Chapter 16: Chapter 16: Hunting the Shadow Trekkers 4

The skies of Oasis turned dark and gray. Fog covered the streets and the torches and lamps that were mounted on the walls acted as the lighthouse for weary citizens returning late. On a narrow stairway leading to a round metal grated gate are a group of men in different sets of attires.

Their hands were on the pommels of their swords. Their gazes were vigilant as they looked at the group coming to their direction, who was clad in cloaks. The group had dead dim eyes as they stare at the group waiting for them. The gray-haired one took a step to the side. Underneath of his cloak a was heavily modified leather body armor. He was armed to the teeth. It made the group wonder how deadly the enemy was for this man to prepare so much.

Nolan was young yet, he had the experience and the vibe of a veteran bleak walker. The group could not criticize the young man for being too prepared. The bearded man who was leading the young man took two steps forward. His flamberge's poking over his right shoulder. Around the man's belt were vials of oil that they recognized as the phantasmal blade oils. They were given three phantasmal oils. The people in the group have already decided to keep one for their own sake.

The green-haired woman followed behind the gray-haired man named Nolan. Castro, the leader of the Bleak Walkers stood to one side. They waited for the arrival of other bleak walkers that have decided to help hunt the Shadow Trekkers. The group slowly started to grow into a party.

"Too many," said a man.

"Sewer is big," explained the other. "It would take days to search the whole city. In fact, we are rather few for a hunting party."

"These bleak walkers should know what to do," said one of them.

Castro folded his arms, "Are you two ready?"

"Yeah," Nolan pulled his small crossbow and emphasized the sword hanging around his waist.

"I am ready," said Vie, clenching her sword and shield ready.

Castro nodded at them. He turned to the bleak walkers that came to help. He told them what to search and they nodded their heads, pulling their weapons out. Castro spun and pulled his flamberge, making a raspy sound as it slid out of the scabbard.

There were some engravings on the sword. Castro jerked his head and pointed at the grate. The adventurers that were with them opened the round grated gate. A heavily armored man lit the oil lamp and tied it around his waist. He clenched his sword and buckler as he checks the perimeter.

"Clear," said the man.

The group slowly moved inside the narrow tunnel. Their foot made noises as they approached two branching paths. Nolan moved like a puma as he started searching the surrounding. He discovered a giant rat track and markings that were left behind by giant spiders.

"Rats and Spiders," Nolan said in a mechanical tone. "They should be easy to handle."

Castro nodded. He pointed at the left branching path. The adventurers nodded and searched that part while Castrol led Nolan and Vie to the right path. They crept amidst the piss and feces filled tunnel until they came across a giant rat that was promptly slain by Nolan through a shot in the head.

Castro took the chance to deduce the area they should go. Nolan and Vie kept a tight look around the area until Castro strode towards a broken path that was not on the maps. Nolan gestured and told the two to keep watch as he tries to see what was behind the broken wall. A group of bleak walkers arrived with their crossbows at hand. They looked at the broken wall before advancing forward.

Nolan searched the room behind the broken wall. Skulls, broken eggs, and leftover bones from whatever the monsters have pulled from above. He walked out of the room. Castro glanced at Nolan before pointing forward. Castro led the way and followed the other path that the bleak walkers that passed them didn't take.

The tunnel was getting wider they probed forward. A scratching sound was heard and Nolan crouched immediately, bleeding to the wall. Vie followed while Castro stood in the middle with his flamberge at hand. The area was dark but the third inner vision of the three allowed them to see.

Castro pranced around the tunnel before issuing that there was no movement. They continued sneaking through the tunnels until they arrive in a round chamber that has a giant spider gutted in the viscera. The Bleak Walkers arrived in the scene along with the adventurers.

They were about to continue on but there was a sound of metal clanking. The group readied their weapons only to be disappointed that it was just a group of five wearing ornate plated armor. Nolan slightly tilted his head and recognized the one leading them as Zachariah.

Zachariah was acting haughty. He said, "I shall kill the Shadow Trekkers in the name of the royal family."

Nolan and the others shared glances before exhaling altogether. They turned their attention to the single path and tried keeping sneaky. But, Zachariah's men were betraying that attempt of sneaking. Nolan and Castro could only shake their heads as they crept closer along the walls. Vie followed and they blended within the shadows along with the other bleak walkers.

The group crept around the towel for a good ten minutes before noticing something wrong. The torchbearers and the ones that were carrying light noticed that drops of water falling above the sewer ceilings. The water was fresh and there was this subtle flow of water resounding around the area.

Nolan checked the water and found out that there was no pungent smell. He looked around him. The drops of water were creating an indoor rain that made it hard for them to focus their attention. The torchbearers and light bringers tried to keep their fire alive.

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But, the mix sound of a hyena's growl and insects made the adventurers shiver. The armored man readied his sword. He squinted. "I thought that there were only two of them!" He shouted. The footsteps of the trekkers sounded out as they grab the arms of the armored man and ripped it off!

"They bred," Nolan said calmly, taking out the phantasmal oil and coating his sword with it. Castro spun as he uses his momentum to hit the little ghoul-faced trekker right in the navel. The phantasmal oil and the poison did its job and with a slanted strike, killed the little trekker.

Vie blocked the little trekker that tried to bite her neck off. She punched with her sword's guard and casts a spell that coated a phantom armor around her. Her blade and shield were coated by the same effect. She engaged two trekkers and started her fight.

Nolan calmly killed with finesse. He moved like a panther and stroke like a cobra. He focused on slashing the throat of his enemies. He thrusts his sword in a forward motion, each of his strike hitting the throat of the little trekkers.

He killed four little shadow trekkers. Another ten of the little monsters appeared and rushed at them. The Adventurers were able to hold off. Zachariah's company was able to attack and kill due to their armor. Nolan didn't change his expression, not even a single grunt. He was so single-mindedly focused that he was acting by instinct.

"Looks like these little ones are easy," he thought as he avoided a pounce. Nolan calmly tore the neck of the beast. He guarded with his sword and turned to the direction where the beast came from. A loud growl of hyena and bugs resounded as the party cowered.

"Cowards, all of you!" Zachariah acted tough as he strode to the direction. Yet, before he can move forward a hand grabbed his armor and he was thrown spinning to a wall. He shouted in pain and vomited blood. His group rushed at them but a seven-foot figure swiped its claw and tore the group into corpses.

Two ghoul-faced Shadow Trekkers appeared and growled at the party. Vie went to Zachariah and checked his wounds. He was wounded and two of his ribs were broken. Nolan told Vie to guard Zachariah while he and Castro turned their attention to the two beasts.

The Bleak Walkers who were hiding the shadows shot their bolts. The Shadow Trekkers slid through their fire and attacked them. They stumbled and narrowly dodge the attacks. Nolan reached for his coil of ropes and threw a lasso at one of the beasts. Castro attacked the beast with his shoulder and threw the phantasmal oil at the Trekker, disabling its magical hide.

The Shadow Trekker retaliated by shoving Castro away, he was able to dodge the attack but, his leather vest was torn by the Shadow Trekker. If he didn't throw that oil he would have been slice apart like what happened to the company that Zachariah brought.

Nolan evaded the shadow trekker while planting the pitons on the ground. The other adventurers distracted the Trekker while Nolan tied the beast on the pitons. They made a practice target of the beast and the beast was riddled with holes on its torso.

The Shadow Trekker that was with the beast saw its mate die. The beast howled sorrowfully and it rolled on the sewer waters to wipe the phantasmal oil. Its eyes grew red as it strafes from left to right, gauging the distance and attacking the adventurers.

Nolan tried to do lasso the beast but he failed. The beast could not be contained by the rope so Nolan had no choice but to throw his daggers and engage the enemy along with the others. They rushed at the enraged beast and were able to fight for a while. But, an adventurer got bitten from the neck and his spine was pulled out.

Fear consumed the adventurers as they hesitated. The beast took the chance and swiped its claws on them. They got their armors broken and those who were unlucky got disemboweled right in the spot. Blood seeped through the dirty the water. The beast howled sorrowfully as it pounces on Nolan.

Nolan side rolled. Castro spun his flamberge and made it lit up in flames with a flame rune. Castro felt like he got zapped in the soul but, he parried and deflected the beast. Nolan reached out for his repeater crossbow and emptied in on the beast. The beast got hit in the collarbone and right breast. But, the beast got even angrier. It picked Castro up, and he was thrown and his left arm was broken with a loud crack.

The beast tried to attack Vie. Nolan carved a Rune on his sword and parried the beast. His bones rattled as it met the strength of the beast. He gritted his teeth, he dropped kicked the beast and made it stumble three steps away. The beast charged at Nolan. Nolan rolled away from the beast's charge and emptied his repeater's crossbow bolt on the side of the beast. The beast howled madly. Green veins slowly appeared on the beast's body.

Nolan retreated to Vie. "Looks like the poison worked," he huffed deeply. "Try and neutralize it."

Vie nodded. She casts a spell and the 'poison' that was embedded on the beast sprouted out of the Shadow Trekker. The beast got rooted, it tried to move but Vie pulled her sword back and stabbed it right in the beast's stomach. Nolan rushed with his searing sword and chopped the beast's head. The beast was still alive despite that, so Vie clenched her hands harder and the beast's body was engulfed in thorns.

"You did it," said Nolan. Vie nodded at Nolan before she rolled her eyes back and fainted backward. Nolan felt the searing heat on his sword turn into white steam. He kneeled on one knee and felt so exhausted as if he traveled for a day without any rest.

He looked around. The corpses of the adventurers and the guardsmen that were with Zachariah lay dead. The Bleak Walkers were bleeding and was tending to their wounds. Nolan tried to stand up but he found himself so exhausted that he needed a minute just so he can stand up.

He carried Vie to where Zachariah was. He was lowering his head, there was shame on his eyes, and streaks of tears wetted his cheeks. Nolan ignored him and started treating Castro who got his arm broken. He was no doctor but he was able to apply first aid to them.

"We won at least," said Nolan.

"Yeah," Castro nodded. He eyed the dead that was strewn across the round chamber. Nolan heaved a huge sigh as he looks at his bearing vest. Even though he was prepared, he wasn't able to do much with his team to worry about. This victory was nothing to celebrate about. It was a petty victory.

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