NOVEL NEXT 61 Battlefield
Uriel didn't know what was going to happen after crushing a total of ten flux orbs, what he knew was that he didn't have the leisure of time to waste in such thoughts and his recently acquired stat point in speed without even thinking, but it was a given that Strength didn't matter in the slightest when using a firearm.
A quick check on his revolver confirmed that it now had only four bullets left and he stored it inside his museum in hopes of getting some more ammunition before the battle ended.
"I see your trait is quite powerful!" Flanagan said in admiration after coming back. "Please excuse your bodyguards for not helping you save the girl, but they're only tasked with your security. Even if Miss Nika was in trouble they wouldn't be able to help unless ordered to do so by one of their superiors."
Uriel didn't think much of Flanagan's words and he did what he could to take the wounded woman back to safety. There were still many tents standing, but a piece of cloth didn't amount to much in terms of protection or stealth, so instead he settled with taking her as far from the site as possible so she would be able to evacuate on her own.
Thankfully, there was a group of people ready to go to the zeppelin and they agreed to take the woman along with them, but there were still some questions that needed answers.
"What's going on? Why are cryptids inside the site now?" He shook the woman who was about to lose consciousness. It may have seemed a bit insensitive on his side, but he was in dire need of an explanation.
"It was... Schlieman..." The woman said amidst coughs. It was only after Uriel offered a sip of water that she was able to speak properly. "He took all the flux orbs with him and started crushing them inside every single site so he could claim to be the one who discovered their function so he could get a reward from Mapple."
The woman attempted to keep talking, but Uriel stopped her. "Where is he now?" He asked urgently and, with the last of her strength, the woman managed to point towards a certain POI before passing out.
"NO! No, no no!" Uriel shouted.
"Calm down you sissy, she's still alive and this is not the time for whining." Nika ran towards Uriel after hearing his shout, only to find out he was perfectly fine. Still, she had already killed her fair share of cryptids and needed to recover some flux energy before continuing the slaughter.
"It has nothing to do with her! That's the building of the descending god, Schlieman is about to activate it! You need to stop him!"
"The site's protective barrier or whatever is down, we're already being swarmed by cryptids and you worry about nerd stuff!?" freёweɓnovel.com
"This is not nerd stuff, not anymore, If my theory is correct that building is really dangerous. Please Miss Nika, you need to stop him!"
The whole camp was overrun by cryptids, there were so many wounded people and casualties that no one cared about the site, the research or the data collected anymore. It was a mess of people trying to evacuate the site as soon as possible and waves of voracious cryptids trying to prevent their prey from getting away. There was, however, one man with no intentions of escaping at all. He was standing in front of an ancient structure with a sly grin and maddened eyes.
"After activating this building, I'll be able to claim all the rewards from the discovery of this whole site. I just need to crush some more orbs and I'll be rich, filthy rich!" Schlieman spoke to himself like a madman.
Death and sorrow surrounded him, pain and misery ran across the camp as all sorts of beasts and monstrosities besieged the small groups of people fighting for their lives. Yet, Schliemas was currently blinded by greed and he didn't care about people's lives in the slightest.
If anything, he wished for more of his colleagues to die so his share in the reward and credit for the discoveries would be bigger. Especially that annoying brat that loved playing archaeologist and believed himself to be a big shot. He struggled so much to graduate from college, how dare a no one like Uriel belittle his efforts and disrespect his profession by spitting nonsensical theories.
There was only place for such thoughts in his mind as he continued crushing flux orb after flux orb in front of the building of the descending god. Still, no matter how many did he crush it didn't seem to work.
"Why!? Why is it not working!? What am I doing wrong!?" He shouted as he pulled his hair. He was so close to achieving his objective, not even the Mapple corp. would be able to disregard the contract and they would be forced to pay him what he deserved, or what he thought he deserved after activating the ruins.
Suddenly, in the middle of the raging battle, a dripping sound called for Schlieman's attention. He lowered his gaze only to find out there was a strange liquid below him. It was blood.
He had been stabbed from behind multiple times by a very annoyed pygmy that didn't understand how could its enemy not even notice it.
Nika rushed over as fast as her trait allowed it, but she was too late and Schlieman was already falling unconscious onto the ground. Then, in front of her eyes, the blood that had formed a small puddle below the selfish professor was getting pulled and sucked into the building, filling up invisible carvings and giving them life in an eerie glimmer, finally activating the supernatural mechanism inside the platform of the descending god.
The already familiar clicking of stone gears didn't faze Nika, as she already saw something similar happening when Uriel opened the altar that turned out to be a tomb of sorts, but when two small sculptures emerged from the rock and started coming to life she was in utter horror. They were small and seemingly harmless, but as the cracking sound of stone collapsing on itself increased in volume so did the the sculptures until they became the size of a human.
Two unsightly cryptids broke out from within the ancient stone. They were bipeds and possessed two arms, but their head was nothing like that of a human. It was round shaped, there were no eyes or nose, only a huge mouth that grinned with wicked fangs on each one.
For a short while they didn't move making it seem like they were living statues, but just by glancing at them Nika understood that those creatures were far stronger than her. Far stronger than anything she had ever come across with.
They were as revolting as they were imposing, it took Nika all of her will power to simply look at them. Overwhelmed by the sense of cosmic fear she understood she was in front of two horror rank creatures.
Uriel watched in the distance as Nika lost her cool and ran away in a panic, not even daring to activate her trait. "We need to escape!" Her voice was shaky and her hands were trembling.
"We can't leave without the data, we need to take it with us or protect it somehow." The young wannabe archaeologist replied.
"You don't understand, we're doomed, everyone here is doomed!" As much as she wanted to run away leaving everything behind, her sense of duty wouldn't allow that unless Uriel commanded her to leave. As long as she was bound by contract she would keep performing her duty without fault.
Scanning his surroundings, Uriel had an idea as crazy as it was reckless, and yet it was all he could think of.
"Take me to the great platform."