"You heard me. We are going down, but if you don't want to join me, you can stay here. But I wouldn't take any responsibility for your death if the beasts down there sniff your location." Jareth shrugged at the gobsmacked Finnian.
"Y-Yes Sir! I'll follow your instructions," he hurriedly replied.
"Good. And when we go down, I need you to be quick in picking up my kills."
Finnian nodded many times like a chicken pecking rice.
"Okay. Get ready."
Turning to face the sealed window, Jareth stretched his hands through the hole.
Taking a deep breath, he activated [Infernal Torrent] and crimson flames surged from his palm, swirling into a spherical orb. The orb shot down and detonated with a thunderous bang.
Dissonant roars blared from different beasts.
But he wasn't done, as five more orbs shot consecutively in different directions, exploding and adding to the chaos.
Pulling his hand back, he slashed open the sealed window.
Jareth hopped onto the windowsill and turned to Finnian. "Let's go."
Finnian peered below and saw some beasts glaring up.
"B-But—"
"Goodbye," Jareth interrupted him.
"Okay!" Finnian hurriedly replied and got on the windowsill.
"Activate your spell," said Jareth without looking at Finnian before he pointed his palm down.
Crimson flames erupted and twirled to form long gleaming spears one after another until five spears hovered above the chaotic landscape.
Jareth launched the five fire spears down at the same time.
All the beasts that saw him and waited for his descent ran.
The spears struck the ground with a deafening explosion that drowned out everything, accompanied by a wild and huge crimson fire eruption that dyed the surroundings red. A big quake shook the ground.
Beasts ran from the flaring flames, which somewhat split the beast horde, burning across almost the entire wrecked paved road.
"Let's go." Jareth pulled the boy's arm and jumped to the far left, away from the slowly dying fire and toward the outer estate.
Mid-descent, flames rushed down his palm and sheathed his sword, with a green aura flaring over his body.
Both of them landed in a somewhat deserted position beside the shrinking fire, with the flames blocking the beasts from behind.
Some beasts ahead saw them and dashed at them.
Tilting his head, Jareth whispered to Finnian behind him, "Keep up."
He dashed aside and whipped his sword, slicing a beast in half. Another came from the side, but he moved slightly, dodging as he spun and sliced it in two at the waist.
He sprinted at the incoming monsters, slashing in every direction, spraying blood and leaving bodies in his wake. He plunged into the chaos.
His sword danced like a reaper's, slashing in a whirlwind of crimson streaks with minimal footwork, bulldozing everything in his path toward the outer estate.
Blood splattered on his body. Notifications dropped one after another.
Suddenly, a silver beast avoided his sword and whipped its claws at his waist. Jareth retreated a second too late as the claw cut deep into his waist. He hissed.
It stretched its gaping serrated maw to bite him when Jareth shot fire needles from his left hand into its mouth, exploding and sending it tumbling back.
Jareth ignored the pain and pounced on it, slashing its neck while his other hand sent three fire orbs at the encircling beasts, sending them running with the loud explosion.
[Rank 2 Steel Cat Killed.]
From the corner of his eyes, Jareth saw the fire had already died out.
He dashed forward, left the body for Finnian, and entered the chaotic beast horde, his blade going wild as he pushed forward. Finnian followed closely behind, his mouth whispering something inaudible.
One beast suddenly dashed from the side with shocking speed. Jareth sidestepped and caught its stretched limb.
He spun and flung it at the ones behind, smashing into the tide.
Then he tossed fire orbs forward, scaring the beasts.
Using the gap, Jareth sprinted forward and cut down the remaining ones in his path, flinging the few Rank 2s that ambushed him at the ones behind and killing some. A few successfully injured him.
Finally, Jareth and Finnian rushed out of the horde. But the beasts didn't let up, following hot on their heels with some closing in quickly from behind. One was even spitting fire arrows from its mouth, but when they got close, the arrows deviated in the wrong direction.
'Finnian spell? But we can't escape those Rank 2.'
Raising his head, Jareth could see some arcanists gesturing for him to lure the beasts forward.
Jareth sent his sword to his badge and grabbed Finnian with his other hand, flinging him forward.
Pivoting around, he thrust his hands forward.
Crimson fires wove together to form fire spears in front of his left hand while a compressed fire orb formed in his right.
He launched the spears while rupturing the orb in front of his palm.
The surroundings turned into a blurry rush as he was catapulted back through the air, hitting and tumbling a few times before he came to a stop. Groaning, he pushed himself to his feet.
He felt someone helping him from the side. Angling his head, he saw Finnian pulling him up.
"Sir, let's go. Those beasts might change their mind."
Jareth nodded and limped away with him.
Finally, they reached the spot where those arcanists hid, and they also found an empty building, sitting behind it with their backs against the wall.
Jareth exhaled. His taut muscles finally relaxed. He winced from the stinging pain.
Lowering his head, he saw blood covering his tattered body, both from the beasts and his own. His t-shirt had become a messy, ragged covering, with a bleeding cut on his back and a few cuts on his pants.
Wiping the blood from the corner of his lips with the back of his palm, he mumbled, "That was dangerous."
"Y-Yes sir. I thought I would die when the fire died out. I was already saying my last prayers to have a better second life if I have one," Finnian replied.
"That's why you shouldn't do something dangerous, kids," a voice jolted them.
Cocking his head, Jareth saw seven people, dressed in full body armor with faces covered by masks, peering at them from the roof of the building in front of them.
"Kids, I gestured for you to lure the monsters here. So, what are you going to do about it? How are you going to compensate me? Since you worked hard, at least half of your kills should do," the one in the center, whom Jareth presumed was the leader, spoke.
"W-We can't. It's ours. Th-That is against the law. There are other arcanists here," Finnian argued.
The leader turned to his people. "You heard that? We are doing something against the law,"
Then they all burst out laughing.
Jareth stared at all this without uttering a word, as if he weren't involved, but his brain was firing on all cylinders.
'I can't believe I'm about to get robbed twice. Is this a welcome present to Arkados? Worse, they might be Elite arcanists.'
Crouching down, the one at the center spoke softly, "Kid, to survive in the wild, you need to be flexible. And for your information, right now, I am the law!"