Chapter 87: Unexpected Ambush
The Rioter-T8 was a versatile model, suitable for regular civilians and spirit tamers alike, but it couldn't withstand direct spirit energy attacks. After all, it was versatile only in terms of performance, not defense.
Following the explosion, the rover shook violently as its passengers thrashed around within. The safety measures inside activated instantaneously, deploying holographic safety cushions and emergency stasis devices.
After the initial shock, Ain sensed a soft force pushing against him, firmly securing him in place. His mind raced as countless thoughts flashed past his mind.
Like a falling meteor, the rover plummeted from the sky, emitting black smoke. It shredded the tree line as it crashed into countless canopies of trees, eventually losing its momentum against a thick tree, smashing it in half.
With a loud bang, the rover covered the remaining few meters in a vertical fall, shattering the ground below as it landed within a small crater. Faint cries of spirit beasts grew distant as they hurriedly evacuated, leaving behind a smoking rover embedded in a crater beside a large fallen tree. The black smoke rose above the canopy, visible from a distance. From a bird's-eye view, a long trail of shattered trees and foliage connected to the downed rover.
Bang!
With a forceful kick, Ain broke through the door, launching it a few meters away. He crawled out of the destroyed rover, with only a few scratches, completely unaffected by the black smoke. Behind him, Hugo caught sight of this and hurriedly followed, coughing.
Having left the rover, Ain immediately arrived at the front door and ripped it off with monstrous strength. Within, Paula, who was struggling to open the door, was stunned for a moment before quickly grabbing Ain's outstretched hand. With a tug, Ain pulled her out of the rover. Behind her, Frans also took this opportunity to escape, blood running down his forehead. The explosion had occurred beside him, injuring him in the process.
Without batting an eye, Frans immediately shouted in a hushed tone, "Run! We were ambushed!"
During their journey so far, they had encountered a few flying spirit beasts. The spirit beasts would either engage in a short chase or ignore them altogether. However, the previous occurrence did not follow the script
The sun was shining merrily in a sky devoid of spirit beasts when a shadow suddenly left the cover of the foliage below and intercepted the rover. Frans only caught sight of a large black bird before the explosion occurred. At the same time, in the back seat, Ain's Premonition warned him of immediate danger as well.
Ain, Hugo, and Paula sensed the urgency in Frans' voice, and they immediately took off, leaving the damaged rover behind. Ain glanced above and saw a black raven following them from a distance. They were being tailed!
"They're chasing us. Did you see anyone earlier?" Ain asked Frans as they ran. Nox had already appeared beside him, hanging onto his shoulders.
"No, I only saw the black bird. But for it to appear so suddenly, it must've been waiting in ambush," Frans answered seriously. He continued while summoning the Brilliant Fae.
"That bird is definitely a spirit pet. Otherwise, it would've attacked us by now," Hugo said with certainty. He was knowledgeable about avians since Ace was a Grand Eagle. Unlike the others, he didn't summon his spirit pet. Ace's flight would be impeded by the canopy and shrub layer.
Paula sprinted alongside Frans while using the mechanical gauntlet's skill, Heal, to treat his injuries.
As they ran without direction, Ain's thoughts reached an unprecedented sense of clarity as he analyzed the situation. The abilities bestowed by Wisdom Root subconsciously took effect without his realization.
Among his many thoughts, what Ain addressed first was a question. Why were they running? He wasn't questioning their courage, or lack thereof, but seriously analyzing the situation. Ain agreed with Frans' and Hugo's analysis regarding the ambush. Given their observations, an ambush was the greatest probability.
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Being sure of an ambush, what concerned him next was the ambusher's strength and motive. Were they weaker or stronger than Ain's group? Was this premeditated, or was it spontaneous? Ain was aware that the motive didn't matter since it wouldn't change the outcome. Their act of attacking the rover already displayed the ambusher's intent. But the motive could provide greater insight into the incident.
Temporarily ignoring the motive, Ain began analyzing the ambusher's strength. The only direct indicator of their strength was the Smoke Raven flying above. The distance was too great to sense it, but the attack earlier served sufficiently as a clue. Ain compared its power to his numerous hunts in the past and quickly arrived at an answer.
The fire-attribute Smoke Raven was at Advanced Rank-1. Chasing them should be at least one Advanced Rank-1 Spirit Tamer. If it were just one, facing the ambushers was possible, but Ain couldn't be sure of their exact numbers. But it was unlikely for their unknown assailants to possess an overwhelming advantage. Otherwise, they wouldn't resort to an ambush. This fact was embedded in the very nature of an ambush.
How powerful could they be if two Beginner Rank-1 and two Intermediate Rank-1 Spirit Tamers necessitated an ambush? An Advanced Rank-1 was confirmed, but if there were more, Ain could still eliminate them.
Originally, Ain only escaped with the rest because he was unaware of the situation. Unlike the others, there was no fear in his heart. His mentality was different from the rest, who hadn't faced spirit tamers in a life and death struggle before. Ain considered the various strategies available, and Nox disappeared from his shoulder, using Possession. The Secret Phantom Technique's passive ability dampened his presence, weakening the natural aura he unintentionally released with Possession.
Running without a plan or direction was disadvantageous. He preferred to take the initiative to attack instead. Ain's numerous thoughts occurred within a couple of seconds, and only ten seconds had elapsed since their escape. He turned to Frans, who was receiving treatment from Paula amidst their escape, before glancing at the other two.
"There's no point in running. Let's attack them," Ain finally said. His unexpected statement caught them off guard as they almost came to a halt.
"Don't. It's too dangerous!" Paula spoke up in objection first.
"That's right. Let's see if we can shake them off," Hugo also disagreed. Frans also glanced at Ain but didn't express his opinion. He seemed to be thinking about something.
"Unless we eliminate the Smoke Raven tailing us, we won't be able to escape. With our current abilities, none of us can target it," Ain explained. Smoke Raven could effortlessly dodge their attacks. Furthermore, Ace, their only flying spirit pet, was too weak in comparison, incapable of even hindering its path.
At this moment, Frans, who had been silent, reached into his pockets and took out an item. "I have an offensive runestone. It can kill one person below Rank-2." Ain glanced at the familiar palm-sized stone with enigmatic engravings, revealing a surprised expression. As expected, Frans came prepared.
"Ain, you take it. I think you'll be able to better grasp the opportunity to use it," Frans continued, agreeing with Ain's plan.
"Sure," Ain nodded without hesitation, placing the runestone in a different pocket, separating it from the three Heal runestones. At the same time, part of his spirit energy was consumed as he used Scan.
[Name: Runestone – Radiant Arrow]
[Attribute: Light]
[Rank: Intermediate Rank-2]
Ain silently noted the information before discussing his thoughts and the subsequent plan with the rest.
As they listened to Ain's suggestion, Hugo and Paula thought back to the scene of them defeating hundreds of Thornwood Treants, and finally agreed with some hope. The group gradually slowed their pace while still feigning a hasty escape. The Smoke Raven failed to notice any abnormalities.
Seeing this, Ain felt even more confident. Soon, faint figures appeared behind them. With a quick glance, there were four spirit tamers accompanied by three spirit pets. Including the Smoke Raven above, all four spirit pets were accounted for.
"Two Advanced Rank-1s and two Intermediate Rank-1s," Ain accurately judged his enemies based on their blatant spirit energy fluctuations. The two Intermediate Rank-1 Spirit Pets were a Razor Panther and a Grayback Monkey, both metal-attributed spirit pets. Ain had a close encounter with the first, and a Grayback Monkey had appeared in the intraclass competition. He was familiar with their common skills.
Besides the Smoke Raven, the other Advanced Rank-1 Spirit Pet was a Wave Salamander, a water-attribute spirit pet. It was three meters long with a shoulder height of almost one meter, appearing a little stocky. Its slimy hide was deep blue, dotted with symmetrical white spots.
When Ain's group appeared in their vision, one of the Advanced Rank-1 Spirit Tamers nodded at the remaining three. His companions understood the signal, immediately spreading out. This didn't go unnoticed by Ain, but he didn't react immediately.
Shifting between the trees, dirt and dead leaves rose into the air as the distance between them shortened. Suddenly, Ain jumped against a thick tree and pushed his foot onto the trunk, using it as a foothold to change directions before sprinting in the opposite direction.
The four ambushers were momentarily startled by his actions. Ain used this chance to close the distance. At the same time, Frans, Paula, and Hugo, who had slowed down earlier, revealed their fastest speed, escaping Ain's range.
Ain's lips remained still as he breathed through his nose. A faint humming melody creepily manifested in the surroundings.