Ch 31: Battle For Survival

Emrys trained under Elysia for a few more days, not leaving the lakeside since no insectoids were there to trouble them.

Leaving the Insectoid Island was not easy. Emrys's low strength can be a problem during escape. In fact, he can only be a burden with his current strength. So, Elysia wanted to increase Emrys's strength and also train him so that he could have combat awareness and experiences that he lacked the most.

Just like every day, Emrys and Elysia were standing together by the calm lake today as well when Emrys felt something strange.

Using his Echo Sense, he picked up on sounds and movements from all directions. He quickly turned to Elysia and spoke with worry, "They are coming. There are a lot of them, and they are coming from every direction!"

Elysia glanced around and nodded. Her face turned serious as she muttered, "It seems they were aware of our location, and it is not surprising since we made a huge commotion during our time inside the forest. They must have come prepared this time. There is no way out. Since we are surrounded, we have to fight."

Within moments, the ground began to tremble, and the air filled with strange buzzing and clicking sounds. All around them, insectoids made their appearance. There were too many of them. Huge beetles with thick armor, deadly Nightshade Vespers with their poisonous blood, terrifying Bone-winged Mantises with sharp, slicing wings, and more, all the insectoids appeared before their eyes surrounding them.

Elysia clenched her weapon as her eyes turned sharp. She said, "Stay close to me. I'll handle the stronger ones, but you'll have to fight, too. The weakest of these insectoids are at the Third Star. You are also a Third Star Esper. Fight them, and kill as many as you can. Fight as if this is your last day. Fight as if they are the enemies who killed your loved ones. Fight for our world, fight for yourself. Go, fight!"

Emrys nodded as he felt his blood boiling. During the past few days, Elysia made a weapon for him using the spinal bone of a Seventh Star Insectoid that she killed. Emrys held this weapon tightly, ready for the battle ahead.

Screach~

Shua~

Just like that, the battle for survival began.

A Third Star Giant Beetle charged at Emrys with its heavy body crashing forward.

Emrys dodged to the side just in time, feeling the ground shake as the beetle's feet slammed down. He quickly turned and struck at its leg, leaving a scratch but not stopping it.

"These things are tougher than I thought!" he muttered to himself.

Elysia called out, "Focus on their weak points! Aim for the joints!"

Emrys nodded, aiming carefully, and struck again. This time, his attack landed on a softer part of the beetle’s leg, causing it to stumble slightly.

Nearby, Elysia was fighting against a group of Bone-winged Mantises. They moved fast, their wings slicing through the air like blades. Elysia dodged their attacks skillfully, moving like a blur. At the same time, she attacked with her blade.

While she was fighting, a Bone-winged Mantis left her and got close to Emrys.

Elysia noticed this but didn’t remind Emrys. She knew there was no need. After her fight with the Nightshade Vesper, she realized that Emrys could sense danger even before she could. His ability, Echo Sense, lets him detect even the smallest vibrations in the air and ground. Nothing escaped his senses.

Only exceptional insectoids like the Nightshade Vespers, who could enter stealth mode, could sometimes avoid being noticed by his Echo Sense. But even they couldn’t escape his instincts.

Emrys could always tell, almost instinctively, where danger was coming from.

Just when the mantis got closer to Emrys, Emrys spun around and blocked the mantis’s wing just in time with his blade.

"Bang!"

The impact was strong and Emrys was sent flying. But he took this opportunity to suddenly turn in midair and pierce the Bone Sword forward.

"Puchi!"

Just like that, his bone sword easily pierced into the skull of a Fourth Star Wasp, dying on the spot.

Elysia had trained him well during the past few days. She even taught him how to turn in midair and attack if he was sent flying backward by an enemy and another enemy wanted to take this opportunity to strike.

She was an experienced Esper, and she taught Emrys well. Her teaching saved Emrys today and even helped him kill a Fourth Star Insectoid.

It is not that Emrys was powerful enough to kill a Fourth Star Wasp, it is just that he took advantage of the momentum brought about by the Nightshade Vesper's attack. This momentum increases his own attack's power by two or three folds. Thus, he was able to kill that wasp.

After killing the wasp, Emrys continued to fight.

Very soon, he was again besieged by two Fourth Star Insectoids.

As he fought, Emrys noticed something surprising. He felt stronger than before. Even though he was only supposed to have the strength of a Third Star, he could actually fight Fourth Star insectoids.

His body felt tougher, and his hits stronger.

"Why?"

"What happened?"

Emrys was confused.

Just a few minutes earlier, he was sure he would never have been able to fight a Fourth Star Insectoid head-on, but now, all of a sudden for some mysterious reason, he was not only able to fight two Fourth Star Esper, but he was not at a disadvantage either.

How could he not be shocked and confused?

"Is this... another change?"

As if he realized something, he was amazed and muttered.

He was not sure what happened, but he credited the sudden surge of power to the blood of the Golden-striped True Royal Voidfrost Weevil that had been changing from the inside for a few days already.

As Emrys was amazed, a Nightshade Vesper lunged at him with its poisonous claws just then.

Emrys quickly jumped back, but the Vesper was fast, following him with sharp, deadly movements.

Emrys again dodged the Vesper's attacks and then struck its leg with his sword.

The Vesper hissed in pain but didn’t slow down. It hid its presence and disappeared, attacking Emrys while still in stealth mode.

But Emrys could still react swiftly in time by relying on his instincts, avoiding the Fourth Star Nightshade Vesper's strikes.