Erii: A Journey Through the Heavens Begins with Frilian

When the four rushed back to the church where the bells had been rung, the villagers had also gathered there in a panic.

At least for now, the village appears to be untouched, and there are no signs of monster activity in the surrounding area.

"Lord Shutark has arrived!"

"Brother Hugh!"

"With Shutark around, the sky won't fall!"

Judging from the villagers' reactions, Shutark was indeed highly respected, and the worry on everyone's faces instantly faded away.

"What happened?" Shutark picked up a little girl who had jumped on him, displaying a very reliable demeanor.

The village chief came out, with a travel-worn and panting man beside him.

Before the village chief could speak, the latter shouted anxiously, "What are you all still doing here? Evacuate! The whole village must get to the safe caves right now!"

The village chief said somewhat angrily, "You'd better explain what happened! Why are you telling us to take our families and leave without any explanation?"

The man pointed to a horse that was equally exhausted not far away. "I rode it and notified the villages and towns along the way. Several villages have already been affected."

"The soldiers we sent out are completely incapable of stopping it, and even several high-ranking mages are helpless. Based on its predicted trajectory, your village will almost certainly be reduced to ruins!"

"Monsters? What monsters?" Shutark asked.

"A fully grown one-horned black rhinoceros, as big as a mountain, rampaging like a madman!" the man replied.

"A one-horned black rhinoceros?" Erii muttered, the name sounding somewhat familiar.

"The kind you killed before," Philon whispered.

"I heard it came from the Wol Basin, rushing north like its life depended on it," the man continued. "I don't know who provoked it. Anyway, everyone, run for your lives!"

Philen was speechless.

Frilian looked up at the sky.

Erii blinked. "What a coincidence?"

"It might not be a coincidence. Did you kill its offspring and follow the scent all the way here?" Philon whispered in her ear.

After learning the whole story, Shutark said with extreme seriousness, "Quickly notify everyone to head up the mountain immediately... Wait, what's that noise?"

Everyone fell silent, carefully sensing the scene.

rumbling~

The ground beneath my feet trembled slightly.

rumbling~

It's not an illusion.

Erii stared at a glass on the church windowsill and could clearly see the glass trembling.

Rumble rumble~

The ground tremors intensified.

"Oh no, it's here!" the man exclaimed in terror.

"A very large surge of magical energy," Frilian said calmly. In her vision that detected magic, a large mass of magical energy was rushing closer among the distant hills.

Huhuhu~

Thick smoke billowed into the sky, forming a powerful sandstorm.

Within it, a dark mountain range was rapidly growing larger.

The single horn on its nose alone is over ten meters long!

The burly body, wrapped in layers of heavy black armor, was broad and sturdy, radiating an endless, chilling, dark light. Black demonic energy swirled and soared into the sky, making it look no different from a small hill at first glance.

As it crashed down, the earth let out a muffled wail, rocks collapsed, and birds and beasts scattered and fled.

Such size and imposing presence astonished not only the others, but even the well-informed Frilian couldn't help but show surprise, but that was all.

As for Shutark, he was trembling with fear. He forced himself to walk behind Frillie and whispered, "You...you guys should be able to handle this, right?"

"I can, but I need time to prepare. You hold it off for thirty seconds," Frilian said calmly.

"Thirty seconds?!" Shutark's face turned deathly pale, and he almost burst into tears. "This is going to kill me! This thing is bigger than a Red Mirror Dragon, how am I supposed to fight it?"

He looked at Erii pleadingly, "Junior sister, you should be able to handle it, right?"

"She was injured in the battle with the dragon and cannot fight," Frilian answered for Erii.

Erii obediently covered her chest and let out a pathetic sob.

Shutark's face was ashen, but as the one-horned black rhinoceros drew closer, he panicked and roared, "Everyone, run!"

Rumble rumble rumble!

But that monstrous head was already clearly imprinted in everyone's eyes, and the short time was not enough to escape the attack range.

The village was situated on a hillside, completely exposed to the black rhinoceros's view and within its straight-line range.

Rumble rumble rumble!

Seemingly having discovered something, or perhaps provoked, it suddenly increased its speed and exhaled angry breath from its nostrils.

"Brother Hugh, you'll protect us, right?" The little girl's voice rang out in a childish, fearful cry, her trembling little hand grabbing Hugh's palm.

Caught between a rock and a hard place, he looked back and met the villagers' fearful yet trusting gazes.

He gritted his teeth and resolutely questioned Frillie: "Really only thirty seconds?"

Seeing Frilian nod, Hugh Tarek took a deep breath, resolutely jumped off the cliff, leaped a hundred meters, and then sped through the forest.

The black rhinoceros was less than a kilometer away from the village.

whoosh-

Shutark burst through the layers of tree canopy and rose from the ground, striking the black rhinoceros's horn with overwhelming force.

Against a monster with maxed-out defense that can only push forward, fancy techniques are useless, especially since the situation is critical and there is no time to think.

So he decided to take a gamble.

This strike used all his strength!

I wonder if it can stop this behemoth even a little bit?

As long as Frillie has time to unleash her powerful magic, that's enough.

"Take my ashes back to my hometown and tell them I didn't run away this time!" Shutark roared hysterically.

The ending of sacrificing oneself heroically doesn't seem so bad, does it?

Suddenly I really want to eat a giant berry ice cream. Is this what people call a "revolving lantern"?

bang——

The axe blade touched the unicorn horn, and the horn instantly shattered.

The overwhelming force penetrated through the outer armor, seeped into the flesh and bones, and the brains exploded into mush.

Amidst the platinum gleam emanating from the battle axe, the black rhinoceros let out a deafening scream.

Immediately afterward, amidst countless shocked gazes, Shutark was thrown back by the recoil, fluttering in the air like a falling leaf, while the Black Rhinoceros's eyes rolled back instantly, its limbs went limp, and its massive body collapsed forward.

"What happened? Did overexertion cause cardiac arrest?" Shutark looked down at the black rhinoceros, completely unaware that he had already killed it instantly.

The next second, his heart skipped a beat, and he knew something was wrong.

Because the black rhinoceros did not stop moving, its enormous inertia caused it to scrape the ground and crash into the village!

"No, no, no~" Hugh Tarek cried out in terror, as if he could already see the horrific sight of those simple villagers being crushed into mincemeat.

However, Frilian in sight remained completely still, showing no sign of casting any magic!

In a fit of rage, he roared hoarsely, "Old hag Frilline, what are you doing—"

Out of the corner of his eye, Shutark vaguely saw Erii draw her sword and wave it in the air like a child playing.

"What the hell are you doing?!" he groaned, furious yet helpless.

hum~

Something terrifying brushed past Shutark's scalp, causing his entire body to tense instinctively.

Puff puff puff!

The massive black rhinoceros beneath him was torn to pieces, turning into ashes and disappearing.