My (Monster?) Hero Life

Chapter 161: Winds of Fate

Kace smiled as he heard the screams echoing out from the base of the wall he was standing on. 'I guess Shadow has gone to work then.' The smile on his face gave Sophia the chills, but she knew it was necessary now. The bolts from the arbalests were becoming less frequent as time slowly passed, signalling that their time of holding off the assault was coming to an end.

The heroes seemed to notice this fact as their forces began to separate into different assault teams. They were moving into new positions that would allow them to assault multiple other areas of the walls simultaneously. The man standing beside the enemy's commander advanced to the front of the section positioned to attack the section that Kace was on. 

Even from this distance, Kace could sense that he was a powerful foe. Before, the man seemed to be lacking. However, that was only because his own aura was masked by the woman he had been standing beside. 'This one could be tough.' Kace thought as he fixed his gaze on the man. To his surprise, it seemed like he was staring straight back at Kace.

'Hm? Have I reached a point that I am deemed to be a threat?' Kace wondered about the unusual activity. It stood to reason that if he could sense their strength, they should be able to do the same with him. He just simply did not realise that his own power level was so noticeable. 'I'll need to find out if there is a way to mask it in the future.'

A familiar sound came from the sky above as a bright flash lit it up. Kace narrowed his eyes against the flash to watch this defining moment. Another lightning bolt came rushing down, more powerful than the last. Just like last time it clashed with the now weakened green barrier and generated glowing sparks.

The vampires who stood on top of the gate began to evacuate the area under the queen's orders. Everyone knew that this one would blow the gates wide open as soon as it destroyed the dome that shielded them. The cracks grew more extensive, and everyone watched the clash with bated breath. Eventually, it came to pass. The dome shattered into many pieces of translucent green light before slowly disappearing into tiny particles.

The bolt continued forward to strike against the heavy doors that barred the hero army from accessing the city. When the bolt struck a loud explosive sound was heard that disorientated the nearby vampires as the gate was blown to smithereens. The debris crashed inwards to the city, killing many vampires that had been stationed there to intercept the invaders the second they took a step inside.

The sheer force of the explosion was quite the sight to witness. 'If the heroes had used something like that at Stonewall, we would have never stood a chance.' Kace had a grim expression on his face as he thought about this. It made it even more apparent that he had to determine how these barriers were created or to find allies who could defend against such attacks.

A cheer went up from their opponent's side as they began to rush at the walls altogether. The only ones held back were the reserve forces at the supply camp and the section that stayed with the enemy commander. 'I guess it's too soon for her to join the battle.' Kace clicked his tongue as he watched her holding her position.

The battle would be over quicker if they could cut the head off of the snake. He had the distinct feeling that Sonja would not take to the field until that person made her move. Sophia raised a hand and pointed it towards the section of enemies that were rushing towards their location. Causing Kace to raise an eyebrow before placing a hand on top of hers and lowered her arm.

"Don't bother. Wasting mana now would be a horrible mistake. You might need it later. Save it for the enemies that you have to personally fight if you want to make it out alive." Kace warned her. 

Sophia blushed slightly at the thought that he was considering her safety. Making her wonder if he was actually interested in her as well. In reality, Kace was just concerned with making sure that she survived so that she would become one of the pillars he needed for his quest. 'Tch, so bothersome. I'll have to babysit her throughout all of this!'

Kace was receiving bad vibes from the man who was leading the charge towards them. Right now, he had no idea what the man was capable of, so he could not afford to be careless. At some point, he would definitely have to use Empower, but it was best to save it for when it was vital. He did not want to be forced into a situation where he would have to use Half-Life again.

Suddenly vines rushed out from the bracelet that was Sylvan on his arm. They formed a thick wall before the pair. Something hit the other side of the barrier that had been created, causing Kace's eyes to bulge. He had not even detected the slightest hint of an attack!

'Grab Sophia and move aside! It won't hold for long!' Sylvan screamed within their mind.

Kace was not going to argue and quickly lifted the confused vampiress in a princess carry before leaping aside. Just as they got clear, the thick barrier was suddenly cut into ribbons by an unseen force. 'What the fuck was that Sylvan?'

'Highly condensed wind magic. Think of it as hundreds of sharp blades striking the same area over and over again.' Sylvan's voice sounded grim. This was mainly because the power that was put into the spell was enough to break through his defence. 'If we're going to be getting caught up in battles like this one I need to return to my full strength as soon as possible!'

This statement from Sylvan worried Kace. He could guess who it was that had targeted him, and without Sylvan's aid, he would have been done for. The second statement was even worse because Kace recognised that it was true. Sylvan's strength would, in turn, be his own. However, if he got too powerful before Kace could handle him, then Kace would be taken over by him