To be completely honest, I don't really need any traps to deal with these low-ranking monster waves, so I just grinned as I heard Silvia's worried question.
Because if I gave Irethiel the order, she could handle them herself.
And because I didn't really want to share the Gate reward with them, I merely pretended that I was in need of their assistance to defeat these waves of monsters.
If it were up to me, I would have already killed everyone and put an end to the situation, but since I am already on Jessica's radar, things wouldn't go well if only Silvia and I made it through this Gate.
Nevertheless, since I now have Alice to speak for me and she also doesn't seem overly interested in the gate reward, things won't become too complicated.
...So the remainder of her group is therefore unnecessary for me now, and I can deal with them later.
I shook my head and came out of my thoughts before speaking.
"We can trick them using your ability to create illusions, can't we?" I said as I chugged the mana potion that I had just removed from my inventory.
!?
"...O-Oh! Why didn't I consider that?" Silvia said with a startling realization.
"Ability to create illusions? Can she confront the numerous monsters with the help of her illusion Ability?" Alice asked with confusion.
"...Why don't you see it for yourself?" I smiled and answered before turning to face Silvia, who was merely nodding in response.
"...."
Shudder!—Shudder!—
And soon we could hear the sounds of the monster wave approaching us —and shortly after we noticed that a few hundred monsters, coming from two different directions and heading toward us.
Witnessing that, Silvia just took a few steps ahead of us and raised one of her hands in the air, revealing a bat sitting on it.
When she quickly brought her hand down after a brief interval, the entire scene in the forest changed.
As if it were nighttime, the entire forest had now turned dark.
"...W-What the hell is happening? Is it her doing?" Alice expressed her surprise.
"It's too early for you to be surprised," I stated and chuckled as I prepared my katanas.
"...Irethiel, it's your turn," I said telepathically.
Hearing me, Irethiel used her Necromancy Talent to resurrect the skeletons of the previous wave's dead monsters.
"T-This! This is not possible. A dark magician?" Alice took a step backward, exclaiming in shock.
"...."
As I covered both of my katanas in electricity, which was even more visible in the dark, I said—lied, "Don't worry, It's just an illusion. Don't get distracted by that and let her deal with them as we deal with the monsters approaching us from the opposite side."
"...."
"...I-It's an illusion you say," Alice uttered perplexed.
"Yes. That's correct, Silvia simply created an illusion, and by doing so, she allowed the monsters to fight among themselves. We can leave her to handle that aspect.
So, are you ready to fight now, as I don't think we have much time to chatter," I remarked before rushing toward the monster wave approaching from the opposite side.
"...."
Huuu!—
"...Yes, I am ready now!" Alice exhaled and said as she pulled the sword from her back and dashed past me toward the monster wave.
Slash!— Slash!—
And we continued our carnage for the next fifteen minutes, eventually eradicating the entire monster wave.
[End of the second monster wave!]
[Prepare yourself, the final monster wave is about to approach!]
As soon as the second monster wave ended, we received a gate notification.
Huff, huff, huff
"...I-Is this the end at last?" Standing next to a pile of monsters' dead bodies with her clothes covered in blood, Alice said while struggling to breathe.
"Hmm, she is not that bad!" I observed her fighting style and thought to myself.
Although she can't be said to be the best, she also isn't the worst. She probably just needed someone to mentor her and show her more effective techniques.
"The next wave will be even tougher, and you've already run out of strength?" Silvia remarked as she walked toward us after observing Alice's labored breathing and apparent exhaustion.
"...."
Alice simply kept her head down as she heard Silvia's remark because she couldn't recall the last time she had fought so ferociously as if her life depended on it.
"Here, drink this!" With a smile, I offered her an advanced mana potion.
!?
"...A-A advanced potion? I'm sorry, but I can't take something that valuable. Instead, I'll take a low-rank mana potion that I have with me," Alice stated as she was about to take a potion from her storage ring.
"No, your life is much more important than that! Additionally, I anticipate that the upcoming wave will be much tougher, so you should be in top form." I said this as I took out another stamina potion and handed it to her.
!?
"...B-But—" With a shocked expression, Alice was about to refuse Ares once more, but he forcefully placed both the potion in her hands.
'How can he give these Advanced potions as if it were nothing?' Alice reflected with a baffled expression.
"Now get ready because the next wave will be approaching soon," I said as I chugged the potions myself.
But as I chugged a potion, I noticed Irethiel and Silvia staring at me.
'Why does it feel like he's feeding a sheep before slaughtering it?' Irethiel pondered inwardly.
"...."
"Oh, do you need a potion as well, Silvia?" As I took out the mana potion and gestured it toward Silvia, I asked her.
"...No, I'm fine, I have my own potions with me," Silvia replied in a displeased tone, as she took her own potions from her storage ring and began consuming them.
'She didn't seem to like Alice all that much, did she? And I almost forgot that vampires might need different potions than humans!' I thought to myself while shaking my head.
"What about you Irethiel, you want a potion?" Telepathically, I inquired of Irethiel.
"...No, I'm fine for the time being," Irethiel replied hurriedly.
"OK, let me know when you need one," I shrugged.
As Aegis also sent me a custom-made potion that also works on demons.
Shudder!— Shudder!—
After a brief period of rest, the sounds of the monsters moving hurriedly toward us could be heard. We soon realized that the monsters were now coming from three different directions.
"...."
And, without further ado, Irethiel resurrected more of the skeleton soldiers of the previous wave's dead monsters.
'How many skeletons can she control at the same time?' As I watched a few hundred skeleton soldiers rise, I pondered.
And I was surprised to see them carrying weapons similar to the dead monsters.
Keohung!— keohung!—
The monsters' horrifying screams could now be heard all around us.
*Gulp.
When she heard their eerie scream, Alice gasped aloud.
"...Tch, I wish I could fight them with all my might," Silvia grumbled under her breath.
I simply smiled as I overheard her, because I had told her not to use any of her vampire abilities in front of Alice.
Silvia, however, has just suggested that we kill Alice so that we can fight without any limitations.
"...."
Nevertheless as Silvia, Alice, and I stood together in the middle, surrounded by the skeleton soldiers who were acting as our shield, something unexpected happened.
***