He would never understand the brains of this type of person!
Finn set up the barrier to auto-repair a bit sooner, because this bastard's power was larger than the usual fortified-level mob, and he was afraid there'd be a dive in defense points when the old bastard used a finishing move.
As for the battle in the extension, there were already plenty of toughened and a few fortified-level people hiding there. They were supposed to be their backup in case something happened in the battle of the apex, but it turned out they were needed more there.
In the end, he just got someone to send them a message that they were not needed in the main base, and to focus on clearing up the monsters they encountered there.
Several others who could not help here also headed there to help out.
Meanwhile, the battle of the Apexes went on, creating tremors in the ground and in the sky.
At that level, they could control the aura around them, allowing them to fly a few meters above ground. It was fascinating, but also out of their league.
Even Finn, who was at the peak of Fortified, felt like it was another world.
People below the toughened level felt terror ramming into their souls, and if they were not within the barrier, it was estimated that they would have lost consciousness already.
This was the first time he saw the quirky old man Thussalem be so serious. He swung his spear, and Baldov met it with his broad sword, and strong winds exploded from the contact.
Thussalem was physically awakened, but at this level, he could do attacks similar to magic. For example, he could create a barrage of wind blades coming in from all directions. However, Baldov was able to avoid damage from them.
It was clear that Baldov had more battle experience. On top of his various equipment and whatever cheat he got from absorbing the portal's barrier, he ended up becoming a divine-level cockroach.
Rassi, Ren's grandfather, was a peak-level mage at Prime Stage, the magical equivalent of the apex. He barraged the enemy with small meteors, and Baldov used his broad sword to swipe them down.
Even if there was a bit of effort, when the mysterious power ring glowed, it seemed like he gained extra strength, and the meteor could even be thrown back!
This type of exchange happened hundreds of meters above the ground, but to those on land, it was really like there was a meteor shower above, ready to kill them.
It was only because of the barrier that they were still alive.
Baldov was clearly stronger than the other two, primarily due to the frequent energy from the ring sustaining him. No matter how many skills he did, if it glowed, it felt like his mana pool would be good as new.
The other two even tried to cut his fingers to get this 'cheat' off of him, but to no avail. Baldov knew it would be targeted and set up traps with a few skills.
[Gravity Pull]
For a moment, the air around Baldov stagnated, and the nearest person—Ren's grandfather—was pulled into Baldov's sword!
"AHH!" Rassi yelled as his leg was slashed. His reflexes allowed him to avoid a fatal shot for now, but a deep gash still found his leg. It was deep enough to see the bones. Ren gasped below, but they couldn't do anything.
Fortunately, before Baldov could make his final shot, Thussalem came in with his spear, creating a strong gust of wind that blew him a meter.
BANG!
SMACK!
The fight continued on until that old bastard purposely ran near the barrier, so that even their attacks could cause significant damage to the barrier.
Even if he couldn't enter the barrier, he certainly could approach and attempt to weaken it!
Apex-level damage was no joke, on top of the dense, endless mob attacking the extension, Finn felt a very real sense of urgency.
Shit. If this went on—
Unexpectedly, Lily, who should've been inside the house with Athie and the other awakened people, went out and raised her hand. She summoned a unique energy that seemed to support the barrier from below, reinforcing it.
As the innkeeper, he felt any changes.
Syl also turned, feeling an anomaly.
The barrier seemed different, a bit more solid, and when Baldov touched it again, he was unable to move as if it was suddenly sticky. Even if it held him only for a second or two, it was enough for Thussalem and Rassi, who used this chance to finally deal with him!
STAB!
SLASH!
"AHHHH!"
At the last second, the old cockroach was able to avoid the instant killing shots, even managing to protect the ring with the rest of his body. However, he was still hit. The damage did not register until he looked below him.
"GGGRRRAHHHHHH!!!!!"
Baldov screamed as he lost half his body, his internal organs dripping down the barrier for all to see.
The other two did not waste time to finish him off, using advance level [Cooldown Potion] which could reduce the cooldown for selected skills.
This was followed by Rassi's meteor shower directed straight at Baldov, with Thussalem sending him a sharp tornado that was designed to mince him to pieces.
BOOM!
They could hear the crushing and slashing sounds, but the force, smoke, and chaos blocked their view. The two old men had consumed most of their mana at this time, and after their attacks, had to focus on recovery in case of emergencies.
The tension was palpable as they waited for the smoke to clear. They didn't think anyone would be alive after that, but people were still nervous.
Unexpectedly, the man was still alive, though burnt and already filled with holes, losing about 70% of his body mass.
Looking like a maniacal undead, he looked at everyone as if they were already dead.
"I WILL NOT GO DOWN ON MY OWN, YOU BASTARDS!!"
As he screamed, the ring, which was miraculously still intact, glowed so brightly it could blind people.
Thussalem and Rassi paled. "He's self-detonating!"
He was already starting, and there was no going back from it, even Baldov himself.
An apex level self detonating? It could be equivalent to a nuclear bomb!!
"RUN AND HIDE!" Finn screamed, primarily at Thussalem and the others.
He did not dare guarantee the barrier would hold, so he let them decide whether to stay in the barrier or attempt to run farther away. If people were close enough to the [Delivery Hall], they could also choose to transfer out.
The Apex-level old men still went inside, and they all headed inside the buildings. Finn grabbed his pale and shivering sister, but had no time to study her state. He led those with him to the cellar, temporarily opening it up for everyone.
He remembered Pang telling him that the buildings themselves were extremely sturdy. Even if the barrier did not hold on, it should weaken the explosion enough that the building itself could protect them.
People had no time to admire the vats of goodness and just squeezed in. Some could not fit in anymore, but the staff opened the staff room as well.
BOOM!!
They felt a massive explosion, and everything shook wildly; the loose items fell, landing on the squeezed crowd, who caught them by instinct. The shaking lasted a while, and people felt their hearts in their throats the entire time.
An Apex-level powerhouse might not explode just one time; the energy in their bodies could trigger smaller ones continuously. That bastard was wearing a strong magical ring that held massive amounts of energy, as if making sure his explosion was as deadly as possible.
Finn was monitoring the barrier's health, which had dipped insanely, dangerously low, but fortunately, they kept replenishing it until his hearth points went down to three digits. But the decrease stopped, even while the shaking and explosions continued.
His heart dropped, thinking that the barrier would finally give way. However, he was surprised when the damage reduced sharply, even when there was still an explosion left behind.
Then…things quieted down, leaving smaller aftershocks that didn't damage the barrier much anymore.
Was it over?
His heart settled down, feeling that it was indeed finally over. However, Syl suddenly grabbed his arm.
"Lily!" she said, her eyes glistening as she looked around, using her magic to scan through the people around them. "Lily is gone!"
They had clearly dragged the little girl back inside with them! It was just that they accidentally let go during the chaos, but they were at least certain she had entered the cellar!
They did not wait for the aftershocks to stop and headed out, using the others as stepping stones due to the urgency.
They slammed the door open and rushed out. The sky had cleared, and the explosion had stopped now, but their eyes were fixed on the little girl standing there with raised arms.
Her mouth, and the rest of her orifices…were all flowing with blood.
The two screamed.
"LILY!!!"