A gravelly roar broke through the night sky, announcing that the Grasstalker had survived the psychic missile.
The dust in the air served as a shield, and James took advantage of it, hurrying away from his previous position. While his mental faculties were taxed, his body was still strong, and he readied himself for a long battle.
Killing it in one blow was a long shot, anyway. Now, I just have to find out how much damage I did. I need time to recover before I can investigate psionically, but my eyes should do the job just as well.
On clue, just as the creature emerged from the cloud, bloodied and feral, the other members of Team 0 unleashed their own attacks.
A spark of electricity jumped from the Grasstalker's damaged fur. It met the golden beam coming from Ezekiel and exploded on contact.
The light kept coming, burning through the desperate defense, and James could see his friend's brow scrunch up in concentration as he unleashed all he could.
Just as it seemed he was about to stop, a dragon made of white flames roared down from the heavens, impacting against the Grasstalker in a massive explosion.
James staggered back, feeling the heat released from the impact melt the asphalt at his feet.
Lauren acted as the fire enveloped the creature. Her shadows coalesced into dark, sinister tendrils that snaked through the air. They were thick and oppressive and wrapped around the Grasstalker, seeking to suffocate it. Immobilizing the B-rank wasn't possible for long, and Lauren didn't even try. Instead, she pushed her spell into the monster's mouth and nose, brutally trying to end it.
Unfortunately, it wasn't yet done. Purple lightning crackled over its battered form, and it roared, breaking through the containment and forcing the darkness to retreat.
The Grasstalker bled freely from several wounds, though James could see the worst of it visibly close up. If they allowed the monster to have the time it needed, it would go back to being in full health in a few minutes.
Luckily, the others knew it just as well, and Ezekiel punished it for thinking it could stand up. Another golden beam struck, severing the Grasstalker's tail tip with a clean cut as it moved at the last second. The creature roared in agony.
With a forceful gesture, Daniel unleashed several barriers simultaneously, each snapping into place with a resonant boom. They converged around the Grasstalker, pressing down with immense force, pinning the beast flat against the rubble-strewn ground. The impact sent a shockwave of dust and debris into the air, adding to the already chaotic atmosphere.
Team 0 gathered around the subdued beast as the dust settled, their breaths heavy with exertion. They watched warily, each ready to spring into action should the creature show signs of life. James could smell only blood and melted asphalt.
The Grasstalker was growling weakly, evidently injured by the heavy damage it had taken. Though its vitality was great, it wasn't its primary focus. What regeneration it had wasn’t sufficient. Its mind was too scattered to coordinate its power, and it was obvious it had been running on sheer instinct.
With a steely gaze fixed on the beleaguered creature, James approached it cautiously. The Grasstalker seemed to sense his intent, gathering its dwindling energy for a last desperate act of defiance. It let out a painful yowl and hurled a massive bolt of lightning in his general direction, its aim shaky but intent lethal.
Daniel responded quickly, conjuring three barriers that intercepted the electrical attack, dissipating its energy with a loud crackle after the first two were broken. The air around them briefly charged with static electricity before returning to normal.
Unperturbed by the failed assault, James closed the distance and began to punch the Grasstalker's head. Each blow landed with a heavy thud, the force of his attacks amplified by his determination.
The creature tried to retaliate, its body generating bursts of electricity in a futile attempt to ward him off. However, Ezekiel was right there, his hands glowing with a soft, golden light, continuously channeling healing energies into James to counteract the shocks.
Maria and Lauren weren't idle either. The redhead’s expression was fierce as she unleashed another beam of flames, this time directly targeting the creature's open wounds. The fire roared as it consumed the oxygen around the Grasstalker, searing its flesh and eliciting a guttural scream from the beast.
Simultaneously, Lauren resumed her earlier tactic with a vengeance, her dark tendrils re-emerging with renewed vigor. They invaded the creature's open mouth and nostrils, rushing to clog its airways. The Grasstalker thrashed wildly, its body contorting in agony as it struggled against the relentless assault.
Blood spurted from where James' punches were breaking the skin and reaching the hard bone. The creature yowled and growled, trying to bite off limbs and thrashing desperately, managing only sparks.
The combined onslaught lasted for several excruciating minutes. The Grasstalker's responses grew slower and more labored, a clear sign that the damage was taking its toll. It was evident now that James' initial mental missile had done more than just stun the creature; it had inflicted deep, possibly irreparable damage to its neural pathways, severely impairing its ability to fight back.
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
Uncontrollable tremors wracked its frame and its limbs did not follow its orders. Its eyes finally fell shut, the hateful light that filled them fading for the last time as James' fist broke through the skull.
CONGRATULATIONS!
You have defeated level 316 [Alpha Grasstalker]!
You have leveled up!
You have leveled up!
You have leveled up!
You have leveled up!
You have leveled up!
You have leveled up!
You have leveled up!
You have leveled up!
You have leveled up!
You have leveled up!
You have leveled up!
You have leveled up!
You have leveled up!
You have leveled up!
You have leveled up!
You have leveled up!
That has to be the biggest single increase in levels ever. Even that time in the spider egg chamber wasn't comparable. Sixteen fucking levels! Fuck. Ok. Damn.
STATUS WINDOW
NAME James Summers
AGE 20
AWAKENING 3rd
TALENT Ethereal Champion
TITLE Protector of the Weave
LEVEL 228
MP 453/4.120
STR 140
VIT 103
AGI 104
SENSE 140
MIND 156
STAT POINTS 128
That's a lot of stat points. I could double an attribute… No, don't be stupid. I already messed with my build earlier; now I have the chance to put things back to right. Ok then, that means spending them evenly after lifting the other main stats to MIND's level.
STR 164
VIT 140
AGI 140
SENSE 163
MIND 164
STAT POINTS 0
The rush of power this time was even more intense than the last, considering the amount of stats James had just placed. New energy filled his limbs, and he knew with certainty that he could handle any old Grasstalker that came sniffing about now.
Maybe not an Alpha one, considering that his mind still felt sore from the previous attack, but he was sure that with some time to rest, he'd be more than ready to face one of those, too.
Then, the euphoria ended, and James was back to earth. He sat down on the cold concrete with a sigh and looked at the broken creature he had just killed.
The last time he had to face a B-rank monster, he had been with Mr. Julian, who had ensured his safety. The EXP gained from those fights had seemed significant back then, but it was nothing compared to what he had received now.
The old man's presence really changed everything, huh?
Maria wiped some sweat from her brow, her flames rushing to cleanse her from the blood that stained her, "I can't believe we actually did it."
Lauren managed a tired smile, patting the redhead on the shoulder once she was done. Daniel stood guard, allowing them to place their stat points peacefully.
Once James had finished checking his status, he gestured for the tank to take his place, taking up a protective stance. "Take your time."
While Daniel focused, James extended his psychic senses outwards, a routine sweep that had become second nature to him. His mind brushed across the landscape, feeling for threats or anomalies. Initially, his search was mechanical, part of their standard operational procedure, but then he paused, his mental touch lingering on an unexpected discovery.
More Grasstalkers than he had initially found were in the vicinity, but their behavior was odd - they were retreating. Curiosity piqued, James honed in on their movements, trying to discern the reason for their unexpected withdrawal. That's when he spotted it: amongst the fleeing figures were smaller, struggling forms of humans being herded somewhere.
"Guys," James called out, turning to his team. "I found more retreating. But they've got people with them." The team gathered around him, their exhaustion momentarily forgotten in the face of new information. They had hoped the worst was behind them, yet the battle was not truly won.
Maria frowned, "We can't just let them take those people. What are our options?"
Lauren, her dark eyes thoughtful, weighed in. "We could chase them down, but we risk stretching ourselves too thin, especially if more Grasstalkers are out there. Do you feel more alphas among them?"
James shook his head, "No, and I think they are retreating because they felt the one we just killed go down. In a normal situation, it would mean a B-rank being was here. It makes sense for them to cut their losses and grab what they can."
"Or we head back to New York. They might need help processing all the refugees." Ezekiel added.
James scratched his chin, feeling the weight of leadership. Retreating would mean certain death for the people who had been captured, but staying and fighting would mean going into an unknown area with no understanding of the forces arrayed before them.
Sure, the power-up we got from killing the alpha should help us. The D-rank Grasstalkers aren't a problem anymore, even in large numbers, but if we find a group of the larger variant, we are done for considering how low we are on mana. Even just another B-rank would mean we'd have to retreat. One thing is to ambush one in an area of our choosing after preparing our best attacks. It's another entirely to walk into their den. But can we really just leave those people there?
That was the problem. They had all known that some civilians had been taken, but as long as the information was nebulous and didn't point to anywhere specific, it wouldn't be worth entering the wilderness to find them. Now that there was a clear trail to follow, the moral scales had flipped.
They needed more information to make a decision. Turning to the radio, James attempted to contact the command center. "This is Team 0 to Command; we need an update on the situation. How is New York holding up?"
Static greeted his call, an unwelcome silence that did nothing to ease the tension knotting his stomach. He tried again, his voice sharper with urgency. "Command, this is Team 0. We need an immediate sitrep."
Again, nothing but silence greeted his call. James checked the signal, for a moment fearing a repeat of the ant dungeon, but the light was green. His message was clearly being sent to the HQ. There was just no one there to receive it.
James felt a pit of dread form at the bottom of his stomach. Command would not leave their position unless a general evacuation had been called.
Lifting his eyes, James met his teammates' gazes. They had a decision to make that would significantly change many people's futures and almost no information to make it with.