Chapter 158: Chapter158-The Expected Attack (Part 1)
"Something's about to happen. I don't know what exactly, but you're afraid of monsters, right? I remember that, so close your eyes and cover your ears tightly!"
Babylon released his grip but didn't step back, urgently saying, "You'd better do as I say, or it'll be too late!"
"I, I'm not..."
Despite Babylon's keen senses and timely actions, he was still a step too late. Before Meryl could finish her sentence, a ferocious roar erupted from the forest in front of the group, and powerful shockwaves rippled out, washing over the surrounding ground!
Seeing this, Babylon's brows furrowed tightly.
"Still a step too late..."
Seeing Meryl's face turn pale instantly, Babylon grabbed her shoulder and pushed her behind him.
"If you're scared, then stay away!"
Almost simultaneously, Babylon quickly scanned his surroundings. Sure enough, as expected, amidst the chaos caused by the sudden appearance of the monsters, Elowen's figure had quietly vanished.
"It seems this is a premeditated attack."
While his thoughts churned, three monsters emerged from the dense forest. Upon seeing their appearances, even Babylon felt a wave of disgust.
One was a snail-type monster, standing about four meters tall. Every time it moved, it left a trail of corrosive slime on the ground, rotting the plants it passed into pools of green liquid.
Behind the snail monster was a giant spider-type monster, roughly the same size as the snail. Its three crimson eyes scanned the group, its body covered in pitch-black bristles, looking extremely menacing!
The last monster was one Babylon had never seen before. It resembled a kind of beetle, with a pair of nearly one-meter-long mandibles filled with sharp teeth, looking incredibly formidable.
Even someone like Babylon, who wasn't particularly afraid of bugs, broke out in a cold sweat upon seeing these three monsters. As for the others, some were so terrified that their legs gave way, causing them to collapse to the ground!
"Retreat!"
Almost simultaneously, two distinct voices sounded from the crowd. Eden and Babylon were the first to respond, warning everyone to retreat. Unfortunately, most people were too frightened by the situation to move, their bodies frozen with fear.
Seeing this, Babylon gritted his teeth and signaled to Eden. The two of them immediately began to drive the crowd back.
However...
One thing caught Babylon's attention: the monsters weren't attacking. This was highly unusual. Normally, monsters would attack the moment they appeared, trying to devour everything in sight to satisfy their hunger.
But these monsters weren't doing that. If his guess was correct, someone must be controlling them from behind the scenes.
Most likely, it was Master John.
"Such a nasty personality, coming up with a sudden attack like this. I should have figured it out sooner."
Babylon had felt something was off ever since John left alone. He hadn't known that John possessed the power to control monsters, so he hadn't considered this possibility. But now, it all made sense.
"Don't panic! If I'm right, these three monsters are part of Master John's test, evaluating our ability to handle sudden situations. So, stay calm! Although these monsters... are pretty disgusting, at least they haven't attacked us yet!"
Babylon's shout snapped everyone out of their daze. Eden looked at the monsters and realized they really weren't pursuing them; they were just watching coldly.
"In any case, we must work together if we want any chance of passing this test!"
...
Meanwhile, up in the treetops!
John clicked his tongue, looking at Babylon with admiration in his eyes.
"Elowen, what do you think?"
"There's not much to evaluate, Master John. You just want to hear me praise this kid. He's meticulous, quick-thinking, and most importantly, he demonstrated a sense of team cohesion that he hadn't shown even yesterday or earlier today."
"That's right. I've always believed that with proper training, Babylon could become a powerful elite. He's strong and quick-witted but lacks team awareness and tends to act independently. However, I must admit I misjudged him."
m _v,l_e _mp|y|r chapter
"Master John, you don't really intend to have them deal with these three monsters, do you?" Elowen scratched her head, looking somewhat puzzled.
"Is there a problem?"
"These three monsters are pretty strong. Even I find them difficult to handle. They have no real combat experience, and I'm afraid someone might get hurt."
"You don't need to worry about that. I can control these three monsters. If any dangerous situations arise, I'll intervene in time."
"That puts me at ease... To be honest, I'm also a bit curious to see how they will perform."
"Just wait and see."
John glanced at the time, a slight smile playing on his lips. "It's about time to give them a bit more external stimulation. Let's start."
As soon as he finished speaking, the three monsters moved simultaneously!
The carrion snail struck first, its antennae writhing and suddenly shooting out countless toxic arrows, raining down on everyone!
The iron-armored spider quickly followed, reaching Babylon at the back of the group within a few breaths, raising its claws to strike!
The shield beetle unfurled its wings, becoming a blur as it blocked everyone's escape route!
"Watch out!"
Seeing the iron-armored spider's attack about to land, Eden gritted his teeth and yanked Babylon back by the shoulder. The claws descended, effortlessly piercing the ground where Babylon had just stood!
Seeing this, Babylon gasped, almost scared out of his wits!
"The speed... it's too fast!"
Escape was impossible; there was no way out!
Not to mention that the snail-type monster was continuously corroding their range of movement, but with the incredibly agile spider-type and the flying insect, escape was simply impossible!
"Master John, isn't the pressure on them a bit too much?"
"Too much? I think it's just right."
John smiled and shook his head, standing up on the tree crown, and continued, "They are all adults now, each at the peak of their strength. Don't underestimate them. There's a saying from my homeland, Elowen, that you should remember: 'Put them in a desperate situation, and they will fight to survive.'"
Clang!
A sharp sound rang out as Eden was sent flying by the force of the impact. The shell of the spider-type monster was much tougher than he had imagined.
Even the enchanted weapons Master John had crafted for them couldn't penetrate the spider's defense and were deflected.
"Everyone, don't panic..."
Amidst the chaotic and tense situation, Meryl stood up, suppressing her inner fear, and took over the responsibility of commanding. Even though her eyes were brimming with tears and her voice trembled, almost breaking into a sob, she resolutely said, "We must allocate some people to restrain the flying beetle. If it gains control, it will be a huge problem!
Sister Alice, could you lead four people to hold off the beetle? You don't necessarily have to harm it, just keep it occupied!"
"I'll do my best."
Alice nodded slightly. Despite the daunting task, she charged forward without hesitation, followed closely by four others.
At this point, everyone had to contribute to survive. Slacking off or showing cowardice was tantamount to suicide!
"Babylon, Brother Eden! We will create opportunities for you two, distracting the spider-type monster as much as possible. Please deal with the snail-type monster quickly, or we will all be corroded by the acid soon!
Additionally, if possible, collect some of the snail's acid. It is the key to breaking through this situation!"
"Be very careful! Its attacks are fast and fierce; do not try to withstand them directly!"