As the group was already prepared, they just needed to keep their focus on the direction of the noises and wait for the Dreads to come their way.
Those weren't as sneaky as the others they fought before. Those animals seemed not to be concerned about the group knowing about their approach.
Rick and Clay could see the "Chaos" around with much more details than the others. Because of it, they could measure immediately the number of enemies coming, their power, and how fast they were traveling. Those points were crucial to know beforehand what kind of Dread they were going to face.
"They are about five. However, at least three of them are 6th gen!" Rick stated.
"They don't seem to be well organized at all. It's just a bunch of wild animals without too much intelligence. Due to the region we are in now, I would guess that they are a variation of snakes. Just take care, because their poison starts to develop more when they are of the 6th generation." Clay was the next one informing them. His usual calm and low voice were now somewhat firm and loud. This sudden change just came when he was in battle.
Dean was concerned about how he would act against Dread snakes. He was expecting that another type of animal would come, so he couldn't be prepared for this.
'I need to learn more about the fauna of Saphyr. It will surely help in the future. I will take note of this and then ask them later.'
That fear of death was still present in Dean's heart, but their trip to the next refuge was going smoothly until now, and he knew how much strong that group was, which left him confident about their victory.
The snakes appeared in no time, crossing the fields. Their black body was just visible in that darkness because of the red glowing cracks that were opened across them. Otherwise, it would be impossible to identify them. Also, their hiss was loud enough for anyone to know that they were coming.
Those Dreads were fast enough to catch up with the group in just some seconds after they showed themselves in the distance. They were too big but their speed was so high, their bodies were thick and heavy as well. The ones of the 6th generation were 8 meters long, and the ones of the 7th were 4 meters long.
Just as Clay and Rick had predicted, there were 3 snakes of the 6th generation. The remaining two were weaker.
"I will charge myself to hold these two!" Shouted Kevin while running forward and clashing with one of the strongest snakes. Afterward, he gave a kick on another one who was passing by him aiming at the mid and rearguard of the group, making her focus on him.
Kevin didn't want to use the skill he used before, which left Dean wondering about the reason.
In truth, it was simple. Kevin just wanted to save it for now. He needed to spend "Willpower" to make use of it, after all. That skill wasn't just one he could use to target the right monster to defend the group from, but also to use while in battle, so he could frighten the enemies and take advantage of it.
Now, he needed to take two snakes with him. He would need as many trump cards under his sleeve as possible.
The other tree snakes that passed him didn't get a good reception as well.
As long as they crossed Kevin's way and aimed at Dean and Rick, Hector, who was in the rearguard with Clay, pointed his hand for them, uttering the usual word:
"Drain!"
Right after, the "Chaos" that filling the snake's body began to get released forcefully, weakening them and accumulating on the tip of Hector's finger. However, this time he did something different.
Hector kept his finger pointed to the snakes, aiming at one of them, which was the last one of the 6th generation.
"Shot!" He chanted.
All that energy gathered and condensed at the tip of his finger was sent flying like an arrow towards the snake he was targeting. It struck her, exploding its body in just one attack.
Dean got amazed by that ability. Before, he thought that Hector's skill just served as a support, weakening the enemies to make it easier for the rest of the group. Nevertheless, he actually could use that power as an offensive technique as well, which was awesome!
'So, Hector is so strong like this, huh? I can't wait to know more about their skills once we get in the refuge!' The group promised to him to tell more details about their team fight tactics and how their power worked. Dean didn't complain at all since they were almost arriving there.
The next one to move was Clay, who was just waiting to see which one of the snakes Hector would aim at.
The archer decided to shot randomly at the remaining two weak snakes of the 7th generation. His arrow made of "Willpower" pierced the air at an abnormal speed, hitting one of them, but not killing for the time being.
He let his attack weaker than usual intentionally.
Rick noticed that point and let the enraged snake target Clay while easily taking care of the other one. He, again, gave a meaningful look toward Dean.
The boy felt that it was his final test. They were just a few kilometers away from the refuge. He couldn't be just dead weight to the group. He needed to show that he was eager to start to contribute to them as fast as possible.
He knew that it was his last chance. Nonetheless, Dean was prepared.
The boy put himself in front of the snake, who hissed at him with its bloodshot reptile eyes staring at his face with hatred and murderous intent.
He focused on the "Willpower" gathered in his heart, which was difficult to do with an enemy in front of him. Breathing steadily and slowly, he made that power travel from his heart to his arms, then gather in a small quantity on the tip of his sword.
It was hard to make "Willpower" flow in his own body but much more to external objects.
A thin layer of "Willpower" enveloped just the sword's edge.
The snake hissed again, shooting her body forward with such a speed that Dean's eyes could barely follow.
The boy could charge his attack but didn't have the time even to think of something. He just trusted that this time he would do it right.