Basil looked at Iliana neutrally as he quirked his eyebrow. "They don't really need a guide. They are not heading somewhere, after all; they are just going to temporarily hide themselves until the battle ends, and do nothing."
Iliana glanced at the little girl the elderly man was holding in his embrace, and observed Basil's expression. 'He really is going to sacrifice these people.' It was nothing out of the ordinary for a Mage, but she couldn't help a light frown from forming.
"I am aware of that, Sil." Iliana waved her hand nonchalantly. "However, you know it best that nothing will go exactly as what one expected. Who knows what will happen while they are hiding, right?"
Iliana was aware of the plan: release the people, tell them to enter the Dungeon, let the Low Class Demons after them, as Basil "helps" the people flee from the Demons that are hot on their tails with the control he has over the Dungeon.
The plan would be executed for the sake of allowing everyone to focus on fighting the Middle Class Demons—it was a good idea. However, looking at the people Basil was going to use for his plan, she couldn't bring herself to say she still completely agreed with his plan.
All of the civilians Basil was going to use in his plan were housewives, teenage girls, definitely weak middle aged men, elderly men, and even a little girl that was barely 9 years old.
All of them had one thing in common: healthy but weak, which made them a perfect fodder for the Demons.
Iliana couldn't care less about the others, but she didn't want the innocent little girl to lose her life that way. Unlike the others who had definitely seen enough of the world, the little girl hadn't yet. At least, she wanted to let the little girl live a little longer.
"If something unexpected happens, we will fail our mission, won't we?" Pointing at the people then herself, she stated, "My presence is needed to make it foolproof. So, let me guide them."
Basil silently gazed at Deacon, who was 10 meters away from them killing the Demons coming their way, then returned his gaze to Iliana. She looked nonchalant and uncaring, but he knew she wouldn't back down in this matter.
'I am not benevolent; you merely picked my interest, huh?' Basil knew what Iliana was thinking. He had been together with her long enough to know what kind of a person she was.
She depicted herself as a cold and apathetic person, but she could never completely beat her nature. At least, not before something dramatic happened that would change her mindset once and for all, just like what had happened to her in his past life.
'I have ever been in your place—thinking that compassion is something one shall never forget. However...' Basil inched closer to Iliana, stabbed his sword to the ground when he was right in front of her, then put his hand on top of her head.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇt'I soon realized that not everyone deserves my compassion. Hopefully, you will learn about it today, Iliana.'
He channeled his Mana to his hand in a way unique to him and the rest of Pacifer Clan. As his hand glowed in white, he opened his mouth. "My blessing shall accompany you."
The white light shone down on Iliana, as it enveloped her with a strange yet comfortable feeling. She could feel the unique warmth from the light traveled from her head to her entire body, and she accepted it with closed eyes.
Basil, who was looking at her peaceful face, developed a soft smile, but he showed it very briefly. When the Blessing was finished, he took his hand of her head, and pulled his sword out of the ground.
"They are not your responsibility."
"I am aware of that." Iliana smirked, and patted her chest. "Though I told you to be informal with me, the fact that I am your senior doesn't change; I am strong. So, you don't have to worry about me."
Turning her gaze to the group of civilians looking at them in wonderment, she exclaimed, "I will lead you from now on, so make sure to follow every word I say. As long as you are within my presence, I am your God, understand?"
"Y-Yes!" The crowd was a little bit taken aback, but they still responded her nonetheless.
"That's what I am talking about." Iliana nodded her head, and turned her gaze back to Basil. "Good luck with fighting these guys." She extended her hand forward, and lightly hit Basil's chest with her fist.
She then walked pass Basil, stood in front of the civilians, and assumed her role as their guide. "Those who are slow will be left behind. Do your best to keep up with me!" She dashed forward afterwards.
Although she said that, she still made sure to keep her pace slow enough for the people to be able to follow behind her. Basil merely looked at the scene silently, as he activated the Rune Carved on the Sealing Sword he was wielding.
The entrance to Death Howl Dungeon, which was well hidden on the ground behind the boulder slightly more than a hundred meters away from him, was opened even before Iliana and the people reached there as the Rune quickly did its job.
Since Basil was aware he still also had a battle, he immediately stopped observing Iliana, and faced the battlefield. 'The Banshees are pretty active—just like how they should be, and the Low Class Demons are heading Iliana's way—just like how it is planned.'
He didn't pay any attention to the gigantic Silencer that some of the Knights were having a hard time against. He was well aware if he were to immediately slay it, the Low Class Demons would forget about chasing Iliana; he didn't want something like that to happen.
Channeling Mana to his feet, Basil charged at the group of Middle Class Demons surrounding a particular Banshee, who he was sure was the leader of the other Banshees and the entire horde at the same time.
Of course, it didn't take him to be a few steps away from them for the Demons to stop him—to also charge at him. As if they understood who Basil was aiming for, the Banshees quickly dashed at him with a speed that should never be achieved without Mana.
Since Basil was also charging at the Demons with a speed that was thrice faster than an ordinary human's fastest speed, the distance between him and said Banshee were eliminated in even less than 7 seconds.
When it was right in front of him, the Banshee opened its mouth widely, and attacked Basil with its uncomfortable scream.
Screech!
If it were any other people, they would surely be flustered upon being "yelled" like that by the Banshee. Since Basil had encountered many of them in the past however—he was already too familiar with them—he didn't even blink his eyes.
Instead, he clenched his left fist, pour his Qi into it, and thrust it at the widely opened mouth of the Banshee. Since it happened so fast, said Demon couldn't react properly despite the agility it possessed, and got its head blasted.
Boom!
Brain matters, and anything that had been a part of the Banshee's head scattered around, but none of them latched onto Basil. He had coated himself with a wind sphere, so any powerless projectile like that was easily repelled.
Despite of having killed one, Basil didn't stop in his track—he didn't look he had even slowed down in the very first place. Needless to say, the Demons also didn't stay idle. This time, every unoccupied Middle Class Demon also came at him.
Seeing that facing the Demons by himself would be troublesome and inefficient, he contacted Deacon, who was also not far away from him, through their [Link].
'Aid me.'
[My pleasure, Master!]
Like a storm, the 6 meters tall Deacon dashed toward Basil's way, blasting away any Demon standing in his way. Right when he arrived beside Basil, Basil quickly hopped on his back, and instructed him to attack the Demons coming at them.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmDeacon complied to Basil's instruction wordlessly, as he quickly gathered his Mana in his mouth, and shot a high pressured wind sphere at the incoming Demons.
Whoosh!
A strong wind swept the area that the sphere passed, knocking some of the Low Class Demons nearby off their feet. The Middle Class Demons, instead of moving away from the wind sphere's way, fortified their stance to take it head on.
They fully believed that the sphere would, at most, only be able to knock them off their feet. Unfortunately for them, they didn't notice the slight difference in Deacon's wind sphere, and that was the cause of their doom.
Boom!
Upon contact with the wind sphere, the Demons quickly realized their mistake. The wind sphere didn't blow them away, unlike what it had done to the Low Class Demons that it had passed, but sucked them and anything it touched instead.
As their body was sucked into the sphere and got disintegrated, bewilderment decorated their face. None of them could believe they died because of something that they could have actually dodged.
Not long after, the wind sphere disappeared along with the eight Middle Class Demons that had stupidly blocked it. None of the Demons left anything behind; there was only a crater that was as big the wind sphere left on the ground.
Unlike the Low Class Demons who didn't even flinch upon seeing their kin getting slaughtered, the Middle Class Demons were visibly enraged at the display.
However, none of them rabidly charged at Deacon; they had become a little bit more cautious with him. Still though, they were still charging at Deacon, fully intending to kill Basil and him.
Basil scoffed at the scene, materialized four of his Magic Circles, and utilized Wind Magic to amplify the volume of his voice. "Let the Low Grade Monsters go, and focus on the Middle Grade Monsters!"
Everyone heard it clearly, and they, who were minding the Low Class Demons, quickly did as what they were instructed. None of them even realized that they were following Basil's instruction unquestionably due to how decisive he sounded.
The Mages immediately prepared their Spell to attack the Middle Class Demons. The Knights, who weren't facing the gigantic Silencer, also charged at the horde of Middle Class Demons that had finally joined the battle.
The Low Class Demons, who were no longer occupied by the Mages, were now charging at the people that Iliana was leading to the Dungeon.
Everything was all according to Basil's scheme.