Icard studied the view before them.
"They've seen us" he muttered.
A panel appeared before Icard.
[You Have Entered A Gate!]
[You Have Entered Spawn Territory!]
The warning came, just like in his first turn.
Although the Garlyks could tell humans were pouring into their territory, they did not attack first.
"What...what is all this?" Someone asked from behind them.
The man looked around confusedly and then looked behind them.
There was no gate.
"Where is...how do we go back?!" he asked, nearly yelling.
"You heard the herald, didn't you" one of Albert's men said. "We can't return until we are done here"
"Ehh?" The man whispered in realization.
Icard walked forward and Albert took notice of the lad. He looked really calm and calculating, unlike a lot of people there.
He kept that in mind before facing forward.
'We have to wait till everyone gets in' Icard thought.
More and more people kept appearing after passing the gate, each with a flash of yellow light.
"What...where is this place?" some questioned.
Soon enough, well over a hundred people had gotten in. And after a bit more entered, the atmosphere began to change.
There was some activity within the rocky hive.
'I see' Icard thought to himself. 'I didn't understand it last time but I get it now. They react to numbers as well. Once we got past a certain number, they perceived us as threats'
"Are you ready, Albert, Luna?" a voice asked, coming from that porcupine.
Icard's eyes darted at it.
'Gremit' Icard thought to himself.
An Erwald like Katar. Gremit was also one of the first Erwalds to arrive at their vicinity and quickly allied with Albert for reasons that would soon unfold before them.
"Yes" Luna answered, her eyes fixed on the imminent threat before them. They could feel the hostility already, making a lot of them shudder.
As more and more people kept appearing, the Garlyks began to organise themselves.
Since they were too far to be seen clearly, no one could make out their forms.
But clearly, those things were monsters, spawns, unearthly.
It tested the spines of everyone there.
"Some things are there! What are those things?" someone asked, fear laced in his voice.
Some of them took a few steps backwards in apprehension.
"I don't want to be here. I want to go back" another muttered.
"There's nothing here! How can I go back?"
However, no one had answers to give. Most of them were already aware of the Heralds warning.
Then, in the far distance, noises could be heard, like those of a raging mob and dust could be seen clearly disturbed over there.
Then a panel appeared before Icard.
[Spawn Detected:]
[Name: Garlyks]
[Average Spawn Threat Level: F-E]
[Maximum Threat Level: D]
"They are coming" the porcupine said. "Kill as much as you can and absorb their mana essence as I told you"
"Yes" Albert answered.
Some people who heard it were awestruck.
"It's a talking porcupine"
But then, they had more pressing issues so their awe was short-lived.
"They're coming to greet us" Albert said aloud, then began advancing.
As he did, he unleashed his ability. Green aura swirling around his arms, legs and torso.
Before him were the Garlyks - humanoid creatures with hard exoskeletons and pincers for mouths.
They screeched as they came at the humans who had just arrived, making them quiver.
"They're attacking! Why are they attacking?!"
They took a few steps back in fear while Albert stepped forward, releasing his power.
Then, as soon as the Garlyks came within range, he sent a blast at them, scattering a lot of them about.
His capabilities shook quite a number of people. It was still low level but his space was a powerful one.
After all, Albert quickly rose to the S Rank in their vicinity.
"How was he able..." some muttered.
With his wind-like aura still swirling around his body, he closed in on the scattered Garlyks, about a hundred of them.
Following him was Luna and his men, all unleashing their various powers with good control.
Icard saw this and was quite amused. Seeing them now, he could tell they had gotten pretty much ahead of every other person here, and it was all thanks to Gremit.
Icard looked at it dryly from the corner of his eyes.
'This was the reason Albert got powerful really quickly and early back then. As I expected, being guided by an Erwald is pretty much the best thing any group can get right now'.
However, Icard wasn't lacking. He knew all this already.
The erwald sat there watching. Of course, it would be too strong to interfere. Rather than doing that, he'd let them do their best. After all, this quest wasn't really difficult.
"If only Katar wasn't so difficult" Icard muttered jealously and then closed in too.
By now, seeing Albert's powers effective against them, it encouraged people more. They all released their various powers and attacked as well.
[First Floor Access Confirmed]
[Skill Activation: Snow Vine]
Icard's hands turned white as he lunged forward and with his palms open, he hit one of the Garlyks.
A whiteness spread around the place he made contact with.
Snow Vine let him infuse the garlyk's body with frost that weakened the integrity and targets use for that body part.
As they were all F rank, this much mana was enough to infuse enough frost that let Icard shatter the body part he touched.
And for this one, he went for its upper chest and crushed it with his hands, removing its neck and leaving its head to fall to the ground.
It was not too difficult. He knew how to move but his low level attributes reduced his fluidity.
[You Have Killed An F Rank Garlyk!]
[You Have Gained 2 Advance Points!]
Icard moved on. They were quite fast and swung their claws at air rendering speeds.
Icard could predict their movements easily. He barely dodged their strikes before landing his own attack and crushing their bodies.
Around him, others seemed to make progress as well.
Not far from him, he could see Liam attack one of the garlyks, cutting its arm first and then its head, with his ability.
Dane also. He went at one, using his ability to cause the garlyks to sink halfway into the earth.
The chaos thrived for some time and soon enough, the humans were done, with zero casualties.
"We did it!" some cheered, using their abilities efficiently for the first time.
However, it was too soon to be cheerful. Before them was a nest of garlyks. One that has just been fully provoked.
"You should move at them now, Albert" the porcupine said flatly. "Take the fight to them!"
"Alright" Albert said, then glanced at those behind him.
They still had their eyes on him, although some still mused at the fact that the porcupine talked.
"Alright" he said again, breathed in and out deeply before taking the rear again with everyone following him.
'I guess Raid leader had it in his blood' Icard thought to himself, watching him lead them without much words.
While they had scored one against the garlyks, this was far from the end.
The next set of spawns they would face wouldn't just be F rank garlyks but also E rank variations - the soldiers - much stronger than these.
But of course, they wouldn't know now.
***