Chương 26: Wave of Drowners
Upon hearing Geralt's conclusion, Wayne immediately cheered up, and he promptly executed an inverted triangle gesture with his left hand, fortifying his Quen seal with an additional layer. From his perspective, drowners weren't particularly frightening, but they posed a considerable challenge.
In areas with dense fog, there was a likelihood of encountering foglers, and they could be found in swamps, mountain passes, rivers, and lakes. Even in the absence of natural fog, these creatures had the ability to generate or summon dense fog on their own.
The thick fog served a dual purpose for the foglers: not only did it conceal the creature itself, but also its weaponry. These beings deftly manipulated the fog, rendering travelers unseen and unheard.
Much like glowworms, they emitted a faint light, enticing the lost into their lairs situated in swamps, caves, or ravines. Resembling goblins but even more grotesque, they possessed sharp claws and powerful arms, capable of inflicting more damage than a swung knife.
Adding to the challenge, the foglers boasted intelligence surpassing that of drowners. They excelled in deception, seduction, and confusion, making them adept at manipulating and confounding individuals. Often, the foglers didn't need to resort to direct attacks; instead, they could drive their prey to madness, leading them into swamps and patiently awaiting their demise as they succumbed to the water.
Recalling the knowledge documented in the book, Wayne trailed behind Geralt, tracking the footprints on the ground. Before long, they reached the end of the corridor, where a gate stood adorned with intricate statues. Beyond the gate lay darkness.
However, under the witcher's heightened vision, both Wayne and Geralt could clearly see that there was a spacious viewing platform connected to the door. Positioned at the center of the platform was a nearly 20-meter-long arched stone bridge.
Before they got close, the two could hear the slight sound of running water coming from the stone bridge and the platform, as well as the unique croaking sounds of foglers when they talked and moved.
Realizing that they were approaching the monsters, both of them slowed down their movements, concentrated their minds more, and moved slowly and carefully towards the periphery of the platform.
When they reached the edge of the platform surrounded by marble railings, a scalp-numbing scene appeared before their eyes.
Beneath the arched bridge, a huge pond similar to an ornamental pond features came into view. The surroundings exhibited signs of professional design, with the pond's end connecting to a flowing underground river. A continuous influx of clean water ensured that the water level remained consistently at half a person's height. Some ornamental plants that can survive in a dark environment are growing luxuriantly added to design the ambiance of the area.
However, due to the long-term neglect and the special terrain, dozens of drowners, large and small, have gathered in the pond. They seem to regard this place as a nest, and they are running around in the pond happily, and freely.
Seeing this, Wayne gasped. Although the drowners were not considered as powerful monsters, they were not easy to deal with in such a large number.
Geralt, seemingly accustomed to facing challenges had no expression on his face. He glanced back at Wayne, gesturing towards the marble railing of the platform and indicating the exits on both sides leading away from the pond. He assumed a defensive posture.
Understanding Geralt's signal, Wayne quickly grasped the situation. There was a gap of several meters between the platform they were standing on and the bottom of the pond. With the drowner's jumping ability, it was impossible to climb onto the platform from their positions.
Recognizing the advantage of the terrain, Wayne and Geralt positioned themselves to guard the two narrow stairs on the edge of the platform. By doing so, they aimed to exploit the landscape and restrict the number of enemies they would confront at any given time to one or two. Wayne nodded to Geralt and then gestured towards the staircase on the right, indicating that he would take responsibility for defending that side.
But when he really reached that position, his heartbeat couldn't help but speed up
This was the first time he faced so many monsters. When dealing with monsters in the past, he rarely dealt with multiple enemies. It would be a lie to say that he was not afraid, but besides being afraid, he was more excited.
He stood at the entrance above the stairs, looked at the dozens of drowners in the pond, and after a few seconds of consideration, he chose the strongest one among them. He made a gesture of the Axi sign with his left-hand fingers facing the air, held his breath, and gently pushed forward.
An invisible wave shot out from Wayne's finger and rushed into the brain of the strong drowner.
The drowner, that was running stopped immediately, as Wayne applied the Axi sign. After a moment of apparent confusion, it shook its head, emitting a fierce roar. Raising its sharp claws, the water ghost viciously seized the one nearest to it, showcasing a sudden turn in its behavior.
A sharp squeak filled the air, accompanied by a splatter of blood. The targeted drowner, displaying remarkable strength, executed a swift and unexpected attack. Its claws pierced directly into the stomach of another drowner, tearing open the round belly and exposing all its internal organs.
However, the vitality of the drowner is quite amazing, even after sustaining a fatal injury. Despite the severity of the wound, it did not succumb to immediate death. Though the reason for its companion's sudden attack remained unclear, the inherent aggression within its body propelled the injured drowner to retaliate fiercely.
Acting on instinct, the drowner, devoid of contemplation, seized the powerful drowner by the neck with its sharp claws. It slashed open the flesh and blood vessels, causing a torrent of blood to gush out and drench its own body. Without hesitation, the surrounding drowners joined the frenzy. Ignoring the reasons behind their companion's sudden attack, they charged forward, tearing the powerful drowner into countless pieces.
Eliminating the two drowners brought a surge of excitement to Wayne. However, just as he continued to use the Axi Sign once more and replicate his earlier success, one of the drowner in the pond had already spotted him.
The roar of the drowner which spotted Wayne, triggered chaos throughout the entire pond. Nearly every drowner sensed that an enemy had entered their territory, scrambling on all fours in heightened excitement as they surged toward Wayne's position.
Yet, Wayne wasn't alone in this battle. Geralt, stationed at the stairs on the left, recognized Wayne's initiation of the attack. Mimicking the Axi sign, he redirected a drowner that was charging towards Wayne, compelling it to turn back and attack its own companion.
Although the drowner was instantly dismembered by its companions, Geralt's actions successfully separated half of the enemies. But even so, Wayne still saw nearly 30 of them running towards his position. If they were all squeezed to the stairs and the silver sword had to be used to attack them, it would be a hard and long battle.
Perhaps offense is the best defense.
This thought flashed through Wayne's mind. He turned over and stood on the railing of the platform, reached out and took out a pineapple-sized bomb from his pocket, and threw it towards the center of the drowners.
The moment the bomb fell into the group of drowners, his right hand suddenly pushed forward, and an orange flame instantly enveloped the bomb and the drowners around it.
Bang!!
Under the shroud of flames, the bomb exploded suddenly, seriously injuring five drowners around it, and the shock wave formed by the bomb also blasted more of them around it away from their original places, rolling on the ground continuously. Which successfully destroyed their crazy momentum of swarming over.
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