Clearing the Path

"Let's go back… We can't fight them there anyway, and our mages are exhausted already," Ravian said.

But, once more, heavy steps were heard reverberating underground.

"What is it now?" a man in the group said with a fed-up expression. They all lifted their swords and shields once more.

Step! Step!

They could all hear their nervous breath as the steps came louder and closer. Suddenly a shadowy figure appeared in their line of sight.

Tall and muscular body, torn clothes, bloody eyes, and face… Dragging a heavy sword behind him and walking forward slowly with an unkind gaze… It appeared truly frightening!

"S-Stop!" the man shouted with a shaky voice, "Who are you?! Introduce yourself!"

However, there came no answer. Only those bloodthirsty eyes stared past them into the distance, while rough and deep rhythmic breathing could be heard.

He now already stood before them, breathing in their face. They were blocking his path. Ravian swallowed hard, 'What dense Mana! Is he even human?!'

Due to the changed appearance, bad lighting, and exhaustion, he couldn't even recognize the man standing in front of them. But as the leader, he couldn't show his fear, so he gathered his courage and spoke, "Hello, friend, what is-"

"Out of my way, punk!" Gerald growled at him. "I'm here to kill!"

The fighters tensed up and gripped their weapons even tighter, but then they suddenly fell dizzy and felt a strong force pull them.

Gravity changed directions in an instant and they all fell sideways on the wall while struggling to move. An opening was created in their midst and Gerald slowly stepped forward, continuing on his path.

The warriors struggled to react, but their bodies felt heavy like lead and they couldn't move a muscle.

Luckily for them, this didn't last long and as soon as Gerald went further away, the magic was nullified. They fell down with nausea, and some of them even puked from dizziness. Experience gravity reversal for the first time, especially unprepared, could be… disorienting, to say the least.

Gerald stood before a narrow hallway and stared at the solid rock. But then, his eyes slowly moved to the side, and his sight pierced through the stone to the many dangerous beasts lurking on the other side.

"Psst! What is he doing?"

"I think he's here for the Orcs… Doesn't look like he's an enemy anyway."

"Stop talking you two, just look!"

The warriors whispered to each other while Gerald all of a sudden started to move.

As he struck the wall with the help of Earth magic, the stone split and cracked apart. He then made a pulling motion and a big chunk was tossed back.

"What is he doing?! That's where the Orcs are! We need to stop him!" one of the warriors panicked and tried to run after Gerald who was mercilessly pounding on the cavern wall.

Big slabs of rock were falling off as Gerald broke the stone apart, both with magic and pure physical strength.

"Wait!" Ravian pulled him back. "I just realized I know this guy, he's on our side. He's a friend of the boss."

"But…" The warrior nervously looked at the solid rock wall becoming thinner with each passing moment.

"Just leave it! Let's just see what he's doing first, we can still escape if it becomes dangerous," Ravian said and patted the man on the shoulder to calm him down.

Meanwhile, Gerald was grunting through his teeth with each strike. Finally, after about ten meters of rock were removed, he stopped.

His gaze piercing through the stone, he could see the living beings on the other side, waiting, ready to strike.

As he took a few steps back, he stumbled and almost fell. His face showed pain for a moment, but then quickly returned to a mad and bloodthirsty expression.

As blood was dripping from his cracked skin, he took a stack of scrolls out of the ring and threw them in the air. They floated there with the help of Telekinesis until they suddenly sprang to life.

Dozens of Greater Fireballs came from those scrolls, immediately turning the underground cavern as bright as day. The balls of flame then expanded and contracted over, and over again. They were like small beating hearts of superheated plasma.

"Woah! What is he…? He's not going to do what I think he is, right?!"

Not replying to the fighter beside him, Ravian simply pushed him back and shouted, "Get back! Run!"

And not even a second later…

BA-BA-BA-BA-BAM!

The group barely managed to hide behind some rocks when a barrage of ear-piercing explosions hit the now thin cave wall, and bright yellow flames rushed past them.

The Orcs and Goblins on the other side were nervously focusing on the corridor, ready to attack at the first sign of the enemy, when suddenly the rocky surface to their side exploded in scorching flames.

The blast shockwave tore the beasts apart, and the giant rocks and stones crushed the rest under their weight. The magical flames meanwhile burst through the cracks, scorching any living being that blocked its path.

As the smoke cleared, the area of destruction came into view. The barricades and the enemy forces were devastated, and only a few stragglers remained.

Gerald slowly advanced forward, with three Greater Fireballs circling above his palm.

As soon as his bloodshot eyes detected movement, he flicked his finger, and soon another explosion illuminated his murderous face.