Dreu stayed in cover as the spiders were relentless in their attacks. He could only assume Ilveroz was still zigzagging or taking cover to avoid projectiles going his direction. Not daring to poke his head out to peek, Dreu could only hope his plan would work. Following repeated hits of the projectiles on the tree, the young man could feel the tree splitting under pressure. He took several deep breaths as he prepared to dive behind another tree. Before he could do so, spider hisses stopped him in his tracks. Shortly afterwards, another spider hiss joined the mix. When he peeked around the tree, he was greeted with one spider set aflame and two others leaking body fluids. Zog and the other demon worms were all in the thick of battle.
With three more spiders wounded in various degrees, the remaining spiders were thrown into disarray. Zog and the demon worms covered one flank while Ilveroz, with no more projectiles heading his way, cut off another flank. As the surviving spiders looked to flee from the unfavorable odds, Dreu stepped out in front of them them with his blade at the ready. The spiders vibrated their fangs rapidly but, before they could resume their attack, Dreu and his companions struck first. Ilveroz dashed to get under one spider and clawed viciously at the underbelly. Zog distracted one spider with a few fireballs while the demon worms crawled underneath to carry out their death by a thousand cuts method. Dreu was the slowest of the bunch but he still delivered a blow as he slid beneath one spider. Few minutes later, Dreu and his companions finished off the last spider.
Good work everyone!
Dreu hugged his companions for their incredible victory. The odds were never in their favor but they somehow made the impossible happen. Following the battle, he checked all the spider corpses. With the exception of one corpse that was badly burned, the others all the legs curled up due to loss of body fluids. The lone spider was the one Zog set aflame while it focused on Dreu behind the tree. Unlike earlier, Zog concentrated his fireballs on this single target and the resulting effect was devastating. Except for the exoskeleton, the rest of the spider was burned to ashes.
To think Zog hasn’t even fully evolved yet.
At the mention of his name, Zog flew over to rest on Dreu’s shoulder. Dreu unconsciously reached over and petted Zog’s head. With the way he snuggled against Dreu's hand, Zog seemed to be enjoying the attention. Dreu then picked up Ilveroz and made his way over to Aggich who stood proudly in front of the tree entrance. As he approached the cursed fox, she did a stretch.
She must be getting stronger if she isn’t exhausted at this point.
Dreu paused to glance quickly over everyone.
You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.
Maybe we are all getting stronger. Little by little.
While Dreu was still unsure why the stamina of his demonic companions wasn’t unlimited like Bayard and the others, he could see noticeable improvements for Aggich who normally collapsed after using her curse. If her stamina improved over time, then she could continue playing a pivotal role in their battles. The curses had saved his life more times than he could count. Dreu then placed Ilveroz down so the two of them could play with one another. The two of them seemed inseparable, like due to them being adopted together by Eglallin.
I'm glad these two are no longer separated. If only we had more time for fun and games instead of trying to survive every minute of our lives.
Dreu praised the other demon worms who seemed very proud of themselves. He quickly checked over their levels and found they all reached around level 5. A bit more combat experience and they would be ready for their mid-evolution like Zog. After making sure his companions were fine, the young man checked on Ragellon and the demonic children. They were still tense from the situation but, for the time being, they were out of danger. None of them were hurt due to the young man and his companions being the only participants of the battle. With Ragellon acting as the adult there, the other demonic children remained calm.
“Do you know where we can rest up?” Dreu asked Ragellon.
Dreu knew the demonic child had a place in mind and she knew where it was. However, the last battle could have sent her into shock, despite the calm demeanor she exhibited. To his relief, she responded to him.
“We should be there in an hour. Once there, the barrier should keep us mostly safe.”
“Mostly safe?”
“My father said there are powerful creatures here that even he had no chance of defeating. The barrier can deal with most creatures but the powerful ones are the exceptions. I was told that the location was chosen for its lack of proximity with those exceptions but the demon realm can be unpredictable. We should never lower our guard and assume we are safe.”
Dreu accepted the explanation. He had yet to find a place he was truly safe since the demonic invasion. Fate had a way of keeping him always on his toes for whatever reason. The demon realm seemed to be no exception.
“After we reach that location, do you know where we can find lesser demonic crystals?”
“There are plenty where we are headed. I don’t know why you want any though. They’re utterly useless and not worth your time.”
Without exchanging further words, Dreu helped Ragellon up and gathered his companions and the demonic children. Ragellon did accept his help more readily after the last battle. Dreu felt the same towards the demonic children. He was an outsider but, having traveled and survived ordeals with them, a bond formed between them. He felt like he was a big brother for these children until they were strong enough to fend for themselves. Luckily for the group, nothing eventful happened during their last hour of trek to the safe location Ragellon had in mind. They soon arrived before a small cave entrance.
Guess we’ll be spelunking again.