Due to the dense undergrowth within the Southern Quadrant and the rather moist, soft ground, maneuverability was at an all time low.

Despite this, the humans had no other choice but to fight with what they could.

The eyes and bodies of all those around trembled as they bunched up together.

Nero turned to his side. Emif had a curved bronze dagger in his trembling hands. It was clear the young man had some experience with his posture and the way he held his blade. However, that was about it.

Nero could sense the overwhelming fear pouring off of him. The shrinking of his pupils. The terror in his soul.

The battle had yet to begin and yet, it had already ended for him.

Nero huffed and turned his gaze forward.

The vines snapped and the bramble cleared away to reveal enormous creatures with dark, matted fur and enormous razor sharp exposed teeth seated right on their heads. Their eyes swam in their chest area, created for a rather twisted and displaced visage.

While the top half of their bodies was covered in fur, the latter half was covered in thick armored scales.

'It isn't going to be easily, getting through all that.' Nero thought to himself.

He drew the Silver Blade from its sheath. The glare of the blade was like a beacon in the night, cutting through the nightmares and horrors.

Nero without hesitation, charged forward.

In this moment,nthe humans behind him had vanished from his mind. His thoughts were enveloped, blended into a singularity of tumultuous calm.

The edge of his blade has taken a liking to murder.

It cravee it, in a subtle way.

After his encounter with Eli in the depths of the forest, and his battle with Garrick, the fear and disgust that once enveloped him were mostly gone, instead replaced with a strange, dull excitement.

No. Excitement was not the word. That word was simply too vile to describe it.

It was not bloodlust either.

Instead, it was like a quote acceptance and expectancy of death. A realization that he was the woe of these twisted creatures, destined to be their end and demise.

The culling of their darkness.

Because he was darkness in their stead.

But he was also light. A defiled amalgamation of purity and madness.

The Silver Blade's edge cut through the throat of the first Abomination.

The matted fur offered little resistance to the sharp blade, allowing it to tear through the tough flesh and blood vessels.

A spraying of hot blood doused Nero over.

The disgusting, metallic scent. So vile and viscous, Clinton to the wind and his body.

Nero leapt backwards and twisted his body at an odd angle.

His style of battle was strange. It had the rigidity of the Templars of the Crimson Crucible and the flowing nature of the river he had picked up from Gungnir's shifting nature.

He was like a boat in a turbulent sea, riding the waves, each crest and each depression.

He dropped into a crouch and grabbed at a descending claw. Pushing his back into it, he stabbed his blade into the creature's armpit and twisted. The red blood gushed all over him as the creature let out a shriek.

Before it could fall to the ground, Nerk swung his blade again, severing its head from its neck.

A dance of primal slaughter.

However, despite how powerful he was, Nero acknowledged he couldn't handle them all.

He could only rely on Obed and Lucy to handle those that slipped through.

And just as he thought, Obed had already intercepted the first one.

The body of the first Abomination slammed into Obed. The much smaller man met the impact head on, twisting his body to diffuse the force behind the collision as his blade snaked up, finding the delicate spot of flesh beneath the furry armor of the beast.

The creature roared in pain and swung, but Obed had already shot backwards, twisting his blade into a reverse grip.

With his right hand broken, his combat potential had been chopped right in half. Despite that, he was still very much lethal as a broken arm did not dull the sharpness of his blade.

The poison laced into his dagger was quick acting. The beast frothed at the mouth for a moment then collapsed in a puddle of brown spittle and blood.

Obed huffed then winced as he crumpled to a knee.

The claw of the beast had cut into his stomach. Although the wound was shallow...

'This shit hurts like hell!' Obed cursed internally as he rose to his feet and shot forward.

Lucy held back a claw with her blades and glanced back.

Her eyes could only watch as several of the creatures leapt over her, the last line of defense and began tearing into the humans.

"No. No!" A man holding a pitchfork stabbed his weapon at the creature. The Abomination growled as it launched at him, slapping the weapon away and skewering him through with a curved claw. The human stared in disbelief as his body was lifted off the ground, even as he drowned on his own blood.

He lifted his despairing gaze to the gaping maw as his head was bitten clean off his neck.

The Abomination hunched over, digging its claws into his body, feasting brutally, digging the organs of the now very dead man out.

Then other Abominations became excited by the scent of the blood, their erratic, violent nature becoming even worse.

A shadow descended over the feasting beast as Geor slapped a huge shovel down on the Abomination's skull.

A sickening crunch was what followed, followed by a violent explosion of brain matter and crushed bones.

Geor leaned to the side, dodging a charging lunge from another Abomination. The shovel in his hand cut through the wind with a loud whoosh, its edge smashing into its face.

The top half of the beast's skull separated from its body as it fell to the ground lifelessly.

Geor yelled out,

"Stay close, everyone!"

He grunted as two more Abominations lunged at him, nearly pushing the large man into the ground.

Winning the battle was not going to be easy.

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