Zest's antlers crackled with electricity, casting an illuminating glow in the dim forest. I stood at the eldritch deer's side, my grip firm upon my spear, fire and lightning burning and searing the enemies around us.
Barbapts darted and scattered about in an uncoordinated manner. The Makaqove, however, seemed to have an edge in this war. Organized, compact, yet there was a strategic sense in regards to how these creatures fought.
I was far more wary to the Makaqove as a squadron of these vibrant colored creatures swooped down from the confines of the jungle's canopies.
"QAh! QAh! QAh!" Emitted the cries of the Makaqoves, and like their name sake as the "scald monkeys," these creatures lashed out heated water from the ends of their watery tails.
In opposition came the war cries from the Barbapts, their maneuvers far more erratic, but still remained relatively as lethal as the Makaqoves' assaults. Those eyeless beasts fought in a far more brutal approach.
Their vine-like arms slashed and sliced through the air. Their stout, yet small bodies were swift to tackle into the Makaqoves before sinking their teeth into their target and breathing their corrosive, cosmic breath to finalize their kill.
Luckily to my relief—Zest, I, and the Plelepun remained as a tertiary threat and focus to their feud as the three of us fought through innumerable numbers of the Makaqoves and Barbapts.
The air rang with the shouts of the Barbapts and Makaqoves; wails of pain and rage erupted from the clash between our group, the vicious Barbapts, and the dexterous Makaqoves.
The Makaqoves proved themselves as experts in heat and fluidity, their bodies capable of controlling their [Water] Attributes. Their watery tails flicked, unleashing scalding droplets in our direction in order to burn and scorch us.
I burst through the field at a rapid pace, evading the scalding droplets fired at me. These abnormal monkey-like creatures were persistent in their attacks and my fur began to dampen from the rising humidity from their presence.
The Makaqove's arms, flexible and dexterous like nunchucks, detached from their bodies, elongating into watery chains. The fluid segments between their limbs flowed seamlessly, resembling a cascading stream as they propelled themselves through the air. The chains, seemingly alive with their own fluidity, twirled and spun, creating a mesmerizing scene of lethal elegance.
With each strike of their watery chains, the Makaqove generated intense heat, a scorching liquid inferno that engulfed their enemies upon impact.
The searing burns inflicted by these scalding tendrils left agonizing marks, crippling those unfortunate enough to be in their path. I cringed at the sight as a Barbapt were felled by the devastating attack—the [Torrential Nunchuck].
The forest echoed with the anguished cries of those caught in the Makaqove's relentless assault.
< Torrential Nunchuck >
The Makaqove rapidly detaches its arm to reveal the watery chain between them, swinging them with incredible speed and precision. The watery segments create a torrential downpour of strikes, overwhelming its opponents with a flurry of blows that combine both physical force and scalding heat.
Thanks to the guidance from the G.A.I.A., I was quick to inform Zest and the Plelepun, "Guys, keep your guard up, strike between the crook of their elbow to incapacitate the Makaqoves!" I veered with accelerated speed as I evaded a watery chained limb, which etched the ground with burn-marks as it tried to strike me.
I quickly turned to my attacker, and with a devastating bolt of lightning, I struck the Makaqove point blank in the chest.
It staggered and with a burst of MereSwiftness, I finalized the Makaqove's defeat with a spear strike to its chest. I subsequently cloaked myself in lightning before delivering a fatal blow to a few Barbapt that made an attempt to harm me.
< AERA's APeX >
434 → 445
The Barbapts were the easiest to dispatch as the eyeless beasts fought in a disorganized manner, but still troublesome to deal with. They’d hop about, and their bounds were incredible to witness, especially from those within the (F+) rank.
Regardless, Zest and I were swift and perceptive enough to react to their assault. Silent in our unity, we dashed through the vibrant battle-zone, taking down anything within sight.
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I stabbed, jabbed, and thrusted the spear grasped within my better ear to engage whatever creature decided to draw too near me.
The consequences for such an act was catastrophic as I punctured holes into the Makaqove or Barbapt unlucky enough to stand within the path of my strikes. The G.A.I.A. relayed and transmitted information to me as I tore through their ranks.
[2 APeX Units] from the abyssal particles from a slain (Common)-variant (F-rank) Barbapt or Makaqove.
[3 APeX Units] from the (UnCommon) range.
[5 APeX Units] from any defeated Makaqoves or Barbapt in the (Common)-variant (F+) rank. While it became 6, 7, or 8 APeX Units from those who were an (UnCommon) variant.
I did not relent as I zoomed through the field alongside Zest, I swung and utilized one my Merecritt ears to grip, grab, and slam any Makaqove or Barbapt that I could get my grasp on; I tossed, punched, or sliced apart any of the Eldriyssals that were in my path after doing so.
But I came to find that the Makaqoves' watery chains were not the only weapons at their disposal.
< Inferno Fist >
Channeling its internal heat, the Makaqove concentrates the scorching energy into its fists. Upon impact, its punches release explosive waves of intense heat, causing devastating burns to its adversaries and leaving them vulnerable to follow-up attacks.
Their fists, enveloped in intense heat, transformed into blazing weapons of destruction. With each fiery punch, they unleashed a shockwaves of heat, searing the very air around them. The sheer force behind their strikes was devastating, obliterating anything that stood in their way.
And then there was their tail once again, an extension of their aquatic nature. Composed entirely of water, it possessed a deceptive tranquility. But as the battle raged on, the Makaqove harnessed its true potential.
With a swift swing, the molecular structure of their tail shifted, rapidly elevating its temperature. The once gentle flow turned into a weapon of scorching destruction. The Makaqove swung their heated tail with finesse, creating a barrier of blistering heat that repelled attacks and incinerated any who dared to approach.
< Vaporize Barrier >
When faced with imminent danger, the Makaqove forms a protective barrier by evaporating the water within its tail. This creates a dense cloud of scorching steam that shields it from attacks, dissipating incoming projectiles and weakening enemy assaults with the intense heat.
I had to ignite myself intensely with electricity to pierce into the Makaqoves' defense. A far more difficult process than I expected as their heat made it nigh-impossible to reach the scalding monkeys watery offense and defensive abilities.
Too problematic, I winced after breaking through a Makaqove's Vaporize Barrier. I had to retreat within the foliage of the jungle after overcoming a few Makaqoves, and focused my attention to the Barbapt who were far easier foes in comparison to the Makaqoves' arsenal which was used in a variety of ways.
Still, we were not ones to falter in their assault and fall behind their elemental prowess.
Zest, the Doom Deer, unleashed bolts of lightning that crackled through the air, annihilating and chaining through the Makaqoves and Barbapts.
The Plelepun proved to be a nimble combatant, using its burrowing skills to evade the Makaqove's strikes and launch surprise attacks from unexpected angles; the Plelepun's hardened head ramming into the monkey-like creatures.
As for me, I channeled my lightning, infusing the electricity into my crystal-tipped spear. The makeshift weapon crackled with raw energy as I lunged forward, meeting the Makaqoves head-on. With critical observation and reactive timing, I parried their strikes, the clash of our weapons reverberating through the forest.
From there everything became a mess.
The battlefield became a whirlwind of motion, a concert of elemental forces colliding. The forest around us trembled with the intensity of the battle, leaves rustling in the chaotic wind. The cosmic smoke emitted by the eyeless Barbapt intermingled with the scorching heat radiating from the Makaqove, creating an uncanny haze that obscured our surroundings.
With every strike, every evasive maneuver, Zest, the Plelepun, and I navigated within the chaos, determined to emerge victorious.
The air was heavy with the acrid scent of burnt foliage and the lingering essence of abyssal particles which the three of us did not hesitate to absorb—our pursuit to become stronger!
It was good while the Makaqove's remained focused on the Barbapts. Zest and I were capable of tearing through the two creatures ranks.
That was when the Makaqoves decided to retaliate with their own strategic maneuver as they encircled me and Zest.
I observed, paying heed to the current danger around us, my ears tense as I listened to the slightest sounds of their march.
The Makaqove, their fur a blend of blue with orange and red mingled in, moved with wild gracefulness. Their limbs detached and elongated, transforming into watery chains that whipped through the air, generating intense heat with each swing.
Lash! The segments in between the Makaqoves arms glowed with scorching intensity, leaving a trail of splashing burns in their wake as they flogged across the field.
The sound of whipping and snapping resonated loudly in the air from their endless assault.
Meanwhile, the Barbapt, their grotesque forms a stark contrast to the wild elegance of the Makaqove, bolted through the battlefield with malicious intent.
Their eyeless visages exuded malevolence, their vine-like arms brandishing sharp daggers, slashing and swinging aimlessly. They lunged at us with erratic speed, their movements disorienting and hard to track.
The Makaqove's watery chains clashed with the crackling electricity of Zest's antlers, creating a sizzling spectacle of opposing forces.
I dashed through the maelstrom, my ears extending and contracting, deftly evading the Barbapt's vicious strikes. With a swift spin, I brought my spear crashing into their bodies and against their vine-like arms, forcing them back momentarily.
The Plelepun, true to its word, emerged from the ground at strategic intervals, lending its assistance with unrivaled instincts and perceptiveness. Its burrowing skills proved invaluable, as it warned us of incoming attacks, providing us with precious moments to react and counter.
We were surrounded, it was us against thousands on each side from the forces that either represented the rival factions of the Barbapt or the Makaqoves.
The forest becoming a canvas of flickering and soaring liquid, electrifying bursts, and frenzied movements. Arms swinging like nunchucks, limbs striking, lightning blasting, and howls booming throughout the field in a chaotic chorus.