As the archers’ arrows proved useless due to sudden interference, they retreated as per the commander’s orders. But their work was far from over; they quickly reformed their party formations.
Yona returned to Ethan’s side, her favorite bow in hand.
“Zzzzz…” The moment she arrived, Ethan felt a sudden chill crawl across his skin—a sensation that only occurred when his Predator’s Instinct kicked in.
“Yona…!” Ethan shouted immediately after understanding the threat.
Reacting on instinct, Ethan swiftly pulled her away from her position.
A split second later, a thin beam of condensed dark energy silently pierced the spot where Yona had just stood. It was so fine and quiet that no one had noticed—a deadly, life-draining attack.
Yona, still in shock from the sudden pull, looked at Ethan with wide eyes. “What was that?”
Before Ethan could respond, a chilling sight caught their attention. The archers who had been raining arrows on the enemy now stood frozen, their eyes vacant and their bodies lifeless. The dark, needle-like beams had struck them down with terrifying precision, draining the very life from their bodies.
Screams of horror echoed across the battlefield as the realization set in—the needle-like dark energy rays had specifically targeted not only Yona but all the archers.
Ethan’s heart turned cold as he took in the horrifying scene. The battlefield had turned into a graveyard, with the once valiant archers now lying lifeless.
Cedric and Marcus were wide eyed, not expecting to be in threat so soon.
Yona, still trembling from the close call, gripped her bow tightly, her knuckles white. Her wide eyes reflected the horror she felt, unable to tear her gaze away from the fallen soldiers.
“Ethan, what… what just happened?” she stammered, her voice quivering.
Ethan’s sharp eyes scanned the area, his mind racing to make sense of the sudden attack. “Those rays… they were targeting you and the other archers specifically,” he said, his voice low but steady.
“They are trying cripple us slowly. Looks like someone is commanding them remotely.”
With just a single attack, the Obsidian Terrors had claimed over 400 human lives. The battlefield was littered with the lifeless bodies of archers who had been struck down by the deadly rays. Fortunately, some powerful hunters at the front lines managed to save a few of the archers in the nick of time, pulling them to safety. However, those stationed at the rear were not so fortunate. Their cries of pain and terror echoed through the air before being abruptly silenced, their lives snuffed out in an instant.
At The Frontline…
“My Lord, these Obsidian Terrors seem to be using another of their strange abilities. We need to step in,” Zephyr Stormclaw, the leader of the Phantom Wolf clan, whispered urgently. His voice was calm, but the tension in his eyes revealed his concern.
The other clan leaders gathered around him nodded in agreement, realizing the situation had become critical. Each of them was a experienced hunter, and they understood the danger that these new abilities posed. If they allowed them to do this again, more and more hunters would die needlessly.
Among the leaders were Aria’s father and his brother, their expressions grim as they exchanged glances. They had recognized a few members of their clan among the victims of the recent assault. The weight of the loss settled heavily on their shoulders, but they steeled themselves, determined to avenge their fallen comrades.
“Let’s Go..”
City Lord Longus, a towering figure radiating authority, took a deep breath and stepped forward. His presence commanded respect as he prepared to confront the threat head-on. He was accompanied by the clan leaders and esteemed elders, each of them a force to be reckoned with. Together, they would face the Obsidian Terrors, who had already claimed so many lives.
On the other side of the battlefield, nearly 500 Obsidian Terrors loomed, their massive dark forms exuding an aura of menace.
Their black, crystalline exoskeletons shimmered ominously, and their eyes glowed with an unnatural, eerie light.
Behind them, thousands of ordinary beasts of varying ranks surged forward, driven by primal instincts and bloodlust. The ground trembled under their combined weight, and the air was thick with the scent of battle.
“Roar…!” The Obsidian Terrors bellowed in unison, their deafening cries shaking the very earth. It was a signal, a call to war that sent shivers down the spines of even the most battle-maniac hunters.
Without hesitation, the Obsidian Terrors charged, their movements swift and deadly. The ground beneath them cracked and smoldered as they advanced, their crystalline claws like scythes cutting through the earth like a hot knife through butter.
On the human side, nearly a hundred A-Rank powerhouses prepared to meet the onslaught. They were the best of the best, each one capable of taking on a small army by themselves. But even they knew that this battle would push them to their limits.
“Sunfire Crow (S)!” City Lord Longus’s voice boomed across the battlefield as he activated the same skill once again. This time, however, the ferocity and destructiveness of the fire crow were amplified several times over. The air around him crackled with intense heat, and the ground beneath his feet scorched from the sheer power he unleashed.
With a commanding wave of his hand, the Fire Crow—a massive, ethereal creature composed of searing flames—lunged forward into the heart of the nightmare creatures. Its wings spread wide, casting an ominous, fiery glow across the battlefield.
“Boom!”
As it descended upon the Obsidian Terrors, the very air sizzled with heat, and the ground beneath the creatures turned to molten slag. In mere seconds, several of the Terrors were reduced to nothing but cinders, their menacing forms disintegrating in the inferno.
Inspired by this display of power, the A-Rank powerhouses charged forward, their confidence renewed. They knew that with City Lord Longus leading the charge, they stood a fighting chance against these monstrous foes.
The moment the two forces collided, the battlefield erupted into utter chaos. Flames danced across the sky, lightning crackled and arced between combatants, and torrents of energy clashed with devastating force. The A-Rank hunters unleashed their might with practiced precision, each strike a proof their years of training and battle experience.
But the Obsidian Terrors were far from ordinary foes; their strange, darkness abilities granted them an unnatural advantage. They moved with eerie fluidity, their attacks bypassing conventional defenses and striking with lethal accuracy. Even the veteran hunters found themselves struggling to keep up with the relentless assault.
Amidst this intense battle, the ordinary beasts and giant birds, driven by primal fury and bloodlust, managed to break through the first line of defense. Their sheer numbers and ferocity overwhelmed the initial ranks, creating a breach that threatened to spill chaos into the heart of the defenders.
“Second Formation! Charge!” The command rang out, cutting through the atmosphere of the battleground.
As if on cue, the B and C-Rank hunters sprang into action. They moved with coordinated precision, their movements a clear proof of their discipline and training. These hunters, though not as powerful as their A-Rank powerhouses, were no less determined.
They engaged the higher-level beasts head-on, their weapons flashing as they cut through the horde. They fought with a brutal efficiency, focusing their efforts on the more dangerous foes while avoiding the low-level beasts to conserve their strength.
Aria, alongside her fellow clan members and cousins, charged into the fray with daggers in hand, their movements a blur of speed and precision. The battlefield around them was a chaotic storm of claws, teeth, and steel, but they navigated it with astonishing agility.
Their Void Step skill allowed them to vanish and reappear in an instant, making them nearly impossible for the beasts to track them. One by one, they cut through their enemies, each strike swift and lethal, leaving a trail of fallen foes in their wake.
Aria, however, stood out even amongst her clan members and cousins. She was in a league of her own, her movements a dazzling display of speed and skill. She moved like a silvery flash, her dagger glinting in the light as she struck down beast after beast with incredible proficiency…
Each of her strikes was precise, clean, and devastating, slicing through the toughest beasts as if they were paper. Her agility was unmatched, allowing her to weave through the battlefield with an almost ethereal grace, her presence more akin to a deadly specter than a human warrior.
“Amazing!”
Ethan watched her from afar, his eyes following her every movement. Despite the chaos around him, he couldn’t help but feel a deep sense of admiration for Aria. Her valiant profile as she fought, her unwavering determination, and her flawless techniques left him impressed. She was the exact combination of both beauty and brawn.
Creation is hard, cheer me up! VOTE for me!Your gift is the motivation for my creation. Give me more motivation!
