Chapter 8: Selene

  And just like that another Razorback was felled by my sword. These monsters were the unholy love child of what would happen if a boar and a bear were joined together and then covered in razor sharp spines and plated armor that protected its backside.

  Razorbacks were listed as an A-Rank monster, as they charged with deadly speed maiming anything in its path. The only way to deal a kill shot to them was to strike their exposed underside or by landing a precise hit to their exposed eyes and through to their brain. Neither was something they let happen if it could be prevented.

  These nasty monsters had been seen in ever increasing numbers as of late and it was up to me and my ‘associates’ in the Suppression Squad to dispatch them. I say ‘associates’ because I did not have any companions.

  With my [Fast Growth] skill all anyone ever saw was a way to use my talents to improve their own reputation and, thus, their social standing. My first so called ‘companions’ taught me that lesson soon after they abandoned me once they were given the first opportunity to join the royal court.

  They did not even show any remorse for leaving and just remarked that it was fun while it lasted, but it was better to live in luxury within the Capital, then to scrounge around the battlefield like a common ‘Trash Urchin.’

  I had never heard that phrase before that moment, but it was all I needed to hear to know how others viewed me and that the only reason they were out fighting was to make themselves look better.

  A lull had come over the forest where I was dispatched to handle these monsters and just thinking about it forced a scowl to form on my face. Because of this recent uptick in sightings my vacation and subsequent return home had been delayed indefinitely.

  At the rate that monsters were being spotted it would take another year, at least, until I could return home to see my family. I, especially, wanted to go home and see how Cal was doing. He may never have noticed, but I always noticed the barest glimmer of disappointment he had in himself.

  I knew he felt inadequate compared to Father, Mother, and myself with our exceptional skills and I wanted to always show him that he was loved. That even without an exceptional Skill he was still family.

  As these thoughts ran through my mind a messenger soon ran up to me. “Sir, another hoard of Razorbacks has been spotted five clicks from here. Additionally, the scouts have reported that other A-Rank monsters could be seen amassing with them. Chief among them were Drag Serpents.” The messenger then gave a salute by placing their fist over their heart and moved off to report to the other members of Suppression Squad.

  That was just great. Not only were more Razorbacks amassing but Drag Serpents as well. Those monsters were especially nasty because their long serpent bodies were covered in tough scales that could change color to blend in with their surroundings.

  The fact that the scouts were able to see them at all means they were not camouflaged at the time. Additionally, they have an extremely potent venom that could be injected into those they bit with their fangs or breathed out as a poisonous cloud.

  This was all one big headache I wish I could just get rid of.

  Sighing, I sheathed my blade and began to move out with the rest of the Squad to the reported location.

  After thirty minutes of walking the Suppression Squad came upon a large clearing in forest. No monsters were in sight yet, but it was obvious that this would be where we would engage the monster hoard.

  With this open expanse the Drag Serpents would have a harder time of sneaking up on the Squadron without the cover of the forest to mask their movements. It also meant that the archers and spell casters would have a clear line of sight to help hinder the Razorbacks movements as they charged at the Squadron.

  My other ‘associates’ all at once began taking out their weapons and sharpening them. No doubt their edges had been blunted after the skirmish with the hoard of Razorbacks earlier. Me, I took out my sword and effortlessly cast my Restore Edge spell on it that I had learned from a blacksmith in the Capital.

  For all the trouble my [Fast Growth] skill brought me, it did have its moments where it was useful. I then began to think about the monster hoard that was approaching our position, and something did not feel right about it.

  A monster hoard was not an uncommon occurrence. In fact, it happened enough that many adventurers saw it as a means to get some hard-earned coins from all the monster corpses after the battle. However, monster hoards should not be appearing as frequently as they had been during the past year.

  It was almost as if some force was guiding the monsters and pushing them relentlessly to wear down the Kingdom’s forces. But that could not be the case. Monsters were not intelligent enough for that kind of battle tactic. And even someone with the [Monster Taming] skill could only control two maybe three monsters at a given time.

  I had heard rumors of a tamer being able to control six monsters at a time that he kept in special ball shaped storage devices designed by an [Enchanter], but the story always ended with the tamer losing control of his thralls due to lack of experience.

  So, what was this uneasy feeling I was having as of late? Before my thoughts could continue to wander down this line of questioning, a scout could be heard shouting from the top of a tree they had climbed. “Monsters sighted. Time until in range of archers and spell casters two minutes.”

  Everyone in the Suppression Squad rapidly got all their gear and weapons in order and began to form up into their designated ranks. Being as I was a force all my own, my job was just to engage the monsters wherever I could and help any struggling units during the battle.

  As a tense silence began to fall over the Squadron, hundreds of red eyes could soon be seen staring back at us from the shadows of the trees on the other side of the clearing, before the monsters then stepped out from concealment and into the light.

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  As soon as the first monsters showed themselves a volley of arrows rained down on them from the archers. The arrows glowed in a variety of colors that designated a different skill or spell they had been imbued with.

  Most of the arrows bounced off the backs of the Razorbacks without leaving a scratch. Others found their way to pierce the vulnerable eyes of the monsters and even if it did not kill them, being blind in one eye would hinder their ability to stop themselves from being flipped over by our forces and then finished off by a well-placed strike.

  There were even a few lucky arrows that had managed to find their way to pierce the scales of some Drag Serpents that were hidden in the first line of monsters. No doubt the only way the arrows were able to pierce their scales was because they were infused with a penetration skill or spell.

  After that initial salvo, the monsters became enraged and then stormed forward in mass towards the arranged fighters. That was the signal for chaos to ensue as the Suppression Squadron’s ranks charged forward to meet the monsters head on.

  All over the battlefield the sounds of metal clashing with hide and scales could be heard mixed in with the screams of both man and monster. Blood stained the earth in rivers as many monsters were slain. However, our side was not coming out of this skirmish unharmed.

  There were just too many monsters and many fighters were being gored by the Razorbacks blades or being taken unaware by a camouflaged Drag Serpent and then punctured by their huge fangs. If the fighter did not bleed out from the puncture wound, then the poison would end them within a minute.

  The main strategy for the battle was for the mages to cast wind elemental spells to lift the Razorbacks and expose their vulnerable underside for others to stab them; as well as, using any other spells they could cast to help the fighter engage the monsters.

  To fulfil this critical role, the mages were expelling mana in exorbitant amounts as they tried to expose the underside of the Razorback’s, reveal the hidden Drag Serpents through elemental revealing spells, and heal some of the fighters to help extend our forces fighting prowess just a little bit more.

  However, the mages were reaching their limits. They had only so much mana to expend before they would have to fall back to try and recover even a sliver of that mana to use again in battle.

  Not only that, but soon a mage was picked up by an invisible force before huge puncture wounds appeared on their body. Realizing what was occurring I rushed to the mage line using my Super Speed skill and then activating my Clairvoyance skill.

  My notion was right. Drag Serpents instantly became visible within my field of vision thanks to my skill. Three Drag Serpents, to be exact, had made their way to the back of the Squadron, where the mages were, and had used their camouflage ability to sneak up and attack them. “Not on my watch,” I though inside my head.

  Maneuvering with all the speed my skill granted me I quickly appeared to the side of the Drag serpent with the mage still in its mouth, then imbued my blade with my spell Adamantium Edge before bringing my sword down on the serpent’s neck and swiftly beheading it.

  The monsters head then collided with the ground with a resounding thump. I did not have time to dwell on this and quickly reengaged my Super Speed skill before giving the same end to the remaining two Drag Serpents hidden amongst the mages.

  The mages gave a hasty “Thank You” before returning to their task of supporting the main fighters of the Squadron with their spells. As I did the same with my skills.

  Several hours of fighting later and all the monsters had been exterminated. The remaining fighters of the Suppression Squad could be seen slumped in heaps all over the blood-stained clearing not even caring about the blood they were sitting in. Probably because they were already covered in so much monster blood that a little more did not make that big of a difference.

  Even I was breathing heavily from all the running around I had been doing to try and stave off as many casualties as I could during the battle.

  But it was not enough.

  What had started out as a Squadron of nearly two hundred fighters, had been reduced to a measly fighting force of eighty half-dead fighters who could not even lift their weapons anymore.

  Soon one of the leaders of the Suppression Squadron came over to talk with me. His name was General Cilas Stromback and he served in the Capital Knights as one of their high-ranking leaders.

  He was encased in full plate armor that covered his whole body and was adorned with militaristic filagree denotating his rank. The armor was once a pristine set that any blacksmith would be proud to call ‘their work,’ but it too had been stained by all the blood from the slain monsters.

  It should come as no surprise that General Cilas served under my father, Richard Luxeria, when he was part of the Capital Knights and was trained by him as well. Then after father retired, he used the experience from the last monster hoard attack and what was taught to him, to quickly rise within the ranks of the Capital Knights.

  “Good work out their Selene.” Cilas said in a commanding and militaristic tone. “Thank You, Sir.” I replied in a disciplined tone despite how tired I was while putting my fist over my heart in salute.

  Technically, I was not part of the military, but was classified as a specialized mercenary that was dispatched by the Council and Adventurers Guild to where they thought my power would be most useful.

  However, this did not stop me from showing the proper respect to the man in front me. One of the few individuals in the Squadron I could ‘actually’ respect because not only was Cilas trained by my father, but he was one of the rare few who did not seek to use my status to improve their own standing.

  Cilas then went on to explain, “The scouts have reported back, and it seems that this was the last of the monsters. However, a messenger from the second division also arrived stating that a similar sized hoard of monsters was appearing towards the west of the Capital.”

  At this news I could only blow out my breath in frustration. Because I knew, for certain, I was going to be expected to head to that battlefront too and lend any assistance I could. In the current shape this detachment of the Suppression Squad was in, I was the only one who would recover fast enough to aid them.

  Hearing the frustration in my voice Cilas placed a gauntleted hand on my shoulder and said in an understanding tone, “I know… it is a lot to expect of you after you have already done so much, but you are the only one who can make a significant difference.”

  Nodding my head in acceptance, I knew that with my skill I was a pivotal force on the battlefield, but all I could say was, “Why can’t these damn monsters take a holiday so I can go home to be with my family and enjoy my mother’s cooking?”

  This got a hardy laugh out of Cilas as he replied, “I whole heartedly agree lass.” This also caused me to give a short laugh as well bringing a little relief to my state of mind.

  I then voiced my troubling thoughts. “You know… I have been thinking. These monster hoards that continue to appear and push the Capital’s forces, seems too orchestrated to be a coincident. It is almost as if some force is driving these monster attacks forward.”

  “Additionally, the way that those three Drag Serpents targeted the mages during the battle shows a level of intelligence that should not be possible from monsters. It is very disturbing.”

  Cilas just shook his head in understanding before saying, in a no-nonsense tone of voice, “I agree with you lass. I have been noticing the same thing myself, but every time I send a message to the Council to investigate these strange occurrences, all I get back is a response to keep up the good work.”

  “The only time they seem to understand how dire things are with these increasing monster hoards, is when requests for more troops are sent out and they speedily send reinforcements.”

  Hearing all this just made me frustrated with the Council for the lack of urgency they seemed to be applying towards the situation we found ourselves in.

  “Can you send another missive stating my concerns as well as yours? Maybe if my name is attached to the letter, the Council will finally take notice.” I said with an exasperated tone. “Aye, that I can do lass. Maybe your right and this will finally kick the Council into action.” Cilas answered with a bit more hope in his voice.

  Turning around Cilas began to march off the battlefield, presumably to do just that. Looking towards the west and my next battle I was being forced to go towards, my only thought was, “Sorry Father, Mother, and Cal. It seems my vacation home will be delayed a bit more. Just keep waiting for me. I will return home to see you all again.”