A Dual Crest Summoner In Infinite Summoning World

Auren was tasked to keep watch as the battle unfolded. So far, nothing scary was heading their way — smaller animals and birds were just going away from them, with the bear's enraged roars getting worse with time.

Oswin Cornvell and Lionel Vashil were giving quick orders every few seconds, managing the continuous offense on the big bear from two sides. Magnus's eagle was also doing a pretty good job distracting and annoying the beast so others could get good hits in.

The bear was pretty bloody by now, and only a few more minutes were needed to put the thing down completely.

Auren heard some twigs breaking from the side bushes. Immediately, half of the remaining group turned their heads to the side with their hearts racing, Auren included.

It was a goddamn crocodile!

"For fuck's sake.."

"Seven hells take it, it's huge!"

Auren heard some mumbling beside him. The animals they had as summons were a Monkey, Ferret, Hedgehog, Hare, and a Bat. Auren doubted the crocodile saw those as anything more than prey. The big-jawed, terrifying beast was coming closer toward them from the side with every second gone.

Petricia and one boy pulled out their knives as they all collectively started slowly moving back. Running was easy, but the second they ran out of the crocodile's reach it would most likely go toward the bear and the five people fighting it. It was already starting to turn.

"Someone, quickly attack it!" Althea shouted.

"Summon your wolverine now!" someone shouted back.

"Increase the speed!" Auren heard Lionel Vashil's voice from the group fighting the bear.

No additional summon came out though. In the end, Petricia's monkey started jumping around the crocodile, trying to distract it and stop it in its path. The crocodile tried to attack the agile monkey, but its powerful jaws were just not accompanied with fast enough speed. After a few attempts, the crocodile started ignoring the monkey and kept moving toward the back of the five people fighting the bear.

Auren snatched the knife right out of Petricia's hand and moved forward. Doing this without his black particles was taking too big a risk, but everyone already knew he could fight. If he did not contribute, the others might throw him in the river. Still, Auren was not crazy enough to just go stabbing the thick-skinned water monster — seeing him charge, the crocodile had stopped to attack him. Auren was not aiming for the thing though.

He was simply moving to the side to have a better angle. Auren pushed Chi into his hand, shoulder, and back; feeling the muscles in his forearm tighten until the knife felt like part of his grip. His arm snapped forward and the blade spun through the air — a quick flash of steel between the trees. It struck the bear's forehead with a solid crack, the force snapping its head back as a deep, guttural roar tore from its throat.

The abnormally massive bear staggered. Its claws hit nothing but empty air as it fell on its back. The five swordsmen froze mid-fight, slowly turning back to find the origin of the knife. Auren was already feeling the backlash of his Chi use when the crocodile finally made up its mind and jumped toward him with large, open jaws. Auren used slight Chi in his calves and feet, pushing back from the ground, successfully avoiding the scary-looking rows of teeth burying into his soft flesh.

"Attack!" Oswin Cornvell shouted, pulling every sword wielder to gang up on the crocodile as Auren kept moving back.

Using Chi, sharp steel swords, and the scary summons, the boys finally managed to put the crocodile in eternal sleep. Leaving the two corpses, they moved back to the riverbank — finally having a much-needed break in the burning sunlight.

"We can't do this! Say whatever, we are going back!" said the sword-wielding baron's son who was one of the five new additions to their group.

"The risks have indeed increased.." The younger Vashil sibling said. Althea too looked at her brother and said nothing.

"What are we doing?" Petricia asked while stretching her hand toward Lionel Vashil, who had her knife in his hand.

Lionel gave it back while taking a look at the whole group. Then, with a sigh, he said,

"The Basilisk is too much. We could stay on the other side of the river. We make a camp and wait for our fathers to find us."

"What?" Wilfred Cornvell said in a tone. "We killed the bear! And now we are stopping? We can't stay here where the Basilisk was seen! Going ahead is a better choice — that will put the Basilisk behind us!"

"No, the Basilisks are moving throughout the valley walls.. not even leaving a hint of their presence behind. Today it didn't bother to look down so we survived, but we won't always be so lucky," Althea said.

"Staying is stupidity — one Basilisk has survived.. Who knows in what condition our people are. Maybe we were the lucky ones and they might need our help," Magnus Thornfield said.

"Enough!" Oswin Cornvell ordered loudly. When all eyes turned to him, he added,

"We won't force the ones who don't want to come. Maybe it's better to have a camp back as a few of us move forward to find our fathers. We can always come back once we find others."

"We are splitting?" Lionel Vashil said with a tone that clearly suggested he was not very fond of the idea. Then he asked, "That will leave both groups vulnerable — are you sure you want to do this?"

"My older brother is right!" the younger Cornvell brother, Wilfred, said with the same angry tone. The guy had serious anger issues. "You want to stay, then stay — we want to go, so we will move forward without any fear."

"I won't be waiting for the damned snake to come back either," Magnus made his decision clear.

"Neither will I," Petricia said.

Auren raised his eyebrows. Wasn't she the one who had started the whole thing with her question?

"I will come.."

"So will I.."

"Count me in too.."

Even some of the five new additions wanted to accompany Oswin.

Even though it was mid-afternoon, they made a camp near the river — not too near though, it was at the entrance of the tree line. The ones who had decided to leave also helped, following behind Oswin Cornvell, the oldest and probably strongest among them.