Pack Instinct
Arrows and magic projectiles zipped through the air, making high ground an advantage but also a liability.
The battlefield was in complete chaos, but amidst the destruction, Boy began to see patterns emerging. Every soldier, summons, and mage had a role, but not all of them were fighting efficiently.
Summons were being pushed back without coordination, their movements wild and desperate. Boy was the same situation happen again. Summons had been thrown into the fray with no backup, no support, and no escape plan.
He scanned his surroundings, using the terrain to his advantage. Each decision had to be quick, and every move had to serve a purpose as he hurriedly ducked behind the wreckage of a collapsed barricade, waiting for an archer to loosen his shot before dashing out again.
The other defenders of the first line were also fighting desperately, their shields raised against the rain of enemy arrows while their swords flashed with each strike that they countered.
Boy's sense suddenly spiked as as he turned to his left, an armoured saberhound had been separated from the rest of the summons and was being surrounded by three enemy soldiers.
It was bloodied and barely standing as its sides heaved with exhaustion, its movements sluggish.
The two soldiers charged forth and the hound barely dodged the two but as it sidestepped both attacks, the third soldier had moved forward and raised his halberd, preparing to deliver a finishing blow.
'Their guards will be down!' Boy thought as he assessed the situation.
Without hesitation, he darted forward, his paws barely making a sound against the battlefield's uneven ground.
Spirit Dash!
He vanished from sight for an instant before reappearing at the third soldier's flank.
His fangs landed right on the back of the man's neck, tearing right through the flesh as Boy forward momentum caused him to fall forward.
[Ding! Killed an F+ Class Militia Fighter. 200 exp gained. +10AP]
The sudden attack had caught all the other two soldiers off guard and the saberhound was not going to let this chance slip by as it seized the opportunity, lunging at one of the soldiers and sinking its fangs into his arm, twisting violently.
"Argh!" the soldier roared in pain as he dropped his sword and was dragged down to the ground by the hound.
The remaining soldier dashed towards Boy and swung his sword, but he ducked and countered as he lunged straight at the man's knee, teeth glowing purple.
Shadow Bite!
Chomp!
As his mouth came down, a loud crack came simultaneously with the chomp as the man's leg was chomped cleanly off.
Another loud shrilling scream of pain sounded as the soldier collapsed onto the floor.
[Ding! Killed an F+ Class Militia fighter. 200 exp gained. +10AP]
Boy quickly ended the man's life and he turned to the hound who had just killed the remaining soldier.
The beast, as if realising that Boy was looking at him, looked back at him for a long moment, its yellow eyes filled with exhaustion and uncertainty. However, instead of attacking, it hesitated before lowering its head slightly.
'Do you need help?' he asked telepathically as he began to observe the hound's injuries.
The hound let out a small growl, admitting that it did indeed need help.
In that moment, Boy's eyes scanned the battlefield, searching for someone who could help.
His gaze locked onto a soldier, who was dressed in reinforced robes with a red insignia, making his way towards injured soldiers. He moved with practiced efficiency, hands glowing with Aether as he sealed the deep gashes that were on a fallen soldier.
Unlike the war mages or summoners, his focus was not on combat but on preserving life.
He saw that the man that he had healed was still unconscious and picked him up, carrying him further deeper into the lines of defense to a small team of medics who were working on stabilising the injured humans in a safer location.
Without hesitation, Boy turned back towards the saberhound and nudged him to find the team of medics in the distance.
'Go to them. They are healers. They can help you,' he spoke to the beast who then nodded and began limping in the medics' direction.
Not far away, a young griffin was pinned onto the ground as parts of the barricade had lodged itself inside its wings which were twitching weakly as it tried to break free from them. It screeched out weakly as each movement was only hurting it more. And nearby, a battered boar-like summon was limping, barely able to keep up as three enemy knights closed in on it.
Boy had no time to think, he had to act.
Shadows of the Pack!
Two shadowy clones of himself materialised at his sides and they all immediately dashed forward. The clone went off to help the griffin get loose while Boy and another went to take down the knights.
Boy's clone jumped at the soldier that was just about to attack the boar, biting him hard on the hand. The sudden attack had caught and taken the attention of everyone around him.
In that moment, Boy charged from behind another soldier, biting hard right in the gap between the back of his helmet and his chestplate.
Puchi!
In that moment, blood sprayed out as the knight fell on his knees, his strength fading as he succumbed to the attack.
[Ding! Killed a F+ Class Arcane Initiate. 250 exp gained. +15AP]
Seeing his buddy suddenly get killed by the new enemy, the knight immediately raised his hand as a fireball formed before he fired it, straight in the direction of the Boy.
'Crap!' Boy thought as he hurriedly dodged the fireball.
[Ding! Killed a F+ Class Arcane Initiate. 250 exp gained. +15AP]
Just as he dodged, a notification rang out but he was not given any chance to breathe as another fireball flew out once again.
The fireball rang out and was about to hit him and Boy hurriedly dashed to the side but just as he did so, he found that the knight was right next to him, spear glowing as he was prepared to attack.
'Shit…' Boy thought as he scrambled and called his clone forth to distract that attack.
Thwack!
Suddenly, the knight was hit hard by something as he was sent tumbling a few metres to the side.
It was not the clone that had saved him but the boar.
The creature panted heavily, hobbling as its thick hide was scorched and bleeding from multiple wounds. It let out a low, rumbling grunt before it lowered its head slightly, an unspoken show of respect.
Boy bowed back as he told the boar, 'you're injured, go get help.'
He then nudged the boar towards the medic area, urging it to seek treatment. The boar's eyes softened slightly before it limped off in the right direction.
Nearby, the griffon cub finally struggled free with the help of the clone that Boy had sent earlier. It weakly flapped its wings experimentally, checking for any lasting damage before it looked at Boy and bowed its head in gratitude.
It had seen Boy directing the boar towards the medic and also began to follow it as it closed its wings and began walking there, helping the boar.
Boy turned his head to the rest of the battlefield, weaker summons were struggling to hold the line, their movements erratic and uncoordinated. Each one was fighting alone, without support.
For the first time, Boy did not just think about his own survival. The feeling intensified as he looked around the battlefield, watching the summons he had saved slowly making their way towards the medics. His awareness expanded, his senses sharpened as if something deep within him was being unlocked.
[Ding! Pack Instinct (E) -> (D)]
Without hesitation, he darted back into the fray, but this time, something was different.
The summons around him weren't just random creatures fighting for survival anymore.
A battered horned lizard summon, having seen the actions that Boy had done and seeing Boy charge right back into the attack again, was suddenly encouraged as it instinctively followed him, mirroring his attack.
A pair of smaller fox-like summons, that were once scattered and hesitant, now kept close behind him, moving in sync as if guided by an unseen force.
Boy stumbled for a moment, his mind reeling.
'What… was that?'
They were moving in response to him yet he did not give them any orders. They were reacting to his presence.
And even more intriguing was that he could feel them- not just see or hear them, but also feel them. Their uncertainty, their trust, their growing determination- it was all there, flooding into his senses like an extension of himself.
His eyes flickered between the summons that began to follow his lead. He had always fought alone, relied only on himself. Yet now, for the first time. He was no longer alone, not just another fighter in the chaos. He was part of something greater and these summons saw him as the leader of the pack.
[Ding! Enemy killed…]...
[Ding! Enemy killed…]...
[Ding! Enemy killed…]...
[Ding! Enemy killed…]...
…
…
…
He began to fight harder and faster- taking down enemy combatants before they could land finishing flows on exhausted creatures.
[Ding! Enemy killed…]...
[Ding! Enemy killed…]...
…
…
…
Every summon he helped respond in kind, rallying behind him as they also began to work together to take down the enemy summons and their soldiers.
[Ding! Enemy killed…]...
[Ding! Enemy killed…]...
…
…
The morale and fighting spirit was swiftly rising.
[Ding! Enemy killed…]...
[Ding! Enemy killed…]...
…
…
As Boy fought, he made an effort to coordinate with other summons, guiding them to better positions, covering their weak spots.
[Ding! Enemy killed…]...
[Ding! Enemy killed…]...
…
It felt instinctive, natural- almost like leading a real pack as they began to steal the momentum that the other side had gained.
[Ding! Enemy killed…]...
[Ding! Enemy killed…]...
…
Then, as if the battlefield itself had acknowledged his growing presence, a chilling aura suddenly settled over the battlefield.
A deep, guttural roar echoed through the air, shaking the very ground beneath them. Boy turned his gaze towards the enemy lines and as his golden eyes narrowed, he could see a massive shadow looming overhead.
A Wyvern had landed about twenty metres in front of them and on the beast, was a man.
The enemy general had arrived.