The insectoid lunged, its serrated limbs slicing through the air. Ethan barely sidestepped in time, the creature's strike carving deep gouges into the tree behind him. Before it could recover, Grug charged forward with a guttural roar, his club crashing into the side of the insectoid's body with a resounding crack.
The creature staggered, screeching in rage, but it wasn't down yet. Its head snapped toward Grug, mandibles opening wide to strike. That's when Snarl darted in from the side, his jagged blade slashing through one of the creature's legs at the joint. Black ichor sprayed from the wound, and the insectoid's balance wavered.
Ethan took this chance to land another attack on its weird body when the exoskeleton of the thing came undone like a cracked shell, revealing a sickly, pulsating membrane beneath.
The sight was grotesque, and the smell of rot and acid wafted into the air, making Ethan gag. His sword slashed into the exposed flesh, cutting deep. The insectoid let out a shrill, ear-piercing screech.
With that, the thing popped like a balloon filled with stinky liquid and Ethan received the familiar notification.
[Ding! You have killed a Zither Scout]
[Ding! You have gained experience points]
[Ding! Level up!]
[Lvl 7> Lvl 8]
[Ding! You have gained five stat points]
[Ding! Your summoning capacity has been upgraded]
[Ding! The entity Zither Scout has been added to your summoning list]
Ethan barely had time to process the message before the stench of the burst creature overwhelmed him. The black ichor soaked the ground, hissing as it began to eat into the dirt and nearby foliage. Ethan stumbled back, grimacing as he wiped the back of his hand across his mouth.
"Ugh, that's vile," he muttered, looking down at his soaked boots. "Great, just great. Acidic innards. Of course, they'd have that."
Grug snorted with satisfaction, slamming his club into the ground triumphantly, while Snarl cleaned his jagged blade on a patch of grass, grinning ear to ear.
Lia approached cautiously, her face pale but her hazel eyes wide with awe. "Master, you… killed that thing…"
"Ya. They are fast but they don't have much else. They popped right out. At least these ones are fragile." Ethan's gaze flickered back to the main battle scene in front of the portal.
There was black ichor everywhere and the entire forest area was destroyed beyond recognition. The ichor was corroding everything it touched, leaving behind a charred, acrid trail. The insectoids seemed to be fine fighting in the thick of it but the adventurers were cursing and moving back to cleaner territories.
Even the air seemed thick with the acrid stench, making it hard to breathe. The adventurers were visibly struggling, their movements slowing as they waded through the corrosive remnants of the fight.
"This isn't good," Ethan muttered. "That ichor's turning the battlefield against them. Let's move back a little." The group barely took a few steps when another insectoid came rushing at them from the side.
Ethan spun around at the sound of the insectoid's approach, his grip tightening on his dagger. The creature barreled through the underbrush, its serrated limbs slicing through branches as it closed in with terrifying speed.
"Come out—intercept it!" Ethan barked, his voice sharp. The next second facing the grotesque creature was another grotesque creature, the one Ethan had only just now killed.
The grotesque insectoid materialized in front of him, its body eerily intact, black ichor dripping from its limbs. The creature screeched, a guttural, unnatural sound that sent shivers down Ethan's spine.
The attacking insectoid froze mid-lunge, its glowing eyes locking onto the newly summoned Zither Scout. For a moment, the two creatures stared at each other, mandibles clacking in what seemed like a silent exchange.
Ethan froze. What if these insectoids behaved like the bees or ants serving a queen? What if this newly summoned one is not really loyal to him? Did he just make a mistake?
Before he could finish his thought, without warning his Zither Scout lunged at its counterpart, its serrated limbs slashing through the air with ferocious precision.
The two creatures clashed, their chitinous bodies colliding with a sickening crunch. Ethan watched intently as his summoned Zither Scout fought with an aggression that mirrored its original self. The attacking insectoid was caught off guard, its movements less coordinated as it fended off its doppelgänger.
"This… this is incredible," Lia whispered, her voice trembling. "Master, it's fighting for you. It's just like them, but it listens to you."
"That's the idea," Ethan muttered, his eyes glued to the battle.
His summoned creature moved with uncanny speed, exploiting the weaknesses Ethan had observed in the insectoids earlier. When it struck at the joints or exposed flesh, its opponent reeled, ichor spraying from fresh wounds.
Grug and Snarl stood ready on either side of Ethan, watching the fight unfold. Snarl growled low, clearly itching to join the fray, but Ethan raised a hand to stop him. "Hold," he said. "Let it finish this. Lia, buff him."