All the party members turned to the ravens that flew past them delivering the message, and a look of immense relief washed across some of their faces.

When one of the ravens reached where Aika had just finished killing the last Saurian near her, it landed on her shoulder. Then it nuzzled her neck, repeating, "Camp, camp."

Aika, who was breathing heavily, looked at the next wave that was almost upon them. Then she replied, "I know, Arlo."

She then turned to see that that the others had already begun running as fast as they could, retreating back toward the direction of the stony plain.

The only people who had not retreated were Cedric and Audrey, both of whom were currently downing mana elixirs to replenish their reserves.

When Aika saw that Cedric was done drinking his mana elixir, she shifted into a raven and took to the sky, flying back toward him with Arlo banking closely at her side.

At that moment, Cedric made an "O" shape with his fingers and held them to his lips. Then he exhaled a thin stream of darkness that exploded into a towering wall of black flames as he swept his head from left to right, creating a scorching barrier between them and the horde.

The flames kept spreading in a jagged line across the dry earth, feeding on anything they touched.

At the same time, Audrey, who had finished her mana elixir, took out another piece of jerky and placed it into her mouth. She reached behind her and pulled out six arrows, nocking them all onto her bow. With a practiced motion, she drew her string back to her ear with the six shafts nestled securely between her fingers.

She didn't need to worry about hitting her targets because both her attributes and her exclusive skill ensured she couldn't miss. A magic circle appeared before her one open eye and a notification appeared before Cedric.

[The character Audrey Seres Platini has activated the exclusive skill: Talon.]

All the arrows instantly went invisible and then… Audrey released the string.

"Necks."

Six creatures who had yet to reach the black flaming barrier suddenly fell to the ground with large gaping holes in their necks.

"Heads."

Another six suddenly fell with large gaping holes in their heads, causing those behind to stumble and tumble headlong into the barrier.

"Chests."

Six more were struck with such force that they were pinned to the earth, their ribcages shattered as the invisible projectiles tore through them.

"Stomachs."

A further six were doubled over as the projectiles gutted them, the force of the impact spilling their dark entrails across the scorched earth and creating a gruesome obstacle for the rest of the pack.

Audrey gritted her teeth and tightened her grip on her bow, as she suddenly felt extremely lightheaded.

It appeared that using this exclusive skill seriously drained her mana, depending on the part of the body she was locking onto.

"Two more…" She whispered to herself as she tried to focus her eyes.

"Hearts."

Six more Saurians were silenced mid-shriek as the invisible talons pierced through their scales and straight into their hearts. They didn't even have time to stumble, their bodies simply going limp and sliding into the dirt.

Audrey coughed and without looking at the field muttered through gritted teeth.

"Thighs."

The final six arrows tore through the heavy muscle of the leading Saurians' legs. They collapsed instantly, their weight causing them to slide forward into the black flames, where their dying screams were swallowed by the roar of Cedric's fire.

Many of the other Saurians ran into the flaming barrier only to become pillars of green flame upon emerging on the other side. They screeched and struggled violently, trying to claw the fire from their bodies, but the decay only ate deeper into their flesh.

The rest of the horde did not cross and suddenly halted behind the wall of flames.

…Cedric looked up at a very exhausted Audrey and nodded. She offered a polite nod in return and turned around, flying to join the others who had long since departed.

Cedric, on the other hand, stayed back to sustain his wall of flames for as long as he could. But he knew that it wouldn't hold, as his mana reserves were already hitting their limit and his vision was starting to blur.

The flames of decay really did eat a lot of mana.

At most, he could only sustain a barrier this big for half a minute more.

He gritted his teeth and looked back. The others were now gone, and Audrey was a small silhouette against the night sky as she caught up to them. He had one raven following the group so he could track their progress.

As for Arlo and Aika, both were perched on either shoulder.

"Ack!"

Cedric stumbled and gasped. He could no longer sustain the barrier. After all, he still needed to keep a little mana for his retreat.

He cast a desperate glance at the barrier. "This… should be enough… right?"

The flames began to flicker and shrink, and the deep black fire receded.

In the few tense seconds that followed, the flames fully diminished until only a few sparks remained on the charred ground.

At that moment, all the Saurians that were behind the wall suddenly rushed in chaotically. The brief pause was over, and the horde surged forward like a dam breaking, their heavy claws tearing into the decayed earth.

Cedric heaved heavily in exhaustion as he watched the multitude of monsters approaching. It took a lot of effort just to stand properly.

It was then that Arlo's form dissolved into smoke and shadow. With the creature gone, the mana that had been sustaining him returned to Cedric's core, trickling in like a cool stream. Aika then shifted into her human form and pulled Cedric's arm over her shoulder. Then she muttered softly, "Let's go, Ced."

The Saurians reached them in a chaotic surge, but just before they could descend on the two exhausted people, their forms erupted into a flurry of black feathers. The swirling mass coalesced into a single raven before dissolving into a lone feather that drifted down to the charred ground.

The monsters snapped their jaws at the empty air, finding nothing but the scent of smoke where their prey had stood only a second before.

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