Gin fixed his gaze solely on the leader of the Horrors at the forefront, keeping the other two in his peripheral vision. Despite not directly observing the Horror at his back, he remained mindful of its presence.
The situation was dire for him.
Regardless of his contemplations, Gin recognized that engaging in a one-versus-four battle would significantly disadvantage him. The sheer quantity of opponents posed a formidable challenge, and factoring in their unpredictable nature only compounded the complexity of the situation.
He had to get out of the trap he was in here for first.
Gin acknowledged that escaping from these creatures inside was the only viable approach.
'I've already assessed everything.'
Despite a slight internal unease, Gin maintained an outward appearance of confidence.
A smirk played on his lips as he smoothly drew his dagger, all the while sensing the subtle movements of the other three Horrors entering from different entrances.
'I can't find a way out. Fuck…'
In the meantime, obviously.
'And these Horrors aren't some creatures who will likely negotiate with me. I will have to also give up on this notion.' Gin mused inwardly before shaking his head, the solution already laid upon his front,
'Fight again…'
Still, with the same confident smile, he continued, 'Sounds exhausting and thrilling.'
Gin cracked his neck, preparing himself for the imminent clash.
However, the ominous movement of the Horror in front, coupled with the coordinated approach of the other three, momentarily chipped away at his confident smile.
'These guys are very smart. They'll use their numbers to their advantage and play with me without producing any risks.'
With a single step, Gin triggered a synchronized response from the three Horrors at each entrance. Their hands pointed menacingly toward him, conjuring spells from their ethereal essences that materialized in the air.
'God damn it—'
Bang—!
Focusing their attacks on a single spot, Gin swiftly countered by erecting a defensive spell to shield himself.
"Torrential Guard!"
Gin conjured a protective spell, shaping water walls that encased his immediate surroundings. As the attacks from the Horrors collided with the barrier, they sizzled upon impact but failed to breach the impenetrable guard.
Pressed for time and unable to utter lengthy incantations, Gin selected a spell suited for the immediate situation.
'Not yet!'
Sensing an imminent threat in a split second, Gin swiftly redirected his daggers toward his back, instinctively adopting a defensive stance to protect himself.
Clank—!
The Horror Leader lunged forward, thrusting its steel-hardened arms, and seamlessly transitioned into a slashing technique, utilizing its arms with precision and force.
'His essence is related to steel?'
He had no information regarding the Horror on his front since nobody dared to fight this creature.
Gin was now unraveling the hidden capabilities concealed beneath the Horror's sleeves, a revelation that would have been more welcomed had he known beforehand.
The relentless assaults were taking a toll on his weapons, their blades eroding under the relentless onslaught.
The weapons that the figure had given to him were being broken by the Horror.
'Really?'
Clank—!
While contending with the onslaught of spells outside his protective barrier, Gin found himself locked in a fierce internal struggle with the leader of the Horrors.
The dual-front battle demanded his utmost focus and skill.
Gin also started to step up on his game, knowing receiving all these attacks simultaneously would immediately become his downfall.
He knew taking a risky approach by making the favor towards him would be the only choice.
In response to the escalating urgency, Gin swiftly adjusted his tactics, exchanging his dagger for a short sword. Recognizing the diminishing efficacy of the dagger, he adapted to ensure a more formidable defense against the relentless attacks.
Splash—!
The water wall instantly diminished, reducing half of his soul core's essence and the three Horrors outside could see the situation inside.
"Kree—"
The trio of Horrors hesitated in launching additional spells as Gin and their leader locked in combat, but they persisted in casting more spells to aid the Horror in the ongoing struggle.
Whoosh—!
Gin's movements became so unpredictable that it bordered on the absurd in the eyes of his opponents, who had assumed he would be limited to using only daggers.
His strategic versatility confounded their expectations, adding a layer of complexity to the unfolding battle.
His previous weapon was beginning to wear out, and they were glad that this disadvantage would render him useless.
Now, he was using a short sword and was pushing the leader Horror back from his place.
'How… is this human doing it?'
Despite the hideous aura emanating from the Horror, it couldn't conceal its bewilderment as Gin persistently pressed forward with a series of attacks, each a unique combination that left the creatures unable to discern his next move.
The Horror would thrust his steeled hands at Gin's blind spot, but he responded by merely defending, following it up with attacks from all over his body.
'This human is… impressive.' The Horror commented before he brought another level of intensity towards Gin.
"!"
Gin displayed visible shock at the abrupt change, realizing that the Horror in front of him had seemingly only been revealing a fraction of its true capabilities, leaving him caught off guard by the depth of its power.
'Shit!'
The Horror swiftly vanished on his front.
Looking back to sense the Horror's presence, Gin's instincts momentarily deceived him as the creature changed direction in a split second, thrusting its hand toward his head once more.
Slice—!
Gin evaded it on time, grazing only the side of it before trying to switch position but the Horror was one second faster.
Opting for a strong kick to create distance, Gin believed he could evade the attack by moving backward. However, the elongated legs of the Horror exceeded his expectations, still managing to reach him and delivering a thrashing blow to his side.
Yet he was on time to defend it using his short sword.
Without a moment to catch his breath, a swiftly moving ball made of mud struck directly at Gin's face, severely impairing his vision. He quickly discerned that this was the essence of the Horror, Oddball.
Just as Gin was about to wipe off the mud using a water spell, the Horror leader swiftly closed in, positioning itself right between his tails.
In a surprising escalation, it moved three times faster than before, recognizing that this was an opportune moment it couldn't afford to let slip away.
Gin was handicapped, and the Horror knew it.
Swoosh—!
Seeing the opening created by the accelerated maneuver of their leader, the other three Horrors seized the opportunity to unleash a barrage of spells on Gin. Carefully avoiding hitting their alliance leader, they coordinated their attacks to overwhelm Gin from multiple angles.
In the blink of an eye, the situation descended into chaos.
Slash—!
Gin felt a sharp pain as a bone pierced his thigh, launched by the Flesh Head, whose essence was closely tied to bones.
Thud—!
Simultaneously, Big Foot's stone essence attack struck Gin in the back and shoulders, causing significant damage and lowering his defenses.
Splash—!
As Oddball's mud splattered across the entire area, Gin's movements became sluggish. The mud impeded his agility, making each motion more laborious and hindering his ability to navigate the battlefield.
Yet no matter how disadvantageous his situation is, Gin continued taking the initiative that surprises the Horror in his front.
His eyes were expressionless, and his resolve was extraordinary.
'i get it.'
In a split second reassessment of his situation, Gin swiftly formulated a new course of action and began to move.
First, he removed the mud on his face.
"…"
Second, his thoughts began to form an idea as he watched the situation inside, gaining adaptation to the current situation.
'That's it…'
Third, he began executing the idea.
Whoosh—!
In that fleeting instant, Gin cast a furtive gaze in the direction where Bigfoot had been moments before.
Time seemed to stretch, and those precious few seconds etched themselves in Gin's memory. As Gin absorbed the scene, the significance of those elongated seconds became palpable, imprinting an indelible mark for his idea to be executed.
With unwavering determination, he surged forward toward the looming horror, leaving his perturbed opponent behind standing perplexed in his wake.
'What is he… doing?'
Compelled by circumstance, the Horror found itself compelled to give chase, yet the creature, ever vigilant, remained poised for any unforeseen assault.
Despite the tense anticipation, Gin exhibited an unusual calm, never launching an attack nor deigning to cast a fleeting glance in the creature's direction during those fleeting moments.
Approaching Bigfoot with audacious boldness, Gin boldly extended his middle finger in a defiant gesture, deliberately provoking the creature. Bigfoot, visibly angered, shot a fierce glare in his direction in response.
The Horror chasing Gin formed an unsettled expression.
"You know, no matter how prepared I am, I wouldn't have thought that you were going to form a party with other Horrors," Gin commented as he watched the Horror he named Bigfoot, rushing towards him.
Swiftly diverting his gaze back toward the Horror, Gin sensed the mounting anger within the creature, realizing that the carefully crafted formation was on the brink of unraveling due to a simple act of provocation.
And that was what Gin was looking for.
He had accounted that these Horrors were smart, hence they could think of their own.
While they were fighting, he had also come to realize that these Horrors were only working to eliminate him and didn't have any camaraderie, hence they could think on their own.
This led to another conclusion that they made Steeled Horror their leader. Not unanimously or voting but through force since Gin was forced to be reckoned with.
It must be tough for the three to follow orders around and leave their places where they could continue using the essence crystals for their use.
The tension reached a climax as the Horror, distinguishably more infuriated than its counterparts, notably Bigfoot, surged forward with an enraged expression, its head practically fuming with anger.
"Stop…!"
Steeled Horror tried to stop the most idiotic thing it had seen today.
Everything was going well.
A bit more and Gin would be just like any other corpse they had killed but now the greatest worry of the Steeled Horror had become true.
The oppression's biggest problem; is rebellion.
The Bigfoot rebelled against his oppression.
"Groar—!"
The colossal Horror brought its massive foot down with a resounding thud, unleashing a deafening roar.
However, amidst the chaos, the Steeled Horror's attention was fixated on a perplexing sight – instead of retreating from the cave, Gin's presence seemed to be gradually vanishing, leaving a question to its head.
'He didn't leave?'
The Steeled Horror had no time for further contemplation as it witnessed Bigfoot descending upon it, blood cascading from a grievous chest wound. Swiftly and deftly, the Steeled Horror sidestepped the impending attack, narrowly avoiding the brutal assault.
A sudden jolt ran through the Steeled Horror as its eyes widened, sensing an ominous presence at its back. Reacting with lightning speed, it pivoted, turning around to confront the unseen threat.
Swoosh—!
Gin thrust his sword forward, targeting the Steeled Horror's head, knowing killing the leader first was one advantage he could use.
Slash—!
In a swift countermove, the Steeled Horror instinctively shielded itself with its hands against the impending assault.
However, the relentless attack persisted, bypassing its guarded defenses and inflicting harm by piercing through one of its eyes, leaving a grim testament to the ferocity of the encounter.
Even though the creature could respond, its essence was slow for the uptake as it didn't get enough time to steel its hands.
With the sword firmly lodged in its grasp, the Horror sought to immobilize it by fortifying its hand, intending to render Gin's weapon useless. However, to its surprise, Gin's nimble adversary proved to be faster, deftly outmaneuvering the attempt to neutralize the sword.
Slash—!
In the aftermath of delivering a crippling blow to the Horror, Gin swiftly executed a calculated maneuver. With a deft horizontal swerve, the short sword sliced through the creature's flesh, causing further injury.
Seizing the opportunity, Gin seamlessly followed up with a powerful kick aimed at the Horror's head, intensifying the assault.
Thud—!
"I won't let you."
Recognizing the potential threat posed by the cunning Horror before him, Gin wasted no time in capitalizing on the opportunity that presented itself.
With a keen sense of strategy, he swiftly retreated toward the trail leading to the entrance where Bigfoot had initially emerged, seeking refuge and a strategic advantage in the unfolding confrontation.
As Gin disappeared from view, a perplexed silence fell among the remaining Horrors, their collective gaze shifting in bewilderment.
Unable to pursue the Steeled Horror and mystified by the sudden turn of events, they were left grappling with uncertainty, unable to comprehend what just transpired.