Anse stood behind the battlefield, occasionally tossing out a Cantrip to help Zahir hold the line, but his attention remained fixed on Land.
As he listened to the battle records pinging nonstop, he could barely contain his delight.
Land bounded along the line, picking out the places where the monsters were packed thickest. He'd fire off one or two Dragon Breaths, then move on. The bursts of flame that flared up now and then eased the pressure on the humans and sent their morale soaring.
The minute passed quickly. He'd unleashed at least six breaths, one every ten seconds or so—a remarkably high rate.
Toward the end, the monsters scattered as soon as they saw him coming, sharply reducing his tally. Even so, his Dragon Breaths had hit nearly a hundred of them.
Anse's experience notifications kept popping up, sporadically and usually worth just a few points. The ones dying were all cannon fodder, but the sheer numbers made up for it.
As soon as Land was done, Zahir received his signal and ran off the battlefield to Anse.
"Got any more?" Zahir asked, eyes bright with anticipation.
"Sure!" Anse laughed and reached out to him.
"Lightning!" Zahir still vividly remembered the lightning Anse had conjured earlier.
"Okay."
A moment later, Zahir leaped into the monsters on the north side. After a brief buildup, he opened his mouth and spat out a blast of crackling electricity. Countless fishmen were electrocuted, and even the combatants nearby had their hair stand on end, leaving them looking downright absurd.
To avoid hitting their own people, Zahir had to venture farther in. He even leaped to the edge of the floodwaters to wreak havoc, acting with utter impunity. Monsters below Challenge Rating 4 could barely slow him down.
The other combatants were more than happy to let him do as he pleased. They took advantage of the chaos to strike hard, and the battle became several times easier than before.
Seeing that, Anse tugged Brat along. "Come on, let's fall back."
The Kuo-Toa were stupid, crazy, and still a sapient species. Anse had already spotted quite a few fishmen Professionals riding Giant Crabs heading this way. If they didn't leave now, things could really go wrong.
"Huh?" Brat wasn't ready to stop. He'd been itching for a fight. "Why not give me one too?"
"No. Come on."
Anse hurried back, soon reaching the earthen slope where Finn was.
Brat looked disappointed, but stayed right by his side.
"It's too dangerous," Anse explained.
Dragon Breath could be unleashed almost as quickly as a Quickened Spell, but the caster still needed time to channel it. Without experience casting spells, the process would be slow, and it was easy to draw the monsters' attention. Anyone who wasn't strong enough would be in real danger.
Besides, Dragon Breath and Leap Spell together cost four points of magic. He only had eleven left. If his magic ran too low or was exhausted, he'd enter a state of exhaustion, so he had to save some for emergencies.
Anse surveyed the battlefield and saw more and more humans converging on it, joining the fight. The human side had gained control of the situation, and casualties had dropped sharply.
"We've contributed plenty. It won't hurt to take it easy for a bit."
He still remembered how he'd made himself a target earlier and drawn two Javelins. Brat had nearly died. If they wanted to live longer, it was better to play it a little safe.
Now he could only hope the monsters hit by Dragon Breath would die quickly, and that not a single one would escape, though he knew that was unrealistic.
On the battlefield, Zahir unleashed his final Dragon Breath and felt an exhilarating rush. It almost seemed as if he'd gotten his Spellcasting Ability back.
He stood on the bank of the Chongsa River and turned to look for Anse. But the old Cleric nearby was pointing at the river, his face tense.
"Watch out underwater!"
With a roar, a huge shelled creature leaped out of the Chongsa River. Amid a cloud of spray, its massive claws snapped toward Zahir.
Caught by surprise, Zahir retreated while activating Devotion Shield. A faintly glowing field of energy enclosed him.
"Clang—"
The giant pincers snapped shut against the shield and were firmly blocked.
Zahir was just about to use the chance to escape when a strange staff suddenly rose from the monster's back and struck the shield. Lightning erupted, shattering it. The blast sent him flying several yards, and he crashed into the muddy water. His limbs stiffened, and he couldn't get back up.
[Armored Monster, Aberration, Challenge Rating 4]
[Kuo-Toa High Priest, Kuo-Toa, Challenge Rating 6]
"A High Priest?!" Anse spotted it from afar. His heart lurched, and he felt an urge to run.
The Kuo-Toa High Priest was Challenge Rating 6, but he was a 10th-level Spellcaster, making him even trickier than the Duergar Warlord.
The Armored Monster was no pushover either. It was a Large Aberration, Amphibious, immune to poison, and able to sense magic.
The Armored Monster carried the Kuo-Toa High Priest as it raced toward Zahir, but both he and Land were too far away to help.
"Whoosh—"
At the critical moment, a Javelin whistled toward the Armored Monster. It reacted too slowly to dodge and could only raise a pincer to block.
Its shell cracked like a spiderweb. The Javelin drove more than halfway through, and the Armored Monster staggered, letting out a shrill screech.
"What a powerful throw!" Brat exclaimed.
Anse looked into the distance. On the bank of the Chongsa River, a burly figure in a red cloak embroidered with golden flames had already thrown a second Javelin. Then he hefted a greataxe and charged.
"Looks like he's with the Flaming Fist." Anse recognized the uniform.
The second Javelin struck home, accurate and brutal.
While the monster was distracted, Zahir shook off the paralysis and got back to his feet. Holy Light flashed over him, healing most of his injuries, and he charged after the burly man.
The Armored Monster swung its massive pincers, each movement bringing a muffled whoosh that made it seem terrifyingly powerful.
Zahir and the other man focused on hit-and-run tactics. The Armored Monster was even stronger than the Duergar Warlord, but it was slow to react and dim-witted. It wasn't hard for elite Professionals to handle.
The Kuo-Toa High Priest on its back was what they really feared.
Yet aside from occasionally firing off a bolt of lightning that wasn't especially powerful, the Kuo-Toa High Priest hardly seemed to do anything.
"He can't cast spells anymore!" Anse realized.
The Weave was fair to everyone. Apart from a handful of Spell-like Abilities, the Kuo-Toa High Priest also relied on Spell Slots.
"Come on, let's head over too." Anse raised his staff and ran toward the riverbank. They couldn't pass up a chance like this; they might even be able to snag some experience.
By the time the three of them reached the riverbank, the Armored Monster had already lost one of its front limbs. Judging by the wound, the burly Flaming Fist had done it.
Anse focused on him. It was easier to discern someone's attributes in the middle of a fight.
[Flaming Fist Elite, Human, 8th-level Barbarian (Berserker)]
"He's strong. No wonder he can go toe-to-toe with the Armored Monster."
Even without powerful feats, an 8th-level Professional had to have improved their attributes considerably.
The two men had apparently realized the Kuo-Toa High Priest wasn't much of a threat. Working together, they launched a fierce assault.
The Flaming Fist Elite moved into the Armored Monster's blind spot, lowered his head, and crouched. A red glow spread across him. The next moment, he charged behind the creature like a raging bull, moving so fast that he left a trail of afterimages. He raised his greataxe high, fury swirling around it, then brought it down with all his momentum.
The Armored Monster barely managed to turn sideways before the greataxe came down, sinking deep into its lower abdomen near the thigh. Blue-green fluid gushed out. Its body went limp, and it collapsed facedown with a thud.
Zahir seized the chance to rush forward and drive his sword into the Armored Monster's neck, burying it to the hilt.
Anse was just about to raise his hand and finish it off when he sensed a strange surge of magic from the Kuo-Toa High Priest.
"Watch out—"
He shouted, then immediately activated the Spell Storing Ring. Three Glimmering Missiles whooshed toward the Kuo-Toa High Priest.
The next moment, a surging wave of blue-violet energy spread from the High Priest, covering an area more than a dozen yards across. Thunderclaps and Corrosive Energy instantly swallowed Zahir and the other man. The standing water vaporized, and the ground was left covered in dark purple and black corrosion marks.
The three Magic Missiles disintegrated out of thin air as soon as they got close. They didn't even come close to hitting him.
We're done for. Anse's heart turned to ice.
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