“Come forth, Void Tendrils!” Shadewood shouted, his voice booming through the cavern.
Multiple portals opened across the cavern. From each portal, they emerged writhing tendrils of pure darkness, twisting and undulating like living shadows. The tendrils snaked through the air, seeking out their targets.
The first tendril lashed out, coiling around a rat and lifting it into the air. The rodent struggled and screeched in vain, but the tendril didn’t care and tightened its grip, crushing the life out of the creature. Daniel noticed sharp spikes extending from the tendril as it released its hold. Strangely enough, the wounds inflicted by these spikes did not bleed, leaving neat, clean holes in the rat’s body. Following this, the other tendrils swiftly followed suit, each snatching up rats with swift and merciless movements.
Daniel watched in awe as the Void Tendrils decimated the horde. Rats were being lifted, crushed, and flung across the cavern, their screeches of terror and pain echoing off the walls.
Despite the Void Tendrils’ initial success, the battle was far from over. The rats continued to pour out of the hole in overwhelming numbers, their sheer quantity proving too much for the tendrils alone to handle. The ants quickly formed groups, each attacking a rodent on its own.
The larger guard ants took the forefront and used their massive mandibles to clamp down on the rats, holding them in place. While the rodents were pinned down, the humanoid soldiers jumped on their backs and started slashing away. However, the thick fur resisted most slashes; in some cases, the rodents broke free, killing one of the guard ants. The fallen guard ants were quickly replaced by others from the numerous ants spread around the cavern.
Meanwhile, Daniel flung Fire Bolts at the rats of the struggling groups. Xenonia stood next to him, intercepting any rodents that made it past the ants. After Daniel shot a few fire bolts, Shadewood spoke with a strained voice, “Don’t use fire spells. We don’t want the smoke to pile up.” He pointed to the ceiling, and Daniel noticed a small layer of smoke as he turned his gaze. He nodded and switched to using Abyssal Bolts.
Suddenly, Daniel noticed two strange rats scurrying out of the hole. Unlike their brown, golden-striped fellow rodents, these had sleek jet-black fur glistened with silver spots in the dim light. Their eyes gleamed with a sinister intelligence, and they moved swiftly, setting them apart from the others. Daniel’s instincts kicked in, and he fired the Abyssal Bolt he had prepared. It hit the right-most rat, and the impact stunned the rodent momentarily. Daniel began shouting, “Xenonia, you take the left one!”
At his command, Xenonia sprang into action. The ant dashed forward and slashed with his blade. To the general’s astonishment, the blade bounced off the rodent’s fur as if it were striking solid armour. The black-furred rat retaliated, ramming into Xenonia. The impact sent the ant sliding across the ground, leaving a trail of dust in his wake.
Quickly regaining his footing, its large black eyes narrowed with determination. He leapt forward again, aiming a powerful kick at the rat’s head. The blow connected, knocking the creature off balance and causing it to stagger. As the beast struggled to regain its composure, he seized the opportunity and jumped onto the rat’s neck, using his weight to pin it down, and began bashing its head with his fists, each strike landing with a loud thud.
The rat thrashed wildly, trying to throw him off, but he held onto the rat with a pair of its arms and used the other pair to keep striking.
The remaining rat dashed forward towards Daniel. His heart pounded as he quickly fired an Abyssal Bolt. The dark energy crackled through the air, but the rat sidestepped with unnerving agility not fit for its size and continued its charge, darting past him with a swift movement.
He turned around, worried. “Shadewood, look out!” he screamed, his voice echoing off the cavern walls.
Shadewood, though visibly strained from supplying the Tendrils with mana and controlling their movements, met the rodent’s approach with a confident smile. And with a flick of his fingers, a dome formed around him. If Daniel were closer and not focused on the assailant, he would notice that the dome wasn’t transparent but composed of countless tiny hexagons, each the size of his pinky nail, interlocking to form a nearly impenetrable shield.
Outside the dome, four small white lights materialized and began hovering around the dome. As the rodent approached, the lights sprang to life, zipping towards it with incredible speed. As they approached, the air hummed with magical energy. The lights began firing lightning bolts at the creature. The rat convulsed violently with each strike, its fur standing on end and smoke rising from its body. The bolts hit their mark with relentless precision. After a few relentless barrages, the rodent succumbed to the magical onslaught, collapsing in a lifeless heap, its body still twitching from the residual electricity.
Daniel allowed himself a brief sigh of relief, but the moment was short. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the first rat, which Xenonia had initially held down, regain its footing while the ant general was still on its back. The massive black-furred rat began dashing forward towards the dome.
“Get off it, or my sentries will electrocute you!” Shadewood’s urgent shout echoed through the cavern.
Xenonia seemed to misunderstand Shadewood’s warning, his antennae twitching in confusion. Gnarl, sensing the imminent danger, sprang into action without hesitation. With a fierce growl, he leapt onto the rat’s head. His claws dug deep into the rat’s eyes, making it wail in pain.
Blinded and angered, the rat turned towards the nearest cavern wall, its intent clear. Daniel’s heart raced as he anticipated the impact.
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Gnarl’s grip tightened as the rat accelerated towards the wall, steering the creature directly into the unforgiving stone. The impact was brutal, echoing loudly through the cavern. Daniel winced at the sight and sound of the collision, fearing for Xenonia and Gnarl’s safety.
The force of the impact sent vibrations through the ground, causing loose debris to rain down from the ceiling. Xenonia, who had been knocked to the ground by the collision, lay still amidst the chaos. Gnarl, on the other hand, slid off the rat’s head, landing heavily but managing to avoid the worst of the impact.
“Xenonia! Gnarl!” Daniel’s voice rang out with concern, barely audible over the echoes of the collision. He hesitated, unsure whether to hurry towards them, his eyes scanning for any signs of movement.
Seeing Daniel’s urgency, Shadewood shouted, “Help them quickly, Daniel! I can hold my own!”
Daniel nodded grimly and dashed towards his allies, adrenaline racing through his veins. He knelt beside Xenonia, carefully assessing his injuries. Two of Xenonia’s arms were twisted at unnatural angles. Beside him, Gnarl stirred, groaning softly as he struggled to rise.
With a determined effort, Daniel helped Gnarl to his feet, relieved to see the imp regain his balance. “Drag Xenonia out of here,” Daniel urged, pointing towards Shadewood’s protective dome. As Gnarl dragged the heavy ant away, Daniel’s attention snapped back to the rat, which had recovered and was charging towards them again.
Daniel’s resolve hardened as he began channelling his remaining mana. Pouring more energy into the spell than usual, he chanted briefly, and a larger, more potent Abyssal Bolt formed in his palm. As the rat closed in, Daniel unleashed the spell with a shout, aiming for its open mouth.
The bolt streaked through the air with deadly accuracy. The rat barely had time to register the threat before it struck, burrowing deep into its throat. The creature convulsed violently, its body wracked with spasms as it let out a final, pained screech. Within moments, it collapsed into a lifeless heap.
After ensuring it was dead with a precise stab to its brain through the eyes, Daniel moved towards Shadewood. He knelt beside Xenonia and Gnarl, relief flooding through him as he saw Xenonia stir and Gnarl’s breathing steady. “We did it,” Daniel said, his voice filled with exhaustion and relief.
Shadewood nodded solemnly, his expression grave. “For now. I can sense a stronger entity at the bottom of the pit.” He took out a mana potion and offered it to Daniel. “When we’re done here, I’ll have a word with the ant queen. She lied to us. There are way more than a few hundred rats, and they’re stronger than she mentioned.”
Daniel accepted the vial and began drinking it. As he waited for his mana to regenerate, he surveyed the battlefield. Across the chaos, Berix stood out—a white blur amidst the turmoil. The general moved with astonishing speed and precision, his four arms slashing through the air like scythes.
His white exoskeleton, now stained with blood, gleamed under the dim light. With a roar that echoed through the cavern, Berix leapt into a group of rats, his movements a deadly dance of violence and grace.
With lightning-fast reflexes, Berix seized a rat by its neck, his clawed fingers digging deep into its fur. With a swift, practised motion, he drove his claw through the rodent’s skull, piercing its brain. The rat twitched and went limp in his grasp, extinguishing its life instantly.
Not wasting a moment, Berix spun around, his other hand slashing across the throat of another rat that lunged at him. His movements were fluid. As more rats closed in, Berix shifted seamlessly from defence to offence, his claws moving like a blur as he dispatched his foes one by one.
Just as he finished this group, three black rodents similar to the ones Daniel had just dealt with jumped out of the hole. the first one dashed forward tackling the general.
Berix slid across the floor, his claws scraping against the rough stone. Regaining his footing with impressive speed, he launched himself at the rat that had tackled him. With a snarl, he drove his claw through the rat’s eye, piercing its brain. The creature went limp, and Berix spun to face the next threat.
The second rat was already upon him, jaws snapping at his throat. Berix dodged to the side and grabbed the rat’s neck with one hand, lifting it off the ground. The rat thrashed wildly, but Berix’s grip was unyielding. He tightened his hold, choking the life out of the rat until it fell limp in his grasp. As he released the dead rat, a sharp pain shot through his leg.
The third rat had bitten into his calf, its teeth sinking deep. Berix roared in pain but used the momentum to his advantage. He leapt upwards, twisting in mid-air, and aimed for the cavern ceiling. He kicked off with all his strength, rocketing downwards like a missile.
With a thunderous impact, Berix landed feet-first on the rat that had bitten him, crushing its skull with a sickening crunch. The creature’s body went limp beneath him, its head shattered.
Another rat, larger and more vicious, lunged at him from the side. Berix twisted, barely avoiding the creature’s sharp teeth, and slashed his claws across its side. The rat screeched, but instead of retreating, it attacked with renewed ferocity. Berix was ready; he dodged and countered, delivering a series of quick, brutal strikes. His claws sliced through fur and flesh, and the rat’s movements became sluggish as blood poured from its wounds.
As the rat collapsed, Berix barely had time to catch his breath before another two rats charged at him. He braced himself, crouching low. The first rat leapt, and Berix met it mid-air, his claws tearing through its throat. He landed lightly, pivoting to face the second rat. This one was smarter, circling him warily. Berix feinted left, drawing the rat in, then struck with blinding speed, his claws ripping through its belly.
The rat let out a final, pitiful squeal before it fell, its insides spilling onto the stone floor. Berix turned to survey the battlefield, his breath coming in heavy gasps. The tide of rats seemed to be thinning, their numbers finally dwindling.
The final rat, seeing its companions slain, attempted to flee. Berix was too fast. He darted forward, his claw slashing out and slicing the rat’s throat in one swift motion. Blood sprayed from the wound as the rat collapsed, twitching and dying on the cold stone floor.
The tide of rats halted abruptly, their numbers dwindling to nothing. Daniel, still panting from his own fight, looked around the cavern with a mixture of relief and wariness. The silence that followed was almost deafening, broken only by their heavy breathing and the distant drip of water.
But then, a loud, bone-chilling screech echoed through the cavern, causing both Berix and Daniel to tense. The sound was unlike any they had heard before, a harbinger of something far more dangerous. Shadewood cancelled the spell, the Void Tendrils dissipating into shadows. His expression, strained from the exertion, reflected his exhaustion. He spoke in a low, urgent voice.
“It’s coming,”