Awakening to a Special-Grade Explorer
Vol. 4 - Ch. 195

"Alex......."

"Hah, I can sense it......"

The location was the transfer gate, where all the explorers in the 75th floor, minus Kujou's team of 5, had converged.

Illonica and other leading explorers were wrecking their brains, trying to come up with follow up plans and all sorts of ideas on how to earn time for citizens to escape when they all felt an intense chill crawling over their skins.

It wasn't a chill they're feeling from the cold weather. It was the terrifying cold that goes by the name of fear.

"D-don't tell me Kujou's team failed and......"

Someone's murmur spread amidst them.

However before everyone could be seized by the same thought, one of the Pravirna's explorer with detective ability denied it immediately.

"No, Kujou and the team are still alive. I can't figure out why but... that monster is rushing here to escape apparently. What should we do, Leader?"

"I see... deploy «Vodka» formation. We need to hold it down even for one second."

"Roger!!"

Pravirna's member wasted no time and swiftly formed several small teams while opening a fix distance between each other. For all intent and purchase, it was truly a formation to earn the time. By limiting themselves in small teams and avoiding a direct frontal clash, it would reduce the numbers of sacrifices while following the hit and away tactic.

It wasn't because they wanted to save their guild's firepower for later future, they were not lacking in spirit one bit, but that they wanted to minimise the needless sacrifice.

Confronting that monster with full convoy at this moment was just a suicidal move with with no concrete way to pin it down.

Explorers around had heard their leader, Alex, attack didn't even put a dent on it. President Limey had managed to hold her ground in the clash for a short while, but even then, it was just for a 'short while.'

When even the people at summit can't deal with it, then they weren't not even any better than an ant in its eyes. Hence, they could only go along with this strategy of weak.

Not to say the arrival of monsters was too sudden, in that case, rather than pulling an elaborate big move, they might as well follow with something normal that they have trained countless times.  Everything was all to keep the death toll in limit.

No one objected to Alex's plan since they knew he was right in his judgement.

Meanwhile, Alex abruptly shifted his gaze to Illonica behind him. Beside her, that old hag was laid unconscious on the stretcher with a dying breath.

"You are an eyesore in this situation. Hurry up and move that old hag to somewhere else.

"......Understood. Then take care of here, Alex."

"Yeah, yeah. Less yapping and focus on moving your legs."

Alex passed his words crudely, as if he couldn't withstand Illonica and Limey appearing even for a second anymore.

For Illonica herself, she just put a faint smile at his blunt orders. She knows Alex was the typical case of one coin with two faces, and that how much he cares about others, perhaps more than anyone present.

'Thank you,' She muttered in a very faint tone.

Illonica didn't waste any time either as she and a few other explorers handled injured Limey and started their preparation to take her to the leading medical institute of Mallorca on the 3rd floor. Everyone who saw them off back prayed for Limey's recovery.

The front line was an impossible mission to secure without her presence after all. And if a monster breached the line here, the disaster might surely strike commoners next. That's why they couldn't wait to see her recover soon.

At this juncture, the world's five leading guilds were standing in front of the 75th floor's eleportation gate.

"The member of Japan's «Chariot», whose leader was Kujou but absent currently. Russia's «Pravirna», spearheaded by Alex. China's «The Four River and Fire Emperor», spearheaded by Hwang Girido. The last two guild belonged to Australia and Canada, and there were also a group of Mallorca's explorers.

Pravirna and The Four River and Fire Emperor guild were indisputably the strongest among the five guilds present. They had numerous members, the qualities of explorers were top notch, their commander and Leader were equally laden with numerous achievements. This was something absolute.

So the command of leadership was naturally left in Alex and Hwang's hands. Especially with Limey and Illonica no longer there, that was the natural outcome.

There were a total of 100 prominent members all together left behind, but at the frontline, only as much as 30 or slightly above could pull their forte. The remaining members were unfortunately more oriented for support.

However they should be enough to earn them a little bit of time for now, Alex deduced.

Just to be more assured, Alex turned to Hwang, though the later's were squinted so narrowly that it was hard to tell if he was awake or sleeping...same as ever, Alex thought.

"What about you, slit eye?"

"Hmm, yaaa. We will follow with same plan. It's not like we have any other plan either way. And so you heard, everyone. Do your best, and try not to die an easy death~."

The instant they heard their leader's order, the members of The Four River and Fire Emperor split themselves into multiple small teams with lightning speed, showing their coordination which was no lesser than Pravrina's movement earlier.

They right now could only put their entire strength to stop the dash of that monster.

"You really have no motivation huh. Sigh, yet your guild is organised. I swear you all are a bunch of riddles."

"Hmm~, truly a riddle for me as well? I don't know how the guild actually ended up so...disciplined with my careless nature."

"Damn, you're wondering yourself?"

The two exchanged such silly banter while noticing each other's seriousness. The surrounding explorers who heard them had the same thought, it was a meaningless conversation.

The monster was just moments away from arriving there.

"So, what're you going to do about that?"

"Hmm, maybe use «Compensation»? Ah, but let me say this, I detest thinking about it."

"That goes both ways."

Their tone seemed so trivial as if they weren't even motivated at all to tackle the approaching for. Yet, their bodies were clad in a bloodthirst of the magnitude that if anyone tried joining their conversation, they would be squashed by the aura alone/

At the end of the day, they had gained their position as the top of the world with their own hands after all. When an enemy was present, one couldn't even spot a single opening as much to insert their own piece of voice. Their leader's spirit naturally gives explorers morale a further boost.

The two looked at the timing and drew out their weapon.

Alex's weapon was an extremely thick club, with the stature almost comparable to him. Hwang's primary weapons were two flowing curved swords, clearly a grade above other explorer's weapons.

"Hmm, we will take left."

"Then right is our I guess."

Both of them flashed ferociously simultaneously.

"Don't die a dog's death."

"Yeaaa~"

After saying their peace, they immediately kicked the order and bolted forward like an arrow. Their heart was similarly lit with the fire to crash against that monster from front.

"Focus ya all! Keep moving even if I or Alex were to die! Don't forget---our ultimate goal isn't to take down the monster, but protect those that are looking at your back. Don't forget that. But, you're allowed to die eitherrrr!! The only one who are allowed are me and Alex only."

Hwang shouted in order to boost everyone's morale, his eyes snapped open wide in contrast to earlier. No one would be able to tell he was the same easygoing person from earlier.

Alex and Monster stood in monster's path, all but ready to throw their lives in when---

Something suddenly appeared above Monster's head.

The devil's face crashed into the back of the monster with an intense acceleration. A 9.0 level earthquake like tremor shook the ground as it was gouged out. Meanwhile, that demon just chuckled as if was handling a toy.

On the other hand, all the explorers present had suddenly stopped on their tracks, their weapons left their hand as they fell down on the ground.

They all felt themselves facing a fear of unprecedented level, almost like a psychic attack as toppled down on the ground.

A monster---no, a devil that could turn even that white monster, their greatest foe, a mere ragdoll had suddenly appeared on the battlefield.

The fear they were feeling was by no means comparable to that monster. It wasn't a sensation as simple as saying they felt goosebumps all over their brat, but that their instinct was screaming them to 'kneel.'

"Hiccup......Kukuku, where do you think you're going, brat?"