Scouting ahead

Terry had already pointed the crossbow to his front when he found the other side. As expected, he saw another group of forty or so enemies surrounding the portal. When they grabbed their weapons, Terry had already fired and hit five of them, and the power of the bolts was increasing. From the tenth shot and onward, the monsters fell and rolled on the ground during the impact.

Eventually, Terry ran out of mana, but the others had already begun their attacks. Rebecca bombarded one of the mechanical warriors with her earth spears, and she crushed the head of her target in no time.

The others worked in pairs and also killed six of the enemies in a matter of seconds. Things were going really well, just as planned, but then the enemies got up and charged to attack.

Terry did the same and then used Crescent Slash to break the guard of one enemy, and when the creature summoned the armor, instead of using the sword, Terry kicked the beast in the stomach. In the next moment, Terry stepped on the hand of the creature and then kicked its face several times. Eventually, the beast lost its grip on the weapon. The next moment, the enemy's sword became a small metal plate, and then Terry targeted the neck of the monster.

Terry soon chose another target since he had already done something like that, so he wasn't surprised. After finishing off his next target with a surprise attack on the ear, Terry looked around and confirmed that no one was in trouble. The parties had been divided in two, and they were working to watch each other's backs so the enemies were unable to surround them.

Things worked well until several enemies turned their weapons into hammers, and Terry clicked his tongue even before they were used since he knew what was going to happen.

The monsters dashed at the parties and swung them with massive horizontal swings. The Frontline blocked them with the metal poles that Terry had enhanced. However, the impacts still pushed them away and made them flinch… giving the enemies another chance to attack…

Terry dashed toward those monsters that were getting carried away and then attacked them with a quick sentence of stabs, and then he stepped back when the backline of both groups cast their spells. A heavy barrage of attacks knocked them down, and the front line approached to finish them off.

Longsword of Greysteel - Lv 09 (70/100 EXP) (Uncommon)

Attack Power: 40

Defense: 40

Magic Defense: 40

Mana: 10/100

Durability: 50/50

"No mana this time… only those that have the last hit recover their energy," Terry thought.

Terry looked around again, but he didn't find anyone suffering. His first barrage of attacks wounded too many of them… on the next practice, they will have to make it without his help.

Terry watched the rest of the fight while rubbing his chin thoughtfully. The others were doing well despite the fact that the monsters were giving trouble solo, even to mid-ranked hunters. Rebecca was coordinating them, and they also had some powerful traits, but that shouldn't be enough for them to do as well as the guild masters. The reason for that was the items that Terry leveled up…

"I guess even with my help, no one can reach Vanessa's power… perhaps Rebecca can if I level up a magic wand for her and she learns a powerful spell," Terry thought.

In the end, the fight ended, and only three people broke their arms when they focused too much on defense… Terry healed them in no time, though. After finishing that, Terry decided to investigate the area ahead and find the next base of enemies;. At the same time, they had some time to do that. Terry wasn't the type to delay the unavoidable.

"I will scout ahead; you and the others should guard the portal," Terry declared. "If a large group approaches while I am away, you have the order to retreat and fight with the others in New York."

"You are only going to scout ahead, right?" Rebecca asked. "Please don't let us wait here for too long if you get entangled in a battle or something."

"Trust your guild master now and then, okay?" Terry asked.

After explaining his plan to the others, Terry forged ahead into the unknown. The plainlands stretched before him, vast and seemingly endless, swaying grasses whispering secrets carried on the wind. The landscape was both beautiful and eerie, as if nature itself held its breath, sensing the imminent encounter between Terry and the monsters ahead.

As Terry advanced, the surroundings gradually transformed. The flora grew more twisted and mutated while the atmosphere thickened with a nervous energy. Strange and otherworldly sounds permeated the air, heightening Terry's anticipation and caution. Every step felt laden with significance, for he knew the town he sought was no ordinary settlement.

"It seems I am growing more sensitive to this kind of thing," Terry thought. "The battle experiences are pilling up."

Finally, after hours of solitary trekking, Terry caught sight of the town in the distance. Its architecture, with jagged rooftops and macabre decorations, deviated from anything he had ever encountered. The eerie glow emanating from the buildings suggested an unnatural presence lurking within. It was very different from the other group.

"I guess the guys here should be more violent than the others," Terry rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "I was planning to train the newbies in a battle like that, but it might not be a great idea," Terry thought.