Raegar spared a glance at the four adventurers as they dispatched the last of the ghouls, their movements swift and praticed. Turning back to Tarrin, he said, ''I'll be fine. I've tangled with devils before. I know their tricks.''
The older man chuckled before nodding. ''Just be careful. I don't want to see you get hurt,'' he said.
Following that, the group continued with Raegar wandering around, killing any monsters he came across, which were only more Ghouls, and thanks to using Enhancement magic he was able to slaughter them with ease.
That annoyed him as the creatures' screeches were giving him a headache. 'Isn't there normal beasts here?' he thought while watching the others from a church tower as they entered the first city square.
Raegar leapt to his feet, poised to spring forward, when a piercing screech split the air—this one distinct, feral. Before he could react, a hulking, vulture-like creature slammed into him, its talons raking as it launched skyward.
More of the winged beasts descended on the group in a flurry of feathers and claws. Raegar drove his blade into the one clutching him, forcing it to falter mid-flight. It let out a squawk of pain before suddenly dropping him while trying to get the dagger away.
While falling, he cast Flash Step to appear in the square with the others as they fought with the flying monsters. As he appeared, another one swooped toward him but he threw a dagger at it.
The blade tore through the beast's body, while noticing another trying to attack Lyra, who was in the back, focusing on healing everyone with her magic. He spun around and threw the second dagger that ended the monster's life.
When the weapon connected with the bird, it crashed to the ground with a sickening thud. The elf looked up at him and smiled while mouthing. ''Thank you.''
Following that, Raegar started casting Stormfire Bullets to pepper the vulture-like monsters that tore them up like a machine gun. By the time the beasts stopped coming, everyone was tired.
He was low on Aether and needed to gather to recover what he used on all the magic he used to deal with the creatures. While sitting there, he took out a flask he bought from the General Store.
Raegar made some tea and took a mouthful which refreshed him as the others caught their breath. Moments later, Orin appeared and sat down, causing the bench to creak under the bear man's weight.
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''Have you fought those monsters before?'' the older man asked.
He shook his head while answering. ''No. All I know is their name is Carrionwraith's.''
Orin nodded. ''They are prevalent here alongside Ghouls, Lost Ones and Gutter Rats. That spell you were using in the last fight seemed to do enough damage to wipe them out, which is good,'' he informed.
''Don't they linger around battlefields?'' Raegar questioned as he hadn't read up on Carrionwraith's.
''Yes youngling,'' the bear man replied. ''On the border with the Dawnfire Empire is full of them as the imperial armies battle with the Korrveth Kingdom which has kicked off again.''
Raegar looked puzzled, causing Orin to reveal some surprising news. ''The Lunathyrians have joined up with the demon realm and attacked an empire fortress that guards the war north causing a war to break out.''
''When did this happen?'' he questioned the older man.
Orin thought for a second before answering. ''A week ago. The empire was caught off guard, but when the armies make their way south, they'll steamroll through the demons and demi-human forces.''
''Interesting. Well, my test is in the far north away from the war, so I won't run into any problems,'' Raegar said before pulling out some cooked meat and eating some.
While enjoying his food, something running across a nearby road caught his attention, but the monster didn't get closer. He looked at Orin before pointing in its direction. ''I believe a pack of creatures are waiting to ambush us.''
When the bear man heard this, his eyebrows rose in surprise as he whistled toward Lyra, who walked over to them. ''Can you set up a perimeter with your Aether? The kid believes a pack of Lost Ones are trailing us.''
''What are Lost Ones?'' he asked to older adventurers.
The elf woman explained while sending out a wave of Aether that covered them all and a few meters around them. ''They are people who got lost in the wilderness of the world and end up in a dungeon or gates, especially city based floors like this one.''
Raegar looked confused but shook his head and questioned. ''How do they get there?''
Lyra shrugged while replying. ''No one knows. Scholars believe explorers and adventurers step into a portal, then die when arriving at their destination before being turned into a Lost One.''
After that, Tarrin rallied the group, urging them onward along the main road toward the governor's manor. As they pressed forward, Raegar's eyes darted around, tracking fleeting shadows stirring in the corners of his vision, his hands tightening on his blades
'We're not alone,' he thought just as the dread evil aura descended on them, causing him to warn the group. ''Devils are coming!''
Raegar reacted instantly and threw one of his weapons at the enemy that suddenly appeared, forcing it to block as he attacked a second by sidestepping the devil's lunge and stabbing it through the head.
As the enemy crumpled lifeless to the ground, Raegar summoned his blade in a flash, barely raising it in time to deflect a savage downward axe strike. The sheer force jolted through his arms, making them tremble.
He clenched his teeth and retaliated with a searing Lightningfire Blast. The electric flames tore into the devil, sending it into wild spasms. Seizing the moment, Raegar vaulted onto its chest, plunging his blades deep into its eyes.
Blood erupted in a gory spray as he twisted and leapt around the body, evading an axe that thundered into the creature's chest with a sickening crunch. He threw the dagger at the newcomer's head.
The devil suddenly tilted its head, narrowly evading a throw, but the move only drew a sly smile from Raegar. A heartbeat later, he wrenched the weapon back toward him using Aether to control it.
Moments later, it sliced through the air and plunged into the back of the creature's skull, dropping it lifeless to the ground. The body slumped lifeless to the ground, joining the growing pile of corpses.
Raegar's gaze snapped up, catching sight of Tarrin and the others locked in fierce combat with a fresh wave of devils, their blades flashing amid the chaos. He rushed in and switched his dagger's grip and slashed at the enemy's tendons.
This brought them crashing down, allowing him to throw his daggers through their skulls, which eased the pressure of the adventurers. Raegaer summoned his blades to block a swipe of claws from a strange-looking monster.
Raegar was flung backward, his boots scraping the street as he slid to a stop. His gaze locked onto the culprit, a humanoid figure with charcoal-black skin stretched tight over muscles, its arms ending in wickedly sharp claws.
'What is this nightmare? The Lost Ones Orin told me about?' he pondered while steadying himself.
The creature's lifeless red gaze suddenly flared with Aether. In an instant, it vanished, leaving only a ripple in the air. The hairs on his neck prickled, and he whirled around, daggers snapping up just in time to meet a slashing claw.
A sharp clang echoed as steel clashed with talon, sparks bursting into the night. Moments later, he felt a surge of Aether pulse from the Lost One, washing over him. It hissed, baring jagged teeth, then lunged again, this time slower, sluggish under the Aether's weight.
Raegar sidestepped effortlessly, the creature's claws slicing nothing but air as he used Flash Step to get away. When he reappeared, Elaris appeared beside him before hitting the Lost One with a powerful fire spell that turned it into charcoal.
The blue-haired woman looked at him with a smile. ''They are weak to fire kid. Use those spells you did before, it will mess them up,'' she revealed.
He watched Elaris rush off to go help Orin, who was dealing with a devil. Tarrin and Lyra pushed the Lost Ones back while fighting the other enemies. Raegar gritted his teeth and dashed toward the battle.
When getting closer, he used Flash Step to appear behind a group of devils before moving so fast while cutting them into pieces. Once that fight was over, the enemies exploded into meat chunks.
Following that, Raegar started using Lightningfire Blast to deal with the creepy humanoids who were moving quicker than him, but Elaris's magic helped slow them down, giving him the chance to kill them.
This continued until the last devil dropped dead thanks to him stabbing the creature through the skull. Everyone was tired but Tarrin shouted. ''Get some rest before we start looting the corpses.''
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