Ambush and Past

The forward camp was designed with the idea of a stronghold in mind. High in the trees and far away from the ground, it's natural defenses were impressive. They created wooden walls and chokepoints in cases they were tonbe attacked. With limited entry points, they could defend the camp focusing on few places.

The Aries divided themselves in 4 groups to man 4 possible entry points. Behind them, the high goblins were at the ready, prepared to use their magic attacks. The langurs stayed in the middle of the camp, a joker like unit able cover for potential issues.

Zephyr and Ezyze were ready to cover 2 entry points each. The infant langur was perched on Ezyze's shoulders. .

The newborn goblins separates in 2 groups: one resting and the other fighting. They all had curved shortsword, katana like weapons.

These weapons were made by Gran and sent to the forward camp. He didn't have time to produce anything else than weapons. Using different materials from Earth golems, processed and refined, the weapons were sharp and conducted mana.

In the next minute, shadow cats began pouring in the small opening.

Quickly, the Aries began to fight them up close. Only 1 rank 4, 3 rank 3s and 5 rank 2s shadow cats could go through the narrow entrance, even with the cats' surprising ability to squeeze themselves through narrow openings. The Aries were thud fighting few cats at any given time, but were still continuously fighting. Ezyze, the jangurs and Zephyr sometimes reinforced the Aries and otherwise fought numerous cats, high in the trees.

The high goblins hovered over the camp and attacked the cats' backlines and injured some down below. They couldn't necessarily assist the Aries because of the their proximity with enemies. They still helped when they could.

After 10 hours, the group  retreated and started to feed on monsters' corpses. The goblins advanced.

5 hoplites were manning each of the 4 entrances. Froblin and whoblin together, the other 3 Ent goblins were in 3 different groups. Rea, the shadow magic wood human and tough wood human were similarly, special units that positively influenced the fight.

The scouts ambushed unsuspecting or distracted cats. The hunters could throw arrows accurately and assist the hoplites.

As ever, the magic wood humans were a force to be reckoned. They destroy countless shadow cats down below, with fierce magic.

Few hours later, they were rejoined by the Gorillas and Golden bees. The bees were swarming the shadow cats. Nebuch was especially dangerous for the cats. He could land on them, injure them and fly again. Thuder in hie wake and a powerful fighter, cats from all tiers grew wary of him. The knight bees were a menace as well. Strong bodies, fast a capable of magic, they appeared, ravaged and took flight.

The gorillas adventured outside of the stronghold. Moving around as a pack, they ganged up on shadow cats.

The newborn goblins spent their time either training, fighting, or resting. While none of them died, many were injured.

Scorched three, burning land and ambiant air saturated with mama, the fierce battle could be seen through the stigma of the environment. The clashes echoed throughout the forest.

Throughout days and nights, they battled, struggled and survived. In the camp, many walls, fences and bridges were destroyed then repaired.

A sea of black and brown cats were advancing. Without rest. Endless.

The numbers were enormous and reinforcements came from deeper in the shadow lands. Also, they had to kill a single being multiple tones, sometimes even 8, for it to be truly dead.

After 10 days, they lost count of the days and number of enemy killed.

While they had the opportunity to rest thanks to the rotations, they didn't have the opportunity to be in deep sleep. It eventually took a toll on their minds and bodies.

Still, they killed countless cats. Experience points were flooding in.

While they could rest and had time to check their status, they couldn't evolve because of the lack of time. At least a full night and several days like cleopatra did, evolving was a time consuming process. A time that they didn't have.

Everyone leveled up their classes many times. The 27 remaining newborn goblins became rank 2 goblin samurai from a rank 1 goblin swordman.

Many gorillas pushed their classes to rank 4.

Despite their numerous fights, the golden bees didn't reach rank 3 for their classes. The rarer the class, the more experience was required to level it up. With rare classes, neither hoplites, bees, nor langurs ranked up.

Several Aries had rare class. While they were rarer than normal class, an Aries warrior was commonly found during the time of the Empire. They could thus, for most of them, level and rank up with fewer experience points.

Several days later, they were still besieged. They were all tired and they meager numbers were facing unending enemies. They had to rotate their troops more often as everyone was spent.

Ezyze couldn't see a favorable outcome  from this siege. By settling here, they kicked a beehive and faced something that they couldn't handle. It was already a miracle that they survived the ambush.

Down below, the cats began to hiss and make a way for 2 monstrous beings.

Their pitch black fur was emiting dark energy, a smoke like dark mana coating them. They were bigger than 10 meters and their monstrous bodies seemed to merge with the shadow. Their razor sharp claws were like blades and fangs like daggers. Their eyes were not glowing despite the nearby fire lighting them. They pushed their monstrous frames all the way near the bottom of the camp.

They were all shaken, true monsters came their way.

Dark shadowmancer cat - rank 5

With their current numbers, they were doomed. Not one but 2 monster lords, legendary figures that stand at the very top of this world's food chain made their appearance.

The cats resumed their attacks. The hoplites were now worried and their abilities were lessened.

The slightly smaller of the 2 rank 5 started climbing the tree. In an instant, it reached a camp's entrance. He was in front of an entrance, too small for him to go through.

They had a silver of hope to be able to battle the monster and still somehow survive.

The cat opened its humongous mouth. Shadow mana slowly converged in it, forming a massive ball of shadow mana. When it became as big as its head, his mouth closed on it.

Skreeeee!!

An intense ray of shadow mana collided against the 5 ent goblins, that activated various defensive skills. The mages created walls of different elements.

A heartbeat later, an explosion sent the hoplites flying.

The rank 5 cat took its first step in the camp.

All the strongest beings of the camp reacted and charged towards this monster. Rea and Zephyr appeared, slashed and clawed at the cat. The Lava magic lancer, mana wielding monkey gladiator and shaman warrior sent emerald lightning, Thunder and Lava magics at the cat. Harma and 6 stronger gorillas launched themselves towards the cat, battering it with arts of various elements.

The cat was distracted by all these preys offering themselves as sacrifices. Still, he was hurt by their attacks. With lightning quick reflexes, he clawed at the mana wielding warrior that crashed against a massive fir tree. They resumed their attacks and the various mage class supported them against the cat.

Things started to look like the cat would be able to be killed. While the strongest members were battling him, the wave of cats never ceased. Their strongest members occupied in fighting a monster lord, the weaker ones had increased pressure since they were making for the absence of others.

The cat trashed and damaged everyone. While they tried to dodge his attacks, the cat managed to land a few good hits. The langurs had gaping woods on their shoulders, torsos and arms. The physically stronger gorillas had their opale furs red with blood. Rea and Zephyr managed to be hit less than the others, but were still bleeding from several injuries.

Ezyze was fighting like a battle maniac. He jumped and crashed on the cat with increased gravity, landing heavy axe blows. From uo close, he fired spatial spears one after the other. He casted spatial chains on the cat. Trapped, everyone ganged up on him. He was bleeding severely from a wound, between his shoulders.

When the chains disappeared, Harma was jumping with electric filled fists and was about to cave his head in, when suddenly, the cat merged with the shadows and seemed to drown in them.

Whoosh.

He re emerged behind Ezyze and slashed him.

In an instant, Ezyze used blink and teleported near the gorillas and langurs. Casting heavy mass designator, he casted one spatial spear after the other. Likewise, the available magic casters didn't take time to aim their spells and threw spells one after the other, in wild abandon. The skill heavy mass designator increased the cat's gravity, while directing the spells to crash on him.

He was injured and the toughest members surrounded him.

----

The remaining rank 5 cat stood up from his seated position and slowly stretched. He could feel it, worthy enemies were about to appear.

Boom!

Sunkong and Moonkong crashed in front of the big rank 5 cat, releasing an astronomical amount of lightning and damaging many weaker cats.

Arthur appeared. The exhausted and injured strongest members of the camp were in both of his sides. Slowly, 4 rank 4 Ents appeared among the fir trees. 7 wood humans with armors and weapons encircled the rank 5 cat in the camp. They were rank 4 wood humans, evolved with Algen's skills and gained a class. There were 2 wearing masses, 3 holding longswords, one holding a spear and shield and the other was weaponless. All of them had greater presence that when they left. They grew stronger. Algen was the last one to appear, on the ground.

As if they were coordinated, they all started the battle at the same time. The bigger Ents were trashing around, making the big cat dodge various attacks. When it tried to attack the Ents, Sunkong and Moonkong ganged up on it. It was constantly trashed, being smashed and punched around. Riddled with electricity, it lost its black luster and was set alight. The Ents used various abilities to injure or at least endanger the cat. Worst, it was sometimes smashed by the monstrous limbs of the Ents. Whenever the cat found openings or ways to dodge strong attacks, Algen appeared and, creating various plants and growing wood spears from his limbs, thrusted, punched and rammed the cat.

In the camp, the cat arched his back, and hissed with everything that je had. He felt the danger.

Coated by an incandescent gray aura, Arthur looked at Ezyze extensively. His wounds, the bleeding of allies. Everything was engraved clearly in his mind. His aura flew out. With all his might, he slashed the air, sending an aura blade crashing at the cat. Using his newfound powers, Arthur created gray sword made of aura, that levitated around him. He charged against the cat, slashing deep in the flesh of his front limbs. The rank 4 wood humans moved like martial artists and ganged up on the cat. He was eventually defeated and his body merged with the shadows, leaving only a small shadow essence behind.

Meanwhile, the big cat was being thoroughly trashed. Neither Sunkong, nor Moonkong played around when they were fighting. They were absolute savages, smashing and biting whatever they could. In less that 30 minutes, the big cat had broken paws, missing teeth, burnt fur and was bleeding from many spots. On the ground, it was punched by Sunkong and then smashed by an Ent. They caught him.

They smashed it, over and over again.

The cat also merged with the shadows leaving a dark flame like essence.

Following the death of 2 tier 5s, the allied forces made quick work of the remaining shadow cats.

They picked up the enormous number of corpses and brought everything back to the camp. They didn't even have enough energy to cheer. Everyone besides Ezyze and Arthur's group went inside tents in order to rest.

Having reorganized the camp, healed the injured and taking care of the spoils of war, Ezyze sat next to Arthur, on a bridge that linked the island like platforms high in the air, their feet dangling in the sky.

"How are things on your end, any injured and deaths?

Most of us are injured, but it is nothing that healing magic can't treat. We luckily had very few member dead. We have 11 remaining newborn goblins out of the 32 that we had previously. 3 rank 4 gorillas died as well.

That is how wars are. You were lucky Ezyze.

I know. How did you come to our rescue?

We have been exploring and fighting upper in the mountains. You should have seen it. So many different ecosystems and wonders of magic and nature, have you ever seen a living cloud Ezyze?

He chuckled. I am afraid that I never did.

Anyway, this mountain range is something extraordinary. Nothing like my previous world. Still, many monsters roam these lands. Tier 5s are common occurrence. When they fight, the landscape is often destroyed!

I've seen the gorillas brothers! They are freaks!

They are! And they didn't give it their all. They told me that they gained a class and have been training ever seen. Their growth is boundless! Anyway, we spent close to a month fighting in the mountain range. When we came back, we asked Gram of news from the Eastern expedition. He told us that he saw Lampa weeks ago and that he saw none of you in the meanwhile. We stayed for a couple of days, sorting out our spoils and recuperating when we came to pay you a visit. When we came, you were in need of being rescued. Why did you fight rank 5 monsters anyway?"

Ezyze narrated their adventures and explained how they came from ambushing to being ambushed.

"I see. Ezyze, never underestimate monsters, especially when they live in society. Never ever.

I know. We started to get worried when we heard of this 9 lives Trait.

So basically, the rank 5s that we just killed will have tonbe taken care of several other times?

I am afraid so. In the least, they are still alive.

We must prepare. How were your progress in the meanwhile?

I don't know. We didn't have time to process with evolving, strategy meetings and others. We were continuously fighting. I have enough experience points to increase the rank of my secondary class to rank 2, or boost the main one almost to rank 3. I don't know what to do yet.

Well, your primary class is really powerful. Also, you just came from one harduous battle and should consider how to best increase your power, in order to be decisive on the battlefield.

Then I should increase the rank of my primary class.

Not necessarily. From what you told me, with each increase in endurance, you gain more wisdom, thus increasing your magic abilities. I know that you intend on forming a mercenary troupe. You will be able, against regular armies, to sit in the backlines and throw your spells safely. Today and for quite some time, we will be in the mountain range. We will be fighting monsters and tribes that will need you to fight close and dirty. I think that increasing the rank of your secondary class is more important at the moment, especially if you have access to rare class or higher.

Thank you Arthur, I will think it over. How did you progress?

We had encounters with many powerful beasts and came close to dying several times. Moonkong has a huge scar on his right eye. He almost lost it! Anyway, we picked up weapons from Gram and we went North. Everyone was already quite powerful, at rank 4 or higher, so we decided to focus on our classes. The Ents were particularly thrilled to have access to something that was for them a fairy tail. In a given generation, Algen told me that at most 20 of them had classes at the same time.

Since they picked martial classes, I had a thing or two to teach them. I don't know if you noticed, but with limitless Stamina and unwavering focus, they had explosive growth in learning martial arts.

While we were fighting, I kept teaching them about fighting and increased the rank of my librarian class to rank 2, being an Aries teacher, a unique class. Whenever I was teaching them, I gained experience points and whenever those that I taught increase the level of the arts that I taught them, I gained experience points. The experience thus acquired can only be used for this class. We fought many strong beasts and had the opportunity to gain even more experience points. I am a rank 3 Aries teacher of blades, a unique class

Impressive! What can you do with it?

It's amazing. I can tailor martial arts to individuals and create martial arts. Moreover, whenever I teach them, they learn quicker and improve their level in blade related arts. You may not realize it but you are the one who ignited something in me. We Aries have been a strong empire for generations, simply by focusing on increasing our individuak strenght. We had battle formations but they were to increase the utility of each soldier. I didn't realize until now how amazing and fulfilling it can be to give knowledge away and see students develop and florish on their own. The blade obsessed Arthur is long gone, I really do wish to contribute to the many.

I am glad that you think this way Arthur. It is even more beneficial for us to have strong individuals that can protect themselves, survive and grow stronger. We will all be in your care."

Having done what was needed, Ezyze went to sleep.

----‐--

Ezyze found himself back in Eastern Europe, in Ukraine.

After undergoing the gruesome training of the foreign legion, Ezyze went to Africa and conducted gray area operations.

He went to villages and handled assignments for the French government.

He went in the deep of the night with his axe and beheaded residents of entire villages, as well as went to the most gruesome battlefields agaisnt terrorists and dissidents.

With incredible achievements, he climbed the military ladder, and when he was selected to go into the officers school, was contacted by a special branch.

He was thus recruited by the French intelligence services and went oversea as a member of the Service Action, where he was on his own, doing assignments that the government would never cope.

He enlisted to protect his country and soon find out that he was furthering the goals of a selected elite, that profited from deals made with drug lords, warlords and corrupted statemen.

He was then sent to Ukraine where he acted covertly agaisnt the Russian government.

Agaisnt hired prisoners and Russian fighters, the battles were tough, where his gun, axe and knives became everyday companions.

He saw so many good people, battle brothers die on the field, or come back to scarred to live a normal civilian life.

For him, his only solace was his mother, who was always there for him. He managed to buy real estate and create a safety net for her.

While he did date women and eventually had girlfriends, he never managed to bond with someone to the extent of building a life together.

He was too scarred and too wary to do this.

He was on his way to visit his mother after being deployed overseas when he was sent in Astros.

He couldn't do much more than what he did his whole life. Adapting and relying on himself.

Living in his sleep the bombshells, the destruction and hearing the shots made him realize when he woke up how lucky he was to have people with him. He saw, again and again, those that he lost, that were closer to him than kin.