After Kaylessa's entertaining display, they departed the village amid cheers and thanks from the villagers for their rescue. On their journey, the three girls rode together in the wagon; Kay continued to read, Ayaka crafted more arrows, and Laurelena took the reins.
After traveling for two hours, they departed from the mountains and were now moving into the desert. Kaylessa's team began to feel the effects of the hot weather and lack of moisture, with the sun shining bright overhead and exhaustion creeping in.
"Hey Kay, the soldiers are getting tired, the sun is too intense, and there are no rivers nearby on the map to stop and rest. What do you suggest we do?"
Upon Ay's request, Kay relinquished the book and moved closer to Ay in order to examine the map. She then confirmed that there were no rivers in the vicinity, then climbed onto the roof of the wagon to scout for a suitable resting spot. Following a brief search, she spotted the remains of a town.
"Everyone, listen! Let's take a different route for a short time; we will adjust our break time; we will rest during the day and carry on traveling at night; come with me; we will head towards a ruined village."
Kay leaped out of the wagon and led her group in the direction of the destroyed village she had spotted in the distance. After walking for about 40 minutes and reaching the village, they headed towards it and made their way in from the main road that led to the village center.
"Attention everyone, we will set up our camp in the middle of the village. I need archers and masons to be stationed on the second floor of the damaged buildings to create a protective boundary and establish checkpoints to prevent any potential threats from emerging without our awareness."
After Kay placed her request, Ayaka began delegating tasks to ensure everything was completed efficiently. Shortly afterwards, the camp was fully set up by Lau and the soldiers she selected to assist with the setup.
All the individuals were positioned correctly and taking a break. While the temperature remained scorching, at least they were not currently on the move and could seek shelter in the shade provided by the camp and buildings.
As the sun dipped below the horizon, the soldiers busied themselves with preparing torches for the upcoming night march. With the moon rising in the sky, the soldiers were eager to start their journey, having already packed up the camp. Suddenly, a terrifying scream pierced the air from nearby, startling everyone.
Kaylessa and Ayaka took hold of their weapons and leaped onto the wagons in an attempt to get a better view of the situation. It was at that moment that they spotted a disturbing figure resembling a hive with four legs.
Lvl 15[---] [Nightmare Hive] [Hp:15,000/15,000] [ET:15,000/15,000]
"Soldiers, get ready! This is a Nightmare Hive; prepare for combat! Hoplites block the pathways!"
Kay, unfamiliar with the identity of the colossal creature, instinctively felt apprehensive due to its imposing stature and ominous name. She couldn't shake the feeling that lurking within its depths was something far more sinister.
When the creature sensed danger, it came to a halt and emitted eerie noises from within, giving the impression that something was emerging from it. Suddenly, a human-shaped entity emerged from a crevice in the hive, swiftly followed by several others, all advancing rapidly towards the Kaylessa Squad.
Lvl 8[---] [Nightmare Ghoul] [Hp:800/800] [ET:900/900]
"Those creatures are ghosts, Laura! Call for Grandpa Turtle to come and taunt the enemies, limiting their attacks to one side only."
Upon glimpsing the creatures' status window, Kay promptly issued her command, as Lau employed her unique talent [The Almighty Me!!] to call forth Grandpa Turtle.
"Hump, you lads again. So, you've chosen to bring my assistant along. Ah, it appears you're not as foolish as you seem."
"Grandpa turtle, could you assist us in baiting the enemies to approach us from the front only?"
Laurelena was making a significant effort to persuade the stubborn turtle to assist them, as the ghouls were now within reach of the archers.
"Archers! fire at will."
Ayaka instructed the archers to release the arrows at irregular intervals, aiming to confuse the ghouls and make it challenging for them to evade the unpredictable and varied attacks.
The arrows were successful in killing many ghouls, but their numbers were overwhelming. Grandpa Turtle decided to provoke the ghouls with his peculiar censored language, causing them to become furious and charge towards him.
"Hoplites! form Phalanx! Breace for impact!"
Kaylesas instructed the fontiline to prepare for battle, prompting them to quickly organize themselves into formation. They shielded their bodies and aimed their spears forward, poised and prepared to face the oncoming attack.
The ghouls charged fiercely at the hoplites' shield and spears but were halted in their tracks. Undeterred, they continued to press forward, causing the ether of the ones in front to dwindle quickly and resulting in the ghouls being impaled by the spears of the hoplites.
The remains of the village created an effective bottleneck trap, causing the ghouls to halt and bunch up, making them vulnerable to the archers.
"Mages! Concentrate your spells in the center of the target area! Avoid casting near the shield wall; watch out for hitting our own allies with your attacks!"
Laurelena wasted no time in commanding her troops when she spotted the ghouls gathering, while Kaylessa remained a passive observer, watching the fight unfold from the top of a wagon.
"You, you, and you choose four warriors each to accompany you and head to the ruined houses to protect the archers and mages stationed there. I have a sense of unease about those particular locations."
Kaylessa gestured towards the trio of fighters accompanying her, poised to protect the designated locations. Following numerous battles, she was beginning to develop a sense of warfare, or rather, a strong intuition.