"High above, high above, Your Majesty the Thunder God, who looks down upon the earth, may your majesty and power protect this humble believer, and send down lightning... Thunder magic!!"

"We praise the water goddess who possesses both wisdom and beauty. May your blessings protect your faithful followers, and may the endless streams converge from the Milky Way... the crown of water!"

Perhaps it was the instinct for survival that suppressed the knights' fear. The heavily armored knights spurred their horses and led the temple mages to scatter in all directions. The mages, having recovered some of their magic power, began to cast spells on the behemoth above their heads:

"Forest Goddess, your followers praise your great name! New buds sprout, old leaves emerge, we humbly beg for your protection... the entwining of trees!!"

"Earth Mother Goddess, who nurtures countless children, your beloved son begs for your forgiveness. Please, your servant, the God of the Swamp, lend a helping hand... Swamp Mud!!"

As obscure and difficult incantations were chanted, vast swamps suddenly appeared on the ground, and countless thick, serpentine vines sprouted from the earth, tightly coiling around the giant tortoise's limbs. Dark clouds gathered in the sky, thunder rumbled, and gentle raindrops fell, only to instantly transform into sharp water swords, stabbing fiercely at the giant tortoise—

【Gah!】

In the blink of an eye, the giant tortoise raised its head, and water shimmered faintly in its wide-open mouth. Countless dazzling magical powers exploded in the shadows, like brilliant fireworks.

"boom!!!"

The temple mages, who had initially held onto hope, turned ashen-faced, their eyes filled with despair.

"How is this possible?! This monster, this monster is actually immune to magic attacks?!"

Such a large-scale magical attack couldn't cause it any damage. Not only did it fail to slow its advance, but even the greatswordsman's desperate strike didn't leave a single mark on its thick shell!

"Thump! Thump! Thump!"

Its four enormous webbed feet slammed into the ground, leaving behind gaping holes comparable to craters. The dark green, king-level magical beast roared to the sky, as if enraged by the provocation of humans.

【Gah——】

The clouds in the sky gathered at an astonishing speed, the inky black clouds hanging low, almost floating above people's heads. Accompanied by roars of beasts, torrential rain poured down, the dense rain columns roaring down like furious bellows. The dense rain pressed down with overwhelming force, making it almost impossible for people to see the road ahead.

"Whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh!!"

"Whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh!!"

King-level magic?

No, it seems to possess the power of a Saint-level magic!

A king-level magical beast capable of using holy-level magic?!

What kind of monster is this?!

"By the God of Light! Which god created such a terrifying monster..."

Someone muttered to themselves, the shadow of despair and death looming over everyone, and the only sounds they could hear were their companions panting and the sound of horses' hooves as they fled.

—The entire expeditionary force was almost completely scattered. The adventurers from the Adventurers' Guild, relying on their familiarity with the forest, fled into the forest to seek refuge. The giant beast did not pursue them, but only chased after the lord's carriage.

...

"Damn it, damn it, damn it!! What the hell is this?!"

Inside the violently jolted carriage, Aigard had long since broken down and was incoherent; the fear of death finally overshadowed the greed in his heart.

He was so terrified after just one glance at the giant beast through the carriage window that he collapsed in the corner of the carriage, biting his fingers incessantly.

"No, no, I still have a chance! As long as I lure it to Xike County, as long as I lure it to Xike County, I'll have time to escape! Yes!! As long as I can leave here and return to the capital, the capital will definitely send troops to annihilate this monster!!!"

As if he had suddenly realized something, he immediately stumbled to his feet and roared at the coachman outside:

"Damn it! Turn around and head back to town immediately!! Back to town!!!"

"Are you crazy, Aigard?! We can't go back to the city! The defensive magic array of Xike County won't hold out for long. If a king-level magical beast of this magnitude enters the city, the entire Xike County will be razed to the ground!"

Andrew grabbed Egard by the collar and yelled:

"We can't let it get near the town!! Quickly, use orc blood to lure it into that valley over there!!"

“I’m not crazy! I am Egard Ron Campbell, how can the lives of these lowly people be compared to mine?! I am the future hope of the Campbell family, I cannot die here!!! Greer, throw this hindrance out of the way!!”

Greer, who had been silent all along, had a look of struggle in his eyes. The slave brand on the tip of his ear flickered on and off. In the end, he raised his hand and pushed Andrew out of the carriage.

"Aigard, you will get your comeuppance. This king-level magical beast is your punishment for your greed. I will be waiting for you in hell to see your end!"

Andrew gritted his teeth and cursed, then covered his head with his hands and jumped straight down, disappearing into the dense forest!

"Gurgle, gurgle, gurgle—"

The carriage was moving too fast, the wheels screeching against the ground with a harsh, unbearable noise, but the giant beast behind them continued its relentless pursuit. The driver's terrified voice echoed through the carriage:

"My God! That giant beast is chasing the orcs!!"

Aigard seemed to have fallen into some kind of madness, his eyes filled with terrifying bloodshot veins:

"I can't die here! I absolutely can't die here!! Orcs, orc blood can attract monsters, yes, yes!!"

He grinned maniacally, gave Greer a deep look at the emotionless Greer, took off the rings on all ten fingers, and crushed them with force!

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