Howard took the dagger and pierced it into the gnome thrower’s eye socket, twisting it violently. The gnome thrower died instantly, devoid of even a final twitch.
Such a brutal method caught Alec sidelong, his brows arching in surprise. He hadn’t expected this lucky youngster to have such a ruthless streak, not resembling a newcomer in the least.
The others watched Howard’s savage action with startled expressions, each harboring the same thought in their hearts, “Killing it is one thing, but why so cruel, even stirring after stabbing…” .
A few of the more timid members couldn’t help but retreat half a step backward, their faces adorned with fearful expressions.
Little did they know, Howard’s approach was the kind that granted a swift death to the monster, sparing it extended agony.
More importantly, it ensured a quick and thorough kill, preventing any unforeseen accidents.
In the past, there had been numerous instances of monsters playing dead, leading to the downfall of the inexperienced awakened ones.
As the gnome thrower breathed its last, a white orb much larger than any they had seen before arose and merged into Howard.
He felt a wave of warmth enveloping his body, a sensation both comfortable and invigorating.
Simultaneously, a cold, mechanical notification echoed in his ears.
[Ding! You have killed an LV11 gnome thrower, gaining 89 experience points!]
Opening his attribute panel, Howard found his experience bar displaying ’89/100′.
It indicated that he was just a whisker away from leveling up. Even slaying the most ordinary of slimes would allow him to ascend to level 2.
But at that very moment, a subtle trembling began to resonate from the ground beneath them. Small stones jounced ceaselessly while the trees rustled ominously.
“Be careful! A large group of monsters is approaching. Everyone, converge on me and form a defensive battle formation!” Alec’s voice rang out, laden with a sense of gravity that sent a chilling forewarning to everyone present.
Upon hearing Alec’s command, Howard quickly rejoined the formation.
While one hand clutched an extra Embrace of Ivy, his other hand lingered over his spatial bag, ready to retrieve the Mana Drainer and unleash the Dragonfire spell at any moment.
As time went on, the tremors from the ground intensified, and the horde of monsters drew ever closer in their direction.
“Whimper! Alec, the monsters are coming. We should run!” A girl with a timid disposition couldn’t help but cry softly under the immense pressure, her words tainted with tears and fear.
“Yes! Alec, it is evident the monsters are heading our way. We should run while we can, perhaps there’s a chance to escape!” chimed another.
“Whimper, I don’t want to die. I just awakened a C-level talent. I was about to rise above others, to experience a beautiful life. I don’t want to die here,” sobbed a third, the sadness in her voice reverberating in the atmosphere.
“Will those monsters scratch my face? I don’t want to die looking horrendous!” The concern was echoed in a terrified voice, loaded with vanity and fear.
As the first suggestion of escape resonated, it seemed to unlock a Pandora’s box, and a cacophony of cries and pleas filled the air, the voices overlapping, a symphony of fear and despair. 𝘪𝑎.𝒸𝘰
“No, we cannot run!”
Alec asserted, scrutinizing the panicking crowd before explaining gravely, “Turning your back to a monster tide in the wasteland is a surefire way to get yourself killed. Once you start running, the tide will chase like mad, and unless you are faster and have more endurance than them…”
He paused, his tone softening as he continued, aiming to soothe their fears, “Stay here, with our backs to the gnome camp. We only have to face monsters coming from one direction. As long as we can repel several waves and show them resistance, making them rethink their assault, that’s when we stand a chance to survive.”
Under Alec’s relentless encouragement, reassurance, and pep talk, the leveling team finally settled down, bracing themselves for the impending battle.
Warriors, knights, and shield bearers took the front lines, while archers, magi, and priests positioned themselves at the back, ready to provide support.
Assassins climbed to higher grounds, disappearing into hiding spots, ready to strike from the shadows.
Despite the fact that aside from Alec and Howard, the rest of the members only had one or two novice skills, their assembly was diverse, including warriors, magi, thieves, priests, and archers from various professions.
Together, they held a glimmer of hope that with proper coordination, they could fend off a small monster tide.
Yet, when the monstrous tide finally came into view, a wave of pessimism washed over the squad once again, leaving even Alec pale and stern-faced.
They saw a series of creatures, each longer than two meters and standing taller than one and a half meters, their bodies shrouded in dark fur, bearing ferocious tusks and rushing towards their direction with rapid strides.
The sheer size, number, and evident strength of the horde were nothing short of terrifying. Their information panel read:
[Enchanted Boar]
[Level: 13]
[HP: 1675]
[Attack Power: 195~477]
[Defense Value: 321]
[Skills: Boar Charge, Burning Fat, Tusk Impact, Keen Smell, Extraordinary Life Force]
[Description: The Enchanted Boar rules the wastelands, a beast so formidable that even tigers, lions, and cheetahs would avoid facing more than five at a time. After enchantment, their might increases even further…]
“One…two…three…four…twenty-seven, twenty-eight…twenty-eight Enchanted Boars. Whimper, we’re doomed…” A girl whispered, counting the approaching beasts in trepidation, her voice echoing the despair in everyone’s hearts.
As she counted, the group’s faces turned increasingly grim, the mention of twenty-eight fierce boars bringing a sense of doom and desperation, a premonition of a tragic fate.
Even a small stronghold wouldn’t stand a chance against such a number of Enchanted Boars.
“Damn it, how could there be so many Enchanted Boars on the outskirts of the forest? I thoroughly checked the monster distribution map before we came…” Alec’s face was ashen, the gravity of their situation sinking deeper with each passing second.
Even though slaying these Enchanted Boars wouldn’t pose much of a challenge for him, a seasoned awakened in his thirties, accomplishing such a feat would take time, time that the children behind him didn’t have.
The fear was palpable: Could this team withstand the onslaught of a boar charge? It seemed all too likely that the fragile defense line they formed would crumble in an instant against the brute force of the boar tide.
“Heave, heave!”
“Heave, heave!”
The Enchanted Boars thundered on, their hooves kicking up clouds of dust as they bore down upon the group, their unique gasping sounds filling the air.
Even the gnome camp’s tents, cabins, and fences began to shake violently, about to collapse from the vibrations reverberating from the ground, a testament to the might they were up against.
“I’ll try to hold off the boar tide. Stay close and be careful…” Alec said, gritting his teeth as he charged towards the incoming swarm of boars.
This courageous move left Howard and a few students who were familiar with the boars agape in astonishment.
“Alec, be careful!”
“Ah! Alec, come back, it’s too dangerous…”
“Whimper, Alec…”
It was common knowledge that facing a boar charge head-on was a suicidal endeavor, a force not even the mightiest of beasts dared to confront directly.
While Alec was strong, the risk of sustaining severe injuries, or even facing death in blocking the boar tide was substantially high.
His primary intention was to stem the tide’s momentum, preventing them from breaching the team’s formation.
Opting to risk his own safety, potentially even his life, to safeguard the students evoked deep respect and emotional stirrings in the observers, a gesture of selfless bravery.
“Giant Physique, activate!” Alec stood defiantly in the path of the boar tide, triggering his talent.
His already imposing figure, towering at two meters with rippling muscles, ballooned further to a massive height of three and a half meters, resembling a titanic warrior.
He exchanged his blade for a gargantuan double-handed battle axe, the immense head of which resembled a massive cauldron lid.
With a mighty swing, he split a charging Enchanted Boar in half.
Another wide arc saw three boars losing limbs, their bodies sliding a staggering ten meters from inertia, leaving deep gorges in the ground, filled with blood resembling horrific trenches.
This fierce counteroffensive briefly stemmed the boars’ charge, slowing their advance significantly.
Yet, at that moment, the tide parted on both sides, revealing a monstrous boar charging forth like a juggernaut from the created pathway.
Standing over two meters tall and stretching more than five meters in length, it resembled a ferocious armored vehicle, its fangs as sharp as daggers.
With a speed rivalling lightning, it covered the distance to Alec in a matter of breaths.
Previously concealed amidst the swirling dust, it caught Alec unprepared, emerging with a sudden, terrifying velocity.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The deafening thuds of its charge sounded as Alec was sent flying, landing in a nearby bush, blood spewing from his mouth and staining his armor vividly. Several other boars followed, continuously ramming Alec with their tusks, forcing him to a defensive position lying partially on the ground, wielding only one hand to fend off their relentless assault.
His mighty axe was nowhere to be seen, likely thrown afar in the turmoil. Now forced to face the enemy unarmed, Alec found himself in an incredibly perilous situation, caught in the raw brutality of the moment.
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