And so, they go to look for the said oasis and really find it. It is not a fountain of youth, but there is still more than enough water to power both their truck and bus to Reflecting Valley.
For the first time, Irvine finds Aezel losing her usual icy demeanor. Not angry, but she is practically glowing in excitement.
"You might be useless! But the fact that you are still alive today is proof that you have quite a bit of luck."
Unlike her, Irvine is on high alert observing the bushes around him, a bit reluctant to approach the oasis. He doesn't see the existence of the beasts that Atniel mentioned. However, even until now, Atniel still warns him about their presence.
<< They are not that many, only eight! But stay sharp. They are waiting for the perfect moment to ambush. But rest assured. Beasts only become cunning when they have to overcome the fact that they are weaker than their prey. >>
"Hey!" Aezel calls. "Are you just going to stand there? Come here and fill these jugs."
"Aaaa… I just thought it would be best if one of us stayed alert and kept an eye on our surroundings."
"You are seriously underestimating my sixth sense," Aezel squints. "If there were dangerous creatures lurking around here, then I will have definitely smelt their presence like a stinky rotten egg."
Irvine can't simply ignore Atniel's warning. After all, he has been feeling something strange himself, like he is the main star of an old spy movie. Like getting a bad premonition, he feels the atmosphere has become a bit cooler to the back of his neck.
"What are you waiting for?" Aezel snaps, her patience wearing thinner than a piece of paper.
Finally, despite his worries, Irvine shuffles over and dips a plastic jug into the water. Just as Atniel warned, not even three seconds in, eight chimeras burst out of the bushes as if the film director had shouted "action!"
These are the Gnoll Muckfangs Aezel mentioned before. They do have outfits like assassins', but most of them are full of rips like tramps' clothes. Who knows where they got them. It could be from the people they've killed in the past.
Their faces resemble Hyenas, ugly with dirty saliva wetting their jaws. Although they seem to be able to stand while holding wooden poles and shields in their hands like humans, they move quite low with their hunched backs like mad beasts.
"Are they humans or what?" Irvine looks terrified by their scary faces, mistaking them as demons.
Moving so fast, they swiftly try to ambush them. However, a haughty grin is now adorning Aezel's face.
"Like I said! If there were dangerous creatures lurking around here, I would have definitely felt their presence."
Truth to be told, she had already chanted her spell while filling the water, quietly plotting to lure the monsters out for a dramatic showdown.
She swiftly spins while throwing the water she has collected. In no time, the water she has thrown around has now turned into sharp ices pointing to all directions. A few of them are in the form of small stalactites, but most of them are much smaller like needles.
Irvine looks so scared, and immediately comes closer to Aezel so that he won't get hit by her attack. He holds her both legs like a toddler asking for mercy to his mom.
"Neige's Stalactites Torment!"
Before the monsters get even closer, Aezel brings her both arms down like a conductor closing an orchestra. In that instant, the ice spears shoot fast in all directions.
The ice spears might not be that big, but there are so many of them flying like rain. As many as miss, many more hit the target, painting the oasis with the monsters' blood.
Seven of the monsters can no longer move after the assault, no longer making a sound. Meanwhile, the last one is still alive, but unable to get up while enduring so much pain.
On the other hand, Irvine is still hugging Aezel's legs, still trembling in fear. Aezel even feels the warmth of some kind of liquid wetting her left foot, and...
Plak!!!
"What the heck! Did you just pee on my foot?"
Feeling so embarrassed and guilty, Irvine immediately kneels down. Without saying anything, he begs for forgiveness only by showing his trembling fingers.
Aezel can only shake her head with a disappointed expression, feeling in disbelief that she had ever thought this skinny guy was someone dangerous. She then goes to the last surviving Gnoll, and steps on the monster's chest with her foot that has just been urinated on by Irvine.
"Is this the creature that made you pee your pants?"
"I, I… I thought they were some kind of demons! Just take a look at their faces! They look so scary!"
"Then why don't you come here and take a closer look at this one's face!"
Irvine slowly gets up and tiptoes over, peeking from behind Aezel like a kid afraid of the dark. He directs his flashlight at the monster's face, ready for a jump scare.
But instead of a demon, he finds a pitiful, disfigured creature that looks more like a failed science experiment than a fierce beast. It's smaller than him, and its face is a sad reminder of what happens when lab work goes horribly wrong. It gives the impression of the pitiful disfigured face of a war victim.
"Now that I look at it, it looks so weak and sad! Could we just spare its life?"
Instead of letting the monster go, Aezel raises her left hand, and all the ice shards embedded in the creature's body turn back into water, swirling into her palm before solidifying into a larger ice spear.
"Hey, what are you going to do to…"
Zlb!!!
Without a hint of mercy, the cold-hearted silver witch plunges the spear onto the monster's face.
Irvine is stunned. He feels so much anguish in his heart. "You? Is there the need to go that far?!"
"What?" Aezel looks disappointed. "If you don't have the heart to kill your enemies, maybe you should just quit being an Ezlenmir student. Don't forget, we study there to become soldiers, to be war machines which can only follow someone's orders, not to be pet sitters."