These monsters are the runts of the litter. We won’t be able to kill the C-ranks this easily.
James was well aware of how much he and his friends had grown. He'd give them great odds against any D-rank Awakener and even ones facing C-ranks, which was saying something, considering they had just started scratching the surface of what their new Talents allowed them to do.
Their skills were coming along nicely, and he was sure they'd progress up the ladder in no time, but C-rank was still at least forty levels above them. That wasn't something that could be shrugged off easily.
He might be a bad example, given how he had defeated Hopkins and Knowles in a two-on-one fight, but the two consultants had long since lost their edge. They were lazy and arrogant, and it cost them.
The Grasstalkers that were swarming into the old suburbs of New York did not have the same circumstances.
That meant they had yet to find the main force. A C-rank dungeon that experienced a Break of this size should have hundreds of creatures at the top of the tier.
James felt a sense of urgency as he shared his insight with the group. They needed to understand that the ones they had encountered were just the beginning. Underestimating the true threat could prove disastrous.
His words sharpened their focus, and with renewed vigilance, Team 0 advanced through the shattered streets of Elmsford. The signs of battle became more apparent, the noise of combat echoing through the air, guiding them toward the source.
As they rounded a corner, the scene that unfolded was of chaotic desperation. Team 76 was engaged in a fierce battle with a Grasstalker, this one far larger and more formidable than any they had encountered so far. At least fourteen feet long, its sleek body was a blur of deadly grace and power, its eyes alight with a savage intelligence.
The members of Team 76, battered and bloodied, were clearly outmatched, struggling to hold their ground against the creature's relentless assault. Their leader, the stern woman, was fighting with a grim determination, her body painted with blood from numerous wounds, her face pale with blood loss.
James assessed the situation instantly. The monster was toying with them, drawing out their pain and fear for its twisted enjoyment. This playful cruelty was a significant shift from most other creatures they had faced. Even in the Everglades, monsters preferred to kill their quarry quickly. The sadism these felines possessed went to show how much things could change at the higher levels.
There was no time to plan a coordinated attack or strategize. The Grasstalker, sensing the arrival of new opponents, shifted its attention with predatory swiftness, its gaze locking onto Team 0.
Its fur stood straight as a charge gathered around it until it settled in a halo of crackling electricity. Team 76 cried out at the sight, despairing that the creature still had tricks to pull.
It coiled its muscles, fixing them with a terrible gaze, and bolted forward like a lightning bolt.
Daniel moved to intercept, his shield raised to meet the onslaught. The collision was catastrophic, the sound of rending metal piercing the air as the creature's fangs sank into the shield, crushing it with terrifying force.
The impact halted the monster's advance but left Daniel reeling, his arm shaking from the blow's sheer power. A glowing barrier on his skin absorbed the electrical currents sparking from the creature, allowing him to let go of his weapon's remains and jump back.
James didn't hesitate. "Attack now!" he commanded, his voice cutting through the chaos.
Team 0 sprung into action, their training and instincts taking over. Maria and Lauren unleashed a barrage of elemental attacks, fire and shadow merging into a devastating stream aimed at the creature. Ezekiel sprung wings and took to the air, rushing to aid the injured members of Team 76, providing them with much-needed relief.
James, meanwhile, focused deeply, crafting a spear of pure ether in the air above him. He hurled it at the monster with pinpoint accuracy, aiming for the vulnerable spots exposed in its frenzied attack.
The combined assault was impactful but not lethal. The creature, caught off guard by the sudden and intense retaliation, screeched in pain and fury as the attacks landed, causing visible damage to its previously unmarred hide.
Despite their efforts, the battle was far from over. The Grasstalker, though injured, was not defeated. Its resilience and strength were on full display as it shook off the damage, its eyes burning with feral rage.
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James knew they needed to end this quickly. "Keep the pressure on!" he shouted, rallying his team and the recovering members of Team 76. "Don't let it recover!"
A lightning bolt sparked from the monster and hit James with brutal force. He managed to shift into the ether at the last second, avoiding a grievous injury, but even the instant he was hit was enough to damage him significantly.
Still, James did not go down. He opened himself up to the energies pouring out of the dungeon, the wild mana causing the break, and made them his. Mana Absorption was a skill he hadn't had much time to experiment with, but its ability to replenish his reserves was priceless.
Using that same energy, James cast Soul Rend at the Grasstalker, crashing into its mind with the force of a freight train.
He didn't allow the creature any time to realize what was happening and pushed through its natural resilience, obscuring its senses and crushing its will.
Given a perfect opportunity, Maria didn't disappoint. A sphere of golden flames appeared before her, trembling with power. She unleashed it with a shout, pouring hundreds of mana points into it.
It traveled relatively slowly, showing why she hadn't used it from the start, but given the state the Grasstalker's mind was in, it couldn't dodge.
The fireball exploded in a roar of light upon contact. For ten seconds, it kept burning, feeding itself upon the monster's flesh, until nothing but ash remained.
The soft ding that rang through everyone's mind finally allowed them to relax, and James took to scanning the surroundings, keeping a wary eye out for any more monsters.
Ezekiel swiftly moved to attend to the last members of Team 76. With practiced efficiency, his healing magic sealed wounds and mended broken bones, the soft glow of his powers enveloping each injured Awakener. The stern woman who led Team 76, whose strength was waning from the blood loss, managed a nod of gratitude toward Team 0, her eyes holding a newfound respect.
"We managed to take down a Grasstalker earlier," she gasped, leaning heavily against a nearby wall, "but this one was on another level." Her frustration was evident, her gaze fixed on the smoldering remains of the creature they had just defeated.
James, reading the notification, nodded in agreement. "This one was at level 274, right in the middle of the C-rank," he explained, his voice steady despite the adrenaline still coursing through his veins. "I suspect most Grasstalkers we'll encounter here are just at the threshold of the rank, but this..." He gestured toward the ash pile, "was an outlier, probably a leader. At least for the weaker pack that is stalking Elmsford."
The woman sighed. There wasn't much they could do beyond keep fighting as they evacuated every civilian still in the area. "Hopefully, it's the only one that strong." She eventually said, earning a nod from James. He’d like to know that as well, but the distances were such that he had trouble gaining specific information about the monsters.
Once Ezekiel had finished healing Team 76 and had checked Daniel over for any injury, finding none, James gestured for his teammates to begin returning to their area, "We'll leave you to it then. There are still quite a few people around, and the sooner we get all of them, the sooner we'll be out of here."
The woman agreed, and with a final exchange of nods and murmured words of encouragement, they set off once more into the battered streets of Elmsford, each team moving in a different direction to continue their search and rescue mission.
Team 0, now back in their assigned sector, progressed speedily thanks to James' psychic senses constantly probing the surroundings. It wasn't long before he picked up on a distressing signal - a man and his dog hidden beneath the rubble of a collapsed house.
As he lifted dozens of pieces of rubble with telekinesis, the man's eyes widened in relief at the sight of the Awakeners. His clothes were torn and dirty, his face marked with cuts and bruises, but it was the frantic worry in his eyes that caught James' attention the most.
"Please," the man begged, clutching at James' sleeve as soon as he had been pulled out, his voice cracking with desperation, "You have to find my wife! Those monsters took her!"
James felt a pang of sorrow for the man. In this situation, hope was both a lifeline and a torment. "We'll do everything we can," he promised, though he knew the likelihood of finding the man's wife alive was slim. The Grasstalkers had shown a penchant for playing with their food, so it was possible that the woman had yet to be eaten, but he wouldn't put money on it.
"No, you don't understand! You need to go now! They'll eat her! They are going to eat Ellie!" The man shouted, eyes lost in a haze of despair. He tried to free himself from James' grip, making as if to run deeper into the neighborhood where his wife had been dragged, but the Awakener didn't let him go.
"Let me go! Let me go! Cowards!" The screams were heart-rending, but they couldn't afford to attract attention. James made a quick decision. Gently, he reached out with his mind, brushing against the man's consciousness with a psychic nudge, lulling him into a calm, enforced sleep. It was kinder this way, sparing him the immediate pain and panic of his situation.
The dog, a Russel terrier, had also started barking madly and received the same treatment.
James lifted the man and his dog in the air with telekinesis, wanting free hands, and started marching back towards the barricades.
I wouldn't have acted any differently if I was in the same situation. He wants to save his wife at all costs and doesn't care if he's too weak to do anything. He probably would have clawed his way out of the rubble in a few hours and gone to find her. It’s too dangerous, but I understand his urge. If that woman is somehow still alive, I'll do my best to save her.
James wouldn't say he had a weak spot for young couples, but he didn't like seeing them torn apart. His lack of parents growing up had left a trauma on him that, while mostly resolved by now, still influenced some of his choices.
When they reached the barricades, he sensed something at the edge of his range. A creature stronger than even the Grasstalker who hunted Team 76 was prowling at the neighborhood entrance, and James could only mutely watch it.
It was at least a B-rank, possibly even higher. Its power was such that he had no trouble noticing it, even at a distance. If it came for them, running away would be their only choice.
James handed over the man and his dog mechanically, his mind occupied with observing the creature's movements.
It sniffed and tasted the air, likely trying to decide if there was enough prey to make it worth its time.
James hated feeling this helpless.
The others noticed his state and silently asked him to explain, but he only held up a hand. If the rapid response teams heard him say a B-rank monster was nearby, they'd pack up and rush toward safety with the people they had rescued, but that might be the worst choice possible.
A very long minute later, his choice to keep quiet was revealed to be the correct one, as the monster snorted and turned around, moving back to where mana was denser.
James slumped against a light pole, exhaling in relief.
That was close.