I Need Wives For My Gacha System -
Chapter 78: A Pack Of Hayenadons( - -78)
Chapter 78: A Pack Of Hayenadons(Chapter-78)
Reacting on instinct, Zoe gasped and leaped back, barely avoiding its sharp teeth. Her heart pounded as she quickly gathered her composure. Clenching her fist, she focused on her inner energy and channelled it into her palm. Without hesitation, she called upon her elemental art.
"Scorching Flame Burst!"
A bright orange-red flame erupted from her outstretched hand, swirling rapidly before exploding outward in a wave of searing heat. The fire skill was a High Yellow-Tier elemental art skill, one she had trained diligently in since childhood. It was categorized as a mid-range burst technique, specializing in rapid ignition and area-wide burns. Due to her mastery level being at Expert, she could activate it quickly and control its intensity without wasting too much energy.
The burst of flames engulfed the small creature instantly. A shrill, unnatural screech filled the air as it writhed within the inferno, its grotesque form outlined by the flickering flames. Within seconds, the creature collapsed to the ground, its body charred beyond recognition.
Zoe let out a relieved breath, lowering her hand. The lingering heat from her flames crackled briefly before dissipating, leaving behind the scent of burnt fur and singed earth.
"That was close..." she muttered, her eyes still locked on the smouldering remains of the creature.
Rex turned his gaze toward her, with a smile. In fact, he didn’t go and kill that grade 2 beast because he saw that she was going to cast an elemental art.
"Good reflexes," he commented.
"You controlled that fire skill well"
Zoe huffed, placing her hands on her hips.
"Of course! I trained hard in this. I might not have gone to the academy, but I’m not helpless."
Grade 2 beasts and Grade 3 beasts, in cultivation, they would be comparable to essence absorption realm. Rex going closer to the creature did something which Zoe didn’t want to look at. She already saw it once before but she had to see it again. Going through the body of the beast trying to find a beast core. Beast cores were rare for lower grade monsters to have but was necessary for higher tier monsters. Despite that Rex didn’t mind searching for it and he found it inside the beast.
’Knew it’
He had used his sight skill to look at the monster corpse and saw that it indeed had a beast core inside the beast.
[Beast Core: Present]
Taking in the beast core as well as the carcass into his storage ring, he turned to face Zoe who was looking elsewhere, her mind was in another place as well.
"You okay?" he asked casually.
Zoe sighed.
"I’m fine... Just don’t let me see you digging around like that again."
Rex chuckled. "Can’t promise that."
Zoe shifted topics.
"What about our personnel? We were separated when we entered the gate"
"Are they still inside here somewhere?"
Rex nodded. "Most likely, the gate must have scattered us across different locations."
Zoe frowned, worried. "I haven’t tested their combat strength before"
"If they run into something they can’t handle..."
"They should be fine, the gate should only allow to a limit of grade 3 monsters"
"We’ll find them," Rex assured her.
"Let’s move"
As they walked, Rex considered the situation. The gate should have a limit, allowing at most Grade 3 beasts, or possibly even Grade 4 beasts but Grade 4 should be rare. The personals brought by Zoe should be able to handle themselves. He had observed them before, and they weren’t soft fruits waiting to be plucked.
Beasts were naturally stronger than the average human at the same cultivation level. A person at the starting point of the Essence Absorption Realm was comparable to an early Grade 2 beast, while Grade 3 beasts aligned with Essence Absorption Realm Stage 6 to 10. However, humans had something beasts didn’t, training, techniques, and intelligence. If one couldn’t even defeat an average beast of the same level, then what was the point of hiring them?
Of course, he didn’t say that aloud. Instead, he just led Zoe and kept moving forward.
__ __ __
As they travelled, they encountered multiple beasts along the way. Some were weaker, some were stronger, but none posed a true challenge. Rex took the lead, engaging enemies in close combat while Zoe supported from a distance with her elemental arts.
Each time they took down a beast, Rex would retrieve any cores he could find, adding them to his storage ring.
After some time, they stumbled upon a herd of Verdant Stags.
The creatures were majestic, their moss-green fur blending into the surroundings. Their emerald eyes glowed faintly, and their antlers shimmered in the sunlight with a cyan colour as if it could hold energy, it was glowing.
Knowing that they were herbivores, Rex approached carefully wanting to take a rest around them. It would be a great place to rest as it was a herd of herbivores. If there were any carnivores, they would be able to fight in a group.
Zoe followed, mesmerized by their presence. Just as she reached out to touch one, a piercing howl cut through the air.
A pack of Hayenadons emerged from the foliage.
Unlike normal hyenadon-like beasts that moved in small groups of four or five, these ones moved in dozens. Their formation was tight, their eyes locked onto their prey with predatory intelligence. This was no ordinary pack. They were organized.
The Verdant Stags immediately reacted, attempting to defend themselves. However, it was clear that this herd was composed of the weaker members. Their stronger kin were not here for some reason but for some reason, Rex felt that his danger senses were tingling.
"We should leave"
Rex grabbed Zoe’s hand without hesitation. She didn’t say anything about it, her mind too occupied by the herd of Verdant Stags being attacked. He wanted to leave, to escape while they still had a chance, but Zoe’s gaze remained on the struggling beasts. She bit her lip before speaking her thoughts aloud.
"Can we not help them?"
Rex stopped. Zoe had expected him to dismiss her words knowing that it was not a possible option, but instead, he halted his steps. His icy blue eyes scanned the battlefield. They were surrounded. More Hayenadons than he had anticipated lurked in the darkness, their low growls resonating through the tense air, cutting off their escape route. There was no way out for them or the Verdant Stags.
The Hayenadons didn’t hesitate. The moment they noticed Rex and Zoe adjusting their stance, they reacted accordingly, shifting their formation to close in. They were intelligent, too intelligent for mere Grade 2 beasts or rather they were just moving on instinct and kinship with their kind, yet it looked as if it was intelligent for them.
It wasn’t just mindless aggression, they moved with coordination, as if their very instincts had been honed for pack warfare.
Not only that, but the stronger Grade 3 Hayenadons remained at the edges of the battlefield, watching, waiting.
’They’re treating us like food for the small fries to catch’
Rex couldn’t afford to fight recklessly. Instead of diving into battle mindlessly, he focused on maintaining stability, calculating his every move so that it wouldn’t waste excess use of power. Rex could kill these Hayenadons with a few blows, but their sheer numbers made the battle dangerous. Zoe did her best, providing cover fire with her flame arts but she was struggling to keep up with the Hayenadons’ rapid, unpredictable movements.
The Verdant Stags fought alongside them, kicking and ramming into the beasts, but it was only a matter of time before they fell. The balance of battle was beginning to tip against them.
Then a scream cut through the chaos.
Rex snapped his head toward Zoe.
One of the Hayenadons had slipped past the Verdant Stags and sunk its fangs into her leg. Blood gushed from the wound, staining her suit. Her face twisted in pain as she summoned flames in her hand and released a Low Yellow-tier spell - Blazing Spark which killed it of.
Despite her suit being a combat suit, it wasn’t for defence, it was only for movement and hers was only only that but was also styled fashionably which caused more skin to show.
A small but concentrated explosion of fire erupted, engulfing the Hayenadon and forcing it to release its grip as it yelped in agony. The attack wasn’t powerful enough to incinerate the beast, but it was enough to get the job done. The Hayenadon staggered back, its fur singed and smouldering, before collapsing from its wounds.
Zoe breathed heavily, clutching her leg as blood continued to seep from the bite wound.
Rex’s expression darkened. The battle was getting out of hand, and the Grade 3 Hayenadons were beginning to move, not wanting it to take longer. They had seen Rex killing off a large amount of their pack and they were going to step in. The real challenge was about to begin.
Rex sighed as he thought whether he would have to use his flames. He didn’t intend to use it before wanting to keep it a secret even from Zoe but it seemed that he would have to ask her to keep it a secret.
"Fine you guys asked for this"
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