Chapter 311: The Assault

"So how exactly are we supposed to kill every living thing on the planet? Wouldn't that also include us?" Drake wondered allowed, following behind the group.

"Obviously we wouldn't include ourselves in that…" Vale scoffed next to him.

Drake was on babysitting duty. Ganeer had forced him to take his place so he could get some exercise. All while laughing at Drake's uncomfortableness around Vale, as well as the abject fear he held in his eyes every time Vale licked her lips while staring at him.

"I mean, I agree. Normally you wouldn't but I've seen the system do worse," Drake sighed, keeping just enough distance between them.

"Tan~!" Vale cooed loudly for the nth time, beckoning their leader to explain another question Drake had that she simply didn't want to answer.

"There is a quest given out to squad leaders. As an invading force we are given a counter for the invasion designated by the Old Gods. Once they direct the requirements of the invasion it is transcribed as a quest as a requisite for the quest," Tan explained.

"How long do these invasions take usually?" Drake asked.

"This planet is very large. I assume that is why we have been ordered to clear it. With the force they've placed here, I would give it a week at most. There are full fledged Asuran, Silver Wolves, Stardust Golems and more here. While I do not like it, there are also Dragons. Mere fledgling races in the multiverse stand no chance against Primordial Races."

Drake was surprised to hear Tan praise the Dragons. Even a little bit. From his understanding the Dragons were the worst of the bunch.

He looked over at Mir'phyra. She alone had caused Drake a world of trouble. And after reading some of Natto's reports he had found that she was the head of the small elite and powerful group of Primordials which governed the multiverse with a tyrannical iron fist that made his own moniker look like a basket of rainbows and fluffy kittens.

"To be clear," Tan said, interrupting Drake's thoughts, "The people on this planet will also have a quest."

"They will?" Drake said dubiously.

"Theirs will be the opposite of our own. They will have the requirements of defending their planet and home." Tan looked over his shoulder, "And killing every one of us."

"Well isn't that just oodles of fun…" Drake groaned.

"Once the invasion is set in motion, there is only one victor. It is the way of war."

Drake kept the rest of his thoughts to himself. However he couldn't keep them from wandering to the planet his own would inevitably go to war with in a short few years. Would the system also force them into a deadly deadlock with no reprieve without mass genocide?

He unfortunately couldn't imagine it. And unexpectedly he wondered.

Would there be anyone strong enough to give me a good fight?

He shook his head. Slightly embarrassed by the thought.

Norris shimmered into view next to Tan, "There's a village up ahead."

"Is there a way to avoid it?" Tan asked.

Norris shook his head, "One of the vipers was following me… Sorry Tan, but they already saw it."

Tan sighed, "Then, let us get this unpleasantness over with quickly."

Drake felt a small pit form in his stomach. Tan didn't say it, but Drake already knew what he implied with his words. They were about to wipe out this village.

He only felt a small drop of solace in that no one looked pleased to be doing it. Telling Drake that they had done it before or more accurately were forced to do it before albeit reluctantly.

But Drake couldn't help keeping the thoughts he knew had no place in this type of world from voicing in his head.

Does it make it any less brutal that they don't want to do it? It doesn't change the fact we're about to kill everyone in some village just for the simple fact we're being told to…

The thoughts swirled in his mind like a storm brewing. And it was apparently plain as day on his face.

"There isn't any other way," Vale said gently next to him, "If we don't do it, someone else will. And if we don't do it…"

"Everyone dies anyway," Drake grumbled, his fingers curling in on themselves, "Yeah, I get it."

Drake understood it. However, a part of him vehemently disagreed with it.

They continued on, a few slimes and other monsters here and there crossed their paths. But nothing a single person couldn't handle. Or Tan with his slightly bipolar personality that would destroy any mimic slime that got even remotely close.

Drake was still unable to glean the slightest clue about Tan's fighting. Outside of the man pulverizing anything his fists touched. There was simply nothing that could challenge him enough to make him reveal any sort of skill.

Thinking on it, Drake wondered if that was normal for all half bloods.

Looking at the rest of the group, Drake had seen most of them fight by now in one way or another. And none of them came close.

He knew from the introductions that there were three that held Primordial blood outside of himself and Tan. Dolf, who was a combination of Orc and Asuran. Ganeer who was a Stardust Golem and part Gorgon, Drake later found out.

Then there was Vale, who was almost fully a Phoenix and to almost no one's surprise, part Succubus.

And as she would put it, 'Only the good parts' of a Succubus. To which Drake would say.

"Probably the worst parts…" he muttered to himself.

Soon they came upon the village that Norris had scouted. However, something was wrong.

"Is it supposed to be empty?" Drake asked, sensing no one in the village.

"Of course it isn't!" I was just here. There were at least 40 of those damned Mushroom people!" Norris blurted.

"They are not here now," Tan stated, walking into the village, "At least, no one is alive…"

Tan moved a severed limb in the doorway of a hut. Simple living quarters built from the trees and vines in the area. A doorway covered by some sort of fur.

Kuuwei and Gnobin moved next to him. Gnobin sniffing at the corpse as Kuuwei touched the limb, his hand glowing blue.

"Well?" Tan asked.

Gnobin shook his head, "Doesn't smell like anyone from the staging area."

"These cuts are clean. Too clean for run of the mill cattle. Maybe other Asurans?" Kuuwei offered.

Tan shook his head, "No, the only other Asurans here are the Pantheons, they don't use bladed weapons. If it was them they wouldn't leave severed pieces, they would leave a pile of battered mush."

Drake grimaced slightly at the thought.

"Gross…"

"What is?" Vale asked, leaning over on his shoulder casually.

Drake gingerly pushed her back upright, "Nothing, just intrusive thoughts…"

She smiled. "I have a few of those…"

"You know there is a time and place right?" Drake said furrowing his brow, then a small realization come over him, "I can't believe I just said that. Me. Is this what turning into an adult feels like?"

Drake couldn't help but place his palm to his head in amusement. However, the banter between the group only lasted so long.

In the next moment the sound of something thudding to the ground behind them forced them all to turn.

Rolling to their feet was a ball with hair. Greenish hair.

Vale screamed, jumping behind Drake, as the rest brandished their weapons.

"Dolf!" Gnobin shouted, only to be held back by Tan as his arms began to glow golden.

Drake began channeling whatever skill he had available, taking his que from Tan that something they might not be able to handle had just made itself known.

On the ground a few feet from them, Dolf's headless body bled out. It seemed that he hadn't even had a chance to react or cry out. He had been killed without any of them noticing a thing.

"Tan…" Ganeer grunted, motioning to a spot in the distance with his chin.

Tan's face gave a brief flash of surprise before returning to his stoic expression.

Drake looked in the same direction confused for a moment before realizing it.

"The vipers are gone?" he said in a near whisper.

"More likely they are dead," Tan amended.

Tan moved to grab whatever was left on Dolf's person, muttering something Drake couldn't hear over his motionless corpse.

Drake's aura was on full alert, it had been since the moment he gained the skill earlier. And he had noticed nothing. None of them had, not even Tan who Drake considered to be leagues ahead of anyone here.

He began to worry.

If it can go unnoticed even with all of our sensory skills active… He thought, the hair on the back of his neck beginning to stand up.

Drake's mind moved to the skill stones still in his temporary inventory. He had over 20 more slots to fill, could he get a skill that would help him here in time?

Questions began popping up in his head.

Would it matter? They killed a person with Primordial blood with ease. What was stopping them from doing the same to him? Would they be so arrogant to let him use and consume skill stones in front of them? Why haven't they killed all of them yet if they could brutally and swiftly dispatch Dolf? Were they playing with him and the others? Where will they come from next? Should we run?

Drake's flip switched. From anxiousness to something he was very familiar with.

What if I don't run… I'm not a coward… I'm an Asuran! I want them to come! I want them to try!

Drake's blood pumped like drums in his ears, his senses and skills going into overdrive as his status bar began depleting to fill them.

A split second later he felt something pierce the skin on his neck. A fraction of a second after, his hand grabbed for whatever it was he couldn't see.

His gauntlet sounded with the sheering of metal as pain ran up his forearm, the feeling of liquid quickly running down it.

Drake screamed, throwing a his fist into whatever was there. And to his surprise something connected.

He heard and felt as if he had hit something hard. Not metal hard, but a familiar sturdiness. The feeling of chitin armor.

His scream turned to a roar as he reared back his fist again, putting more power behind it as he struck what he couldn't see once more.

Then again.

And again.

And again.

You've killed Oskifar Yukk Level 37. Temporary Experience earned. Experience stored.

Pseudo Weakened Magic Tempered Asuran Initiate Level Increased to Level 32 [50 Temporary Free Points have been awarded.

The notification came through and as it did, the visage of a purplish insect covered in green blood slumped to the ground, a bladed sickle for a hand still embedded halfway through Drake's arm.

He let out a ragged breath, looking at the monster, no, being?

"I thought there was only those Penis looking fucks on this planet!" Drake grunted, snapping the insect's arm in half to remove it from his own.

"Here let me see," Vale said, looking at the insect as well.

"I'm fine!"

"You won't be if you don't let me heal it!" she shouted back.

Drake suddenly felt weak, his legs shaking.

"What the-"

Before he could finish his sentence he fell backwards, his vision swimming. But soon the warm and calming power of Vale's healing washed over him.

His heart's wild beating steadied, the pain and vertigo that had just assailed him also lessened.

Tan and the others had formed a circle around him. Or more accurately Vale.

"What is the swarm doing here?" Kuuwei asked, his face looking grave.

"Great!" Norris grumbled, sweat beating down his pale face, "Just another day of not being told what is really out there! It will be a standard invasion they said! Definitely no psycho mind controlled insect freaks with no concern for their own life here! Oh and did we also forget to mention! There's trillions of them! And the cherry on top? They're all strong enough to kill us all!"

"Shut up Norris!" Gnobin growled.

Drake struggled to regain his feet, but thanks to Vale he was at least able to manage standing.

His arm had turned a funky green that even he could tell was not a good thing, but it was quickly being restored to its normal color.

In the distance a shriek echoed. And then it became more than a shriek. The sounds of multiple cries rang out.

Soon it became an orchestra of bone chilling roars. A few more high pitched screams and it became the sound of something else entirely.

"Oh great!" Norris whimpered, "They brought a Flying Swarm Flayer!"