Chapter 39. The Farm still stands but for how long? [BONUS]
The Farmer moved along the safe edge of the field.
"Third row! Near the center!"
Carlos ran between the wheat and the soil moved beside his foot.
He stabbed downward and the spear punctured the ground.
Something screamed below him and Carlos pulled with all his might.
An Ironjaw Rat came out with the spearhead through its back. Dirt covered all over its body.
[Ironjaw Field Rat eliminated]
"Next!"
"Near the water trench!"
Blue flooded the marked tunnel.
One waited where the water ended and attacked every rat forced to the surface.
Brann used his hammer to collapse entire tunnel sections. The impacts damaged some wheat, but the rats beneath them stopped moving.
Mira guarded the kitchen while two rats surfaced beside her.
She threw one knife into the ground in front of them.
The creatures changed direction and followed the smell of porridge she had spread over the blade. They ran directly toward the bait area.
"That works too!" she called.
Carlos smiled despite the chaos. Mira had turned a weapon she barely knew how to use into another cooking trap.
For several minutes, the territory became a fight against the soil itself.
Rats surfaced, attacked and disappeared again.
Carlos learned to watch the dirt instead of the enemies. He stabbed where Rowan pointed, while Blue filled tunnels and One guarded the bait.
Brann killed anything large enough to survive the water.
[Ironjaw Field Rats remaining: 21/50]
The ground stopped moving and Carlos waited.
"Where are they?"
Rowan pressed one hand against the soil.
"Deeper."
A heavy impact came from below making the whole territory shake.
The remaining rats burst from their tunnels at once and ran toward the barren edge.
They were escaping something and a notification popped up.
[Granary Devourer has entered the territory]
The center of the Common Farmland rose.
Wheat plants were thrown into the air as an enormous creature broke through the ground.
It looked like a hairless mole covered in thick grey plates. Four curved teeth extended from its mouth, and its front claws were longer than Carlos’s spearhead.
--
Granary Devourer
Level 5
Raid Boss
HP: 1,200/1,200
Abilities:
Burrow
Root Devourer
Tremor Charge
Armored Hide
--
It opened its mouth and pulled an entire row of wheat into it with the soil.
--
Total Crop Damage: 18%
--
Carlos’s blood boiled.
"GET OUT OF MY FIELD!"
He charged but the Devourer only had to swing one claw to stop him from running.
Carlos blocked with his spear, and within seconds, the weapon bent and he was thrown out of the field.
--
HP- 279/360
--
Brann roared, a bad habit he had since he came here. The Raid Boss turned toward him right away, after hearing the roar.
[Threatening Roar resisted]
The Devourer went back to eating.
Brann struck its armored side with his hammer.
The impact made a deep sound, but the grey plate did not break.
--
Granary Devourer HP: 1,164/1,200
--
"Its armor is too thick," Carlos said.
The creature lifted its head to swallow another mouthful of roots.
And there it was, his eyes widened in realization.
Carlos saw soft pink flesh inside its mouth.
"Everyone! We will attack where there is no armor."
He summoned an Iron Spear while others looked for more orders.
"Brann, make it face you!"
The Bearkin hit the Devourer again. This time a lot harder.
It turned and snapped at the hammer.
Carlos ran from the side when it was distracted and thrust into its open mouth.
Before the Devourer could do anything, the Iron Spear entered beneath its tongue.
The Devourer screamed and pulled backward.
--
Granary Devourer HP: 1,011/1,200
--
It was so panicked that it went and burrowed in the ground again.
The massive body disappeared beneath the field in seconds.
"Move!"
Carlos and Brann left the loose soil. The ground followed them.
The Devourer erupted beneath Brann.
Its head struck the Bearkin and threw him into the Mana Spring.
--
Brann HP- 311/550
--
The stone edge of the spring cracked.
[Special Structure Damage: 5%]
Blue screamed.
"BLOO!"
The Sprite pulled everything it could from the spring.
Water entered the enormous open tunnel.
Carlos understood immediately.
"Keep filling it!"
Blue obeyed.
The Mana Spring poured water into the ground. One added Water Shot after Water Shot.
The Devourer tried to burrow again.
Its tunnel collapsed around its front claws.
Mud covered the grey plates and held its lower body in place.
"Brann!"
The Bearkin climbed out of the damaged spring.
He lifted his hammer above his head.
[Heavy Strike]
The weapon came down on the Devourer’s skull.
CRACK!
One grey plate broke.
--
Granary Devourer HP: 782/1,200
--
The boss screamed and pulled one claw free.
It struck Brann across the chest but till then, Carlos already jumped onto its back.
He drove the bent Reinforced Long Spear beneath the broken plate and the creature shook its body to fling him away.
But no matter what, Carlos held on but the Devourer was so desperate, it slammed him against the ground.
--
HP- 211/360
--
But persistent as he was, Carlos did not release the spear.
"One, the plate!"
Water Shot struck the opening and the force was heavy enough to push the spear deeper.
--
Granary Devourer HP: 601/1,200
--
The remaining Ironjaw Rats returned.
They attacked Carlos’s legs and Brann’s back while the boss continued fighting.
Rowan shouted their positions and Mira threw porridge-covered pieces of wood away from the field. Some rats followed the food, but others ignored it.
Blue had almost no mana left.
One turned away from the boss and protected Carlos.
Water Shot knocked one rat aside.
Brann crushed two more with the back of his hammer.
Carlos pulled his spear from beneath the plate and stabbed again and the Devourer wasn’t going to wait, it twisted itself.
Its claw struck him across the Ironweave Coat.
--
HP- 153/360
--
Carlos fell into the mud with a groan. Meanwhile, the boss was able to free its second claw.
It was about to escape underground.
"No you don’t."
Carlos grabbed the broken edge of its armor with both hands.
He pulled himself onto its head and drove his spear through the opening until both hands struck grey plate.
Brann hit the end of the spear with his hammer as if their thinking was in sync. The spear seemed like it took damage but it didn’t matter right now.
The iron weapon entered the Devourer’s skull.
--
Granary Devourer HP: 89/1,200
--
The creature moved one last time which gave Carlos the motivation to summon an Iron Pickaxe.
He struck the broken plate once and then twice until on the third try, the boss stopped moving.
[Granary Devourer eliminated]
The remaining Ironjaw Rats froze.
Brann roared again, this time it was because of the adrenaline of victory pumping in his body.
Listening to the roar, this time the rats started running in panic. The Devourer was not there to protect them.
One and Blue attacked from one side while Carlos and Brann blocked the other.
The final rat died beside the bait tray.
[Ironjaw Field Rat eliminated]
[Final Wave completed]
[First Territory Raid completed]
Carlos stood in the ruined center of the Common Farmland.
Nearly a fifth of the crops had been destroyed. Mud covered the surviving wheat, the Mana Spring was cracked and the kitchen wall remained damaged.
But every resident was alive.
[Final Territory Integrity: 85%]
[Total Crop Damage: 19%]
[Total Building and Structure Damage: 7%]
[Resident Casualties: 0]
[Troop Casualties: 0]
[Calculating raid performance]
[Calculating production territory defense bonus]
[Calculating rewards for complete raid elimination]