Chapter 115 - Subjugation Mission Part 4 (1/2)
The descent of the steam cloud threw the village's inhabitants into chaos. From young children to the elderly, panic spread like wildfire due to the sudden drop in temperature. The group of soldiers training in the combat field were no different from the general populous. Unfortunately, the lack of intelligence presented by their tiny reptilian brains only allowed for select few thought processes. Currently, they were all in fear of what appeared to be an omen from the angry Dragon God.
Standing atop the Shaman's dwelling, Brance watched as hundreds of Kobolds simultaneously stopped what they were doing and collapsed to their knees in prayer. Beside him, Gabby tried her best not to lose control of herself. Fear gripped her heart, and she could not shake the sight of her beloved brother being stabbed violently then collapsing. The only thing allowing her to keep her sanity was Brance's firm grip on her hand and the thoughts that Cynrik wouldn't let Benny die on his watch.
She had witnessed how angry the older boy was by the attack and had watched on as he launched the very same spear that had impaled her brother so fast that a shock wave formed around the point. However, Cynrik's casual attitude had left an almost therapeutic effect on her mind, as if he wasn't worried about Benny's health, that everything would be ok.
Steeling her resolve, Gabby released Brance's hand and nocked an arrow onto her bowstring, releasing a small bit of Mana into the arrow. Her eyes flicked to Brance, who knew what she wanted.
”93 meters, 20° verticle, NE 47°.” Using compass degrees as a reference, which both Cynrik and Brance had drilled into the young ranger, Brance did the job of a spotter for Gabby. However, his [Vanish] once again deactivated by speaking aloud, but it no longer mattered since the steam cloud had settled and shrouded them in cover.
Inhaling deeply while looking down at her Watcet, which was positioned on the inside of her right wrist, Gabby lined up her shot with the needle display on her device and drew the bowstring taught before releasing her first arrow.
The arrow traveled silently through the steam, parting it slightly as it traveled through the air and arrived at its target, the head of an unsuspecting Kobold Warrior nearly 100 meters away.
THUNK
-Quest Updated-
-Subjugate Kobold Soldiers: 2/84- (incomplete)
-You have killed a Level 18 Tier-1 Reptilian Kobold Warrior.-
-You have received 18,000 XP.-
-You have received 1 STR.-
-You have obtained 1 KIT point.-
- A Tier-1 Fire Affinity Codex has been located.-
-Due to the restrictions in place by the Alpha Egress Core, you will have to remove the Codex manually.-
Gabby's eyes went wide as she saw a notification about unlocking a new stat. Brance had already noticed earlier when Cynrik slew the first Kobold, but now that the second had been taken down, it became clear that the Kobolds gave points in the hidden stat Killing Intent, something they hadn't increased in years. The notification had gone unnoticed by Gabby the first time since it took two points to unlock the stat, but now, after receiving the second, she had received the hidden stat that Brance and Cynrik frequently used.
{Cyn, did you notice we are getting KIT points from these lizard-people?} Brance was worried about what this little bit of information meant.
{Yeah, and it looks like you clearly didn't read the full quest description. If we are getting Killing Intent, that can only mean they are sentient beings, which is hugely out of the norm for Alpha Egresses that are generally filled with brainless moronic beasts. Don't worry about that for now; start prepping for the breach, ETA 20 seconds.} Cynrik responded while swiftly navigating the Shadow Realm.
With how fast he was traversing, it didn't take long for him to arrive a couple of huts away from Gabby and Brance. Looking up and picking an appropriate spot, Cynrik dove out of the Shadow Realm and into the physical world, landing silently on the roof of a hut.
Placing Benny down gently, Cynrik took out a note he had scribbled in haste during his time in the Shadow Realm and placed it in Benny's hand before jumping off the roof and dashing towards the Shamans hut. He had no idea how long it would take for the boy to come too, so he had left detailed instructions on what to do once he woke up.
Weaving through the village under his newly evolved [Cloak of Shadows], Cynrik chugged down one of his only four remaining Mana Potions and formed a ball of [BlackFire] in his hand.
{ON THREE!}
The perceivable world slowed down for Cynrik as he raced forward and lined up his shot, his target, the area where he could see two small hinges connecting the door to its frame.
{THREE.}
Brance shooed Gabby back and pointed below his feet, the signal to take aim causing the little girl to nock another arrow.
Channeling [Stone Spike] with his left hand and [Air Missle] in his right, Brance's eyes narrowed as he too lined up his shot, filling both attacks to their maximum with Mana.
{TWO!}
Cynrik rapidly closed in on the door; his plan was simple, hit and run. He needed to accurately target the correct point on the door with the proper amount of Mana to do the optimal amount of damage.
{ONE!}
Not breaking his stride, Cynrik cut a hard right, flinging his left arm towards the door, bringing two black basketball-sized fireballs with it.
Just off the edge of Brance's palms, two water bottle thick arrows constructed of Wind and Earth Mana formed, filling the meter-long gap between his hands and the hut beneath his feet.
{NOW!}
BOOOM BOOOM!
With perfect timing, the brothers executed their attacks as if they had been rehearsed thousands of times. However, the subsequent results were very different. For Brance, the surface of the stone hut fragmented under him, causing a three-meter wide hole to appear below his feet, making him drop down into the room.
On Cynriks end, he only cast a sidelong glance at the door to be sure it was blasted to pieces, which it was, and charged around the building to the nearest window. Then, pivoting on his heel, Cynrik stutter-stepped, shifting his body weight like a speedskater allowing him to change directions instantly.
CRASH