Testing Our Limits

The sounds of battle from Lord Varen's group could be heard in the distance. The clanging of metal, explosions of magic, and creature screams.

"Are you ready? Shall we pay a visit to our friends waiting for us on the other side of the valley?" said Boran.

She gripped her staff tightly. "Yes, I'm ready."

As they moved toward the other side of the valley, Boran continuously scanned the area, identifying potential targets. His eyes surveyed the surroundings, searching for small groups of Venomwings. Like an experienced hunter, he tried to predict his prey's movements.

"There!" Boran whispered, pointing with his finger. "Three small groups. Four or five in each. If we're careful..."

"Are you going to gather them together?" Noemi asked, unable to hide the concern in her voice.

"Yes, but I'm thinking bigger this time. I plan to bring together about fifteen creatures."

Noemi's eyes widened. "Fifteen? Can you handle that?"

"Don't worry," said Boran with a confident smile. "My shield is still strong. Besides, I'm better prepared this time."

As they approached the first group, Boran signaled to Noemi. "Get behind that rock. I'll start gathering them. Don't come out early."

Noemi nodded and moved behind the rock. Boran took a deep breath, gripped his shield firmly, and started running toward the first group. "Hey! You ugly creatures! I'm right here!"

The moment he used his Taunt ability, the first group of four Venomwings turned toward him. Boran immediately began to retreat while making sure to keep the creatures trailing behind him. The Venomwings followed with hissing sounds.

"Perfect," he muttered to himself. "Now for the second group..."

He headed toward the second group, dragging the first group behind him. This time there were five Venomwings, and they all flew after him. Boran used Taunt again and shouted loudly.

Nine creatures were now pursuing him. Boran kept constantly moving, sometimes making sideways dodges, sometimes surprising the creatures with sudden turns. He deflected the thorny attacks with his shield, but his main goal was to include the third group. Throughout this process - aside from Noemi's Fireball - he had only taken 60 damage.

"Last group..." he said breathlessly. Beads of sweat trickled down his forehead, but the determination in his eyes never wavered.

The third group consisted of six Venomwings and was slightly further away than the others. Boran ran toward them, dragging the nine creatures behind him.

When he used his final Taunt ability, a total of fifteen Venomwings were now chasing him. The air had turned into chaos with whizzing thorns, hissing sounds, and claw clicks. Boran's armor was scratched in several places, but he was still standing.

"Now!" he shouted toward Noemi, raising his right hand. "Get ready!"

Noemi emerged from behind the rock, gripping her staff with both hands. She closed her eyes and gathered all her strength. She began weaving her spell without breaking her concentration.

Boran was trying to keep the fifteen creatures in a tight area. Moving in constant circles, he kept bringing back any Venomwings that tried to escape back to the group. The thorns hitting his shield were starting to hurt, but he wasn't thinking of giving up. He used his IS:B ability during moments when he remained stationary.

And finally, Noemi's massive Fireball came gliding through the air. Boran adjusted his shield to the right angle at the last moment. When the spell hit his shield, there was an even more powerful explosion than before.

As the cloud of fire and smoke rose into the sky, pieces of Venomwing rained down across the valley like rain. The force of the explosion was so great that even the leaves of nearby trees trembled.

Boran fell to his knees, his shield still in front of him. Parts of his armor were burned, some parts had started to melt. His face was covered in soot, and he was struggling to breathe.

Noemi ran to his side. "Boran! Are you alright? That was... that was very powerful this time."

Boran coughed, then tried to smile. "I'm fine... just time to drink some potions." He looked around. "How many was that?"

"Fifteen more," said Noemi, examining Boran with concern. "That makes thirty-five total. But... maybe we should take a break?"

Boran shook his head. "No, we must continue. Lord Varen's group isn't sitting idle. Besides..." He slowly stood up. "This shield can take much more," he said, gesturing to his body.

"You... you really are crazy," said Noemi, but her voice held both concern and admiration.

"Maybe," said Boran while checking his shield. "But that's exactly what we need right now. Come on, there are more Venomwings on the other side of the valley."

Noemi sighed. "Alright, but this time please don't gather so many. Ten is enough..."

"No," said Boran in a determined voice. "We're going to try something bigger. This many Venomwings gathering in one place isn't normal. There must be a nest."

"A nest?" Noemi's voice trembled. "You mean... we're going inside?"

"Yes. If we really want to make a difference, we need to go to the source." Boran began examining the surroundings. "These creatures must be coming from somewhere."

Together they began scanning the valley. Boran carefully examined the tracks on the ground and the gaps between rocks. Like an experienced hunter, he tried not to miss even the smallest detail.

"There!" Noemi suddenly whispered. At the bottom of a large rock formation was an almost invisible crack. It looked dark and threatening.

Boran approached the crack. A faint hissing sound was coming from inside. "Found you," he muttered.

"Boran..." Noemi anxiously grabbed her friend's arm. "We don't know how many are in there."

"I can estimate," said Boran while listening to the sounds from the crack. "Based on the intensity of the sounds... there are at least a hundred."

Noemi's face turned pale. "A hundred? This... this is madness! We can't do it!"

"We can do it the same way. Just don't let them hit me. I'll keep my back to the wall."

"Boran! We don't have anything to prove! We've already done our best. This... This competition means nothing! Why are you hurting yourself so much just to win some random competition?"

Boran smiled slowly. "This isn't just a competition, Noemi. This is about discovering our limits. About seeing what we can do together. About noting every weakness, every failure, and doing better."

"And yes, maybe it's a bit crazy. But... I want to try. I want to test my limits." He lifted his shield slightly. "Besides, remember, when you're by my side, I'm not afraid of anything."