Chapter 85: Stacked
The defenders of Ghost Reef had barely defeated the Unveiled Blade before the next wave began. Coop had been uneasy as the fight dragged on because he was worried that it wouldn’t be over in time. The adversity of the challenges became significantly more demanding as they overlapped each other and having Field Bosses involved simultaneously with two waves was a complication he didn’t think they could afford.
The interior corridor of the fort was a ruined mess of collapsed stone and rubble. A wide open exterior wall, demolished by the Field Boss’s bulk, let sunshine filter inside, through the dust, into what was previously a dimly lit hallway. Coop was surrounded by phantoms and a few residents that were congratulating each other on the victory with big smiles and pats on each other's backs.
Coop let himself relax for a moment, embracing the loosened atmosphere. He felt the tension that had accumulated in his neck gradually release, but he didn’t indulge himself. A few seconds of calm was all he allowed before he put his game face back on.
He jumped through the gap in the wall and mistjumped back into the shallows, crossing the moat with a shield toss. When he landed, he switched his weapon to the ethereal trident and headed toward the west side that had been his temporary territory through the last couple waves.
There was no sign of the fruit bat that had successfully countered Gaol’s assault. He assumed it went to join its unchosen brethren who had fled as soon as the fight reached the wall that housed their roost. Coop couldn’t help but wonder what it had been hunting to get so many levels. It wasn’t like fruit and flowers would have given it the experience to level so much, so he imagined there were other invaders occupying the groves around the island chain.
If it had been active during the day, he was sure someone would have noticed. Jett had been securing the fort from Excavators ever since the beginning, the burrowing owl was defeating Ancient Defenders on the dunes, the pig fought on its island, but the bat must have had a larger range. It probably knew what the unknown waves would be. If only it could share, Coop lamented.
The beeps counting down the next wave started as he sought the Crazed Serpents that had returned to their own assault without the call of Gaol. He heard Shane’s clear voice directing squads back to their positions, hustling the defenders to prepare for the next wave while still dealing with the unfinished Serpent wave.
Coop checked his notifications while he started to gather the Crazed Serpents, before they reached a critical mass.
[You defeated Field Boss: Primal Serpent (Level 45)]
[+91422 Basic Credits]
[+2 Sharp Destruction Gem (Legendary)]
[+3 Sharp Guardian Crystal (Legendary)]