Chapter 38: Group fight

Once Dean heard that growling sound, he was sure that Dreads were coming their way. He struggled against his own mind to keep focused and prevent his body from making any mistakes that could cost his life.

In reality, the boy was completely lost. He didn't know what to do if a Dread appeared coming in his way, nor how to coordinate with the other members of the group. He was put in a position where he needed to improvise his actions, and it was making him anxious.

Seeing his troubled face, Rick nudged him with his elbow, making the boy glance at him. The man knew how to read people, and since that was the first battle that Dean ever had with the group, it was obvious that the boy would be confused.

"Look, boy. Calm down, ok? They aren't as strong as we are making it seem. There is one of the 6th generation there, two at most. The rest are 7th gen. Just keep behind me and pay attention to any threat that walks past me. Hector and Clay are the ones that will deal the major damage, so the Dreads who have good instincts will aim at them right away. Our main priority is not to let them pass the midguard and reach them."

Dean nodded his head to Rick, satisfied with his explanation.

'I thought that I would need to fight without any advice or objective. But now it's okay. I just need to act if some of these Dreads pass by Kevin's and Rick's defense. Everything will be fine.'

Negative thoughts tried to enter Dean's mind, but he brushed them off as fast as they came. He knew that now wasn't the time to think like that. He should just focus on the upcoming battle.

The growls became louder than before, and soon they could hear the Dreads barking.

That barking sound was something that Dean could never forget again. He saw those types of Dreads back in the invasion of Refuge Sarah.

'They are canines...' The boy thought.

Soon, figures appeared between the spaced trees in front of them. They didn't make a full siege and just positioned in front of them in a half-moon formation. Probably they were too distant to do it, and for their underdeveloped minds, take just four adults and a single teenager would be easy.

Just as Rick supposed before, one Dread of the 6th generation appeared. It was a huge dog with spikes on its back and serrated long teeth. Those spikes on his back didn't seem to be for show.

The others seemed to be of the same specimen of Dread as him. They were of the 7th generation, so probably they were the consequence of the proliferation of the older Dread.

There were 6 of them in total.

Before they could even reach Kevin, Hector and Clay showed their power by targeting one Dread each.

Clay pulled the string of his bow, even though there was no arrow there, swiftly adjusting his aim. One of his eyes was closed, he held his breath. All these actions lasted a few seconds, only.

"Willpower" began to accumulate in the tip of his finger that was holding the bow's string. Suddenly, it began to spread and form a straight object. At first, it wasn't recognizable. However, afterward, the form of an arrow began to appear clearly.

He loosened the bow's string, shooting that golden arrow. That projectile traced a straight line on the air and hit one Dread of the 7th gen precisely on its head, not just piercing but also exploding it.

Meanwhile, Hector pointed his fingers toward the mass of Dreads coming. There was a ring on his finger that began to shine in intense yellowish color.

"Drain!" He chanted.

The black energy that gave strength for the Dreads began to be sucked by his hands as if a vortex opened on his palm. It made the speed of those monsters decrease several times. One of them got so much of his energy drained that he just fainted on the ground, being targetted by Clay right after.

Kevin was still standing on the vanguard of the group. He took out his heavy sword, adjusting his helmet.

Soon, the other Dreads reached him. The majority just ran past the bulked man, but it was intentional. It was also a skill used with "Willpower".

"Intimidate!" He chanted, which made those beasts avoid his presence as if frightened by him.

The only one that didn't do so was the Dread of the 6th generation, and he was precisely what Kevin was aiming for. One of the others decided to stay with the oldest, now he was more confident that he could face Kevin because of the presence of his father.

Those two Dreads assaulted the bulked man from two different sides. With a slow, but powerful swing of his sword, Kevin retaliated against the weakest one. The attack got him right on his forehead, splitting his skull in two.

The 6th generation Dread attacked the man, opening his mouth and trying to bite him. However, Kevin could defend in the last second with his sword, pushing the dog's body backward.

The two remaining dogs that crossed with Kevin were aiming at the two humans on the rearguard. They judged that they were the most harmful in comparison to the others, and their "Willpower" was used in more quantity, which attracted their attention.

Nonetheless, Rick bumped into one of them with his body, throwing the Dread to the side. The latter stopped to look at Clay and Hector and focused on the new threat.

The barbed and tired-looking man maintained the tip of his sword turned to the ground, which was a fighting stance that Dean never saw before. He knew that other stances existed, but his father never taught him about them.

For a moment, he was too aloof with the rapid rhythm of the battle and how his partners acted. Because of it, he nearly forgot about the other Dread that Rick let pass from him.

The leader glanced at Dean, then nodded his head. The boy understood that it was on purpose. He wanted Dean to overcome his fear and fight against that dog alone.

Dean gulped but nodded his head. It was his time to act on that battle.