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Chapter 254 Attack at night

As darkness further shrouded the already obscure forest, Ken's hushed voice crackled through the walkie-talkie. "Eagle one, they're assembling..."

Kevin, tingling with anticipation, eavesdropped on the slightly distorted transmission. His gaze shifted toward Keyara, perched on the nearest tree, tuned in to her own device.

"This is thrilling," Kevin chimed in, his grin widening. The allure of covert operations, the thrill of stealth, and the radio communication—it all evoked a childlike excitement within him.

A few moments later, Ken's voice returned through the radio. "There are 15 of them venturing out for the hunt, three of which are the larger ones—like the ones Keyara and Robert faced. The others also seem quite robust compared to last night's lot."

"Alright. And how many are left in the layer?" Keyara inquired.

"Wait a sec, I'm observing... Some seem to be emerging from inside the cave," Zaria reported, her gaze fixed on the cave nestled in the small mountain behind the layer.

"fuck..." she cursed, causing Keyara to glance over, concerned. "What's wrong?"

"shit..." Ken also cursed, then continued, "There are ten more, and they're all bigger than these three, some even larger, and wait..."

"There's a smaller one in the midst... it's weird, nothing like the rest," Zaria said, puzzled.

"Can you describe how it looked?" Viana inquired, trying to peer into the darkness, unlike Zaria and Ken, who had skills or tools for clearer vision in the dark, which she lacked.

"It's smaller than the big ones, about three meters tall, but much leaner. And its eyes... they're dark red," Zaria explained, sounding a bit worried.

"Do you know anything about it, Viana?" Keyara asked.

"Yeah... this one went through a major breakthrough and reached the peak earth stage as a monster," she explained, nodding. "It's going to be tough to take it down."

"Don't worry, we'll manage," Keyara assured. "Ken, keep an eye on the hunting group. Zaria, some of the remaining lupins might soon be on guard duty. Keep watch and snipe them if they stray too far from camp."

"Got it," Zaria and Ken responded simultaneously.

Before long, the monster's hunting party began to depart from the lair, and Ken tracked their movement as they moved farther away from their position. Meanwhile, some of the remaining lupins started to roam closer to the trees where they were concealed.

As the hunting group vanished from Ken's sight, he alerted Keyara, "Keyara, they're moving out of my range."

"Let's give it a couple more minutes. Everyone, get into position. Take your shot when you have the chance, but make it swift and silent," Keyara directed, and the team swiftly maneuvered from tree to tree, preparing for the crucial moment ahead.

With precision born of practiced coordination, the team stealthily maneuvered into their designated positions. Each member found their vantage point amidst the foliage, their hearts pounding in anticipation.

Keyara signaled with a subtle hand gesture, a silent cue that it was time. In perfect synchrony, they moved, a silent ballet of calculated movements. Guns were loaded, spells were readied, and weapons were poised, all aimed at the heart of the looming threat.

The tension in the air was palpable as they waited for the opportune moment, each heartbeat seemingly echoing through the dense forest. The lupins, unaware of the imminent danger, continued their leisurely patrol around the lair.

Ken's crystal rifle unleashed the first attack, the bullet finding its mark on the lupin farthest away, piercing its head and felling it instantly. As he swiftly loaded another round, he declared, "One down... 14 to go," taking aim at another lupin.

"Take out as many as possible. They'll catch the scent of blood soon," urged Viana, her grip firm on a staff crafted from red and green wood, its top adorned with a baseball-sized orb pulsating with a vibrant green light.

Amidst this flurry of action, Kevin remained perched atop a tree, his focus trained on his quarry as it prowled below, unaware of his silent observation.

"I'm moving in," he whispered into the walkie-talkie, blades in hand, stealthily shifting along the branch, seeking the perfect spot for a strategic descent.

"Wait up," Yelena chimed in, unsheathing her own blades.

"Ready?" Kevin inquired, spotting his target pausing to scent the air.

"Yeah," Yelena affirmed, poised to leap. "Now."

With synchronicity, Kevin launched himself from the branch, aiming for the lupin beneath the tree. His landing was precise, near the creature's head, swiftly silencing it before it could make a sound, mirroring Yelena's movements nearby.

After the swift and silent takedown, Kevin and Yelena glanced at each other, their eyes reflecting a mix of relief and readiness for what lay ahead. The lupins they had targeted lay motionless, their threats neutralized without alerting the others.

Meanwhile, the rest of the team maintained their positions, their collective efforts harmonized in the orchestration of the stealthy assault. Keyara's hand signals directed the next phase, urging the team to regroup as they prepared for the final assault on the monstrous entity lurking within the lair.

"Kevin, Yelena, flank around to the mountains at the back," Keyara commanded. Both Kevin and Keyara, who was already ascending the tree again, acknowledged, "Roger that..."

"But can I take 'em out if they cross my path?" Kevin inquired, an excited grin on his face, his heart still racing from the exhilaration of the stealthy kill.

"I doubt you'll need to," Keyara replied, scanning the lupins in the distance. One of them had caught sight of Kevin and Yelena's previous location, its gaze locking onto the spot where they had executed the monster stealthily. Its eyes glinted with hostility, ready to howl, but before it could make a sound, a green projectile swiftly pierced its neck, dropping it instantly.

"You can, but not too many," Viana clarified, having fired the shot from her staff.

As the lupin's lifeless body hit the ground, Zaria's expertly aimed shot found its mark on another lurking lupin. The projectile hit with precision, silencing yet another threat.

"Five down," Zaria reported calmly, her voice carrying a hint of satisfaction at their progress. Her keen eyes remained fixed on the remaining lupins, ready to strike again if needed.

"The weaker ones are down; it's time for the colossal ones," Keyara remarked, eyeing the lupin sprawled at the entrance of the lair. It matched the size of the previous adversary they had faced.

"My bullets won't take it down in a single shot. I'll need two, maybe three," Ken stated, peering at the monster through his scope.

"Same here," Zaria echoed.

"Let me assist, but get ready to go all in once I give the signal," Robert intervened, clutching a silver spear at its center. Bracing himself against a tree, he positioned his body, the spear held firmly but poised for release. "On my cue... fire."

And whoosh! His spear shot forth like a bullet, surpassing the speed of the actual bullet. It tore through the eyelid and plunged directly into the creature's eye. Simultaneously, Ken and Zaria's bullets followed suit, penetrating the beast's second eye and blasting a hole through it.

Despite the onslaught, the monster didn't succumb. It let out a roar of agony, prompting Arya, who was closest, to sprint towards it. With a swift swing of her sword, she silenced the creature, causing blood to gush from its throat.

"Guys, come out now!" Arya called out, slightly breathless, as eight monstrous entities, each as towering as a buildings, glared angrily in her direction.

"attack...." As Keyara's urgent call echoed through the tense air, the rest of the team emerged from their hiding spots, their faces etched with a mix of determination and concern. They stood ready, poised for the impending clash with the monstrous creatures that now loomed before them.

However, Ken and Yelena remained hidden, obediently following Keyara's earlier directive. They had retreated to the mountain behind the lair, ensuring they stayed out of immediate danger while maintaining a strategic position.

Keyara's voice cut through the tension once more, issuing swift instructions, "Focus your attacks! Keep them at bay!" Her command sparked a flurry of coordinated strikes from the team, arrows whistling through the air, spells crackling to life, and blades slashing with precision.

The slender lupin, seemingly the pack's leader, let out a commanding howl, likely signaling the surviving creatures to launch an attack. Their eyes glinted with a fierce glare as they fixated on the humans.

Fueled by the loss of their fallen companion, the monstrous entities surged forward with a thunderous fury. Their deafening roars reverberated through the air, shaking the ground beneath the team's feet. Despite facing adversaries of immense size and outnumbered by the creatures, the team rallied together.

"Stay alive," Keyara urged as she surged forward, taking the lead in the battle, her role as the leader propelling her into the fray. Following closely behind her, Robert swiftly moved, aligning himself to confront a different adversary, while the rest of the team spread out, each member understanding their assigned targets without further direction.

"Robert, handle the others. I'll manage this one," Keyara directed, her voice firm yet resolute. With a nod from Robert, they split their focus, adhering to their pre-established plan without the need for additional commands. Each member of the team knew their role and acted accordingly, their synchronization a testament to their seamless teamwork amidst the chaos of battle.