Chapter 34: CH 034: What next? (Mass Release 5)
Panic rippled through the group, the horrifying reality sinking in. Gunther, one of their strongest and most experienced members, was gone, taken by a beast they had once thought of as slow and unthreatening.
Panic had set into everyone’s body, spreading like wildfire among them. Their confidence, once bolstered by the seeming ease of their attacks, had crumbled in an instant. The beasts they had underestimated had just claimed their leader.
"What do we do?!" another voice broke through the chaos, a hint of terror creeping into their tone.
The group was already in disarray, but now the situation had taken a dangerous turn. The Boulderbacks, once considered simple, slow-moving creatures, had shown an unexpected level of lethality. And they had proven that no one, not even the formidable Gunther, was immune to their deadly abilities.
The beast, now clearly the dominant force in this encounter, continued to growl low and menacingly, its bloated form towering over the others. The others in the group were still reeling from what had just occurred, unable to fully comprehend the danger they were now facing. The creatures had begun to shift their attention, sensing the fear that had rippled through the group.
"We need to get out of here!" Dave shouted, but the words were drowned out by the cacophony of screeches and the sound of claws scraping against the ground.
The beasts were circling now, each of them reacting in a way that had never been seen before. Some were moving faster, others shifting into more aggressive stances, all in the direction of the group that was beginning to falter. The quiet realization that they were facing an enemy far more dangerous than they had originally thought was beginning to sink in. They couldn’t afford to waste any more time. Gunther’s disappearance was just the beginning.
The battlefield had become a maelstrom of chaos, with every member of the group struggling to maintain their ground against the relentless swarm of Boulderback beasts.
Panic was slowly creeping into the hearts of everyone, but amidst the confusion, Dave remained oddly calm. His eyes flicked from one beast to the next, his mind calculating, his every move purposeful. It was then that he noticed something; a shift in the air, a subtle change in the rhythm of the battle.
One of the Boulderbacks, a large creature with a sickeningly bloated form, had shifted its attention toward a young teenager who was stationed near the front of the group. The beast’s long neck began to stretch, muscles rippling beneath its green, scaly skin.
Its head moved forward in a slow, deliberate manner, as though it was preparing to strike. Dave’s instincts kicked in instantly. He had learned quickly that whenever a Boulderback extended its neck, it was about to launch a lightning-fast attack, an attempt to snap up its prey before they even had time to react. The others were still focused on their individual battles, too caught up in the fray to notice the imminent danger.
Without a second thought, Dave’s body surged into motion. He darted forward with a fluidity that belied his earlier hesitation, and in a single, smooth motion, he grabbed the teenage boy by the arm.