads over to the front direction upon hearing a sudden loud voice that rang through the distance.

"Ahhh! Take this!" The brawler leapt forward as she punched at the nearest monster upon coming into view of them. "You think just because you're high-levelled, I'm scared of you?!"

"Wait... W-What the?" Crowelin uttered in confusion as she saw two slimes and a mage following up from behind the brawler that suddenly ran up towards a mage and punched at it.

"K-Kikk!?" The goblin's shrieked in shock upon feeling the impact of the brawler's punch. Though not heavy nor powerful, they were caught by surprise. "Kek...! Kek!"

Momentarily after their initial shock, the goblin mages averted their eyes over to the group who had just arrived as they soon began chanting out a spell. In the next moment, a wave of dark magic burst out from their staves over to them.

"E-Eek!" Noting the dark magic in front of her, she jumped back as she entered into a parry state to increase her defences. "I can handle you just fine!" Ignoring that her health had dropped down into the yellow almost instantly, she hurriedly shot forward multiple skills at the tip of her hands over to the mages. "Raina! Cast out a spell or something! Erith attack! And uh... Yer? Do something!"

"Ahem..." Letting out a cough at Frey's reckless behaviour against the mages, she soon began casting out a spell. However, nothing came out of her staff. "H-Huh? No spell? This is..."

"Kikk!" The goblins smirked at the sight of a mage. "Kik! Kik!" Soon after, completely ignoring Frey, they turned to Raina as they pointed their staffs at her. "Kik!"

As they were about to shoot out their spells against Raina, Frey took it upon herself as she soon yelled out a loud roar. "Hey! Don't ignore me!" In the next moment, a skill was used.

[ Humatar's Roar ]