Chapter 138 - 138. Third layer
Noah immediately recognized the owners of those eyes.
"River crocodiles!"
He shouted, reviewing their characteristics in his head.
'They have a strong bite and a scaled body that offers a good defense. They can use fresh water to heal their injuries. In this environment and with their number, we are at a total disadvantage.'
There were more than three hundred beasts in front of them, all in the third rank.
They had a body four meters long and one and a half tall.
The crocodiles didn't hesitate to charge at them, they swam in the rivers toward their position.
Nigel wasn't slow in his reaction and began to yell orders.
"Let's get in formation! We hold the first wave together and then alternate between two groups. Vance and June first and then me and Errol. Try to finish them in one hit!"
The four students aligned, wielding their weapons.
Noah didn't hesitate to uncover his upper body and release Echo.
They were only rank 3 magical beasts but their number was too high to underestimate them.
The first wave of beasts arrived.
The crocodiles jumped from the rivers and assaulted the students with their maws wide open.
Noah launched a series of wind slashes that multiplied mid-air and crashed in the middle of the mouths of the creatures, almost severing them in half.
June thrust with her spear that sent piercing blows from its tip, engraving bloody holes to any beast in the ten meters area in front of her.
Errol swung a massive black mace, sending shockwaves in front of him that made the crocodiles bleed from every orifice due to the might of the vibrations generated from his weapon.
Nigel thrust his rapier with his left arm behind his back, his weapon created sharp watery lines in the air that cut everything that passed through them.
The power of four students of the academy using their rank 4 martial art was shown at its fullest in that situation!
Tens of crocodiles died as soon as they entered the range of the attacks of the youths.
Scales, blood, and lifeless bodies fell continuously on the ground tainting the plain and the water of the rivers.
However, the assault of the magical beasts seemed endless.
More and more beasts jumped from the rivers to crash on the group of four.
Noah controlled Echo to block the attacks that were about to land on the defenseless spots of their formation, as well as finishing the beasts that survived the clash and wanted to reach the river to recover.
Minutes passed and Noah and his group were slowly losing ground.
At some point, Nigel gave another order.
"Spells!"
Noah and June jumped in the vanguard.
June's spear released faint sparks that increased the range of her attacks while Noah activated the First form of his martial art.
The horde of crocodiles was momentarily pushed back, giving time to Errol and Nigel to retreat of a few steps and concentrate on their spells.
The tip of Nigel's rapier shone with a blue light and he thrust it repeatedly, seemingly in the empty air.
However, from the top of his weapon, tens of water bullets shot out and pierced the crocodiles right in the middle of their skulls.
Errol waved his mace which lit up and released a flaming phoenix that launched massive fireballs on the most crowded areas in the pack of beasts.
The assault of the beasts was finally slowing down!
"Change!"
Nigel yelled again and June and Noah interrupted their techniques and moved in the rear position, leaving Errol and Nigel to physically face the charge of the beasts.
June closed her eyes and her spear began to gather orange sparks through all its body.
She then reopened them and forcefully lunged toward a crowded area.
A thunderbolt shot out from her spear which reduced to ashes anything that passed through.
Noah limited himself to deliver ranged strikes that multiplied mid-air due to the characteristics of his martial art.
Six wind slashes shot out from his figure every time he moved, there was the faint image of four additional arms on his torso.
Echo, in the meantime, continued its hunt for wounded prey or helped the students in the vanguard. Sometimes, a black fuming thread linked its body to Noah's one.
"Change!"
Nigel yelled again and they switched their roles, June and Noah went back in the vanguard position.
That was a simple battle formation that Nigel came up with after he had learnt about the abilities of the students in the group.
Since the moment when a cultivator casts a powerful spell was generally his most exposed one, he decided that they would have had to alternate between front and rear position.
Needless to say, the effect of the tactic left even Noah surprised.
'Well, it can only work since all of us have a high proficiency in close combat and Echo is covering for any weak point that appears.'
Noah thought.
The beasts had diminished so much that he had time to analyze the battle.
"Charge ahead!"
Once the remaining crocodiles were less than fifty, Nigel gave the order to finish them.
In less than fifteen minutes, the third layer of the Royal inheritance was emptied of any trace of life with the exception of the group from the academy.
All the four youths sat on the ground as soon as the battle was over, they needed to recover from the fight.
Even though the battle lasted less than one hour, they had to constantly use their rank 4 martial art to repel the horde of magical beasts and they even used some of their most powerful spells at certain intervals.
"Vance, what is that puppet? It's extremely useful and its expenditure of mental energy doesn't seem high."
Errol pointed at Echo that was quietly guarding Noah while he meditated.
"It's a spell."
Noah replied calmly.
At that point, some inscriptions lighted up on the circular wall in the distance.
Their light gathered in the middle of the green plain and shone for a few minutes before fading.
In that spot, a mountain made of Obsidian Credits and inscribed items appeared.
Nigel smiled and turned to the other students.
"Who wants to inspect the rewards?"