The Guardian System: The strongest Summoner's quest to save his family-Chapter 373: Straight Lines in a Crooked World (5)

The Ignis kept coming.

Reidar watched it drag itself forward, leaving a trail across the warehouse floor. The creature's movements were slower now, especially because of the Crushing Presence perk, but it showed no sign of stopping.

<It's not working… How much health does this bastard have?>

Reidar checked his mana. He still had quite enough, but nothing was going to work in the short term. Killing the monster in hours was possible, but… Reidar was seeing the other Ignis through the Vorathid Sky-Hunters' eyes. They were barely luring them at this point, and if the battle here kept going, they would just leave the Sky-Hunters alone. 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

<I need something else.>

He looked around the warehouse, observing the failed portal circle sitting uselessly in the center of the room amidst crates and shelves that were mostly empty or broken, but then his gaze shifted upward to a mezzanine level some twenty feet above.

Metal stairs led to a platform running along three walls, upon which sat heavy equipment—industrial machinery, storage containers, and metal beams—all stacked together.

<That's got to weigh several tons.>

The mezzanine itself looked old, and it had support beams that were rusted in places, which said that while the platform had survived the apocalypse, it clearly hadn't survived well.

<If I collapse that onto the creature, it might be enough to at least pin it down long enough for me to run.>

Reidar summoned the Undying Legion again. 270 skeletal warriors materialized in the warehouse.

<Forget the monster. Attack the support beams holding up this place.>

While most of the skeletons kept the approaching Ignis at bay, others turned away to charge toward the support beams, swinging their weapons to hack and slash at the metal.

The beam was thick and reinforced and clearly designed to hold several tons of weight, but the skeletons proved they weren't as resistant anymore.

The Ignis noticed the change in tactics. It changed direction and started moving toward the skeletons, trying to stop them before they could bring down the structure.

<No, you don't.>

The summons increased their attacks on the monster.

[Your Summon (Vorathid Sky-Hunter) has been destroyed.]

[Your Summon (Vorathid Sky-Hunter) has been destroyed.]

…

[Your Summon (Vorathid Sky-Hunter) has been destroyed.]

[Your Summon (Vorathid Sky-Hunter) has been destroyed.]

…

[Your Summon (Vorathid Sky-Hunter) has been destroyed.]

The first support beam cracked. The skeletons had focused their attacks on a single weak point—a section near the base where rust had eaten through part of the metal. The beam buckled but didn't break.

<Keep going. Hit it harder.>

As more skeletons joined the assault, surrounding the beam and striking it until the metal groaned, the Ignis continued to close the distance; it was now only ten meters away, dragging itself across the floor with its blade-arms and simply killing the Vorathid Sky-Hunters that harassed it.

Then, the support beam snapped, causing the mezzanine to lurch to one side as the equipment shifted—metal scraping against metal—until something heavy fell and crashed onto the floor near Reidar's position.

"Ah, fuck!"

But the platform didn't collapse. It hung at an angle, supported by the three remaining beams.

<It's not enough. I need to take out at least two more.>

Reidar redirected the skeletons to the second beam. This one was on the opposite wall, far from the Ignis but also farther from Reidar's position. The undead warriors sprinted across the warehouse and began attacking.

The Ignis changed direction again, moving toward the second group of skeletons with its blade-arms raised, proving that while the creature was slow, it was persistent.

Reidar summoned more Vorathid Sky-Hunters because, even though his mana was dropping fast, he needed to keep the creature distracted long enough for the skeletons to finish their work.

When the insects dove at the Ignis, several landed directly on the molten surface and burst into flames just before the creature swatted at them with one blade-arm, destroying half a dozen at once.

[Your Summon (Vorathid Sky-Hunter) has been destroyed.]

[Your Summon (Vorathid Sky-Hunter) has been destroyed.]

…

[Your Summon (Vorathid Sky-Hunter) has been destroyed.]

[Your Summon (Vorathid Sky-Hunter) has been destroyed.]

…

[Your Summon (Vorathid Sky-Hunter) has been destroyed.]

The second support beam cracked because the skeletons had found another weak point—specifically a weld seam—upon which they focused their attacks.

At the same time, the Ignis had closed the distance to within five meters of the skeletons, close enough that Reidar could feel the heat radiating from its molten body despite the distance.

<Come on. Break already.>

The beam snapped.

The mezzanine dropped several feet on one side, tilting the platform at a steep angle that caused the equipment to slide until a massive metal container fell, crashing onto the floor beneath with an impact that cracked the concrete.

However, the structure still held because two remaining beams were now bearing all the weight; although the metal groaned and bent under the strain, it didn't break.

<Just one more beam needs to break, and then the whole thing will come down.>

When the Ignis reached the skeletons, it swept both blade-arms through them to destroy five at once, forcing the remaining undead warriors to scatter and regroup as they tried to continue their assault on the beam despite the creature's interference.

<I need to keep it distracted for just a little longer.>

Reidar summoned another wave of Vorathid Sky-Hunters, sending them all at once so that thirty insects dove at the Ignis from every direction to attack the creature where it appeared most vulnerable.

The Ignis screeched and turned away from the skeletons to focus on the Sky-Hunters, swinging its blade-arms to destroy them by the dozen.

[Your Summon (Vorathid Sky-Hunter) has been destroyed.]

[Your Summon (Vorathid Sky-Hunter) has been destroyed.]

[Your Summon (Vorathid Sky-Hunter) has been destroyed.]

The skeletons attacked the third beam.

The Ignis finished destroying the Sky-Hunters and turned back toward the skeletons.

But then the third beam cracked. A thin fracture appeared near the middle of the support, spreading outward like a spiderweb.

Then it snapped.

The mezzanine collapsed.

Everything happened at once as the platform tilted forward and fell, sending the equipment on it tumbling down in an avalanche of steel and concrete.

The Ignis looked up just as the first piece of machinery hit it, yet it was immediately crushed when a metal container drove its upper body into the floor, followed by a support beam, additional equipment, and chunks of the platform itself.

"Shit!"

As the warehouse shook and started trembling from the impact, Reidar realized he needed to get out of there.