Will to live(2)

With the decision already made, and one step on the battlefield, everyone took their places according to the plan. They were split into two groups, with the first group having Ruel and Steve and the latter group having Agon.

Taking their places across the outskirts of the entire field, waiting for the right moment.

With everyone in their places, the Agon group was further split into two parts, groups A and B.

Looking at each other, the group split up.

With a hand signal from Ruel's side, group B moved covertly towards the area infested with tens of hundreds of roots. The area was covered with lesser horncreepers.

They emerged from the bushes with makeshift torches in their hands.

The sticks in their hands seemed like they were hastily covered in cloth. While a black liquid kept dripping out of them, causing the ground to be covered in small black droplets.

A foul smell permeated the area, coming from the torches.

As soon as the imps saw the group coming out of the bushes, they flashed cynical smiles. Maddening noises erupted from them when they rushed in the group's direction, wanting to devour them.

Four men came forward, holding daggers in their hands, taking on the aggression of the demons.

With one swift motion, they threw dozens of knives before falling back while shouting to attract their attention. With the lack of resources, this was the best they could have done in this dire situation.

Preserving stamina was their goal.

But as if hearing their call, a chain reaction happened. More imps heard the noise and came over.

It started with a small group and increased to hundreds of them rushing.

Facing this, many people in the group tried to take a step back when someone's voice erupted. "Don't back off!"

"Half of the mission's completion depends on us!"

Hearing the voice, they took a deep breath. Only one thought came to their minds. If they back down from here, the entire plan would fall apart.

They just had one simple but tough task to hold on to these demons. To give other groups breathing time.

Strengthening their resolve, they lit the sticks on fire while brandishing their weapons.

Feeling the heat spreading out of the sticks. They took one step forward while using their weapons to kill the lesser horncreepers.

Working in tandem they started killing the nearby horncreepers. Raising the torches from time to time, using them to keep the imps at bay.

Some cultivators at the back stepped forward, lowering their torches and burning the dead imps on the ground.

The lesser horncreepers were hybrid lifeforms. They had blood and organs like other organisms, but their bodies were plant-based. Unlike the Baleful creeper, they were not entirely made of plants.

Seeing the dead bodies of their brethren burning, they had a hard time deciding if to move ahead or back off in fear of the fire.

They could easily die from the fire, but they couldn't just leave the potential food in front of them.

But were lesser horncreepers really dumb?

Yes, any demon before reaching a certain power wasn't sentient, meaning they couldn't find anything wrong with food coming their way.

Ultimately, following their greed, they frantically rushed forward like starving wolves. Their greed only told them one thing: to jump over the dead and claim the meal in front of them.

Gulping their saliva and clenching their weapons, group B screamed, ready for the coming onslaught.

Unknowingly, on one side of the battlefield, a gap was created between the baleful creeper and lesser horncreepers.

Grasping the opportunity, group A came out of the bushes, running behind the imps covertly towards nowhere?

After running for some time, they gave a hand signal, then one of them pointed to an area with many roots. Having determined the roots' location, they all started cutting them off and pushing them out of the ground.

This carried on for some moments when there were no more roots left to cut. Some of them moved the roots to make an arc from them.

Another bout pungent scent overtook the nearby area. The cultivators had taken out bottles filled with the same dark murky oil that was used to fire the torches.

The oil was sprinkled all over the roots and the ground. This continued until the roots were bloated with it, threatening to burst apart.

The root absorbed the oil quickly even though it was cut off from its host. This was the reason why this area was barren, without life.

The roots of the Baleful creeper had the property to suck all nutrients from the surrounding areas. It was the reason why so much oil could be absorbed by the roots which were already cut off.

The liquid was oil taken out of oil burrowers. They were a kind of beast found in the Twilight forest with deep burrows filled with highly flammable oil to keep other creatures at bay.

As soon as the liquid was consumed to the last drop, the group looked one last time in the general direction of Ruel's group and set the roots on fire.

It began with a small flame but grew into a large wall as the fire slowly crept forward from the end.

The slashed roots of the Baleful creeper were arranged in a way that they formed an enormous arc of fire. This cut off the route of imps to their progenitor.

The wall was thick as many roots were stacked behind one another to stop the lesser horncreepers.

Group A, which had ignited the roots, was already behind it, encircling the horncreepers, yet they were more pressed, with their backs to the fire and the enraged imps in their front.

Yet, this was a necessity, a path to their survival.

On the other side, seeing the great fire as a signal, Ruel's group rushed forward toward the Baleful Creeper. After sprinting across the plain, they arrived near the Baleful creeper, though it was still surrounded by some lesser horncreepers.

The group of cultivators only consisted of 10 men, including Ruel and Steve. With a slight nod, they separated into two groups of five.

People started to separate the group little by little to hold out the remaining lesser horncreepers.

Only Ruel and four others could arrive near it while leaving behind Steve and others to fend off the remaining imps. Arriving near the seed-like creature, they felt dread from its body.

A feeling Ruel was all too familiar with, the aura of someone one rank above.

Abruptly, the ground started shaking, and the dust around their feet cracked, forming crevices. Roots sprang out of the ground, taking everyone by surprise.

It finally dawned on them that it was starting to awaken from its dormant state. As the almond-shaped structure slowly began to split apart, the creases on its body transformed into an enormous eye. The creature seemed like a blooming plant but with a gaping maw at its top. It was brimming with razor-sharp teeth that glinted ominously in the light.

The pressure on the five figures intensified. With a sudden shift in its body, the Baleful Creeper looked at them.

Ruel felt a chill when the eye peered into his being. This was not a reaction showing his fear, but a feeling that signified the difference between cultivation ranks.

Clenching his teeth, he lit fire to one of the bottles with oil in it. Making his makeshift Molotov, he threw it toward the creature while splashing some on his sword.

Pushing the ground with his feet, he rushed towards it. In a matter of mere seconds, the bottle exploded near its eye and an agonizing scream followed.

SCHREEEE!

Taking note of the daze Baleful Creeper was in, Ruel didn't have to avoid any attacks and just jumped toward its body.

Holding his sword stabbingly, he tried to pierce through its skin.

But the skin of a creature in the Foundation establishment couldn't be pierced through with just the power of the Qi cultivation realm.

Hiding his frustration, Ruel raised his sword for another stab when a vine came towards him, catching him off guard.

'I thought one bottle could stun it for a few moments….Shit.'

'I can't dodge it.'

Changing his stance, he tried to defend himself against the blow. But it wasn't that easy. The explosive power of that one swing could break his bones.

He hastily brought his sword near his head.

CLANG!

'Argh!' Ruel felt like his bones would break on impact. His body was momentarily lifted in the air and crashed down some meters away.