The area was just as bleak as the one they had encountered days ago, after returning from their encounter with the mother unicorn and her foal. Beyond the natural limit of the stream, only a few brave plants dared to try to colonize that almost sterile territory in no man’s land.

A little further on, the darkness of the corrupted forest could be seen. Its gloomy silence contrasted with the bustling echo of life behind them. They were in the middle, fully exposed, though not too far from the protection of the forest.

“There’s something two meters ahead, right there,” Goldmi pointed out.

“Boom!”

The terrible impact shook the ground, as if a small earthquake had occurred. Tarbhnor’s enormous strength had been applied to the sturdy staff he used as a weapon, and multiplied by his Brutal Strike skill. It wasn’t negligible at all.

Immediately, it was followed by the blow of a hammer, which at that moment the dwarf was wielding with both hands. For now, he didn’t need the shield.

There were a few more blows, until they felt they had achieved their goal.

“Another fucking lost. Goldmi, you are fucking amazing,” Viclot praised her.

It was the third she had detected. It was hidden underground, waiting to be summoned by a general and take action by surprise. Their enemy was prepared for a future ambush.

The group’s initial idea had been to head closer to the corrupted forest. However, given Goldmi’s ability to detect them, they were clearing the area of future dangers they might regret.

What they didn’t know was that those deaths had attracted the attention of a general. It was furious at the sabotage of its meticulous plans, and had just arrived to witness the latter death.

“I only detect them. You do all the work,” she was hesitant to accept the praise.

“Well, don’t believe that. For them, it’s not work. Hitting the ground with all their might to crush what’s underneath is more of a pleasure than work for them,” laughed the reptilian magician.

“Hahaha. The truth is that it’s fucking funny,” confirmed the dwarf.

“I won’t deny it,” assured the owner of the staff with a huge grin.

For her part, Maldoa simply shrugged when the elf looked at her, so saying without words that those two were a lost cause. When the two women began to laugh, the others looked at them strangely, unable to imagine what’s gotten into them.

And the lynx was just bored. However, everyone’s attention was in exterminating the hidden dangers underground, so it had given her sister the opportunity to give her some pastries. She couldn’t complain.

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“Something is moving,” she warned suddenly.

“My sister has detected something, watch out,” the elf warned.

None of them disregarded the warning. The feline’s ears were superior to theirs, and the drelf didn’t have the help of plants there. It didn’t take long for more than a dozen earthworms, moles, ants, and even something resembling an armadillo to emerge.

Maldoa frowned. Perhaps she was going to be forced to reveal her power, which would compromise her mission. The rest were more concerned about their lives. Although it wasn’t an impossible situation, it was quite dangerous. And more when, at the same time, many other flying corrupted swooped down on them.

“I’ll take care of the flying ones!” declared the elf.

The rest nodded. Not that they were convinced she could manage it, but there was little they could do until they got close. Perhaps, the mage could, but his range was much lower than the archer’s.

“Shit. It looks like a coordinated attack. There must be a fucking general nearby,” the dwarf cursed, and fired a warning signal to call for reinforcements.

The drelf nodded. She could feel it, the presence of one of those unnatural creatures. She cursed herself for having realized it too late.

For now, the main problem they had to face was that the attack was imminent and coordinated. Ground and aerial enemies would arrive at the same time.

They were all preparing their attack and defense, and staring at the ground targets. They relied on the drelf to warn them if they should take care of those above, for they didn’t know if the elf was really capable of stopping or deflecting them.

It was in fact the drelf the most idle, and at the same time undecided about what her role should be. That was why she was observing the elf, her target, whom she had to protect. And what she saw left her speechless.

The flying beings were between level 30 and 35. They were all that the general had been able to gather in such a short time, and it thought they were more than enough. It didn’t expect the arrows from one of its enemies to be so accurate, fast, long-range and effective.

Not all of them hit their target, but long before they could reach them, the wings of all those creatures had been pierced by more than one point. Even the level 35 one couldn’t withstand an Ethereal and Piercing Arrow, and another Purifying one. And to that, it should be added several arrows with Void to disturb their flight.

Their bodies, much weaker than the terrestrial ones, lost control against the ferocious and numerous surprise attack. Only two of them survived the fall. Although, on the ground, they no longer posed a threat.

The archer didn’t stop. She began to shoot at the ground enemies, with the main objective of restraining them. If she could prevent them from attacking at once, the enemy attack would be much less effective.

The drelf kept her eyes on her. She couldn’t believe what she was seeing. She had counted at least seven skills, and was suspicious of a few more. But what surprised her the most was that she seemed to be looking for something. Even though she didn’t stop attacking her enemies, she seemed to be peering into the distance.

It was when she drew back the string of her bow harder than normal, while aiming at nothing, that Maldoa was even more surprised, for that was the direction in which that presence felt strongest. But it wasn’t until that presence was gone suddenly, that her eyes widened, almost taking half of their face.

“She can…” she stammered in an inaudible tone.

It was then that she understood the elf’s true value, and even began to suspect why she felt so close to her. She could see and kill the generals. It was something her enemies must never know about, or they would try to assassinate her. That was why they had chosen her. The drelf would never betray her.