Chapter 89 — Blown Into the Open
Blade of Dawn · Page 1 of 3
The explosion of a mana crystal and the detonation of explosives back on Earth were two entirely different things. Both ended in a magnificent fireworks display, true, but the processes behind them could not have been more different—the latter was a violent chemical reaction, while the former was, at its core, a magical process.
For this reason, detonating a mana crystal placed no great demands on containment, did not care what sort of vessel was used, and imposed not even the slightest requirement on "charge specifications." What it demanded instead was that every energy-storing crystal be placed within the zone of maximum efficacy of the detonation array; that the array itself be precisely drawn and that the mana-conducting materials be of high quality and well matched; and that the total mana stored within the crystals be sufficient.
Once all these conditions were met, the resulting power would bring joy to the heart of any lover of explosions.
The entire cliff face was swallowed in blinding white light. Within the radius of the detonation array, every rock crevice and borehole packed with crystal fragments began to erupt in violent magical explosions. The aberrations that had been crowding together and had just begun to scale the cliff were thrown into brief confusion by the sudden disappearance of their target—and then the sudden arrival of "the art of the explosion" came crashing down on their heads.
What a pity that Heddy, already pulled into the Shadow Realm by Amber, would be denied the sight of this magnificent spectacle.
The collapse of the rock face set off a chain reaction. The unstable boulders above the mountain path shook loose in the violent tremors, and rocks and clods of earth poured down like a torrential rainstorm. The flesh giants were buried one after another beneath the collapsing earth and stone; a good many of them were smashed to pieces on the spot, roaring as they dissolved into billowing elemental fumes.
But when the collapse ended, nearly half the monsters were still alive. Some had landed outside the collapse zone; others had simply never been crushed to death. The especially strong aberrations casually flung aside the boulders and soil that had buried them and staggered up out of the ruins. The chaotic mana released by their companions around them swiftly repaired their mangled limbs, and within a few short breaths, those monsters that had been reduced to missing arms and broken legs had recovered seventy or eighty percent of their mobility.
Heddy's and Amber's auras had already receded into the distance—but the surviving monsters, recovering from their confusion, turned their heads northward in unison.
They "smelled" another scent, somewhat farther away but vast in quantity: a great mass of living people, and active magical power besides.
Aberrations knew nothing of morale. The stimulus of the "prey" scent drove them into a primal, frenzied excitement. The flesh giants shoved and surged forward, leaving their companions—now mashed into pulp and splintered bone—behind them, and charged toward the mountain path leading north like hyenas catching the scent of blood.
And then they stepped right into a minefield that blanketed the entire mountainside.
The explosions and collapses in the Dark Mountains cracked like thunder; even the camp could hear them clearly. The soldiers standing at the ready stirred uneasily at the tremendous noise, but Byron's and Philip's sharp shouts quickly suppressed it.
Gao Yang, however, let out a breath of relief when he heard the explosions: explosions meant that at least the first step of the plan had succeeded.
With Amber there to meet her, Heddy's safety should be assured. And hearing the continuous rumbling mixed in with the blasts confirmed that the collapse of the cliff had gone just as he had planned. Now all that remained was to wait for those brainless monsters to be blown sky-high, one after another.