Chapter 218: The Ferocious Sky-Splitting Lizard
The black creatures receded like a tide.
A few scattered bloodstains and a steel shield, bitten through with several holes, were all that remained to prove a massacre had just taken place.
Everyone who saw this couldn't help but swallow nervously.
As they recalled the terrifying black creatures, the crowded walls erupted into chaos.
"What in the world were those monsters?"
"I couldn't see clearly; they moved too fast! How could there be so many?"
"Their individual strength was high, at least mid-tier."
"They looked like lizards, but there were way too many of them!"
"Did you count how many?"
"No, but there were at least hundreds. Their individual strength was terrifying, and their bite was insanely powerful—those enchanted steel shields couldn't withstand more than two bites."
"What the hell are those monsters? How could so many exist in the ruins? What do they even eat?"
"I have no idea!"
"What should we do next?"
"..."
The murmurs and discussions among the adventurers grew louder.
The sight of those once-living adventurers being wiped out so effortlessly right before their eyes left a profound impact on everyone.
Some lower-tier adventurers were so scared by the scene that they even considered quitting adventuring altogether.
Staying home didn't seem so bad!
Even though Angela had mentally prepared herself, the sheer ferocity of the Sky-Splitting Lizard still startled her.
After all, each of the 30 adventurers who went down was stronger than her.
And now?
They were all dead!
"So these are Sky-Splitting Lizard? They're incredibly dangerous!"
"But Lord Matthew was prepared for this, so he'll definitely handle it."
"In a way, this is good. Now it's time for Bay Territory to show its strength."
"And thanks to those fools, it wasn't us who encountered the Sky-Splitting Lizard first!"
Angela quickly calmed her nerves and gave the command without hesitation:
"Second squad, take position on the wall!"
"Archers, ready the crossbows on the watchtower!"
Another fully armed squad of soldiers swiftly climbed the wall, separating the adventurers from the edge.
Up on the higher watchtowers, the startled soldiers quickly recovered, pulling back the strings of their crossbows and aiming at the pitch-black hole below.
Schroeder was shoved aside by the incoming soldiers and nearly stumbled, his face turning pale.
His mind was filled with images of the adventurers he knew, screaming as they were torn apart by the Sky-Splitting Lizard.
Their despairing eyes and agonized cries twisted his stomach, nearly making him vomit.
Around him, the other noble members wore expressions of fear and relief.
They were immensely grateful that they hadn't followed those adventurers down—otherwise, they would likely have shared the same fate.
The elite adventurers hired by these nobles exchanged terrified glances, making silent vows.
They would definitely not go down there anytime soon!
The three teams of adventurers that descended had strong lineups.
Even the strongest adventurer teams among them weren't much more powerful.
If they had gone down, they too would have met a grim fate.
If even they felt this way, the other adventurers were even more reluctant.
Faced with the terrifying tide of Sky-Splitting Lizard, no adventurer wanted to fight them.
Hawk and Brown exchanged a glance, each seeing the same shock and fear in the other's eyes.
"Luckily, we know how Bay Territory operates and chose to be cautious."
"Holy crap, three powerful high-level adventurer teams just died without any resistance?"
"Damn, that's totally unbeatable!"
"What the hell were those things? Did Bay Territory know about them beforehand?"
"I'm sure they did, or they wouldn't have prepared, built walls, and brought so many soldiers."
"Where did they get this information?"
"I'm not sure, but it might have something to do with Viscount Larry."
"Seeing Bay Territory act like this makes me feel a bit relieved. At least we don't have to worry about them abandoning the ruins."
"True, if they're willing to invest so much, they must have a way to deal with those creatures."
"But we'd better be careful from now on. We should keep a close eye on Bay Territory's actions and cooperate when necessary."
"Agreed. Our future depends on this ruin. I definitely don't want to make an enemy of Bay Territory; they're far too mysterious…"
"I feel the same!"
"..."
As the two were discussing, a sharp roar suddenly echoed from below.
Some of the adventurers on the wall, panicked, pointed downwards.
Hawk and Brown instinctively turned their heads, just in time to see a sharp, terrifying head emerge from the pitch-black entrance.
"Roar...!"
The eerie roar made everyone jump in fear.
Under the horrified gazes of the adventurers, a jet-black Rift Lizard slowly crawled out.
Now, everyone could see it clearly.
Its tight, black scales seemed to absorb all the light, giving it an unnerving, sinister appearance.
Its narrow head made up a third of its body length.
Its grotesque maw, lined with three rows of jagged, hook-like fangs, exuded a chilling, bone-white gleam.
Its long tongue, lined with tiny white barbs, flicked in and out as if it were tasting the air.
Under the horrified stares of the adventurers, the Rift Lizard crawled out of the hole completely.
Unlike a typical lizard's short, thick forelimbs, it had sharp, knife-like claws.
Those claws effortlessly dug into the stone walls, slowly climbing upwards under the watchful eyes of hundreds.
"It's climbing up!"
"That monster can scale walls!"
"Run..."
"Attack it now!"
"Attack? Are you crazy? Run while you still can!"
"If you don't run now, it'll be too late!"
"..."
Most adventurers were in a panic, scattering in fear.
Only a few dared to launch attacks.
Under the hail of ranged attacks, the Rift Lizard shrieked and fell back down.
Seeing this, everyone breathed a sigh of relief—at least these monsters could be killed.
The familiar ranged attacks were effective.
But soon, their expressions turned to utter terror.
More and more Sky-Splitting Lizard began crawling out of the dark hole.
In no time, the entire entrance was swarming with these terrifying creatures.
They covered the area, countless in number, like a swarm of ants!