BXBX NOVEL Chapter 385 384: Monster Horde
Either way, it was a nice distraction to pass the remaining moments as I listened to the scampering and scurrying of the monsters in the distance, roars, howls, chirps and hisses filling the normally silent air of the forest.
Mirgraz palmed some sort of enchanted bone rod, the top of which was fixated with a flared cross guard, almost like it was the hilt of a sword that had lost its blade.
Selessei spun her spear and loosened her muscles, her long serpent tail thumping against the snow quietly as she observed the tree line behind her, looking for the monsters.
Erika was the most fidgety, her claws extended and coated in Wind Mana as she shifted from foot to foot, her fur on end as she awaited the arrival of the monster horde.
All three women had spread out across the area, taking a third of the available space as their own as they hoisted their weapons, the noises from the horde drawing ever closer.
As for me, I drew my Protective Fang in my left hand and newly enchanted Shatter Fang in my right, the two broad daggers reassuringly heavy in my hands as I too prepared for the fighting ahead.
My choice had been made, and I decided that - after getting the others embroiled in swarms of monsters - I would take the opportunity to escape and run away for a few hours after popping a scent diffuser once more.
I needed to escape these three women to preserve myself, while also allowing me to continue forwards and escape this forest.
If need be, I would be running all day and all night until I escaped, after which I would allow myself to rest when I reached somewhere safe.
A loud screech interrupted my thoughts, and I saw the first of the monsters burst out from the forest, it's long beaked head attached to a wolves body as it bounded forwards, towards the Bloodstones and me.
However, Selessei intercepted the creature, her spear flashing out as she sliced cleanly through the bird headed wolf's neck, severing its skull from its body in one glittering arc.
Blood splattered against the ground as the wolf stumbled forwards a few more steps before collapsing, dead.
On Erika's side, a large winged serpent shot through the lower branches and dove towards the Pantherkin, trying to latch its curved fangs onto her shoulder, only to meet its end at the end of her wind enhanced claws.
More and more monsters burst forth from the forest and charged towards me, and I planted my feet as I turned my attention from the women to the monsters.
Leaping through the air at me was a Geri, and I coated my Shatter Fang in ice as I stabbed upwards, skewering its neck before pulsing my mana through the dagger, slivers of ice slicing through its muscle and leaving its head dangling to the side.
[Geri killed - 890 XP awarded]
As I pulled the dagger free from the Geri, I spun away from the outstretched claws of a cat-type monster and kicked it away, sending it flying with a hiss.
Activating my Protective Fang, I blocked an dive bombing bird, the small monster crashing hard against the shield and shattering its bones, killing itself on the barrier.
[Crowga killed - 346 XP awarded]
Monsters continued to stream through the tree line, of all kinds of variations and lethality, and they were stemmed by the three women who tore through them, piling corpses around themselves as they 'hunted' their prey.
Mirgraz was the one that enjoyed this the most, laughing loudly as she swung a blade made of water through her opponents, slicing cleanly through muscle and sinew, while her free fist slammed out and shattered bone.
The large blue Oni bathed in blood as she slaughtered the monsters that approached her, while Erika and Selessei picked their fights with more strategy and care.
As such, they were letting the most monsters through, and thankfully enough they were mainly weaker monsters like those Crowga's or the Geri, which fell easily under my daggers.
I moved around with a healthy mix of defensive techniques and offensive ones, dodging the weaker looking monsters and attacking the stronger ones, my daggers constantly moving through the air as I sliced through flesh and bone with ease.
My Protective Fang provided constant barriers to protect my left side, the green Wind Mana pushing attackers back when they slammed into it, while my Shatter Fang eviscerated anything that got too close, shards of deadly ice cutting into the monsters flesh and spreading the [Frost of Despoina] skill like a poison.
Additionally, a miniature domain of ice spikes erupted around me, skewering the paws of the monsters nearby as they charged at me, slowing them down as I dealt with the airborne monsters first.
[Faux Quetzalcoatl killed - 766 XP awarded]
[Ravenga killed - 392 XP awarded]
[Crowga killed - 350 XP awarded]
Notifications blared inside my mind, joining the abundance of noise outside my head as monsters fell under my blades and magics, the sheer number of monsters surprising me as I continued to kill more and more.
How many of these damn things were hibernating inside the forest?!
Even with those three stemming the tides, wave after wave of snarling, growling, slobbering monsters charged at me, falling swiftly to my attacks as I put them down.
These were the weaklings, the advance party...
Louder roars sounded out in the forest, roars that shook my body as I fought, and roars that were so deep and guttural I could barely imagine what was coming our way.
However, through those roars another sound split through the air; sharp whistling sounded out from Mirgraz's side, and I briefly turned to see her holding a thin bone whistle between her lips, an arrogant smirk on her face.
She... was summoning her tribe, wasn't she?