Chapter 196 - EVO
***Tirnanog, Third Continent***
***Astra***
We didn’t have to wait long for the group to reach us.
The strange creatures swarmed out around our position like a pack of well-trained hunting dogs. Luckily, we had chosen to wait for them on top of a large rock that towered about fifteen metres above the canyon’s edge.
It was the best nearby spot we could have chosen for such an encounter. The rocky landscape around the canyon was covered with crevices and large rocks, providing easy hiding spots and opportunities to take cover. But on this rock, we would have at least some forewarning against sneak attacks. Anyone or anything that wanted to get to us would have no way to hide their approach while they climbed the rock. The only other option was a narrow ridge that led up to the monolith’s peak, providing a very predictable approach vector for anyone who took it.
I wasn’t particularly worried about something or someone jumping to our elevated position. Even if they were capable of doing so, they would open themselves to easy retaliation while airborne.
The nightstalker variants were a concern, but for the moment, it looked like they were not approaching us any further. They stopped their advance about twenty metres away and were now staring at us.
During their entire approach, they hadn’t made a single sound. It was eerie to watch these creatures behave in such a manner. All my encounters with nightstalkers and their variants told me that they should be attacking humans on sight, regardless of the consequences. To see them pause, even if they were just considering the best means of attacking us, was unnatural.
Once I was reasonably certain that the pack would make no immediate move, I turned my attention to the five people who had been following the creatures. They were definitely human, and judging by their gear, they looked like a hunting group. Light armour, backpacks, and diverse weaponry made them seem like ordinary people who were making a living on their own. They had no streamlined equipment like it would be given out by some larger organisation or group.