I Reincarnated to Another World as a Woman-Chapter 303: Coordinated Chaos

Liam isn’t exaggerating.

The haelions are coordinating their attacks. In fact, they are executing a combo.

The red and black ones lash their tongues to snatch, yank, and strike. The black haelions roar to disorient their prey.

Right now, Arthur and Liam are dealing with both at once.

Two types of attacks.

At the same time.

And their Aegis can only weaken one.

The roar.

Their Pods take hit after hit from the whipping tongues.

Metal groans.

Cracks spread across the outer frames.

"We can’t stay like this! We’re sitting ducks!" Liam shouts. His Pod shakes violently, the frame splintering further. It will not hold much longer.

"Agreed!" Arthur faces the same problem. His Pod is no better.

He scans the area. "But we can’t just go all out with them around." He means the witnesses.

Liam glances around as well. "What if we set the Pods to autopilot and get out? Help the civilians directly?"

Arthur nods. "Good idea. Let’s do it."

They both switch their Pods to autopilot and jump out.

Straight into danger.

It is easier said than done.

They have to weave through snapping tongues and endure the roaring waves.

Without the Pods to absorb the hits, every movement demands more from them.

More speed.

More focus.

More endurance.

It helps that the red and black haelions do not think. They lash blindly. If they miss, they strike again, like mindless fishermen casting lines.

Near the gate, Julian and the remaining officers stand ready, receiving any civilians brought out.

The messengers have proven useless for communication.

Now their job is simple.

Pass the victims.

Arthur, Liam, and J.C. move fast, slipping between tongues and bursts of sound. Their Sentinel training shows.

Every step is precise.

Every movement efficient.

Ethan struggles.

He is not a Sentinel.

He cannot use magic here.

For the first time, he feels almost as helpless as the civilians.

He does not realize it immediately.

He always believed he was just as strong as the others in the Hunters.

He never considered physical strength.

Or Sentinel training.

He used to look down on it.

Now he feels the difference.

Sees it clearly.

Especially when he watches Arthur and Liam.

They move like snakes.

Fast.

Precise.

Untouchable.

The tongues cannot catch them.

And they do all this while carrying civilians.

Ethan’s stamina drains quickly.

Too quickly.

Arthur notices.

"Stay out!" he orders. He will not let Ethan become another casualty.

Ethan does not argue.

Not this time.

He accepts it.

He is weaker than them.

Together with J.C., he helps drag Hawk out.

Then he stays outside.

Half relieved.

Half shaken.

Hawk remains unconscious, blood still seeping from his ears.

Ethan sits in the emergency medical tent, wrapped in a blanket, a hot drink trembling in his hands as he stares at the gate.

Taylor is there as well, receiving treatment.

Carter moves between them, tending to both Ethan and Taylor, while also assisting the medical team.

------------------------------

Alicia tests her ankle.

It is not fully healed, but it is stable enough.

She can stand.

She can move.

And more importantly, she can fight.

Maeve gives her a thumbs up.

"You’re good to go."

Alicia exhales in relief.

She steps forward and hugs Maeve. "Thanks, Maeve. You’re the best."

Maeve hugs her back. "Be careful out there. Now go clear the dungeon."

Alicia nods.

No hesitation.

She leaves the tent and heads straight toward the gate.

Julian is there, adjusting the Aegis, his attention split between the device and the battlefield.

He looks up as she approaches.

"Hey, you’re back. You ready?" he asks.

Alicia nods. "More than ever. I want to kill those monsters."

Julian smiles and nods. "Go get them."

Alicia steps through the gate.

The chaos greets her instantly.

She does not slow down.

She moves.

Straight into the fight.

Helping pull civilians out.

------------------------------

"Where the hell are you?!" Theo is red with anger.

He has been chasing shadows, searching for the King without success. The tongue is long gone. Theo has lost its trail. He cannot even sense the King anymore.

From time to time, he glances toward the camp. Using mana, he can tell they are still holding on.

They do not need him.

Not yet.

So he sets his focus on one goal.

Find the King.

Kill it.

But all he has found is nothing.

Even the haelions are becoming scarce.

Is it because I have killed most of them? Are they hiding? Or are they all at the camp?

Theo hovers mid-air, thinking.

He stops.

Looks down at the ground.

"If you think you can keep this up, you’re wrong," he mutters. "I will find you. Even if I have to turn this entire dungeon upside down."

He releases his magic.

The air twists.

A massive tornado forms, tearing through the landscape.

Trees rip from the ground.

Soil churns.

Rocks are thrown into the air.

Theo rides the storm, using it to sweep across the area, searching for any trace of the King.

Time passes.

Nothing.

His frustration builds.

He cuts the magic and drops onto a small hill, landing heavily.

He exhales, forcing himself to think.

"How is it possible to disappear like this? There is no way I cannot sense it. I must be missing something."

He speaks out loud.

Trying to ground himself.

Theo closes his eyes.

He slows his breathing.

Pushes down the anger.

Focus.

There.

A faint signal. 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

Different from the others.

The King.

Theo frowns, concentrating harder, trying to lock onto its location.

Closer.

Closer.

Then—

The ground shakes.

Like an earthquake.

But Theo knows.

There are no natural earthquakes in a dungeon.

Or are there?

He frowns, doubt creeping in for a split second.

Then he shakes his head.

No.

Dungeons are not part of nature.

They do not follow natural rules.

That thought lingers.

The shaking intensifies.

The ground trembles violently.

Trees topple.

The earth cracks open.

Rocks split apart.

Bushes are torn from their roots.

Theo floats upward, watching it unfold.

The entire area shifts like a living thing.

This is not normal.

Not even for a dungeon.

Theo makes a decision.

He turns toward the camp.

He needs to know if this reaches them.

If it does—

It changes everything.

He shoots forward, flying at full speed.

------------------------------

"I’d like to speak with the person in charge here," a man in uniform says to a police officer handling crowd control.

The officer looks him over. "Who’s asking?"

The man pulls out a badge.

The officer’s eyes widen.

"Monfort Sentinels?" he asks.

The Sentinel nods. "Mr. Linus Monfort sent us here to help."

He gestures behind him.

Several ambulances from Monfort private clinics are lined up. Trucks filled with Sentinels arrive one after another.

And...

"Food trucks?" the officer asks, dumbfounded.

The Sentinel nods again. "Yes. The victims need food. So do the officers and everyone helping."

The officer nods quickly and radios Lieutenant Cole.

She arrives in less than five minutes.

"Help? Thank God. Come in," she says, relief clear in her voice.

Maeve steps out of the tent, drawn by the commotion.

"What’s going on?" she asks.

Men and women in doctor’s coats and nurse uniforms move in, already scanning the situation. They ask for the doctor in charge.

Maeve and the officers exchange looks.

Then they all point to a man lying unconscious on a makeshift bed.

"He was under the rubble. Both his feet are crushed, and one arm as well. He’s unconscious from medication he administered himself," Maeve explains.

One of the doctors steps forward.

"I’m Dr. Leonard. This is Nurse Jones. We’re here to help."

Maeve smiles. "Your help is very much needed, Doctor. None of us are trained for this. We’re doing what we can. You taking over would mean everything."

Dr. Leonard nods and immediately begins issuing orders.

The change is swift.

Within fifteen minutes, another medical tent is set up.

Inside, it resembles a compact but fully equipped clinic.

Clean.

Organized.

Functional.

They can even perform minor surgeries.

Maeve watches, nodding in approval. "Impressive. Your father is impressive, Liam."

She scans the area.

The scene is still chaotic, but now there is structure.

Medical tents.

Food trucks.

Mobile toilets.

Heavy machinery clearing rubble.

Sentinels gearing up.

Order begins to emerge from disaster.

Near the gate, Julian speaks with the Sentinel leader, a man who introduced himself as Team Captain Oscar.

"Mr. Julian, we would like to assist in rescuing civilians and clearing the dungeon," Team Captain Oscar says.

"I know you do," Julian replies. "But I need to warn you about their sound-based attacks. Do you have anything that can counter that?"

Team Captain Oscar is stunned. "Sound-based attacks? That wasn’t in our briefing."

"What exactly was your briefing?" Julian asks, curious, not mocking.

TC Oscar looks slightly awkward. "Not much, actually. Just that a rogue mutated level six dungeon appeared at Jade Lantern District, with heavy casualties. And what we’ve seen on live TV." He gestures toward the helicopters hovering overhead.

Julian nods. "That makes sense."

He continues, "Yes, the haelions are using sound-based attacks. If you have Aegis from Montrose Corporation, I can show you how to tune it so it gives you some protection."

TC Oscar nods. "We do, Mr. Julian." He takes out his Aegis. The rest of the Sentinels follow suit, activating theirs.

Julian moves quickly, showing them how to adjust the settings.

"Remember, if you set it this way, it will only weaken the sound-based attacks. It will not block them completely. And it will no longer protect you from physical attacks."

The Sentinels exchange glances, then nod.

They understand the trade-off.

"Once you’re inside, find Arthur and follow his orders," Julian adds.

"Understood!"

TC Oscar straightens. "Sentinels, ready!"

"Ready!" the rest respond in unison.