Kunze took out his greatsword and readied himself. The blurry silhouettes in the fog gradually took shape, until the appearance of the monsters was finally revealed.
From a distance, they looked vaguely human, but as they moved closer one could observe white-red flowers sticking out of each figure's right eye. The other one had a blood-red iris and a gaze seemingly filled with hate. Their veins squirmed as they moved towards the group. One might think to call them zombies, but there was almost no evidence of decay on their bodies, and even though their movements were somewhat uncoordinated, they moved at a surprisingly rapid pace.
"Don't dwell too much on their appearance. When they die, they dissipate the same way any monster does. Commit to your attacks and aim to kill." Kunze's voice snapped the team back to reality.
Boom!
Alex took aim and shot the closest figure. The rifle was loud, but surprisingly, Alex almost didn't feel any recoil. The bullet hit one of the figures right in the chest. A spray of blood and chunks of flesh coated the monsters behind it as the front one fell down like a puppet without any strings.
"Good, keep it up!"
Alex took a deep breath and focused on shooting. One by one monsters fell, briefly obstructing the other monsters from advancing forward, but even with Stefan joining in, the sheer amount of monsters was too many to keep them at bay.
A minute later, the monsters finally closed in with the melee fighters. Lukas and Dominic were strong enough to push them closer to the center with their shield bashes, right into the kill zone.
Kunze brandished his greatsword which now had a dark red glow around it. A phantom figure enveloped him briefly, before following his action of attacking with an overhead swing. The phantom greatsword fell down upon the heads of the monsters killing ten or even maybe twenty in a single strike. If any were missed, they would quickly be done with by Adam and Martin.
The plan was very simple but surprisingly effective. It appeared that these zombies lacked any kind of intelligence, other than an instinct of searching for the closest living being.
The battle raged on, the air filled with sounds of the gunshots, skills being cast and the threatening growls of the monsters relentlessly pushing their way to the melee fighters. Alex kept his focus, taking shots with precision that surprised him.
Stefan waved his hand, casting his [Soothing Wellspring] on the frontline fighters. A pale glow enveloped them, restoring their strength and slowly curing any scratch or wound incurred during the fight. The air hummed with the energy of magical restoration.
Kunze, in the thick of the melee, fought with precision and power, his greatsword cleaving through multiple monsters with each swing. Despite the overwhelming numbers, the monsters' numbers dwindled rapidly.
As the battle intensified, Alex took notice of a change in Kunze's demeanor. His eyes narrowed, and his movements became more calculated. It was as if he was relishing the thrill of combat, a dangerous glint in his eyes appeared.
Alex made a mental note to himself and got back to thinning out the horde. Soon enough the last of the monsters fell and the initial wave was over.
"Not bad, not bad at all. But this is just the beginning. There's more to come, and I hope you're ready." Kunze wiped the sweat from his brow, a smile playing on his lips.
The team quickly got to gathering the drops from the battlefield. There were no outstanding items or skill shards, just stat crystals, and even those weren't in particular abundance. At least compared to the amount of monsters they defeated. Still, the spoils were quickly divided, and the team regrouped for a short rest. Thankfully, the next wave wouldn't come until the altar was activated, so they could afford to do so.
Alex was cleaning his rifle. He wasn't a gun expert, but a basic manual was in the box, and whoever was responsible for the actual engineering, made sure to prioritize a simple structure, so disassembly and reassembly were almost as easy as if it was a Lego set. This actually earned him a nod of approval from Kunze, which surprised Alex, and for a moment, a thought that maybe he's not the center of the universe and not everyone was out to get him sneaked into his mind. And if he thought logically, it made sense, he was way more profitable while he was alive, since dead men don't hunt monsters.
However, these thoughts were only a minor distraction for Alex right now, since something way more exciting had happened as they wrapped up the wave.
Talent points: 1
Alex could barely keep his excitement in check. A new talent point burning a hole in his virtual pocket felt like a ticket to unlocking untold potential. With eager anticipation, he scanned through the options, only to find one talent revealed—[Essence Plunder].
[Essence Plunder]: Defeated enemies have a chance of leaving a strand of their essence after their death.
The description was vague but somewhat promising. It was a gamble, but either way, it meant more loot eventually so it wasn't a bad thing. Alex would've preferred a talent with a more direct effect on his power, and he technically had the option to absorb a newly gained 2-Star stat crystal which would push him over the threshold and grant at least one talent point, but that would simply expose him and possibly force a fight with his teammates.
Alex hesitated, his mind weighing the potential benefits against the uncertainty of the ability. In the end, the allure of more loot triumphed, and he selected [Essence Plunder], adding it to his growing arsenal.
Kunze's voice reverberated, pulling Alex's attention away from the talent screen. Stefan, holding a 2-Star magic crystal, issued a warning about the potential dangers of premature absorption. The temptation to level up immediately clawed at Alex, but he knew the consequences of rash decisions in this unforgiving world.
"Your body won't handle it until you bring your stats to an appropriate level."
That was true. The energy from a 2-Star stat crystal would simply be too overbearing if you are not at or at least close to your max 1-Star stats. As long as you possess enough magic energy in your body, it would restrict the incoming energy to an acceptable level where you could handle it, otherwise, the outcome could be fatal. The reason for that was the sheer amount of energy and pressure you would be under when a 2-Star crystal was absorbed. This was also probably the reason for the compression of your magical energy whenever you ranked up, resulting in more explosive power behind skills you could unleash.
That's why Alex didn't want to rank up with a vitality crystal. While your body itself would undergo a similar effect resulting in a superior physique, the compression of mana resulted in a boost for every single skill one cast. That was also the reason why just having the higher rank skill didn't automatically place you in a higher rank, a possession of a skill is one thing, but being able to manifest its full power was another.
"Yeah, I was just lost in thought." Stefan replied and put the crystal away. The reminder of the delicate balance between power and control lingered in the air, a cautionary tale that resonated with every member of the team.
As the short rest came to an end, Kunze signaled for them to move forward. The ominous altar loomed in the distance, and a new wave of challenges awaited. Alex clenched his rifle, the weight of the newly acquired talent, [Essence Plunder], humming in the background like a hidden treasure waiting to be unearthed. A potential game-changer if he was lucky. Every talent he had gained so far proved to be a valuable addition, so he was fairly optimistic.
The team took their positions and prepared for the next wave. The simple strategy worked so far, and judging by the intel they had, it should suffice for now.
Kunze, with a focused expression, activated the altar. The ancient stones seemed to be brimming with otherworldly energy now. The mana in the air thickened, the ground trembled and an unsettling growling sounded out from beyond the mist. The next wave emerged, more menacing than the previous one. The team braced for impact, and with a surge of determination, they engaged the approaching monsters.
The monsters were tougher, faster, and more cunning, presenting a formidable challenge. Anyone who didn't understand why they took such a long rest after the first wave would clearly understand it now. Stefan's [Soothing Wellspring] worked overtime to keep everyone in the fight, and Kunze unleashed devastating blows with his glowing greatsword. The rhythm of battle was intense, each member of the team playing their part in a synchronized dance of survival.