Ruth kept moving forward, slaughtering everyone in her path, leaving behind a trail of severed heads, blood, and corpses.
She felt no exhaustion, no need to stop—only an endless surge of magic power flooding into her body, making her stronger, yet leaving her soul emptier than ever. A desperate craving gnawed at her, demanding she find someone to fill that void.
Ah, give it to me—give it to me now—
She charged ahead, but then—suddenly—she caught the scent of countless human souls ahead. The overwhelming presence ignited her killing desire even further!
And there, just ahead, lay the vast open ground between the port and the slums—the very battlefield where Xanathar’s Guild thugs and Amazon female warriors were locked in brutal combat!
The Xanathar’s Guild commander had sent many pursuers, yet suspected it was all a diversion—that the prize still lay hidden in the port. As for the Amazon female executive, her purpose was clear: slaughter and vengeance!
The two sides clashed fiercely. Though Xanathar’s Guild outnumbered the Amazon warriors by more than two to one, the latter were not just well-trained—they were disciplined, fighting in battle formations against gangs who knew nothing of large-scale combat, relying only on brute savagery. It was a massacre in the making.
And then—Ruth arrived.
The moment the monstrous figure burst into the fray at terrifying speed, both sides froze in shock.
"What in the Nine Hells is that?!"
"I—I don’t—ARGH! My head—!"
The nearest unlucky Xanathar thug was caught in Ruth’s path—her Transmogrification Blade cleaving his head clean off!
A geyser of blood erupted as the head tumbled to the ground. His soul, however, found no freedom—instead, Ruth inhaled it, chewed it into fragments, and then...
Not this... Not what I want...
Where is he? That soul I crave... Where...?
Agony, confusion, emptiness - she could only mask them with slaughter. Yet the souls she devoured brought no relief, only sharper torment and hollowness!
This only fueled her rage further. Unleashing the magic power within, she charged into the crowd, indiscriminately venting her fury in a frenzied killing spree!
The carnage she wrought jolted both sides mid-clash. Then, their strength united in a single command to their forces: "Scatter! Get away from that guy!"
Yet in this moment, the disparity in training became glaringly obvious.
The Amazon women, drilled from childhood, were not just formidable warriors—class warriors starting at level one—but also disciplined. At the command, they instantly retreated several paces, regrouping into fresh formations with their comrades, withdrawing from the battlefield with precision.
Meanwhile, the thugs of Xanathar’s Guild were little more than a rabble. At the retreat command, some turned and fled in terror, while others froze in confusion. Their ranks dissolved into chaos!
So when Ruth plowed into the crowd, it was Xanathar’s Guild that suffered the worst.
In moments, the sounds of severed heads and screams merged into one. Within a minute, over a dozen lives were lost!
With that thought, Kendrz surged to his feet, bellowing: "Hold fast! Don’t fear her! Even her power has limits! Crossbowmen—ready your volley!"
"Stand your ground! Mages are coming! Survive this, and victory is ours!"
"Fight or die! Show your grit, brothers! With me!"
His roar shook his thick beard. Raising a magic-gleaming round shield in his left hand and gripping a steel knife in his right, he charged forward.
Behind him, One-Eyed—bloodied and bruised but unbroken—clenched his heavy hammer and followed.
There was no other choice. Though they’d brought over three hundred men, most were just ruthless ordinary people, not warriors of any class.
Against humans, they’d suffice. But against this monstrous terror? It was slaughter.
By Kendrz’s estimate, fewer than twenty among them were even level-one warriors. Those above level two? A mere handful.
That included himself and One-Eyed: a level-six and level-four warrior, respectively—the strongest present. Only they could hold the line now.
Ruth’s Transmogrification Blade swung toward Kendrz’s head—only to clash against his magic shield. The impact sent him stumbling back several steps before he steadied himself, his arm throbbing with numbness. Gritting his teeth, he roared over his shoulder: "Crossbowmen—volley fire!"
Seeing their commander actually hold his ground against the monster, the remaining Xanathar crossbowmen snapped into action. They cranked their crossbows and let loose.
Luckily, the target was massive enough that even their shaky aim couldn’t miss entirely.
But these light crossbows and arrows were mundane, lacking any magic enchantment. When they struck Ruth, they simply bounced off, leaving little more than scratches.
Kendrz noticed this—and then his gaze flicked to the distant Amazon female warriors, mostly unscathed. With a sudden shift in footing, he slashed at Ruth, then bolted toward them, shouting: "Monster! Come at me if you dare!"
He was redirecting the threat, luring Ruth straight into the Amazons’ ranks.
Meanwhile, on the other side, Amazon executive Gale Porter tallied the warriors regrouping around her. Satisfied most had returned, she prepared to order a retreat.
To her, this hulking monster was too unpredictable. Without a spellcaster in their ranks, fighting it head-on would only lead to heavy losses.
Pressing the attack might let them wipe out Kendrz’s forces in one stroke—but if the monster turned on them instead, the cost would outweigh any gain.
She wanted vengeance, but not at the risk of her command. Too many casualties, and her peers would demand her head.
Between hatred and self-preservation, she chose the safer path.
Then—she saw Kendrz charging toward her, the beast in tow.
Her eyebrows shot up, fury igniting in her chest. "You dare?! Warriors—engage!"
Any thought of retreat vanished. Snatching up her shield and spear, she lunged at Kendrz.
The remaining Amazon female warriors hastily formed battle formations, bracing against the colossal foe. From afar, the bloodied One-Eyed bellowed: "Protect the commander!"
With that, his forces surged back into the fray against the Amazons.
The battlefield hadn’t changed much—just an added monster, indiscriminately reaping lives.
And then—from the direction of the slums—a white-haired figure came jogging into view, panting heavily.