The electrical current conducted perfectly through the water coating the Hereticsâ bodies, multiplying the damage exponentially as electricity coursed through every water-soaked surface.
The three powerful Heretic warriors, each level twenty-four combatants with years of hunting experience became charred corpses in seconds. Their bodies convulsed violently, muscles spasming uncontrollably as lethal voltage stopped their hearts and fried their nervous systems. They remained standing for one surreal moment, barely alive, their bodies swaying as shock and massive internal damage fought against their will to remain upright.
Thud!
Their corpses collapsed simultaneously a second later, life escaping their bodies as they succumbed completely to the overwhelming elemental combination attack.
[You have killed a level 24 Savi Heretic.]
[You have killed a level 24 Savi Heretic.]
[You have killed a level 24 Savi Heretic.]
[You have gained 400 Lives.]
[You have gained 420 Lives.]
[You have gained 450 Lives.]
Before Moon or Selene could celebrate their devastating opening strike, one of the more distant Heretic warriors caught sight of the three charred corpses lying motionless on the jungle floor.
His eyes widened with shock and rage.
He immediately shouted at maximum volume, alerting all the other patrol members to the ambush location with aggressive clicking and hissing sounds.
"KRATHâVEL! KRATHâVEL SHAâNETH!"
Moon wasnât alarmed by the warning shout. Instead, a confident smile crossed his face. âGood. Let them all come. Fighting scattered enemies wastes time. Better to face them together. It will make burying them easier too, one spot for all.â
"Prepare to engage, Yara!" Moon called out clearly. "Circle around their formation with your warriors. Selene and I will fight them head-on and hold their attention. You ambush them from behind or the flanks when opportunities present themselves. Be careful, donât get caught or surrounded."
Mirage watched from the sidelines, although he had grown considerably stronger during the past two days. He had yet to become strong enough to deal with level 24 warriors.
Moon wasnât worried that the Heretics would understand their discussion. Yara was the only person on this entire island who understood English, which was precisely why her clan had given her the special title of "maiden"âshe possessed their benefactorâs language.
Yara gritted her teeth from her hiding position, genuine fear tightening her chest. She was terrified that as she and her warriors circled to flanking positions, Moon and Selene would get seriously injured or overwhelmed while holding the Hereticsâ full attention.
It was two against thirteen people after all. This wasnât something that even the strongest warriors of her Savi clan could do. But despite her concerns, Yara still followed Moonâs instructions without argument. Sheâd grown to trust his judgment over their short time together, even when his strategies seemed recklessly aggressive and dangerous.
She gave quick hand signals to her four warriors, and the group began moving stealthily through the dense jungle vegetation, circling wide to approach the converging Heretics from unexpected angles.
Meanwhile, Moon and Selene stepped fully into the open, abandoning all concealment.
The remaining thirteen Heretic warriors were rapidly converging on their position from multiple directions, weapons drawn and fury burning in their eyes at seeing three of their companions slaughtered so easily.
Moon summoned his staff from his spatial storage, the weapon materialising in his grip with familiar weight.
Selene positioned herself beside him, mana already swirling around her hands as she prepared multiple elemental attacks.
"Ready?" Moon asked quietly.
"Always," Selene confirmed with grim determination.
The Heretics emerged from the jungle in coordinated groups, surrounding Moon and Seleneâs position in a loose semi-circle. Their formation was disciplined despite their obvious rage, these were experienced warriors, not mindless zealots.
The patrol leader, the lone Heretic Moon had identified earlier, stepped forward slightly, his eyes fixed on Moon with burning hatred.
"Shâvak krath nal!" he hissed venomously, raising his weapon. "Vorâketh shaâneth ras!"
Moon didnât understand the specific words, but the hostile intent was crystal clear. The Heretics wanted both him and Selene dead, no negotiation, or mercy.
"It seems like you really love us, huh?" Moon said with a deliberate smirk, trying to draw the leaderâs full attention and make flanking maneuvers easier for Yara and her warriors. "What did we do to deserve such a warm welcome?"
Surprisingly, despite his obvious aggression and murderous intent toward them, the Heretic leaderâs eyes kept jumping around constantly, scanning the surrounding jungle rather than focusing exclusively on his targets.
"You good there?" Moon called out mockingly. "Your eyes are moving around a tad bit too much. You might want to get that checked, could be a neurological condition, I heard that these could be very distracting."
Selene barely suppressed a laugh at his absurd joke despite the clear mortal danger surrounding them.
The Heretic leader completely ignored Moonâs taunting. Instead, he began speaking rapidly to his warriors in their language, issuing what were clearly orders.
After he finished, several of the Heretics who had been positioned in the surrounding formation immediately changed their stances. Rather than maintaining offensive postures focused on Moon and Selene, they shifted into defensive positions, their weapons raised and their attention scanning the area for hidden threats.
At that moment, Moon instantly realized something was fundamentally wrong with their plan.
âThey know there are people with us... or they know that Yara and the strongest Savi warriors are missing from the village.â
The leaderâs cautious actions were unmistakable. He wouldnât have divided his forces or adopted defensive positioning if he didnât possess some form of intel. A confident commander facing only two isolated enemies would have simply attacked with his large force immediately.
Realizing their ambush strategy had failed due to circumstances beyond their control, Moon immediately switched his approach on the spot.
"They know youâre hiding!" Moon called out loudly in English, still maintaining eye contact with his unnerving smirk, as if addressing the hereticâs group leader directly. "Weâre going to attack the ones actively searching for you. Begin your own attacks immediately after we strikeâdonât wait for perfect positioning!"
Yara who was hiding, waiting for the perfect moment, immediately relayed Moonâs words to the warriors beside her.
Time was running out...for the heretics.