Monsters
Five hours later, as night gradually fell, Serea's camp was peaceful, but such tranquility did not belong to everyone...
In the jungle wetlands, within the camp of the Jawfang tribe, the old Clan Chief Tifia and his son Digue were sitting at the dinner table.
"The Xiyun rchant Guild's caravan will arrive tomorrow. Did you get the black pearl?"
"Yes, thanks to the blessing of the 'Lake God,' we've harvested more black pearls this week than usual. After setting aside the amount for the trade, we can even reserve a little in storage."
"That's good, that's very good."
Tifia let go of his worries, and just as he was about to start dinner, a lizardman scout burst in.
"Report, clan Chief, the scout team in the woods has issued a warning—it's an enemy invasion!"
"What!"
Tifia was shocked, and having previously gone through Mulin's ogre invasion, he sensed that this incident would not be simple either.
"Send the information to Queen Serea, then notify the warriors in the camp to prepare for battle."
"Yes."
The lizardman scout left, and Tifia, leaning on his staff, walked out of the tent. Seeing this, digue followed, and together they stepped onto the camp's wooden palisade.
Gazing into the darkness, tifia felt that sothing was hidden within, and the lizardman warriors also stepped onto the walls one after another.
"They're coming!"
Tifia used 'Prophet's Sense' to detect the presence of the enemy, numbering thirty, but he could not sense their specific strength.
"Get ready for battle!"
Digue shouted, and at this, the lizardn gripped their spears and javelins tightly, all staring into the darkness.
The first tall figure appeared, then a second and a third, and just as Tifia had sensed, there were thirty in total.
As the enemies approached a certain distance, he shouted.
"Flares!"
Whoosh!
A dot of light shot into the sky, illuminating the land below. They saw those figures outside and, instantly, terror showed on their faces.
What kind of monsters were those!
With deep purple skin, nacing fangs, tendrils writhing on their veiny flesh.
"What are those? Ogres?"
Digue's brow furrowed deeply, and as soon as the lizardn got a good look at those creatures, the monsters began to charge.
"Awoooo!"
The charge was so swift that, in just over ten seconds, they would reach the palisades. Seeing this, tifia hurriedly ordered.
"Attack! Don't let them get close!"
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
Javelins were thrown, while Tifia chanted magic.
As the javelins flew toward them, the monsters precisely grabbed them with their body tendrils and hurled them right back at the lizardn.
Splurt!
Blood splattered as several lizardn fell; the fighting strength of both sides was simply on different levels.
"Earth elent, bar my enemies!"
Tifia finished his chant, and a swath of earth in front of the camp turned into a muddy swamp. The monsters were stuck, but it only slowed their advance a bit.
Once they were close, tifia could sense the power inside those monsters—they were all second- and third-level monsters.
Thirty of them, while their own fighting force was less than twenty, and their strength was far inferior. Defeat was certain!
Thinking this, he said in shock to Digue beside him,
"Gather the tribespeople and use the river to escape to Lake Nos to seek the Lake God's protection."
"What?"
"Quickly!"
"Yes."
Digue ran off hurriedly, and in just a few exchanged words, the monsters had broken through the swamp and reached the outside of the camp.
Several lizardman guards tried to attack from above with spears, but the monsters' tendrils whipped out and pulled several lizardn down.
"Ahhhh!"
The monsters feasted on the lizardn, their bodies torn apart by tendrils, massive maws, and sharp fangs in an instant.
"Down from the walls—quickly!"
Following Tifia's shout, the remaining lizardn jumped off the palisade and gathered at the main gate.
Bang!
The main gate shook violently, its panels and pillars slanting outward, and Digue also returned to the gate.
"Father, the tribespeople are all retreating along the river."
"Good. Take the others and go ahead; I'll cover the rear."
"What? Are we abandoning our ho?"
"Stop with the nonsense and leave now! We can't defeat these enemies."
"Yes!"
Digue also understood this was not the ti to hesitate. The gate would soon be breached, and they couldn't hold off those monsters.
Digue led the guards toward the back of the camp, while Tifia stood alone in front of the main gate, gripping a conch tightly in his hand.
At this point, for the safety of the tribespeople's escape, he could only ask the Lake God for help.
As he spoke, the gate was about to be breached. Seeing this, tifia hesitated no more and imdiately blew the conch.
"Woo-woo-woo!"
The conch's sonic waves spread out, and, in the tranquility below the lake, a young woman slowly opened her eyes.
"Woo-woo-woo!"
Tifia continued blowing the conch, and as the sound waves swept out, water suddenly gushed out over the frozen swamp.
Splaaaash!
In barely ten seconds, the camp had beco a vast pool, the water reaching half a ter deep.
"That's enough."
Tifia said, and then the main gate was breached. A monster appeared before him, and seeing it up close, tifia felt a wave of fear.
"Awooo!"
The monster charged at Tifia. With the monster at level 20 getting in close to the level 19 Tifia, the result could only be imagined.
But just at this critical mont, a sound replied to Tifia.
"Woo-woo-woo!"
It was a call very much like the conch—and, as the sound echoed, a massive octopus tentacle surged from the water, wrapping around the monster that had just burst in.
Crack!
The sound of bones snapping was unmistakably clear, but Tifia didn't have ti to care—he desperately ran toward the back of the camp.
The Lake God could only help them for a while, not delay forever; he had to hurry.
"Woo-woo-woo!"
Thump thump thump!
One tentacle after another burst from the water, controlling the monsters. The monsters were unable to pursue, forced to watch as the lizardn fled for their lives.
When he reached the back of the camp, digue was anxiously waiting. Spotting Tifia, he cried out,
"Father!"
"Go! Find the Lake God."
"Okay."
With that, the two looked at the frozen river—there was a hole in the ice, and without hesitation they jumped in.
Elsewhere, the monsters, unable to break free, suddenly saw the water start to recede, and with it, the tentacles vanished.
Freed from their restraints, the monsters surged into the camp, but by then it was empty.
"Awoo, awoo, awoo!"
Furious, they howled, then, driven by their instructions, the monsters chased toward Lake Nos—and tonight would be anything but ordinary.
(To be continued...)
Reviews
All reviews (0)