BXBX NOVEL Chapter 170: Combat
"You said you weren't gonna attack us!"
"Why are you doing this?"
"We're gonna die! Holy shit, we're gonna die!"
Squad #3 panicked upon seeing the other squad entering combat formation. They released a fearsome aura as if they were seasoned soldiers and their killing intent seeded their surroundings.
Isabella was stunned. She couldn't help but wonder if they were duped. Was Squad #1 compromised by Demons? But how can that be? Are they trying to silence her squad here? Or they just genuinely think that she and her squad were demons.
She didn't know what to think anymore. She's tired, stressed, and scared (though she'll never admit to the last part). Too much has happened within the last few hours that she's overwhelmed.
Isabella took out her weapon. Despite knowing that she and her team might be outclassed in this fight, she refuses to die here. She's too young and she had dreams she wanted to achieve. She refuses to be another set of bones scattered across this disgusting land.
Seeing their leader take out her weapon and prepare for combat, the rest of her squad did the same, but it's clear that they're hesitant to do so. They didn't know what to think. Just like Isabella, they too were stressed, tired, and overwhelmed.
That's when everybody heard a deep and soul-shaking roar that sent shivers down their spine.
OOOOOOOUGGGHH
Boom!!
Alert and panicked, all of Squad #3 turned around only to see a pair of demons slowly marching towards them.
One was a 15-foot-tall giant on fours, each limb was thick and bursting with strength. Its skin was charred black and cracked like tree bark. Its crimson-red eyes exerted enormous pressure and it had a pair of large tusks protruding out of its mouth. Dark purple vines wriggled on its back too.
This one is a Demon Mammoth.
The other is a man-snake demon hybrid wearing an armor that's certainly crafted by humans, it most likely pillaged the armor from one of its victims. This one had the torso and lower body of a human. It has a snake body for a neck and a bunch of tiny snakes hissing with pitch-black acid dripping from their mouths for a head. This thing was also holding a pair of sickles.
It is called a Demon Gorgon. A parasitic demon that uses its victims' bodies to hunt more.
"Aaaaah!!!"
Someone from Isabella's squad couldn't take it and collapsed on the ground in fear, even pissing his pants in the process. Others couldn't even comment on that because they too were just as scared as this guy, the only difference is that they haven't lost their bladder movement just yet.
As they spiral in fear and feel the grip of death tightening around their throats, Cedric's vigorous voice slices through their haze.
"Here they are. Move according to what we planned. Cover each other's backs and take them down as soon as you can. Go, I'll be watching you."
Under their amazed and dumbfounded gaze, the members of Squad #1 scattered and confronted the frightening demons like they were tired of living.
Everyone except Cedric moved and engaged their targets. 9 dealt with the Demon Mammoth and 10 handled the Demon Gorgon. Cedric stayed back, standing in front of Squad #3 as if he were guarding frail and innocent children.
Seeing this, Isabella's eyes twinkled in understanding; 'So that's why...his animosity wasn't aimed towards us but at the Demons. He had seen them coming.'
It wasn't just her who realized this, some of the stronger and sharper members of her team also realized this.
'Yet how...how could they recklessly engage dangerous foes like that? Aren't they afraid of dying?' Isabella muttered to herself, and maybe she was not alone in thinking this.
If Cedric ever heard that, he'd only laugh and sneer. Reckless? If they truly think that this was them being reckless, none of them deserved to be called geniuses.
#5 led the charge against the Demon Gorgon. In his personal opinion, this one was far more dangerous than the mammoth. The other guy was huge but it's slow. The vines on its back will attack and restrain its target, allowing the mammoth to use its overwhelmingly large body to finish the fight.
The 9 people sent after it could handle that.
The Demon Gorgon on the other hand was trickier. Its strength depends on its host, and this one uses a human this time. What makes Demon Gorgons dangerous is that they could perfectly utilize their host.
Any and all latent talent and skills that their host had when they were still alive will also be utilized by the Demon Gorgon after they hi-jacked their bodies. And that's on top of the snake-heads being able to stretch and attack too.
The black acid that drips from its mouth was an extremely corrosive venom. One drop could melt T5 Metals in seconds and it spreads fast. It also paralyzes the target's nerves and injures the soul. With how many heads it has, it'd be a miracle if its target survives once the demon's got a hold of them.
When Cedric called for the team earlier, he already informed them of everything he knew about their approaching enemies. He told them their strengths, weaknesses, and ways to defeat them. He divided the members and gave them tasks to fulfill before the targets appeared in their line of sight.
The communication of Squad #1 was smooth thanks to Cedric's conditioning. It might not sound much but in truth, it helped immensely towards the squad's efficiency.
"There, hold it!" #5 hollered when he spotted the chance.
Three of his teammates pinned the snake heads down, preventing it from interfering with the rest. It released copious amounts of venom that melted the corrupted soil but it did nothing to change its state, it was still pinned down.
#5 wore a fierce expression as he brandished his spear and severed the neck from the body. The spearhead sliced through the flesh like a hot knife through butter.
The physical connection of the parasite to the body was severed with that, but it doesn't mean that it lost control. Unless the snake heads were dead, the body it attached itself to would still be under its control.
One of the scanners on #5's team already told him where the core of the parasite was located, the dude even marked it for him. #5 grinned and wedged his spear precisely where the mark was. He felt a solid resistance that gave under the force of his blow and heard the sound of glass shattering.
That was followed by the snake heads and the puppet body turning limp. Just like that, a Tier 6-7 Demon Gorgon was handled without anybody dying or sustaining injuries.
While #5 team burned the body of the Demon Gorgon and its host, the other group also dealt with their enemy.
The Demon Mammoth did its best, but it's just too slow. The 9 people sent after it were the fastest of the squad. While they're collectively not as strong, as big, or as tough as the Mammoth was, they were faster.
The vine tentacles on its back couldn't even touch them during the entire fight because of how slippery they were. In the end, they target the mammoth's weak spot and it collapses dead. It was burned just like the Demon Gorgon.
Squad #3 watched all of them with shocked faces. They couldn't believe what just happened. Did they really do all of that? And that easily too? There's almost no suspense in that battle!
It didn't make sense to them. Demons are horrible creatures! They are obscenely strong and terrifying! Yes, Squad #1 was strong but in their eyes, it's because Cedric was with them, and Cedric was strong.
Yet what did they just witness? Cedric didn't even do a damn thing! He let his team handle the rest, which to them sounds like he's sending them to their deaths, but that's not what happened. Not only did they not suffer any casualties, but they trumped the Demons like they were some kind of losers!
How is that possible?
Cedric ignored whatever they were thinking since they were not his responsibility. Instead, he focused on his team and said:
"Good work, but you're reeking now. You know what to do."
His members nodded and one by one, they performed their versions of Ki Pulse. The pulses swept through everybody, including the dumbfounded members of Squad #3.
The invisible corruption screeched and sizzled before disappearing once the pulses made contact with it. They all sighed in relief and the Squad #1 returned to their formation even without Cedric's explicit order since they were conditioned to do so.
"You all did great, but don't let it get to your head, at least not right now. Remember, our duty is to patrol, not fight. We only fought because we can't evade it."
"I had a hunch that it will happen again though, so focus on the present and remain alert. Alright, let's move!"
Cedric and his team turned around to continue their patrol but then they heard someone calling out to them.
"W-wait! Can we please come with you? We are— hiiik!!"
The rest of his words died out because Cedric aimed his sword at his throat. With a cold gaze, he said:
"Be careful of what you say, Cadet. Or I might just kill you right here and now for treason."