**Xi... Xi...**
The slithering sound of hundreds of creatures on the ground created an eerie atmosphere as they marched along the road leading to one of the larger settlements along the waterside.
When the lax guards noticed their arrival, it was too late for them to react.
Blood splattered. Screams were heard from over a hundred residents as they were captured, mauled, or eaten on the spot. And the worst is yet to come.
On the same night, three other settlements were attacked using the same method. Close to a thousand and five hundred tribesmen from all kinds of local races were lost in this night raid.
This event was known as the "Nagas Raid" after the news was spread across the other surviving settlements. Those that stay closer to the destroyed villages immediately bolster their defensive line, while the greedier ones quickly raided them.
It was considered a sandbox moment because a settlement can only grow stronger by plundering another. Even the human settlement where Edward Pinnacle came from couldn't help but took part in the plundering.
They ended up with a bountiful number of materials.
Clothing, wood, ore, and metal was just the regular material they're able to get their hands on. One of them even got his hand on a very revolutionary weapon known as Wild-Bow. The bowstrings of this weapon seem to be made from a mutated creature responsive to Exalt Force.
It ended up in Edward Pinnacle's hand as he was the one leading this plundering group.
"Look at all these food and thing they're using! No wonder the Mulein Elves are so prosperous! If we managed to learn how they preserve the food, it would be much easier for us to went through the winter!" said one of the hunters.
"True. If we managed to recreate one of the weapons like leader Edward, won't all of us be sharpshooters like him?" few other hunters were quite jealous of what Edward found.
"Scale Workers!" a scout returned quickly. There's quite some bloodstain on his collar, which likely comes from the others.
"Get ready to battle!" Edward Pinnacle said. Using the new weapon in his hand, firing a Pyrotic Arrow is much easier. All he needs to do right now is to pull the trigger after putting in some Exalt Force.
Using his still immature Psychic Weave, a few people received his call to arm. It was soon spread across their hunting squad as everyone starts paying attention to their surrounding.
"They're here! Get ready to battle!" a few hunters yelled as ten or so Scale Workers appeared at their side.
More Scale Workers begin to appear all around them as they get caught up in an ambush. There were close to a hundred or so Scale Workers this time, separated into five different groups.
And at a place not far from them, two slithering creatures are busy clucking and sending a unique vibration using a distinct organ located on their neck.
"Whish!"
Edward Pinnacle's shooting was deadly accurate after changing into a new weapon. His hitting rate was about 9 hits out of 10. From close to two arrows for one target, it has now become one each.
**Xi...**
The slithering creatures left quietly after close to half of the Scale Workers were disposed of. Their retreat is even faster than the way they came.
"This is very weird... Did something happen to the Abomination Soldier's Hierarchy? I have never seen them attack in small groups before." Edward Pinnacle suspected, but this place is not where his squad should right now.
About half a day later, they finally returned to their outpost.
But there was a piece of bad news. Unlike Edward Pinnacle's squad, the hunters positioned in the outpost had a miserable defeat in their battle today.
It came as a shock when he noticed about half of the hunter legion is either dead or injured.
"Explain to me! what happened today?" Edward Pinnacle was furious. Because the Orcs were changing their shift today, the battlefield ended up with no Orcs participating in the battle today.
"There's some new snake creature... It's very dangerous..." one of the trembling hunters said as he grabbed the cup between his hands with all his strength.
"Lead - Leader... We have to retreat... This creature is very dangerous and sneaky. Two of our people were killed without even knowing how they're dead. Furthermore, they looked like they're just testing our strength this afternoon." another hunter said.
One of his hand were mauled by the so-called new creature before he managed to catch a glimpse.
"Tighten our security tonight. Since we lost our momentum today here in the frontline, I'm worried that the abomination will take this opportunity to attack us tonight." Edward said.
"Leader, you're a little too paranoid... How is it possible for them to try and attack this place that they failed to break through multiple times?" another hunter interrupted.
"Just go and do what I've said!" Edward Pinnacle raised his voice towards the hunter.
The hunter grumbled as he left unwillingly to deliver the leader's order. That night, the security of this human outpost can be counted as the strongest ever seen. Close to forty people were on duty, taking care of their perimeters with torches illuminating the area ten steps away from the walls.
But to Edward Pinnacle, the sense of uneasiness in his heart still bothering him as he couldn't calm himself.
"What actually happened?" he asked himself. A while later, he decided to ditch his rest as it won't be comfortable due to his current mental state.
"AH!" a scream can be heard as he put on the metal armor on his body.
"What happened?" the scream caught Edward Pinnacle's attention as he grabbed his weapon and left the tent in a hurry. And the first thing he sees in front of him was a legless reptile creature that stands about Tarzul's height.
There were a pair of scythe-like claws on this creature. There's a head stuck on one of the claws, likely belonged to the pitiful hunter who screamed earlier.
"When... When did this creature sneak inside our outpost?" Edward Pinnacle asked himself.
Meanwhile...
"Hey... Two of the torches are dead. Go get them replaced." an unsuspecting hunter said as he pointed his finger at that spot.
"It's just two torches. Let them be... The light is going to come in two or three more hours anyway." the other hunter said.
By the time they noticed the entire row of torches is dead, it was too late.