Chapter 14

Another beast had emerged from behind the trees and was quietly approaching them. It was some kind of a large feline, larger than the tigers they fought the other day. Its fur was gray and had a strange, ghostly appearance. On top of its head stood two jagged, antenna-like protrusions, about a foot in length. However, what made Frank swear was the description of the monster.

Young Bragarth, level 30

"Surround it, and charge your weapons while you can," Frank quickly gave the order. Level 30 is going to be tough, but at least it appears to be alone, Frank thought.

The beast slowly advanced, taking lazy steps as it looked around, not at all concerned about the humans that were surrounding it. They were almost in position when the monster acted. Electricity ran down and up the weird protrusions on its head, then a small, jagged ring of electricity flew toward Bill. Despite its seemingly slow speed, Bill had no time to dodge. The spell hit him in the chest, his muscles clenched and he fell to the ground, the electrical currents still running through his body for a bit.

"Attack!" Frank bellowed, unwilling to give the monster any more time.

The remaining three men stepped forward, only for the beast to disappear. Surprised gasps filled the air, as they tried to figure out where it went. They didn't need to guess, as it appeared a brief moment later, standing on its hind legs, its head and front paws were closing in on Hank. The large man screamed at the sudden attack and lifted his shield. He was successful in blocking the maw, however, the two paws went around the shield, one sliced the biceps of his shield arm, while the other left a deep, downward slash through his chest. Screaming in pain, Hank stumbled backward, his shield hanging down by his body.

Frank lunged forward with a Phantom Strike, the mental attack momentarily disorienting the large cat. He followed it up with another Phantom Strike and a stab backed by Power Attack. Meanwhile, Kevin was attacking from the other side, landing several hits as well. Despite his mana-imbued saber slashing through the beast's skin, it didn't seem too bothered by the damage, as it turned its head toward Kevin. The electricity once again flashed down and up its antennas, and Kevin was taken out of commission by the same spell.

"Fuck!" Frank swore.

The fight barely started and already three of their frontline fighters were taken out. Amy stood to Frank's right, while the others were to his left, arranged in a semi-circle. Bill was still laying on the ground, seemingly unconscious, Margaret rushed toward him at first, but then moved to Hank instead and used Healing Touch on him. Grinding his teeth, Frank used Power Attack as he lashed out. A large icicle impacted the monster's side, making it growl, as it turned to face the two of them.

Frank landed a couple of slashes on its face, the beast seemingly disoriented by the Arcane Bolts that Amy flung at it. However, it soon recovered its senses and lunged at Frank. He jumped backward, but it wasn't enough to get away. Mana Shield surrounded him, as he used the beast's momentum to bury his entire saber in its chest. In exchange, he received two slashes from the monster's paws, the first was aimed at his chest, and shattered his shield, the second slashed through the forearm of his right hand.

They both stumbled backward after the exchange, Frank howling in pain as he held his right hand with his left. The Bragarth wavered unsteadily, seemingly stunned by the damage it received from the stab. An icicle piercing its body brought the monster back to reality. It roared angrily and turned to face Amy, only to get hit by Lightning and Fire Bolts from Frank and Margaret.

For a few seconds, the combined offensive of the three spell casters overwhelmed the monster. However, both Frank and Margaret had an extremely small D mana pool, with Amy left as the only attacker, it wasn't enough to keep the monster stunned. An electrical current ran down and up its antennas before a ring of electricity flew toward Amy. Screaming in frustration, Frank rushed over and flung himself in front of the young woman, just as Mana Shield surrounded his body. The spell hit him and he fell, electricity coursing through his convulsing body.

Amy sent two spells at the monster, while Margaret cast Group Heal – a spell that recovered HP to the three lowest group members. The beast growled, annoyed that its spell got intercepted, and advanced at Amy. However, their efforts had bought enough time for Hank to recover from his pain shock. Although his left arm was still hanging by his side, he rushed forward, slashing at the monster's head. His sword cut through one of the antennas, as the monster jumped back and turned to face him.

The two stared at each other, not making any moves, both wanting more time to recover. The Bragarth blinked first. It lunged forward, pawing at Hank's chest and taking a deep stab in return. However, Hank's skin turned gray, as he activated Stone Skin, and the monster's claws just scratched at it harmlessly. Using the five-second window the defensive skill provided, Hank continued to attack, landing several hits on the retreating monster.

Hank backed a few steps away, as the effect ended. His left hand had almost recovered, and he could use his shield again. On the other hand, the monster not only had both of its antennas chopped off, but its side was full of icicles. It growled, uncertain if it should retreat or continue to attack. Its monstrous nature won on, and it lunged forward. Hank used his shield to block one paw while using his sword to parry the other and stepped back.

Bill joined the fight with a bellow. He used Dash to almost instantly appear beside the monster, he swung his axe in a wide arc, the power behind the attack enough to sever the beast's right front limb. Bill jumped back, avoiding the monster's retaliation, then stabbed at the hind side of its body with his sword. With the monster distracted, Hank advanced with an attack as well. Soon, they were joined by Kevin, who had recovered from the electrical shock.

The battle was still going, but they had won. Attacked from three sides, the Bragarth could do little but whimper as its damage accumulated. Amy shook Frank and helped him sit up, upon seeing that he had regained consciousness. He thanked her and took in the surroundings – after the shaky start, the fight was proceeding well, looking behind, he saw the women inching closer to the group, seemingly abandoning their plans to run away. He got up and moved to join the other men when the sound of snapping branches drew his attention. One after another, three large figures emerged from the trees.

Young Troll, level 15

The description said when he focused on one. The timing is horrible. Worse yet, even more might be coming, Frank thought as he moved to face the newcomers.

"Hank and Kevin, help me deal with these trolls. Bill, finish that cat!" Frank shouted.

The trolls weren't too dangerous, but they did have powerful attacks, high HP, and tough skin, killing one alone would take a while. Grinding his teeth, Frank engaged the troll closest to him. He retreated, avoiding the troll's club, then stepped in with a slash, his mana-imbued saber cutting through the tough skin with little resistance. He dodged another swing, and countered, adding a second gash to the troll's shoulder.

While Hank and Kevin left, Bill continued to attack the beast, whose skin and fur were now a deep-red color. It was surprising the monster lasted this long, but its HP would soon run out, Bill was certain of it. A powerful attack pushed the monster a few steps away, when it suddenly rolled over, away from Bill. It got up and lurched away. His Dash still on cooldown, Bill used Weapon Toss, as he scrambled to catch up. His axe sailed through the air, but hit nothing, as the Bragarth disappeared. Bill swore loudly.

"Fucking bastard disappeared before I could finish it," he informed the others, even as he looked around hoping to find some sign of where the monster went.

Frank swore silently, retreating a few steps, he looked around. "Bill, help Hank. Everyone, keep an eye out for the cat, though I doubt it will rejoin the fight," he shouted.

With the circumstances changed Frank dove back into his fight with far more aggression. Before, he was going for the arm, to disable the troll, now he went for lethal damage. He slashed at its face, causing it to bring up its left hand and sending the troll reeling. Its body open, Frank didn't hold back, two deep cuts to the chest were followed by a stab to the stomach. As if possessed, he stabbed, again and again, filling the troll's stomach with holes. Unable to take the damage, the creature fell to its knees, using both of its hands to prop itself up. Frank smiled, as the monster's head was now within his optimal attack range.

A crunch followed by a bloodcurdling scream from behind, caused Frank to freeze. A gruesome sight greeted him when he turned, Bill was laying on the ground, a pool of blood by his head. While Margaret, the likely source of the scream, was rushing toward him. The damned Bragarth was perched on Bill's shoulders, the man's blood dripping from its maw.

Frank took a step toward the monster, but then saw Kevin nearly fly over with a Dash, his spear stabbed into the side of the feline with enough force to cause it to tumble away. The beast twisted as it rolled away, pointing its regrown antennas at Kevin, electricity flashed as the spell was sent out. Frank gritted his teeth as he saw Kevin fall.

Roaring, Frank turned back to the troll he was fighting, slashing at its neck and nearly beheading the monster. He followed by stabbing the troll through its head. Using his foot to push away the dead monster and free up his saber, Frank sprinted toward the Bragarth. Luckily, the beast was kept occupied by Amy's spells and didn't get a chance to pounce on either of the downed men. The feline must've sensed his approach, as it turned to face him. It was too late, Frank grinned as he drove his weapon hilt-deep into the monster's chest.

The monster responded by clamping its jaws on his forearm, while it clawed at his biceps and elbow. Frank tried to ignore the pain and the vice-like jaws that were squeezing his arm, and twisted the weapon, greatly increasing the wound's effect. The beast groaned in pain but didn't let go, instead, it redoubled its efforts, clawing at his arm while trying to rip his hand off. His mind nearly blank from the pain, Frank started punching the monster's face, trying to get it to let go. Not getting the desired result due to how weak the punches were, he rested the palm of his left hand on the beast's face, his thumb quickly finding its way into the monster's eye-socket. Instinctively, he pushed his thumb in, popping the monster's eye, as he pushed further. The Bragarth squealed in pain, and began to thrash wildly. It must've cut all the tendons in his arm, as the pain-fueled movements finally resulted in Frank's hand being torn away at the elbow. He fell backward as he lost balance, landing on his butt, screaming as he clutched at his bleeding stump.

The monster stumbled backward as well, it spewed Frank's forearm away, as it glared at him, hatred in its one good eye. Blood poured out of its mouth, and its chest, where the saber was stuck. Its hind legs failed, its backside slumping to the ground, then its left foreleg gave out as well. An icicle hit it in the side, but it didn't seem to care. It spent a few seconds glaring at Frank, then it turned its head to the other side, where Hank was moving back and forth between two trolls, trying to keep them both from advancing on the downed men. The antennas on the Bragarth's head came alive with electricity once more, as it flung the spell at Hank. Seemingly satisfied with its last act of aggression, the monster slumped to the ground and went still.

Electricity coursed through Hank, as his muscles stiffened. He was still falling to the ground when a troll's club smashed into his shield, sending him tumbling to the side. The troll looked at his club, then at Hank's body, that tumbled away from it, seemingly annoyed that its action caused its prey to get away. Shrugging, it lumbered after him.

"Margaret, the trolls! We must distract them," Amy shouted.

She had run out of mana and was now armed with a spear, as she rushed toward the two trolls. Margaret had already cast Group Heal, and Healing Touch on Bill twice, and was just sitting next to him, holding his head in her hands. Hearing her name being called, Margaret awakened from her stupor, she looked around and saw the two remaining monsters, one moving toward Hank, while one was moving toward her, Bill, and Kevin, who was also lying nearby.

She jumped to her feet and retrieved a short sword from her ring. Feeling somewhat uncertain, she watched the troll lift its club over its head, before it brought it down onto Kevin's body. There was a disgusting sound of something wet being squashed, that made her grimace. Seeing a part of Kevin's lower back cave-in, had her fighting her reflexes to puke.

"Heal him while distracting the troll!" Amy shouted. "Over here, you big ugly lug!" She screamed at the troll that was moving toward Hank, waving her spear aggressively. Following Amy's example, Margaret jumped forward and moved to circle around the troll, as she shouted and waved her sword at it. "Good, just keep it occupied and don't get hit, while we stall for time," Amy shouted, trying to encourage the older woman, while also reassuring herself. Just what are we stalling for? Bill is out, Kevin isn't getting up after that hit, Hank got hit too, and Frank lost his hand and is probably bleeding to death. If more monsters show up, we are dead, Amy thought as she moved around the troll.

***

For a while, Frank sat on the ground clutching at his torn arm, screaming in pain. Then Unshakable Focus kicked in, aided by Pain Tolerance, and he began to regain his senses. Once he comprehended what was happening, he cast Healing Touch to top up his HP, then looked around. His gaze swept over the two trolls and the women fighting them, the two women they ran into before the fight started, they were standing some distance away, seemingly unsure if they should run away or stay. Then his gaze landed on the Bragarth. Frank grimaced as he realized that the beast still wasn't dead.

He used all his power to stand up and wobbled his way toward the monster. Its HP must've run out, he thought as a short sword appeared in his left hand. He tried to stab the monster, but doing so with his left hand just felt wrong. I should practice with both hands, he thought absentmindedly while focusing on the task at hand. He attacked over and over until the name of the monster no longer displayed over its head. For a while he stood over the downed monster, just staring at it as he drew labored breaths.

The sounds of Hank muttering swears brought Frank back. He bent down and pulled his saber out of the dead monster. Unfortunately, he couldn't use it any effect with his left hand, and he was still feeling light-headed enough that distracting trolls could backfire. He took a few steps forward and knelt next to Bill, the man was still alive, though his head appeared to be cracked open, and blood was spilling out of it at a rapid pace.

"Hank, distract the troll Margaret is fighting, she needs to heal Bill," Frank said, making sure to speak loudly.

He watched Hank move without speaking back. His left hand was busted, the shield hanging from it having a long crack along the middle. Still, he seemed to have better control over his body than Frank and was able to quickly draw the troll's attention. Frank cast Healing Touch on Bill before Margaret rushed over. She checked on her husband, biting her lip in distress at his condition, then she moved to check on Kevin. She cast Group Heal, then returned to Bill's side.

Frank felt needles pricking at his right elbow, similar to how it felt when a limb fell asleep. Looking over, his eyes widened when he saw his arm regrow. First, a bone protruded out of the stump on his right hand, as it continued to grow, veins and tendons began to grow as well, then the muscles appeared and finally it was covered by skin. The whole process took about thirty seconds and looked highly disturbing. It felt quite weird too, the sensation of being pricked by hundreds of needles intensified, yet the hand felt completely numb.

Frank waved his new right arm, trying to get the blood to flow into it. Then he clenched and relaxed his hand a few times, feelings slowly returning to it. Another ten seconds passed before he was satisfied. He got up and advanced toward the troll Amy was shouting at.

He struck from behind, his mana-imbued weapon piercing through the monster's chest. He threw his body at its back, causing the monster to stumble forward, as he pulled back his blade and stabbed again. The troll lost its balance, falling to one knee and using its hands to keep itself from face-planting. Frank continued his assault, and soon the troll was dead. The last monster was quickly dispatched as well, under his and Hank's combined offensive.

"Fucking cat, almost killed us all," Hank said and spat on the ground, as they returned to the others.

"We need to get out of here before something else shows up," Frank said as he scanned their surroundings. "How's Bill and Kevin?"

"Kevin seems fine but is out of it. Bill is still bleeding, and is losing HP," Margaret reported.

"How many more heals can you cast? And how much time will that buy us given Bill's loss of HP?" Frank asked.

"Three more heals, and…. a few minutes, I guess," Margaret replied.

"However, his wound should close-up and begin to heal, just like my torn off arm did. Alright, we need to move. Hank, do you think you can carry Bill?" Frank looked at the large man.

"We should make a stretcher," Amy interjected.

"Not enough time for it," Frank shook his head, then turned to look at Hank quizzically.

"Doesn't seem like I have a choice," the man replied.

He bent down and picked Bill up, slinging his body over his shoulder. The position wasn't ideal, as it had Bill dangling head-down behind Hank, the blood spilling even faster than before. Can't be helped, Frank thought, as he grabbed Kevin, carrying him in a similar fashion.

"Let's get out of here," Frank said.

A sound from the side drew his attention. He relaxed as he saw that it was the two new women.

"You are still here," he said, glancing at the women who were moving along with them. "Finally decided to join us?"

"I am sorry... about what happened. These monsters, I think they were chasing us," the older woman spoke after a brief hesitation.

"They were chasing you? Why?' Amy asked as everyone continued to move.

"Um, because we kept running from them? That's how this place works, doesn't it?" The woman replied, sounding both angry and uncertain.

"Why don't you tell us your whole story," Amy suggested, giving her a friendly smile.