How I Became the Strongest Sovereign

Chapter 142 - The First Floor’s Tribulations

BOOM! BOOM!

Bodies were flying left and right as the low rank hunters were being killed by the trampling beasts. I grimaced at the bloodshed and destroyed organs lying around. Slapping myself, I regained my mindset and switched on my years of experience in combat.

Volk and I worked together covering each other's backs, cutting down the beasts that were coming for us. 

I scanned around using my sixth sense but there didn't seem to be an end to their numbers. Just how big was this army?

"HELP!" A woman screamed, as a gush of blood splashed everywhere and her body was ripped in 2 by a troll. 

Another young healer mage screamed in fear.

'Purgatory'

Red aura surrounded my body as I blitzed around ricocheting from one beast to another before finally arriving in front of the Healer mage. 

"Are you okay?"

"Yes. Thank you!" She cried, picking herself up and running back to her party.

I continued my onslaught releasing a barrage of sword skills and combinations, with each successful hit my critical hits were increasing.

"STICK TOGETHER!" The rank 1 S rank Hunter roared, conjuring an arc of light magic that killed a dozen of the beasts.

I scanned around, counting our numbers. It looked like in a matter of minutes around half our forces were already killed. The issue was this army was disco-ordinated, gaps were forming between the parties and our soldiers were splitting up.

"Protect the Healer Mages. All Healer Mages get to the back, I want All B Rank and above Hunters in the frontline. Protect the injured!" 

He was finally giving some good orders.

"Volk, Let's fall back and join the main group. The healer's are important for our survival here." I said, Throwing a Flame Ball at a troll, making it explode.

Volk gave me a quick nod before slowly rejoining back to the main force.

"Earth Mages build a wall! Everyone else clear a path for them, we need a safe zone. Use large scale Spells if you can. Dwindle their numbers."  Taras ordered charging in and blasting a couple beasts away with each swing of his long sword. 

Voadhailis's Claws dissipated into mana particles. Concentrating lightning mana in my hands, I leapt up and struck at the beasts. Bolts of lightning shot out of my hands and ricocheted off one beast to another like snakes, zapping and killing them instantly.

Volk also showed off a little, jumping up and slamming the ground with his large hammer. The shockwave sent some of the beasts flying back whilst others were stunned. 

"Good! Keep pushing." Taras urged on.

This was a battle of endurance. The beasts weren't relatively strong, their numbers were in the thousands; they outnumbered us by at least 5 to 1, that was the issue.

"The Earth wall has been built. Healers get behind that wall and treat the injured. Everyone else protect the wall. I want 2 groups of S rankers to split up and flank them wide from the sides. I'll stay here with the others and dwindle their numbers.

"You guys will need to get them from behind, so we can pinch them." Taras announced his improvised plan and everyone nodded. In this life and death situation, most S rank Hunters put their pride aside and followed his orders.

A couple A rankers joined up with me and Volk as we began moving towards the right. 

'Exploding Shurikens'

I conjured two swirling Flame Shurikens in my hands before levitating up and throwing them down at the army of beasts. 

BOOM! BOOM!

[You have massacred dozens of B and C rank beasts!]

[You have leveled up!]

[You are now level 122]

[Total Available Stat Points: 20]

Large explosions erupted and shook the ground.

"You guys go ahead I'm going to lessen these numbers with large spells." I said, looking at Volk.

Volk nodded, before moving down the clear path I had created for them. The other Hunters looked at me in sadness. They probably thought I was sacrificing myself for them.

I raised both my arms up and concentrated Dragonic Mana above me and mixed it with Flame Magic. The large Flame ball kept increasing in size until it was 100 metres in circumference.

"Perish you f*ckers!"

'Grande Sole: Versione Del Drago'

[You have used 5000 MP]

I swung the large ball of flames down at the ground. 

BOOM!

A Violent eruption sent a shockwave throughout the surroundings. Around ? of the beasts were wiped out immediately with 1 spell but I had used too much mana. A large crater was scarred on the grey battlefield and burnt corpses stained the view. 

[You have massacred dozens of B and C rank beasts!]

[You have massacred dozens of B and C rank beasts!]

"Great job! You almost wiped us out too!" One of the Hunters yelled from below, throwing a dagger at me but I caught it in my hands.

I descended down from the sky, deactivating my 'levitation' skill.

The Hunter rushed towards me swinging his fist at me. I dodged, sticking my foot out and letting him stumble over my foot, before falling. 

"You could've killed us! You-" His party was about to move in to help out their leader and attack me but they all froze in their spots. 

I walked past them, materializing Voadhailis's Claw in my hands. I didn't have to speak as my killing intent said plenty. I was in no mood for their ungrateful and meaningless words. 

'Lightning Aura'

'Purgatory'

Gathering power in my legs, I launched up into the air before smashing down on a group of monsters. 

With every slice and combination, bolts of lightning sparked around travelling from one beast to another. 

'Arc Flame'

I sliced horizontally causing a large arc of flames to cut through hundreds of beasts. It seemed like this battle was coming to an end. 

"Zeref!" Volk waved through the fog. They had finished their flank too. That was quick.

I killed the last goblin beast, slicing off his head. Voadhailis's Claws dematerialized again into mana particles and I powered down. 

The group had finally reached me. 

"Did you do all this by yourself?" One of the women asked looking at the countless bodies around. She seemed to be a caster type mage, as she held a long magic staff in her left hand. 

"Yeah." I nodded, wiping off the sweat from my forehead. 

"What rank are you?" One of the other Hunters asked but I ignored him.

"We should regroup with Taras's group. We need to prepare for the second floor." I replied.

Volk and the others gulped at the thought of progressing into the next floor. 

Everyone was clearly drained. I could tell from their mana pressures, their mana pools were close to emptying. Not everyone had immense mana pool sizes like mine so it was understandable. 

"DUCK!" I grabbed Volk's shoulder pulling him down.

Blood splattered all over us as all of the Hunters' heads rolled over on the ground. Volk was about to shriek but he closed his mouth and took a deep breath, before calming down. 

"Those were warning shots." I said, looking in the direction the blade came from. 

The First Floor consisted of B and C rank beasts and a couple A rank beasts only it seemed. Now the real battle was going to begin. 

10…20… No… There was at least 30 S rank beasts on the other side of the gate separating the first and second floor and they were all mature. 

"We need to regroup with Taras." I said, "Stay close to me."

Volk nodded, gripping his hammer tightly. I got up to begin running but he began ravaging through their belongings.

"What are you doing?"

"They have healing potions… Okay I've got them, let's go." he replied, breaking into a sprint behind me.

**

Our situation was looking bad. From the large army of soldiers and Hunters we had, only about 40% of our forces had survived and around 10% of the survivors were injured. 

I pushed through the crowd to the front, where Taras was giving instructions. 

"You're that kid from bef-" Taras's sidekick was silenced as Taras raised his hand, to let me speak.

"I know you've already felt their faint mana pressures, the beasts on the other side of the gate, on the second floor. Warning shots have also already been fired." I said, as the crowd of S rank Hunters looked at me oddly.

"Yeah, I felt it."

"Wait. What is he talking about?" I heard a voice come from the side, "And who is this eye-patch kid, How come I've never seen him before."

"There's about 30 mature S rank Beasts that we will have to kill to clear the Second Floor." Taras revealed the details, earning gasps and sighs of despair from the Hunters around. 

1 S Rank beast was hard enough to beat for them, but 30 was too much and even Taras knew it. 

I could probably take out 11 or 12 at full power but I wasn't planning on revealing any secrets yet, I had already shown two of my 4 elements. 

"I think we should come back after a rest and clear the second floor with more reinforcements." Taras gripped his sword tightly, deep in thought. 

"I think we can clear it." I replied.

"But how? There's 30 S rank beasts and we only have about 100 of us, who've ever fought an S rank beast before."

"If we work together and use our health potions correctly, we can win." I said, firmly. 

"Who does this guy think he is?" The rank 2 S rank Hunter roared, standing up and squaring up against me. Did it hurt his pride that he wasn't contributing to this meeting?

"Sit." I said coldly, looking directly into his eyes. 

"What?"

"I said sit." My voice reverberated in layers as a great pressure fell down upon the Hunters. I intensified the gravity 50 times with Gravity Magic. 

Immediately, most of the Hunters fell to the ground immobile, whilst others were brought to their knees. Taras was the only one unfazed by the immense pressure as he was counteracting the Gravity with 'mana skin'. 

"You'll speak when I tell you to. I don't care if you are S rank Hunters, know your places." My voice echoed ominously. 

The Hunters gulped and relaxed a few seconds later when I released the spell. Most of these Hunters were stuck up noble kids from rich families, who felt threatened by anyone who stole their spotlight. It annoyed me heavily.

Taras smiled before getting up from the boulder he was sitting on. 

"I guess we'll be moving to the second floor then…"