"Everyone... Make as little noise as possible. It's close. Get ready, we will attack it at my signal. "
The small group of hunters cautiously approached the area shown by their leader. The thick veil of darkness offered by the moonless night and the dense forest served as an excellent camouflage. Harel closely followed Siena's instructions, taking care not to alert their prey. As he slowly pulled his sickle from his back, the faint green light emanating from the archer's eyes caught his attention.
"Her spell is too useful, it allows her to see in this darkness as if it was daytime. It's perfect for night hunts. "
He isolated this little thought in a corner of his head before focusing on the small shadowy mass right ahead.
Their prey this time was a Nothora. A small primordial creature that closely resembled sloths. However, in addition to a jet black fur, it had a pair of strange eyes. Its irises displayed a marvelous mixture of colors while its pupils were shaped like clock hands.
The little being was near a small source of water. While drinking, a strange whistling echoed from the woods and caught its attention. It was the signal. In an instant, four blackish figures rushed out of the scrubs. Harel wasted no time and tried to slice his target with his sickle as he fell next to it. Rhett and Mia were coming from its blind spot while Siena aimed at the only escape route possible with her bow.
The Nothora was surrounded.
But as the three attackers came within two meters of their prey, they felt a strange thrill. The multicolored irises of the primordial entity shone like a thousand lights while its clock hand-like pupils began to spin quickly. The world immediately became gray, and the entire forest seemed to freeze in time. Siena, Harel, Mia and Rhett couldn't even move a muscle, completely paralyzed from head to toe.
It was the frightening asset of this man-hunting creature: a chronostasis spell.
However, as it was about to flee, the creature's gaze landed on a source of light as bright as its eyes. It was something unusual for this little being whose spell had just deprived this area of its colors. It was naturally attracted by this object, and went to the person who held it: Harel. The watch on his neck was shining brightly and its clock hand was spinning madly.
"A little bit... Come closer."
Harel, paralyzed in an uncomfortable posture, only observed the Nothora approaching his position. The moment the creature stood within a yard of him, a purple light enveloped his body.
"Spell Nullification!"
While freeing himself from the spell, the young hunter had the impression of breaking a wall of glass. He immediately directed his sickle at the little creature. Unfortunately, the chronostasis spell was a little bit too powerful, which made his limbs numb even after he released himself. The blow only inflicted a superficial wound on the back of the Nothora, not preventing him from jumping back to get away from his assailant.
"Twenty..!"
At the end of the twentieth second after the launch of the chronostasis spell, the pupils of the primordial being stopped spinning. The forest resumed its colors and time began to flow again. The remaining three hunters were released from its power. Without wasting time, Siena ordered:
"Everyone, resume your formation! Mia, restrain its movements!"
"Right! Blood Web! "
Trying to fight the feeling of numbness caused by the spell, Mia raised her hands to the Nothora as soon as she was released. The blood flowing out of the creature's wound immediately gushed out in great quantity before solidifying. It then took the form of a web that closed on Mia's prey, preventing it from making the slightest movement.
Unable to flee, the beast decided to fight for its life; the brilliance of its eyes intensified as they released a powerful multicolored ray. The offensive first touched the various plants on the ground, depriving them of their time and turning them into dust.
"Harel, it's the time-stealing ray! Use the bone shield! Rhett, get ready to kill it!"
Harel pulled out an enormous shield composed of blackish bones from his back, hastily placing it against the ray that was coming straight at him. Strangely, the artifact did not seem to be affected by the magic offensive, blocking it effectively.
"Mephitic Arrow!"
Siena quickly shot an arrow from her position. As if it was remote controlled, the projectile snaked between the obstacles while releasing a dangerous miasma. As soon as it planted the Nothora's belly, a hideous necrosis developed from the wound, rapidly infecting half of its body.
"Enhance!"
Rhett's muscle mass drastically increased as a result of the activation of this spell. Several veins appeared on his limbs while his body mass quickly reached that of the biggest night monsters. He leaped from his position while brandishing his enormous club, lodging it in the neck of the poor creature.
Crack!
In a single blow, the muscled giant broke the neck of his prey and probably most of its cranial box. His enhancing spell turned off a few seconds later, being only temporary.
Siena, fearing that her companions would relax so soon, declared:
"Stay on your guard. Although the Nothora are primordial creatures, they don't have great offensive abilities. In short, they will never hunt alone!"
Their leader was right, as behind them, the smile of a shadowy mass was stifled by the nocturnal darkness. It was a night monster...