Chapter 65: 65: Break Through
"Ugly, right? This is what we have to fight if we want to enter the mountain range."Athena said with an apparent disgust on her face. She gripped her spear tightly as she readied himself for the incoming battle.
Athena had been fighting such creatures with the hunting party members once in a while to reduce their numbers. However, she just fought them a month ago and didn't expect she would have to face the disgusting freaks again. They weren't particularly strong, but they had weird characteristics that made them difficult to fight. Not to mention their numbers.
Just like that, the hunting party had fully crossed the bridge after ten minutes of walking. They only have one plan now. And that's to run forward and fight the monster that would come in their way.
With a deep breath, Caleb took his first step on the outskirts of the mountain. A goosebumps spread through his whole being when he did so. Hundreds of mutated beasts with a horrifying appearance just turned their heads at them with a hungry expression.
"Damned, this is fucking scary! Mom, I want to go back home!" Fatty's loud voice echoed.
'Damn Fatty.'
Caleb couldn't help himself. He smacked the fat guy in the head, causing the latter to say ouch and glare at him.
"What was that for!?" He says.
"Don't be a nuance." With a chuckle, Caleb came back to his full concentration. Thanks to Fatty, he regained his focus.
"Guys... What do we do now?" Luna asked hesitantly, uncertain how to proceed. She saw as the mutated beasts ran towards them, which made her gulp and step back in fear unconsciously.
Andre with his expression of determination. Just readied himself. The hunting party also gave them weapons. And he wants to make use of it. He didn't want to become a burden anymore! 'I don't want to be a dead weight every time! I need to fight! Fight! Fight! Even if I die!'
Clifford, on the other hand, just remained silent with a saber in his left hand. He doesn't look like it. But he was actually well-learned with blades. He had been secretly training with weapons for years more than his physical body in hopes of avenging his parents in the future and killing all the Apokalips. No one knows this except for himself.'Those bastards! I'll make them pay for what they did to my parents!'
"Prepare yourself! Maintain the formation, don't engage recklessly, and breakthrough!" Fushigiro commanded as he charged at the mutated beast using Deka step, to vanish and appear beside the beasts, killing three instantly with his short sword and finger gun, which boosted the morale of every member.
'What a warrior.'
Andre sighed. Although he said he would fight. He still kept his actions within the center of the formation. After all, he hasn't even reached the lowest pre-requisite yet.
...
Caleb watched as all members engaged the wild beasts whilst also moving forward. They were ganged up by their numbers. Fortunately, not all of them could attack them simultaneously, since monsters in the front would block the ones in the back. They had limited angles and areas to attack. At most, the members were dealing with two to four mutated beasts at a time.
Just like that, he saw Dunn and Athena use their feathery body when they couldn't dodge an attack. Athena overbearingly pinned her spear on the forehead of a mutated beast with the face of a Komodo Dragon but the body of a Saltwater Crocodile. Then there was Jin, who was like an assassin. His use of a dagger was precise and his battle style focused on efficiency. No unnecessary movements, conserve energy, focus on vitals and weakness of beasts. Every move of his bodies of beasts would fall. His kill count was even higher than the captain himself.
Caleb took a deep breath. 'Just like what I've thought. He was a fellow killer.'
A fighting style that will make a fighter have the essence of Assassin. That's what he wants to become. Thinking of this, Caleb then looked at Rina beside Dunn, who was fending for the mutated monsters at the rear. She was fighting a spider, a humanoid rhino, and a muscular cheetah. She was fighting using her sword, but she was more like dancing. Her fighting style focuses on deadly grace. Just like the frontline, the rear could only be as dangerous, and it was also a crucial position. Once broken, the battle formation would instantly collapse.
Each member was accumulating injuries after injuries. If this goes on, Caleb doesn't doubt that the situation will become dire. No matter how experienced the members of the Hunting Party were, they were facing sea tactics.
Tamasai, on the other hand, had a direct, rude, straight-forward fighting style. One punch was to send every beast that dared to attack him flying and lifeless. It was a very barbaric style. He would even sometimes poke his fingers in their eyes to instantly kill them. There is only one word in Caleb's mind as watched with awe, 'Strong!'. He even sometimes wonders, who would win between Tamasai and Fushigiro. Tamasai, who hides his strength deeply, or their Captain, who had mastered all the five powers to their peak?
Suddenly, one beast managed to slip from the front lines, Jin and Fushigiro couldn't prevent every beast as they had their attention to five beasts already. And here is where Caleb plays a role. He was responsible for the ones that would slip through the rear and front!
"Luna, Andre, Clifford, Fatty! Step aside, let me deal with this piece of shit!" Caleb infused taboo energy, kicked the ground three times in one second, and disappeared from his place.