Dozens of barrels were planted in the crevices scattered throughout the hills on our side of the valley.
Each barrel had a trail of black powder emerging from the keg and extending all the way back to the clearing.
All of the black powder trails ran along the curved hills, from all over, and merged into a mound at the center of the clearing where most of the goblins had gathered themselves around.
If the mound was set on fire, it would trigger the fuse on all of the barrels and the entire hillside would explode and cause an avalanche that would completely bury the northward valley.
Getting through the goblins to the mound would be key.
[Maha Vayu]
I raised my hands and directed them straight to the clearing, knowing very well a fire spell would not serve our goal here.
[Roar]
A great stream of wind crashed through the cluster of goblins surrounding the mound.
[Swirl]
The wind expanded like a cyclone and eradicated the monsters, sparing less than a dozen that managed to get away.
Noticing the ambush, some goblins hurried to the mound with pairs of flints and steels on their hands. They were trying to light the mound and trigger the fuse.
Jonah quickly dashed to the center and intercepted the goblins.
They were too focused on sparking the mound that they were defenseless to Jonah's assault.
The shepherd moved with great swiftness and precision due to the urgency of the situation, eliminating the monsters in an instant.
['Jonah (★★)'s Basic Spearmanship has levelled up to level 7!]
Jonah hurriedly kicked the mound and scattered the trails.
I joined him to make sure no goblins were left around the mound.
Click! Click!
The sound of rocks clashing against each other took our attention away.
A distance beyond us was one final goblin that managed to slip through the chaos. It was trying to spark a small mound where only six trails intersected.
Jonah immediately threw his spear toward the goblin and lanced the monster to its death.
But before it drew its last breath the goblin managed to create a small spark which lit the trails on fire.
"Serafina!"
Jonah looked back to me with great worry as the fire started creeping toward the few barrels scattered all over the hills.
Even with only six barrels, an avalanche big enough to block the valley could still be triggered.
But there was no way I would let one goblin ruin our mission. Not after all we had been through in this trial. All we had lost.
I raised my palm across the six creeping fire and casted a spell.
[Hampadam]
Streams of air began to flow toward my palm, as if there was a devouring vortex on it, consuming the wind.
The six bodies of speeding flame suddenly vanished into nothing. The trails of black powder returned unlit.
"What just happened?"
Jonah looked to me with confused gaze.
"I sucked the air around the fire to put them out. It's a trivial thing to do after learning wind magic."
The charmed look returned to Jonah's face.
"As always, you are incredible, Serafina."
Sadly, his words felt like a dagger to my heart.
"Don't call me that, Jonah. Not after what just--"
The roaring of a great trumpet cut me off.
The sound of the instrument blared from the northern coast and echoed throughout the valley, deeper into Surga Pass.
Jonah and I could not help but to turn our gaze north.
Dozens of huge sailing ships, over a hundred, each the size of the training ground back in the lobby, anchored themselves just beyond the northern coast.
Even from where we stood, the crimson lion painted on the ships' ivory sails flapped clearly to Jonah and I.
The shepherd turned to me ecstatically.
"The imperial army! They're here! Serafina, they're here!"
The ships' hulls opened up sideways and extended from within were long ramps which reached to the shores.
Trampling down those ramps were armored cavalries armed with swords, spears, and crossbows.
They all poured into the coast rapidly until they replaced all the sands in the beach.
[The 'Order of the Thorn Olive' allied NPCs have joined the battlefield!]
[The 'Order of the Spring Rose' allied NPCs have joined the battlefield!]
[The 'Order of the Fanged Lily' allied NPCs have joined the battlefield!]
[The 'Order of the Golden Tear' allied NPCs have joined the battlefield!]
[The 'Order of the Iron Arm' allied NPCs have joined the battlefield!]
[Human Army Lv.??? x5589]
With a lead of a horseman whose armor and weapon was grander than the rest, the cavalries charged through the clear northward valley and stampeded into Surga Pass.
"We did it, Serafina! The reinforcement has arrived! We've won!"
Jonah shouted with relieved look.
Despite his excited expression, I took a gulp of my last vial of mana potion and started to cast another spell.
A circular glow emerged at the center of the clearing.
Jonah recognized what it was.
"Why are you creating a portal?"
He asked as I finished the vial of mana potion.
"It will take time before the imperial army push through the enemies and reach Loro. It'll all be for nothing if the statue is overtaken before then."
Jonah's face became tense again.
He clenched his spear as he looked at the portal.
"We need to go back to the city and bid time until the imperial army arrives. Hurry! I can't maintain the portal for too long!"
Jonah nodded to me.
"Yes, let's go!"
Leaving the imperial army cavalries charging through the valley behind us, Jonah and I rushed into the portal.
The two of us were soon welcomed into a raging battlefield.
We emerged by the side of the winged-maidens statue, the ones who embraced each other, right where the beacon spear was planted.
Scrambling through the top of the stairs, around the statue, were Darius and Tarran.
The two archers were firing down any goblins trying to climb the stairs and claim the statue.
Trudy was halfway down the flights, fighting off monsters with just her one sword-wielding arm.
Right at the bottom of stairs were Shanny, Zecht, and Norn.
All three were fighting off an ogre. They had fell another eight before we came.
Beyond them, around the city hall, three golems were fighting hundreds of goblin riders and dozens of ogres across the central square.
I could sense there was not more than three minutes until their cores were spent.
Everyone was too focused with their own battle that they did not even notice Jonah and I arriving through the portal.
The imperial army might had arrived.
But the sight of the great battle in front of us made it uncertain whether the reinforcement would make it to the city before the statue was claimed by the monsters.