I Received System to Become Dragonborn-Chapter 853: Ambush

Jan and Mark, the twin pillars of the group's leadership, reacted instantly. With no room for hesitation they barked sharp orders and guided their weary party into a defensive formation in a tight circle with weapons drawn and eyes scanning the swirling mist around them.

Even in what should have been a moment of rest there was no room to let their guard down. They stood silently, letting the mist coil around them as they caught their breath.

There was no talk. Each member focused only on recovering and drinking from pouches filled with shimmering potions that helped restore their drained Magic energy reserves.

But the body wasn't as easily mended as the Magic. They were still exhausted and yet they had to wait just long enough to move again and catch up to Eccar.

None of them knew exactly where he was, only that he had gone ahead alone, likely facing the rift or whatever monstrosity had come through it.

He was their strongest among them. But that didn't stop the anxiety curling in each of their chests.

Then it hit them. They felt presences that approaching fast. None of them needed to speak. They all felt it like, a shift in the air and a pulse in the ground.

In perfect sync, they drew their weapons and Magic, readying for an attack from the mist-drenched forest from the grey creatures.

But what came was not what they expected.

A violet lightning bolt cracked through the fog. It came without warning and it shot straight toward Esther.

She acted on instinct, slamming her staff down as she summoned a crescent dome of Magic. The bolt struck it with explosive force, cracking her shield and hurling her backward. She crashed into Thorne who barely caught her before they both stumbled.

"AMBUSH!" Jan shouted, eyes flaring with green light as he activated his vision Magic.

The forest blurred and sharpened in strange ways around him as he turned toward the source of the attack. He loosed an arrow without hesitation.

The arrow slicing into the mist, they didn't hear a hit.

But Jan's voice came again, grim and taut. "It's a human."

That changed everything.

Then another attack came. An arrow whistled from the opposite side, heading straight for Selene.

But the second witch wasn't caught off guard. With a quick and practiced motion she raised her own hands conjuring a mirror shield of Magic. The arrow struck, deflecting off the Magic circle in a burst of sparks.

Teeth clenched, Selene snarled and fired back. She shot a searing bolt of blue lightning that flashed from her palm and vanishing into the mist.

Like Jan's arrow, it found no visible target.

"Shit! Who are they?!" Selene hissed, her voice shaken. "I thought we were just fighting monsters but why are humans attacking us?!"

"Stay calm," Mark ordered. His voice, though firm, still carried that uncanny stillness he always had under pressure. "Concentrate. Focus on the mist. They can see through it but somehow we can't. So we must focus."

The realization sunk deep. That was the enemy's advantage. The mist wasn't just cover but alos was a weapon. And somehow whoever was out there could move and aim through it as if it weren't there at all.

Anxious breath quickened around them. They stood back to back now, weapons trembling, faces pale. Fear made the air heavier. They couldn't see their attackers. And they were being hunted like prey.

"What do we do?" Annette asked, from within the circle. Her voice trembled slightly. "We just stay here like sitting ducks?"

Jan narrowed his eyes, quickly weighing the options. Then he made his call.

"Create a barrier now. Selene, Esther, reinforce it."

Without delay, the three Magic-wielders got to work. Annette clasped her hands in front of her chest and whispered a glowing prayer. A radiant golden barrier pulsed outward from her, forming a shimmering dome around the group.

Esther and Selene stepped forward and poured their own Magic into it, weaving threads of protection and resistance into the structure. The light grew stronger and brighter.

But they still can not relaxed. Because the mist was still there. And so were the hidden enemies moving through it.

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Hidden within the folds of the mist, Darel watched in silence as their initial strike played out. His jaw tightened, frustration gnawing at him.

He had expected two, maybe even three kills in the first moment of chaos. The surprise had been perfect. He ordered his party to send swift and silent attacks from opposite sides. But the enemy had reacted like seasoned wolves not startled prey.

"They're strong," he muttered under his breath, eyes narrowing. "Stronger than I expected."

Beside him, Yara, the battle-Mage clad in dark armor, didn't take her eyes off the glowing barrier forming in the distance.

"This is going to be a longer fight than we predicted," she said, voice low and calm, almost amused. But she also have a feeling of annoyance in her heart.

"We should've known about this outcome," Darel replied bitterly. "One of them is the best party in Qomore, after all."

Yara tilted her head, her mouth curling slightly in acknowledgment. "Still… not like we won't win."

"No," Darel agreed, drawing his sword. The blade pulsed faintly with blue runes that carved along its edge. Its glowing through the mist like the breath of ice. "But if we want this done fast we can't leave it to the others anymore. You and I have to move now." fɾēewebnσveℓ.com

Yara cracked her neck, the metallic gauntlet on her arm responding with a hum. Crimson energy slithered across its surface, tendrils of living light licking the air around her fingers.

No more waiting.

The mist seemed to part around them as they stepped forward.

Darel give an instruction to Varn. The adventurers raised his ax and follow him and Yara. When they arrived at the edge of the mist, Darel immediately give order to Yara to launch her attack.

Yara nodded and extended her hands to her sides and pieces of earth start flying around her. Then she charged alone at the party.

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