As dawn broke over the Everglades, casting a golden hue across the misty waters, James and Lauren reconvened in the main lobby of the dilapidated resort. The space, once grand but now surrendering to the relentless encroachment of nature, served as their makeshift command center. The night had passed in restless anticipation for both, knowing the day would bring them one step closer to confronting the crocodilians.
Lauren arrived first, her figure emerging from the light mist like a wraith, the early morning light softening the edges of her determined visage. Her hair was kept in a tidy braid, and while she wore no makeup, her long lashes gave her an air of studied beauty.
James appeared moments later, his battlesuit hugging his muscular physique tightly. His hair was getting long for his tastes, but he decided it could wait until they rejoined civilization. His piercing green eyes scoured the area while his senses covered almost the whole resort.
They greeted each other with a silent nod, and Lauren passed over a bowl of fruit Mr. Julian had brought back from one of his infrequent trips out of the swamps. As soon as they had eaten their fill, they began sharing the information they had gathered the previous day.
Lauren was up first, her voice low and measured as she recounted her findings. "I found a village," she said, "hidden deep within the western swamp, beyond the first nexus that Mr. Julian told us to be careful of. There was a shaman who presided over his people. He looked pretty strong, so I held back, but I could tell he was the real deal. It looked a bit like a medieval king holding court, with several guards arrayed around him and bringing petitioners forward when he called for them. Sometimes he healed them, and sometimes he punished them."
She paused, her brow furrowing as she recalled the scene. "I couldn't understand their language, but the dynamics were clear. He's powerful, around C-rank I'd estimate, and his warriors defer to him without question. Taking him on directly is unadvisable if we can find better targets."
"A C-rank shaman might be a bit too much to handle if we have to fight his guards at the same time. We might be able to handle him alone, but I doubt it'd be that easy. Fighting the crocodilians won’t be the same as fighting regular monsters.” James commented.
Lauren nodded in agreement, "He didn't look like the type to leave his village often, especially not without his guard. If we managed to take most of the guards out at the beginning, we might have a chance, but it's not something I'd put my money on."
Rather than give a report as she did, James lifted his right palm and concentrated, calling upon one of his newest skills. "Eidetic Echo," he announced, focusing his mana into a fine mist that coalesced before them. With a few concentrated thoughts, the mist began to take shape, forming a detailed miniature of the crocodilian camp he had observed.
The hologram-like representation was exquisite in its detail, showing the village's layout, the placement of dwellings, defensive structures, and communal areas. The figures of the crocodilians moved within the mist, going about their daily routines without a hint of suspicion they were being observed.
"Is this real-time?" Lauren asked, blinking in surprise.
"Nah, that was a different skill. But I can look into the past. Well, not too distant, but a few days of activity are within the range of my divination." James answered, concentrating briefly. The image shifted, looking like someone had pushed the rewind button. Faster and faster it went until the hours started passing by the second.
When James halted the rapid playback, the scene settled on a typical day within the village, allowing them to scrutinize the activities and interactions of its inhabitants. This time-lapse ability of James's skill offered an unprecedented insight into the daily life of the crocodilians, revealing routines and patterns that could be exploited.
The skill allowed them to observe the village in significant detail for up to three days in the past. James's enhanced psychic senses gave him a rough idea of each monster's power, confirming that there were no crocodilians beyond D-rank. This crucial piece of intelligence bolstered their confidence, situating the village squarely within their capability to handle, albeit with careful planning and execution.
Their attention shifted between the warriors who patrolled the perimeter with an almost lackadaisical demeanor and the mystics who moved with a sense of purpose and authority to one particularly large matriarch. James and Lauren took mental notes of their numbers, armaments, and the locations they frequented, identifying critical targets for potential ambushes.
The warriors wielded spears similar to the ones James had seen earlier, their scales gleaming in the simulated sunlight with armor covering their weak spots. On the other hand, the mystics were distinguished by their ornate bone jewelry and the intricate tattoos that snaked across their scales, symbols of their magical ability.
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As they watched the villagers go about their chores, cooking, repairing shelters, and engaging in the communal life of the village, an unease began to gnaw at James and Lauren. The crocodilians, despite their monstrous appearance, exhibited a level of societal organization and familial interaction that humanized them in the eyes of the observers.
I tried to ignore this feeling earlier, but they are just living here. If they looked like humans, there'd be nothing to set them apart besides a preference for barely cooked meat.
"Do you think attacking them is the right thing to do?" Lauren asked after a lengthy silence, her voice tinged with doubt. "They haven't attacked humans since Towers defeated them. I don't hesitate when it comes to monsters, but this is a bit…"
James shared her hesitation, the weight of their task pressing heavily on him. "I've been thinking the same. But then again, I don't think Mr. Julian would order us to do this if it wasn't necessary. We should probably look a bit more to see if they are planning something."
Their hesitance was disrupted when James zoomed in on a section of the village where a group of crocodilians were crafting tools and weapons. There, amidst the ordinary detritus of their labor, they noticed something chilling - a collection of bones that were unmistakably human.
The sight of those remains, repurposed for mundane tasks or as part of their dwellings, ignited a fury within them. "They've killed humans," Lauren stated flatly, the earlier hesitation in her voice replaced by a cold anger. "These bones still need to be fully cleaned. It hasn't been that long since they got them."
James' jaw clenched at the sight. He felt a primal instinct screaming at him to run back into the swamp and hunt the monsters down, but he pushed back against it. His conscience had settled down at the sight, no longer worried for what he was about to do. Instead, a sense of anticipation started filling him. "They need to go." He sentenced.
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As they packed their gear for the trek back into the heart of the Everglades, James and Lauren moved with determination. A steely resolve had replaced the initial unease at the thought of attacking the crocodilian village. The evidence of recent human kills confirmed the threat they posed, erasing any doubts about the necessity of their mission. Mr. Julian had given them the task for a reason, and finding out exactly why had enflamed their spirits.
The journey through the swamp was undertaken with a silent efficiency born of their weeks of training. James led, his senses extended to their limits, scanning for signs of danger, while Lauren followed, her shadow magic ready to conceal their movements or defend them if necessary.
Upon reaching the clearing where James had observed the young crocodilians' battle with the spider, they paused, scanning the area. The remnants of the struggle were still visible, though the monster's corpse was half eaten. Even its tough carapace hadn't stopped the scavengers from getting their fills.
James crouched, touching its broken skull, feeling the residual energy. He lifted it, examining the damage. "They're skilled," he noted, a touch of admiration in his voice despite the lingering anger. "We shouldn't underestimate them."
Lauren, peering into the underbrush, nodded. "But we're skilled too. And we have the element of surprise on our side."
Their plan was simple but required precision. They would use the knowledge gained from James's observations to target isolated crocodilians, thinning the village's numbers before launching a full assault when the sun started going down and the shadows lengthened.
The mystics would have to go first, as they were the ones whom they knew the least about, and if they managed to call for help from a nearby village they'd need to retreat. James would attack with overwhelming power from the beginning, while Lauren remained concealed and picked off the defenders one by one.
It was a tactic that played to their strengths, allowing them to leverage their superior mobility and James's newfound ability to phase through matter in case he found himself overwhelmed.
They didn't have to wait long before James's senses picked up on the presence of a solitary crocodilian warrior. Standing at over eight feet, he was an intimidating sight, but his ability to move through the swamp without being noticed by anything was even more impressive. It bore the same spear and bone armor kit the others had, though he had the addition of swirling designs painted over them.
"I think the armor might be enchanted, so it's better to aim for the uncovered parts," James murmured, his telekinesis holding the sound within a bubble.
The creature was stalking a family of otters, focusing on the hunt. James and Lauren exchanged a glance, a silent agreement passing between them. This was their opportunity.
Who can even bring themselves to hurt the otters? They are so cute, and they are not doing anything. They just frolic!
Moving without making a sound, they positioned themselves. James prepared to neutralize the warrior with a mental strike while Lauren, drawing from the deep well of her shadow magic, readied a spell that would decapitate their target.
The crocodilian, unaware of the danger he was in, moved closer to the otters, his body tensed for the kill. It was then that James and Lauren struck. A silent wave of psionic energy enveloped the creature, stunning it and stifling any sound it might make while Lauren's shadows wrapped around its neck, lopping the head off in one quick movement.
The skirmish was over in moments, the crocodilian warrior subdued with a practiced efficiency that would have impressed seasoned Awakeners. Despite the creature being in the same realm as them, it couldn't do anything before their power.
Some of it is that it was entirely unprepared for us. But the rest is that we are just that good. I don't want to gas myself up too much, but I doubt any D-rank in the country is as good as we are. Also, our skills are perfect for ambushes and assassinations.
"We'll need to be thorough," James said, his voice low as they worked to hide the body. "If we leave any of them behind, they could regroup and pose a threat again. We need to clean the whole village."
Lauren, wiping her brow, nodded. She gathered the trinkets and placed them in her pouch, "It won't be easy, but we don't have any other option. Do you think we'll find more strays like this one?"
"It's possible," James replied, his gaze scanning the dense foliage. "They seem to hunt alone or in small groups. If we're careful, we might be able to get several before they notice something is wrong."
The plan was bold, bordering on reckless, but they were beyond half-measures. The crocodilians' use of human bones had stripped any hesitation from their resolve.
We’re coming.