Another World Mall

*Clang!*

*Clang!*

A series of banging sounds filled the air.

Christina couldn't help but grit her teeth, having a hard time fending off the Tier 7 beast's attacks. Each attack was powerful enough to push her back and gradually her hand became numb.

If this continued, she would end up losing. Meanwhile, Erwin had been taking care of the beasts that surrounded them, having no chance to help her. Besides, the Tier 7 beast was able to ignore her unique ability for one or two seconds.

But for some reason, the Tier 7 beast grew stronger and stronger as time passed. She could faintly feel that each attack was stronger than the previous one. At the same time, she sensed something similar in this beast, as though she had experienced it herself.

It was like Clovis, specifically his perfect state. The beast gradually lost control of its body, but in exchange, its power gradually increased.

*Bang!*

The beast swiped from the side, which she managed to block. However, the other claws came from above.

Christina used her other shield and turned it at an angle so that the claws would slide on her shield all the way to the ground. And it was when the beast gave her the shock.

*Crack!*

A suspicious sound entered her ears from below. This crack didn't come from his shield, which had been built from a Tier 8 beast that her grandfather defeated.

Instead, the sound came from the ground. The beast's attack shouldn't scratch the ground, but for some reason, the ground looked like it had been scraped from above.

"!!!" Christina was shocked. After all, the next attack contained even more power. This time, it was enough to knock her back.

Christina hurriedly put her shield in front and shifted it diagonally to match the incoming attack's direction. The claws once again slid on her shield and eventually struck the ground. It didn't touch the ground, but the attack looked like it traveled from the claws to the ground, scraping even more asphalt.

'A ranged attack?' Christina instantly recognized the attack. It was definitely similar to what humans called Ranged Attack, which Clovis and Jay excelled at.

While they were shocked by the intelligence the beast had shown so far, there was a reason for Tier 7 beasts to be categorized as high-tier beasts. It was because their power was so strong that it could imitate or even surpass humans.

With every single attack, the stronger the attack became. In just twenty seconds, the attack had become so strong that a claw mark was clearly visible on the ground.

"Kh." Christina closed one eye, enduring the pain of each attack. Her arms, which carried the huge shields, began to hurt. If the beast continued to become stronger, in just several minutes, a single attack was enough to break her arm.

"…" Erwin couldn't help but worry, noticing that she was being more and more at a disadvantage. He had to somehow help Christina in order to relieve her burden, but these beasts were in the way.

"Tsk!" Erwin clicked his tongue. There was only one way. This should be quite reckless, but it should be enough for Christina to get some breathing room.

Erwin observed the beast's movement with his keen eyes. He realized that the beast had grown significantly stronger than their first clash, but it shouldn't be a problem just yet.

Hence, Erwin waited patiently until a perfect opportunity came.

Christina, on the other hand, activated her beast soul to boost her strength, believing that the strength she got from the food and equipment began to be not enough against this beast.

'The Elseingarde way of fighting is the same. Although it's the most annoying, it's the most effective.

'We don't go for the offensive. Instead, we keep going on the defensive, blocking every single attack to exhaust our enemy. We have learned how to take a beating and waited for a perfect opportunity to counterattack.

'That's why I have to endure here. Even though it's exhausting, I can still last long enough until Clovis and Jay are here.

'How long do they need? Will this Tier 7 beast become so strong that even four of us can't defeat it by the time they come?' Christina couldn't really glance to the side to check everyone's progress, since she would die if she was distracted, even for a second.

And waiting for them was like burning in hell. Her body was itchy, as if it was screaming, "Come already!"

At the same time, her mind was telling her body to be patient. It was the suffering a guardian would always experience. They had to wait and kept blocking the enemy. They felt the world was completely dark except for a single light illuminating them and the beast in front of them. They didn't know whether the group had retreated or not.

If the group had been exterminated, they would have been too late to notice and died in the process. Once they sensed that despair, their body would grow colder and colder as they started having a hard time breathing.

Despite all that fear, she chose to become a guardian. It was because a guardian was the group's sturdiest shield. Even if the beasts suddenly crept behind her and killed her, she had to remain firm.

'Huuu…' Christina forcefully took a deep breath while switching her stance. Normally, she would just focus on blocking the attack even if it meant being pushed back, but she was the guardian from the famous Elseingarde family, the family that boasted of producing the strongest guardians in the world.

And that was because the guardian that hailed from this family had broken that stigma. If they couldn't see their surroundings because of their overwhelming enemy, they just had to use their own way to do it.

Christina put her shield in front and rotated her body before pushing forward, ramming her body weight against the beast.

*Bang!*

The beast was quite stunned when his attack was blocked completely and the person behind the shield refused to budge.

In that small time window, Christina opened her eyes wide, trying to find Clovis and Jay. But the Libation Fiesta was an existence that had also broken the norm.

"Raaa!" The beasts screamed as Clovis and Jay broke through their rank and finally reached Christina.