NOVPUBGwen checked if there were thaids around, and when she saw there weren’t, she signaled the group to spread around the massive tree.
Gwen observed the massive trunk. They had to know if this was made by Erik or if it was just some natural tree that the thaids used as a nest or something like that.
In the first case, it would mean they would have already completed the first part of their mission, of course, if Erik was there, and that they could eventually head back if Erik wished so. In the second case, it would mean they were fucked.
"Look for any signs of human activity. Footprints, broken branches, anything that can tell if this tree is safe or not."
Floyd searched the perimeter. Though they kept their distance from the massive tree, many roots sprawled across the ground. If any human had made this place their home, traces of their presence would still be visible.
"I found nothing," Floyd said. He then went examining one of the sprouting roots. "Besides, the surface of this thing is weird, but that could mean anything."
Martha was in the same situation. "Yeah, there are no clear signs of human activity that I can see. We’ll need to search more."
The group continued their search, moving in a circular pattern around the tree but keeping their distance from it, hiding between bushes and plants.
"The vegetation h—"
Before Ben could say anything, a thaid made itself known, making an ear-piercing roar, which was followed by shouts in the distance. The sound echoed through the forest, sending birds scattering from the trees.
"That came from the northeast," Gwen said, already moving in that direction. "Could be Erik." 𝓃𝓸𝓋𝓅𝓾𝒷.𝒸ℴ𝓂
For all they knew, Erik might have been ambushed by a Thaid—it wouldn’t be surprising here on Mur.
Though they had faith in his abilities and might, they had just arrived and weren’t sure if he had already proven strong enough to defeat the local thaids, or how these creatures’ strength compared to his.
No one from Mannard had been here and survived to tell the tale, at least not officially. They knew the blackguards had been able to survive in this hellish place, but they were the blackguards, and their presence here was basically a secret. Besides, they were too strong to count, based on what the group knew.
Erik had been able to fight and win against them, but the organization could still be hiding monsters in their ranks, and they most certainly did.
The group rushed through the forest, keeping their formation tight. They moved without stopping but knew that depending on the situation, they might not join the fight. Besides, they knew that any noise could attract unwanted attention, so they had to avoid luring more thaids to the scene of the battle.
"Keep your eyes open."
The sounds of combat grew louder. Through gaps in the foliage, they saw movement, but it was hard to see them clearly, given how fast these were.
Once there, the scene that greeted them stopped them in their tracks.
A colossal bear-like creature was currently fighting against someone who could only be Erik. The thaid—towering over some of the trees on its hind legs—swung at its opponent while ice spears materialized around its enormous paws.
Erik moved incredibly fast. He avoided all the creature’s attacks and hit back with strikes that made the ground shake. Even though the thaid was stronger than any enemy they had seen before, Erik was still winning the fight.
Ben’s jaw dropped. For once, Floyd lost his joking demeanor, while Martha gasped, her hands flying to her mouth. Even Allan, usually unflappable, watched with wide-eyed wonder.
They all remembered how Erik was 5 years earlier, how the teachers at the Red Palace berated him for not being as strong as they expected an awakener to be. Of course, it was a lie. Erik had never been an awakener because he was more than that.
Among the group, Allan had seen the least of Erik’s fighting ability. Though he had seen Erik’s clones in battle and knew how utterly lethal they could be, his only direct observation of Erik was during their time at the Red Palace—and even then, Allan had paid little attention to him.
Besides, a lot of time passed since those days, and Erik’s feats and fame grew more and more in this period.
Sure, he faked his death for some time, but once it had been known he was alive, rumors about his life in Etrium spread, and people saw his rise in fame, strength, and status in the mercenaries’ country.
Yet, nothing was comparable to what he saw that day. Allan had joined many fights since Frant was taken by Volkov, even more when Becker returned and a fight to reclaim the country started. So, he was skilled enough to say how strong the bear in front of Gwen’s friend was.
"Incredible," Floyd said. "He’s actually beating that thing."
Gwen sized up the battle. Though the Thaid’s speed and strength were much greater than anything she had seen, Erik seemed to have the upper hand. Gwen knew Erik didn’t need it, but helping him wrap up the fight quickly was still better than waiting.
"Martha, trap it. Floyd, slow it down. Aaron, use your corrosive slime to make its movements even slower, but most importantly, painful. Mickey, send your bugs to impair its vision and devour it."
It was true. The beast was stronger than them, but they were in a group. Humanity’s strength had never been their body, but their use of their brain crystal powers and their numbers, their tactics.
The beast was strong, but each one of the group members had at least a B-ranked brain crystal, meaning they had a lot of energy, and since they got Erik’s training technique, their mana consumption decreased as the number of neural links increased.
The group sprang into action. Martha’s powers activated, roots bursting from the ground to entangle the thaid’s legs.
The roots she controlled here were different from the ones back home on Mannard. The local trees had much more powerful roots—they were tougher, thicker, and bigger. Martha’s abilities had also grown stronger at 54 neural links, letting her make any plants she controlled stronger.
As Floyd’s ability took effect, he affected the creature’s momentum, slowing it down.
Aaron’s corrosive slime splashed against the thaid’s fur, eating through its protective coat. Mickey’s flesh-eating bugs swarmed around its head, forcing it to close its eyes.
Rick glanced at the newcomers as they joined the fray, recognizing the others.
<It looks like they got stronger, uh?>
Their coordinated attack impressed even a Chimaeric Demon. <They must have gone through a lot, but why are they here?>
