Chapter 138: An Attack Targeting Avril, Lynn Intervened

The aftershock of the collective detonation of the Holy Light Grenade 1.0 still hissed through the air.

That sacred, scorching scent mixed with the foul stench of burned insect corpses, choking people into coughing.

But no one on the battlefield had the leisure to care.

“Kill! Kill all these damned bugs!”

No one knew who shouted first.

The mercenaries, who had almost pissed themselves in fear of the Insect Tide moments ago, now had bloodshot eyes.

It was the madness of seeing a path to survival in certain death.

From ten deaths with no life—

To nine deaths with one chance of survival.

That difference alone

Was enough to make these desperadoes, who lived licking blood off their blades, unleash one hundred and twenty percent of their strength.

Half the insects were dead?

Then weren’t the rest just walking gold coins?

Do it!

The clash of weapons, the explosive bursts of battle aura, the shrieks of insects,

And the roars of humans instantly blended into chaotic noise.

The battle lines tangled completely together. Close combat erupted, flesh and blood flying everywhere.

Avril stood slightly toward the rear, her purple robe whipping in the wind. The short wooden staff in her hand almost blurred from how fast she wielded it.

Fist-sized Holy Light meteors rained down as if they cost nothing, smashing into the densest parts of the swarm.

Each explosion cleared out a small vacuum zone.

Such dazzling performance was impossible to ignore.

The remaining swarm seemed to have been injected with stimulants; their assault grew even more frenzied and reckless.

Especially the few Fourth-tier Black Insects that had luckily survived the Holy Light Grenade 1.0. Their compound eyes glowed with venomous red light.

They no longer bothered with the ordinary mercenaries harassing them.

Like four streaks of black lightning, they smashed through everything in their path and charged straight toward Avril in the human rear line.

“Not good! Their target is Lady Avril!”

Old Cat of the Platinum Mercenary Group was the first to notice something was wrong. Beneath his deerstalker hat, his pupils contracted sharply.

He had already witnessed Avril’s magic power and knew full well she was the key firepower point keeping this battle going.

If Avril fell, they were all finished.

“Blood Blade! Steel Shield! Ignore the small fry! Protect Lady Avril!”

Old Cat shouted sharply.

With a flick of his thin sword, he broke away from his current opponent and moved toward Avril like a ghost.

Blood Blade, the group leader, was no fool either.

The moment he heard this, he didn’t hesitate. Swinging his massive greatsword like a door panel, he rushed over.

“Brothers, protect the mage! If she’s gone, we’ll all end up as bug feed!”

The elites of several large mercenary corps instantly tightened their formation.

They attempted to form a defensive line in front of Avril.

However—

The moment they faced those Fourth-tier Black Insects, everyone’s hearts sank.

Clang!

Blood Blade’s heavy, forceful strike landed solidly on the back shell of one Fourth-tier Black Insect.

The expected sight of cracked armor never appeared. Instead, a string of dazzling sparks burst out.

A powerful rebound force traveled through the blade, tearing open the web of his thumb and numbing his entire arm.

He staggered back several steps before barely steadying himself.

“Damn it! What the hell is this thing? So hard?!”

Blood Blade stared at the small chip on his blade, eyes nearly popping out.

He had spent a fortune to have that sword forged by a renowned master craftsman. It cut through iron plates like slicing vegetables.

And now it had suffered against an insect shell?

Before he could recover—

The Fourth-tier Black Insect he had struck seemed enraged.

Its body flickered, leaving only an afterimage.

Blood Blade felt a blur before his eyes. Then a heart-wrenching pain tore through his left arm.

“Urgh—!”

He screamed and looked down.

His entire left arm had been severed cleanly at the forearm. The grotesque mouthparts of the insect held it in its jaws, crunching it into pieces before swallowing it down.

Blood sprayed wildly from the stump, instantly dyeing half his body red.

“Leader!” The members of Blood Blade roared, eyes reddened.

“Don’t come over!” Blood Blade’s face turned deathly pale.

Clenching his teeth, he pressed his right hand firmly over the wound and roared, “Damn it, it’s Fourth-tier! A real Fourth-tier monster! Don’t fight it head-on!”

Old Cat saw everything clearly, and his heart sank.

He knew the gap between Fourth-tier and Third-tier was large, but he hadn’t expected it to be this vast.

He knew Blood Blade’s strength well—he was absolutely a top fighter among Third-tier warriors.

Yet in a single exchange, he had lost an arm.

How were they supposed to fight this?

“Flank them! Tie them down!”

“Don’t let them get close to Lady Avril!”

Old Cat made a swift decision and changed tactics.

His figure flickered, his thin sword striking like a venomous snake.

He no longer pursued lethal damage, instead targeting joints and compound eyes—any vulnerable point he could find.

He tried to draw their hatred, buying time for Avril to cast.

The other skilled fighters who had gathered followed suit, no longer clashing head-on.

They formed groups of three to five, covering each other.

Using ranged attacks, traps, trip lines—every possible method—to harass the few Fourth-tier Black Insects.

The entire scene became perilous beyond measure, like dancing on the edge of a blade.

Avril saw all of this, anxiety rising in her heart.

She tried locking onto a Fourth-tier Black Insect to release a Holy Light sphere.

But the creature’s speed was outrageous, its perception extremely sharp.

It always managed to evade the core damage at the critical moment, only being scorched at the edges by Holy Light, hissing as it grew even more frenzied.

“This won’t work…”

Avril bit down on her lip.

She could feel her Holy Light rapidly draining away.

If these Fourth-tier Black Insects weren’t eliminated, sooner or later they would tear open a gap in the defensive line.

【Enough. I shall handle the rest.】

Suddenly,

A majestic voice echoed within Avril’s heart.

Joy instantly appeared on her face.

“It’s Lord Angel!”

The words had barely left her mouth

When brilliant Holy Light burst forth from her body in an instant.

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