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[Skill-Eater] Chapter 155: Ambush
🕑 Added 2024-11-27 18:00:08 +0000 UTCFifteen minutes later, Trapper’s crew was drawing near the farmstead once more. The tension was rising with every step that Edge took. He forced himself to unclench his jaw and keep his breathing slow and steady.
This time, the stakes were even higher than before. The hunters were about to pick a fight with a behemoth opponent, with the prize of their lives on the line.
They kept their distance as they circled around to the breech in the fence—hearts racing and adrenaline singing in their veins. Violet and Sasha climbed onto Blue’s back as they closed the final stretch of open ground, so that Sasha could use silent step to muffle the approach of the loudest members of their team.
Everyone advanced as quietly as they could, creeping toward the spot where the padamas had fallen. By the time that the hunters reached the outskirts of the fields, they knew that their target had returned, and the board was green to launch their ambush.
Through the gaps between the buildings, Edge’s eyes traced the profile of the behemoth predator. It was hunched over in the middle of the cleared area while chowing down on the lizard’s remains—thoroughly enjoying its all-you-can-eat buffet.
The garax’s body was covered in gore, and as they had been hoping, it was facing away from the angle of their approach. He prayed that the scent of blood in the air and the sound of chewing would keep the fearsome beast from noticing their arrival and slow the its response once the hunters made their move.
They had a little over half an hour left on their quest timer, but Edge doubted they would need even half of that time. His instincts were telling him that within a matter of minutes, the fight would won, the crew would be running for their lives, or they would all be dead.
The only advantages they had were the element of surprise, their remaining traps, and the fact that the garax couldn’t refill its mana quickly in this environment. Their initial encounter had left the beast with only a few more skills at its disposal before its reservoir ran dry.
Edge was ready to use [Overdrive] during the fight, whenever it would help tip the scales in their favor. How he explained it to the crew would depend on exactly what they wound up seeing. Showing more of his secret was a risk. But by this point, they were all gambling with their lives in the pursuit of power.
He had thought about drinking the potion he’d taken from Warren right before the fight began. But when he took a closer look at the flask inside his bag, some inner voice had warned him against it. The electricity coursing inside the crystal vial didn’t look right for a concoction that was meant to be swallowed.
Closer and closer they crept, praying all the while that the garax wouldn’t notice their approach. Right now, it was sitting with its back to them—busy stripping the lizard’s flesh free from its bones before consuming them too.
At last, the crew arrived within range of their target. In another minute at most, they would make their move and the battle would begin. Violet and Sasha slipped off Blue’s back and began heading for the wagon, still completely silent thanks to Sasha’s skill.
They couldn’t afford to speak, so Edge went over the plan in his head one final time while he waited for Sasha to return. We’re going to hit it as hard as we can with our first attack—knocking the beast off balance before it knows we’ve returned. Riller will keep it busy while Sasha, Violet, and Trapper attack from range, with Sasha ready to rescue anyone if needed.
Meanwhile, Jumo, Blue, and I will focus on wounding its left foot. We need to reduce its mobility right from the start. Jumo will switch roles with Riller part way through to keep the garax from reaching him. We need to dish out enough damage that it takes a fall after walking through the oil and stepping into a pit trap. Once it’s head is down on our level, everyone will rush in and try to sever its jugular.
While he steeled his resolve, Edge ran his gaze across his immense opponent. The feet and tail aren’t designed to attack, but they will still be plenty dangerous given their size. The teeth are deadly, but the real threat is those long arms, and the scythe-claws attached to each hand. They are long enough to reach us, and a direct hit will probably cut straight through me unless I use harden in time.
Even with [Overdrive], he honestly wasn’t sure that they could take the behemoth down. It only increased his respect for the bravery of the hunters, who were willing to face the garax without knowing that he had a hidden card tucked up both his sleeves.
That was all the time for reflection that Edge was given, because that was when Sasha made it back to the others. She had successfully escorted Violet to the wagon, where the quartermaster could access the rest of the crew’s consumable items. Sasha hopped onto Blue’s back and lowered her spear like a lance. She was still running silent step, so the garax wouldn’t hear when the dino began her charge.
Everyone took one last look into each other’s eyes, knowing that this might be the last time they saw their friends alive. Then Trapper gave the signal, and they began their assault—rushing toward the multi-ton beast with their weapons leading the way. The ranged members held their fire, and no one used a skill during the approach, so they wouldn’t give themselves away.
Edge’s world narrowed as time seemed to slow down. He shut out the racing of his pulse. His fear of the battle to come. Everything but the weight of the polearm in his hands, the courageous hunters beside him, and the blood-spattered behemoth looming before him. Please don’t notice us. We don’t have a chance if we can’t catch you by surprise.
One hundred feet to go. Fifty. When there were only twenty feet left, he knew that they were going to make it. The garax’s head was buried inside the big lizard’s guts, and it hadn’t shown any sign that it knew the hunters were there.
As the crew crossed the final stretch of ground, they activated their skills and committed to the attack. The last act of their climatic showdown had officially begun.
Comments
Bryan Dickerson
Super helpful. Thanks!
Robert McCarter
Awesome, thank you Magnus! Minor typo: "Once it’s head it down" (Are these helpful or annoying?)
