NOVEL NEXT Chapter 10: Surrounded
'I've used up all the Flowerless Snake Fruits again, so I better take this chance to gather some more... Although, I'm not even sure if these plains could house that type of plant. The biome characteristics are not quite the same, after all...' -Leylin thought to himself as he gradually walked further from the caravan.
'In any case, Aralis, show me my stats.' -He ordered.
[Arranging data...]
The A.I. promptly transmitted the information into his holo display.
//
Dr. Fang Ming (Leylin Farlier's body)
Strength - 1.61
Agility - 1.75
Vitality - 1.50
//
'There isn't much improvement, only around the 0.10 points. It is 0.15 points below my previously established goal...' -Leylin furrowed his brows.
'Ever since those kids began sleeping in the carriage out of fear for their lives, I can no longer find a suitable place to cultivate the breathing techniques. Furthermore, the effects of my Snake Fruit concoction are decreasing... Aralis, any input?' -Leylin asked his assistant for one of her acumens.
[According to my estimations, the optimized Cross Blade Breathing Technique should allow you to increase your basic physical stats to a minimum of 1.90 points before hitting the limit. After that, you can only improve again following the stimulation of your inner life energy and becoming a full-fledged Knight.] -The A.I. replied faithfully.
'Figures... Nothing I didn't know already. I'm hitting my head against the wall at this point. It's best if I leave that Knight business for later. What I care about now is reaching the academy. I doubt that I can spark my inner energy any time soon...' -Leylin rolled his eyes.
He kept watching the Furze Alliance group from the corner of his eye, as he surveyed the area for any useful herbs and materials.
|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|
After some hours of thoughtful scavenging had gone by, Leylin finally looked up in disappointment.
'It is as I had suspected. The conditions here are too different, and the Flowerless Snake Fruits are not fit to grow on these grassy plains. I couldn't even find any proper substitute herbs...'
Leylin stood up from his sitting position on the ground and dusted himself off.
'Although, this is nothing I hadn't anticipated. Presently, I can defend myself from the most immediate dangers in this journey, and I can look forward to increasing my power once I reach the academy.'
[How optimistic of you.] -Aralis sounded disconcerted.
'Not optimistic; realistic.' -Leylin raised a brow.
[Of course... I forgot it's you I'm talking about, Doctor.]
"Hey, Leylin! It's time to get back in the carriage!" -George's loud shout came from the distance.
"Got it." -The Farlier heir answered.
Wandering afar by himself to try and explore the brush any farther was not only attention-drawing but also very dangerous. As such, Leylin could only give up on the Flowerless Snake Fruit for good, and return to the horse carriage.
[Warning, Doctor! Numerous entities with D-Class stats coming in fast from the South. At least six hundred of them! ETA 10 minutes!]
Just at that moment, Aralis' voice sounded out, pulling Leylin's full attention.
'The control grid! Now!' -He did not need to elaborate further.
[At once!] -The A.I. was quick to project the image in front of Leylin's eyes.
Leylin's facial expression or overall behavior did not change; but he hastened his movement imperceptibly, as his left hand grasped the pommel of the sheathed cross blade firmly.
On the virtual map that was projected in front of his eyes, there was a large group of flashing orange dots closing in on the group of carriages. The dots were slowly encircling them as if trying to set up an ambush.
'I want details.' -Leylin gave his next instruction.
[With a 99.87% similarity to the registered DNA in my databanks, those are plains direwolves. There's practically no doubt about it, Doctor.]
Leylin's eyes narrowed as he recalled the data that he had assembled from the scene of that first attack for his assistant. It looked like it had paid off almost instantaneously.
Aralis continued with her dutiful feedback to her Master: [Direwolf: A kind of carnivorous predator populating the Great Plains of Death. Savage and cruel, they hunt in packs. Their strength is estimated to be about 2-3. Their agility is at an average of 3-4, and the same goes for their vitality.]
'Well, time to make these meatshields earn the air they breathe.' -Leylin resolved harshly.
Leylin's footsteps hastened once more, and he rushed towards George, saying in a low pitch: "We have company, dear George...! Trouble is afoot...!"
George looked around at the surrounding crowd and saw that most of the acolytes were still minding their own business.
He quickly brought out his water jug to try and look relaxed, as he asked: "What's the situation?"
"A pack of direwolves. I noticed their tracks when I scouted the perimeter." -Leylin said urgently while keeping the appearances, then gave out a few simple hand signals at the nearby male nobles.
"So that's how it is... Then we proceed as planned." -George drank a few gulps of water. He then briskly grabbed his sword and put on his helm.
The youths from their Alliance who had been chosen as guards were momentarily startled, but they still remembered their predesignated hand signals Leylin had drilled into them.
Instantly, they all got moving, pushing the younger girls ahead towards the carriages, and whispering directions into their ears.
Although the members of the Furze Alliance were quiet in this process and retreated in an orderly manner to refrain from alarming the rest, some of the other Magus acolytes were very discerning, and they quickly joined in the retreat.
"Let's go, George...!" -Seeing that most of the members of their alliance had successfully retreated, he and Leylin quickly followed suit.
"I must say, you're surprisingly good at scouting, dear Leylin." -George said in a low voice to his second-in-command.
"Just a small trick I learned from one of the men at my father's Hunter's Guild." -Leylin coolly replied with a half-smile.
"After this is all over, we should go out hunting. Maybe even use magic to cook our game." -George put on a lighthearted attitude to try and keep Leylin from fretting too much. He thought his younger friend might just be trying to appear confident.
Just then, a loud and piercing gong sounded out across the caravan: "The Magi Lords have sensed danger! Every acolyte is to retreat to the carriages immediately!" -One of the black-robed Knight's voice announced, thundering in all of the acolytes' ears.
Those noble teens who were outside were all shocked into stillness; before they snapped out of it thanks to the gong sounding out again. Immediately, they all crowded into a fleeing mob, bolting crazily to the horse carriages.
"No need for discretion anymore! Let's run!" -George shouted as he drew his sword in a rallying signal for any other Furze youths.
By now, all the members of the Furze Alliance that were taking care of their needs had been successfully alerted and were already quite a distance ahead. The quickest amongst them already reaching the horse carriages.
Suddenly, a long and drawn-out howl struck the ears of the acolytes, its echoes filled with ruthless bloodlust.
From all directions, much more howling ensued. Countless black four-legged creatures appeared on the horizon, making for a sight that resembled a black wall, spelling certain death and bringing terror to the hearts of any onlooker.
Their prey had discovered their stealth attack, hence they had abandoned any intention of holding back. Instead, they would simply charge forth and tear apart any human they came across.
Streak after streak of shadowy animals chased after the fleeing acolytes. They were the size of a small horse, and their speeds were such that a shimmering black afterimage tailgated them.
"RUN!! Another direwolf attack!" -One of the acolytes at the back cried out in despair.
Just as he cried out, a black shadow pounced onto him, the large impact causing this feeble boy to slump to the ground.
"HEEEEEELP, AAAAAAGH!!" -The poor boy cried out, to no avail.
In the next instant, a huge merciless jaw filled with sharp fangs bit down viciously, tearing out his throat as he died with a shocked stare on his face.
Some of the fleeing acolytes were intrigued by the cries for help and turned their heads to look before they gasped in dread when they witnessed the grisly scene.
They hastened their pace straightaway, exerting their bodies to their limits.
Another young girl with a face full of tears was racing through the crowd and shouting: "Mommy! Mommy! I want my mommy...!"
By now, Leylin had already reached the horse carriages and could enjoy the entire show unfolding in front of his eyes.
'These pitiful children, are they starting to lose it so soon? Hehehe... Barely a few deaths and they start wailing as if was the end of the world...' -Leylin smirked devilishly under his well-placed mask of apprehension and impotence at not being there to save them.
Right at this point, seven dark shadows dashed out from the direction of the caravan, each wielding a huge sword the size of a short man, which slashed the air as they charged the direwolf pack.
[The black-robed Knights!]
'So they're finally making their move. Took them long enough.' -Leylin answered with a reserved tone.
[These direwolves' stats are about 3 each on average, equivalent to those of the Knights. Do you think this battle will be on equal terms?] -Aralis questioned her Master.
Leylin was quick to provide his breakdown of how the fight would turn out: 'With their current numbers? Hardly. The Knights may have the ability to wield weapons, along with their vastly superior intelligence. But if the direwolves mobilize the entirety of their forces, which they most assuredly will do, then our superhuman buddies stand no chance...'
'With that said, there's also the fact that the academy Knights should have some type of secret skill that can greatly raise their potential. This would allow them to burst forth with greater power when necessary. Or so Viscount John said about the upper echelon of Knights... Angelo and company may not be Grand Knights, but as servants of Magi, they are certainly no run-of-the-mill soldiers either...'
Leylin felt somewhat content as he glanced at the several hundred orange dots gradually surrounding their position.
'Regardless, I stand by my forecast. Previously, even with just a hundred-something direwolves, these beasts succeeded in getting to the horse carriages, and even claim some lives here and there... With the army of several hundred that they have brought upon us this time, however...'
Leylin made a pause as he contemplated something.
'I don't believe the black robes will be able to contain them forever. Maybe today those mysterious Magi will finally show their abilities. I wager one of them would be more than enough to deal with these pests, but that remains to be seen.'
[I'll be ready to record every single detail, should they decide to take action.] -Aralis saw an opportunity to please her Master.
'Naturally, you should. Such intel would be invaluable to me.' -Leylin approved with a ghost smile.
Meanwhile on the battlefield, one of the black-robed Knights swung around his immense blade, weaving a bright silver light in the air as he cleaved a direwolf right into two.
"Hah hah...!" -The Knight licked a drop of blood from his lips, with an extremely ferocious aura emanating from him: "Come on, you fuckers!" -He taunted the other wolves.
"Tha-Thank you, Sir!" -A little girl who was saved by the tall man kept thanking him repeatedly, the tears still running down her cheeks. This was the girl who had been calling out for her mother earlier.
"Are you an idiot? Get out of here NOW!" -The Knight's head did not even turn as he assailed the incoming direwolves once more.
Only then did the little girl seem to awaken to the reality of the situation, and did as she was told.
The black-robed Knight who remained at the campsite shouted out the plan to defend the caravan: "Hurry! Arrange the carriages next to each other in a circle! Males, take up your weapons and set up a defensive formation alongside it! Females, stay inside the circle and stand ready to assist any wounded!"
"Alright, you heard him!" -George was the first to shout out a reply, jumping up onto one of the carriages to direct the Furze Alliance members.
"It is time to fight for our lives! Stand close to me or George, and we shall protect you!" -Leylin grasped the cross blade in his hands and seconded the call to defend the caravan.
Looking at the scene before him, he noticed that the members of the Furze Alliance had the lowest mortality rate amongst the different groups, thanks to his timely warning. Besides a few noble teens who had tripped while running and had sustained some scratches, there were no deaths or major injuries.
In contrast, many of the other non-Furze acolytes had been killed or injured. For example, he had been informed by Aralis via the control grid that Ourin's little party was now missing two youths, while the remaining few had all suffered some type of harm. They had been lucky enough to escape with their lives.
"Alright! We've rescued all the ones we could!" -The infamous scarred Knight, Lord Angelo, called out to his black-robed comrades.
Angelo's body was drenched with blood as he returned to the defensive formation, panting slightly.
He immediately caught sight of Leylin, who was grasping his cross blade with both hands and was in a battle-ready stance.
"Say, brat... Aren't you afraid?" -The black-robed Knight asked genuinely curious.
His relationship with the Farlier heir had gotten only a tiny bit closer over the last two weeks, to the point where they occasionally made small talk while riding the carriage.
"Right now, being afraid won't be of any help to anyone. I will protect my allies... no, my friends! They put their trust in me, and I won't fail them!" -The youth replied with a convincing idealistic hero act.
'As if! I'm gonna let these meatshields do their part and thin the number of enemies I must face at once. And that includes you, little Angelo.' -Mused Leylin.
"Hehe, that's the spirit... These direwolves are cunning and intelligent. So long as we let them know we're not an easy target and that they will sustain many losses if they push their offensive, then they will run away!" -Angelo said less indifferently than usual.
He wasn't sure if the Knight was just trying to comfort him. Nevertheless, Leylin breathed a fake sigh of relief, just in case.
It had been a few minutes, and those acolytes that had fallen earlier had been devoured to the last bone by now.
With the scent of blood in the air, the direwolves went berserk and charged savagely towards the horse carriages.
"Here they come! Everyone, be careful! We will try our best to protect you, but there are only so many of us and we will definitely miss some. At that point, you will have to fight for your lives...!" -Angelo's loud voice rang out, as he waved his huge sword.
He was standing in the frontlines together with the other Knights at his sides.
"HAAAAAAAAH!" -The Knights gave out a powerful warcry, and Leylin could see a faint light shining around their large swords.
As their huge blades cleaved down, the direwolves charging in front of them had holes torn into their chests, causing them to roll back as blood sprayed into the air like fountains.
|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|
For quite some time, the dozen or so black human figures rose to meet the waves of beasts like an immovable fortress, blocking the direwolves from setting foot within the perimeter.
"We have to join the fight! We must help the Knight Lords and reduce the pressure on them!" -George walked up to Leylin and said.
"He's right, comrades! If this continues any longer, the Knights will grow too exhausted to fight, and then all of us will be as good as dead...!" -Leylin spoke gravely.
"But we shall not let that happen! To arms, noble brothers! To battle!" -Called the heir of Farlier, and was met with enthusiasm from many of the other preparatory Knights in the caravan; not only from the Furze Alliance.
Under George's and Leylin's leadership, all of the male aristocrats took up their swords and followed behind the black-robed Knights.
They prepared to defend the caravan from the ferocious and seemingly infinite direwolf pack; they would position themselves on the second line and the rear.
George took charge of the rear, claiming that it was his duty as Lord General of Furze to safeguard the beauties from any dangers.
Meanwhile, Leylin stood by the black robes and a few reserves under his command. This included mostly the weaker males and non-Knights. The other preparatory Knights had followed George.
The direwolf howls were unceasing and became the tune to which steel and fangs clashed together incessantly.
Currently, Leylin was facing a terrifying 2-meter long direwolf that had gotten past the black robes. The reserves next to Leylin were scared shitless, and their hands holding their weapons quivered regularly.
The red-eyed direwolf with a fur black as ebony growled savagely as it slowly approached him. Leylin could smell the foul stench coming from its maw.
[Doctor, there are at least 6 more direwolves targeting you! I calculate that 2 or more will manage to slip beyond the frontline!] -Aralis conveyed her worry for her Master's well-being.
Leylin took only a few seconds to weigh his odds: 'With my swordplay and martial arts, not to mention the nearby meatshields I can use to distract them, I am confident enough to be able to fend off a maximum of 10 wolves simultaneously... But at any moment they could be swarming me and I wouldn't be able to react in time... With this matter, I won't risk it. I'll have to use 'that'...' -He determined inwardly.
He then issued what was probably his most reluctant order yet: 'Aralis; initiate the ESP Matrix! Start advanced link!'
[Task established. Combat protocols engaged. Extrasensory perception link complete...]
Within moments, a cold feeling settled all over Leylin's body. His senses got sharpened to 2x their normal levels and his brain activity skyrocketed. His consciousness was fused completely with Aralis' subroutines, which allowed him to control the AR holograms directly, instead of requiring him to issue commands to his A.I.
His assistant was now also the co-pilot of his body, and he could delegate secondary tasks to her. This could allow him to aim with millimetric precision and perform actions that would literally require one to direct their body's muscles at will.
This was the true potential that Leylin had envisioned when he created Aralis. The perfect human-machine hybrid. And thanks to the complete fusion of the A.I. Chip with his soul, there was no drawback to using this power besides the obvious energy drain that would come after using it...
Except, of course, the fact that he valued secrecy so much. Hence, Leylin wanted to keep his trump card under wraps for as long as possible. Alas, the situation demanded that Leylin got serious. He may be overly cautious, but he was also prudent.
[Beginning simulations...]
Just then, a light flashed in front of Leylin's eyes, and a panoramic 3D image appeared before him. This was far larger than the usual display. It showed dozens of data blocks, real-time readings, and holo-images portraying possible moves made by the incoming direwolf.
Leylin smirked with anticipation