Chapter 358: Observation (1/2)

While events for going in a strange direction back in the shadow of the city, a bit outside in the seemingly empty plains to the west, a group of four youngsters in the middle of a heated battle against a large horde of fish-like humanoid, bipedal monsters.

While they seemed weird and horrendous to the rest, for the long black-haired boy, they were already familiar. He was already quite antiquated with them after all, these primitive monsters, called Sahuagins were the bane of the young, inexperienced adventurers.

While they were barely the size of a young child, with a matching physique from a first glance, they often surprised the uninformed with their speed, strength, and ferocity that was kept tucked away in their fragile-looking frames.

Their small, slender fingers that had a thin layer of membranous skin between them all ended with small but ominous-looking black claw-like nails that could cut through most leather armors with relative ease, and even make dangerous dents in mail.

Also, apart from the explosive strength they usually shocked their prey with, they rarely came in small numbers. They liked to encircle and surround their opponents, charge and attack them from all sides.

Even if their enemies managed to defeat a few of them, these vicious little creatures didn't seem to mind. Their numbers were endless, their lifespan was much shorter than the average human. The fact that coming from a fish-like origin, their rate of reproduction was much higher. A single female could spawn hundreds of spats, eggs, from where at least a dozen would eventually give birth to a new infantile sahuagin.

Anyway, just as mentioned before, under the scorching sun the four youths were in the midst of a heated battle. Countless light grey scaled little fish-men were rushing towards the small quartet, keeping their encirclement up not giving them any chance to turn tail. Not that they would have done so even if they were given a chance…

”Hyaaa!” A bright blade sailed across the air horizontally, tearing through not one, but two necks, severing their thyroids, engorging, bathing the wielder, Drake with another coat of blood over his face and upper layer of clothing.

At his sides, his sister's fiery red hair swayed madly in the air, as the hot-tempered girl's dagger was plunged into the chest of a third creature. Its wailing, clicking cry was suppressed by the loud, desperate gargles of the other two that were doing their best to cover the ripped flesh, and stop the life escaping through the grave wounds, albeit futilely.

In just a few seconds, their lifeless bodies thumped on the ground, their fates were clear, as their own brethren stepped over their bodies without care, to have a chance to strike at the hateful human.

If one would look carefully, he or she could already see countless mutilated, dead bodies carpeting the ground, yet the monster's numbers didn't seem to falter, they were akin to an endless sea of greyish disaster.

On the other side of their little clearing, a streak of gold could be seen flashing with fast speeds. Each time it stopped, a blonde-haired young girl appeared sending out a kick, a chop, a strike before it jumped to the second beast.

Each of his attacks was deadly, causing the suffering or in some cases the end of these horrible little creatures' lives straight up. At her sides, two vicious growls could be heard, as two black war hounds ripped through the bodies, ripping flesh and limbs with ease. Their eyes bloodshot, they were relentless.

Still, despite the large group's ferocious attacks, the opponents' numbers didn't seem to lessen, they kept coming endlessly, emerging from below the close by riverbed only to snarl madly and join the fray.

”Brother… Are you sure about this quest of yours? These things keep coming, their numbers are endless!” Plunging her blade into the neck of another one and snuffing out its life, the red-haired girl at the front, Scarlet cried out.

Truth be told, she couldn't be blamed for her question, after all, they have been in this situation for more than half an hour now with seemingly no rest in sight in the near future. Another thing that irked him was the fact that the black-haired, golden-eyed boy, Aiden was still yet to join in the battle, he was standing still behind them, with that annoying nonchalant, calm disposition of his.

As if their situation wasn't dire enough, he hasn't even moved a finger and told them that he wanted to observe each of their battle prowess instead.