[Vol. 8] Chapter 259: Crisis in Saint Tyr
But before they could even set out to help, something strange had already happened in the city. Sasha had already brought Ricardo back on her own.
The proof? Even those strange, bloody monsters that Sasha could barely stop with all her strength, monsters that could even split and multiply when corrupted by the environment, were easily wiped out by Tairnak alone, leaving no danger behind.
The girl saw it clearly. Every time the giant Behemoth chieftain struck with his powerful hands, a soft golden light would shine on his palm. It looked like some kind of magical glow that covered his weapon or body. Any monster he killed, or even just injured, would be touched by this golden light, stopping their bodies from regenerating.
There was no doubt: this was Holy Power. It was similar to the kind used by the Church, but faintly stronger, as if it came from a higher place.
The most shocking thing was that Tairnak wasn’t the only one who could use this power. The other hundred or so Behemoths who came with him, though not as strong, could also use similar powers!
Were these really Behemoths? Since when could Behemoths do something like this?!
But no matter what, it was thanks to these Behemoths that Sasha and the others were able to set up a small safe zone around the Xavier Hotel in the now chaotic Saint Tyr City. Honestly, with how tough those monsters were, most others could only offer support, only the Behemoths were truly holding the line.
Still, this was only a temporary solution.
Whoever caused this disaster in Saint Tyr had clearly been planning it for a long time. The affected area was far larger than just one part of the city. With over a million people in danger, even a big hotel like Xavier Hotel could only hold a few thousand at most, not nearly enough to make a real difference.
Even worse, although the Behemoths had the power to fight these monsters, they were still just flesh and blood. They would get tired after fighting for too long, while the strange monsters around them kept coming like an endless wave. No matter how many they killed, it was never enough.
So the hotel could only be a temporary shelter. If they wanted to survive, they had to find a way to end the disaster, or escape the city.
Once all the civilians nearby had been brought into the hotel, Sasha fired one last flaming arrow, then shouted through the pain in her arms at the large Behemoth still battling the monsters up front.
“Chieftain Tairnak, we need to fall back!”
“Understood!”
Though he had shown no signs of slowing down and his physical strength was almost unreal, Tairnak didn’t act like an arrogant barbarian. Without hesitation, he stopped fighting and led his people back step by step toward the hotel, where makeshift defenses had been set up. They quickly entered the building in an orderly way.
Bang!
Only when Tairnak, who was guarding the rear, rushed into the hotel and helped shut and block the main doors with the others, did everyone finally breathe a sigh of relief. Sasha even collapsed to the floor, not caring about appearances, and panted heavily.
She had already been injured while running through the forest with Ricardo to escape the assassins. Though she had treated her wounds as best as she could, they weren’t the kind that healed quickly.
Then, after Ricardo woke up and told her something was wrong in Saint Tyr, Sasha had rushed back into the city. She found the mutated monsters, searched for her merchant allies, and joined the battle to protect the hotel. She had been fighting non-stop, and by now, it was clear—she was running on willpower alone.
Now that she could finally take a short break, all her energy seemed to drain out at once. Sasha felt pain all over her body, so much that she could barely stand up.
At that moment, several senior members of the trade caravan walked quickly toward her. When they saw their guard captain looking so exhausted and worn out, they couldn’t help but show worry and guilt on their faces.
“Miss Sasha…”
The girl glanced at them with tired, dull eyes and said weakly, “Skip the pointless talk or apologies. I’m not in the mood to hear them. Just tell me what’s going on.”
“…Alright then. Let’s start with our own situation. Since we were attacked and got separated from you, it’s been several days. In total, the caravan lost 47 people, more than 20 were seriously hurt, and there are too many minor injuries to count. Over 80% of the casualties happened because of the sudden disaster not long ago. The rest were from the assassins.”
“Some of the bodies have been properly placed in the hotel’s back storage room, waiting to be handled. But the ones killed, or even eaten, by those monsters in the city…”
They all lowered their heads in sadness.
Sasha was shocked. She immediately sat up straight, and her face turned pale.
“So many people died?!”
More than 60 to 70 seriously or slightly injured. This was nearly half of the entire trade caravan!
Losing almost half the team during a business trip was a disaster Sasha had never seen before, not since she joined the Xavier Merchant Guild, and maybe not even since the company was founded. It could be compared to that terrible accident in Bavo Town that nearly destroyed the whole group.
Losing this many key members, with most of their bodies not even recoverable… Sasha couldn’t imagine what terrifying reaction the company leader would have when he heard this.
Seeing that both the mood and Sasha’s expression had become extremely gloomy, one of the senior members gathered his courage to try and comfort her.
“Miss Sasha, this wasn’t anyone’s fault. We were up against something none of us could control. Even if the president himself were here, I doubt the result would be much different. We can talk more about this later. Right now, we should focus on how to escape the city.”
Sasha took a deep breath and shook her head with a sigh.
“Fine, fine… So how many people have taken shelter inside the hotel now?”
“There are already over a thousand. Most of them lived nearby and happened to be running in our direction when the disaster started… Miss Sasha, we can’t take in any more.”
Hearing his serious answer, Sasha nodded slightly.
The hotel only had limited food and space. For now, things were still under control. But if they kept taking in more and more people, the supplies would soon run out, and chaos might break out inside.
Also, the more people there were, the harder it would be to escape, and it would increase the risk of drawing attention from stronger monsters, or even the mastermind behind the disaster. That would bring disaster to everyone.
Sasha was kind-hearted, but not foolish. She knew when to make tough decisions.
“No more. From now on, block off the hotel doors and all other exits as best as you can. No one is allowed to go out without permission. Send people to keep the crowd calm. Once I’ve rested a little, I’ll start planning how we escape.”
Hearing this, the senior members’ eyes lit up.
“Miss Sasha, you already have a plan?”