Chương 582: 545. Questing VI

Battle Order D20 + 1 = 18 (17) Mana: 21 -> 18 Spell: Fireball 8D6 = 29 (1, 3, 3, 3, 3, 5, 5, 6) 29 damage! Adam pointed Wraith towards the three hydras, and he chanted the words to his spell.

"Fire. Ball." He felt the rush of magic flood through him before a tiny bead of light shot out, striking the middle hydra, before exploding around towards the others. The water sizzled around them as they screeched in pain, a cacophony of shrieks piercing through the air. Yet, the hydras did not stop, as they charged towards the group.

"Lady Arya," Dunes began to chant, clutching his shield tight.

"I call upon you to strike our foes." The great magics of his spell also filled the area, swords made of divine might floating all around him. Yet, as the hydras approached, the need to spill blood filled the air. Without waiting for the hydras to approach the walls of the fort, the most eager of Iyrmen charged forward. Jurot charged forward, axe in hand, quickly followed by the Demons, his cousin, and the other teen Iyrmen.

The Iyrmen with cooler heads, whose names just so happened to be Gak and Ool, sighed as they went to assist their companions. Bavin and Nobby, too, charged forward into the fray. Jeremy groaned, before grabbing his spear, and charging after his nephew. Korin and Dunes exchanged looks between one another, before following the rest into combat. Mana: 18 -> 15 Spell: Fireball 8D6 = 31 (2, 3, 3, 3, 3, 5, 6, 6) 31 damage!

"Fire! Ball!" Adam shouted, chanting the magic once more, the bead of fire exploding, and as the flames dissipate, the hydras found themselves beset by the wicked creatures known as Iyrmen. Dunes' magic managed to slow the hydras as Jurot charged towards the centre hydra, hacking into a neck, slicing it clean off as another bit into his shoulder. As it struck his neck, its jaw slackened, and the head fell as Jaygak's blade cut it clean off.

"You couldn't have waited?" Jaygak asked as a hydra head forced her back, causing her to grunt as it slammed against her shield. Her arm throbbed with great pain, but she gathered herself as she forced herself beyond her limits and swung wildly to cut the head which had tried to strike her down, managing to slice two heads clean off. A shadow blurred above them, as Kitool's lithe form sprung atop them, holding Tigerstaff clutched with both hands.

She swung downwards with her staff, crushing one of the heads, and as she landed behind the hydra, she pivoted on her foot, using the momentum to strike a hydra's skull, shattering another skull. As a hydra head grazed her side, she crushed its head with a well placed elbow, before the hydra's form shuddered, and it dropped before them. At the same time, the teen Iyrmen leapt onto the hydra to the right, far too eager to face it in combat. Nirot's heart pounded in her chest as she struck a hydra in the neck.

'A hydra!' she thought, and as a head tried to bite her, Naqokan and Uwajin cut it clean off with their greatswords.

"Careful," Naqokan shouted, her body red hot with rage, before a head slammed against her, forcing her back. Another hit Uwajin beside her, and she was forced back with her companion. Faool struck the hydra with its side with his staff, and while Laygak thrust forward with his sword, but before it reached the creature's side, he saw the blur of a hydra head smack his side. Faool ducked as the Devilkin Iyrman was flung over him, but he found a hydra head making for him from the front.

'Oh, Baktu,' Faool thought as the head slammed into him, causing him to tumble back, his staff landing beside him. Bavin's axe cut across the extended hydra head, but he did not manage to cleave it through, but thankfully, a spear poked its eye from over his shoulder, and a flaming arrow pierced the other.

"You alright, Iyrman?" Jeremy asked, raising his shield.

"Okay," Bavin replied, raising his shield too. Nobby cut a head clean off with his axe, while Greg and Charley managed to strike its side. Dunes raised his blade and aimed to strike the creature, his magic already piercing through it. He cried aloud as he swung his sword, which almost missed, but he willed forth the divine guidance of his goddess, and his blade pierced through its tough scales, felling the beast. As it dropped, he noticed the pair of Iyrmen had fallen beside them, and were still.

Lucy let out a roar, swinging Great Destroyer with all her might, cleaving two heads clean off. Another aimed for her, but it dropped as Mara managed to hack the head with ease, as another pair of heads managed to strike the pair. Yet the Hydra found that Mara had managed to cut another with Destroyer. The flames from their weapons managed to stop any of the hydra's regeneration, causing it to shriek wildly.

"I never thought I'd be killing a hydra beside Demons," Korin admitted, slashing at a head, nearly smiting it clean off, before a bolt of fiery magic struck a head beside him, allowing him a moment to step aside. The author's content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

"We haven't killed it yet," Lucy growled, her lips forming a wild grin. Mana: 15 -> 14 Healing Word 1D3 + 3 = 5 (2)"Dunes!" Adam shouted, spurring the Aswadian Priest to move. Dunes reached Faool first, placing a hand on his side, healing the young Iyrman, while Adam's voice carried over him towards the Devilkin Iyrman.

"Laygak! Are you alright?" The healing magic soothed Laygak, who sat up suddenly, groaning in pain as he felt the bruising at his side. He looked around, trying to remember what was happening, watching as Lucy and Mara bisected the hydra opposite him, while the Iyrmen regrouped around Faool and him.

"It is done?" Laygak asked, reaching for his side, feeling how badly he was aching. Victory! Hydras XP Gained: +700 XP: 7900 -> 8600"Yeah," Adam said, his heart beating quickly as he checked up on the pair of Iyrmen.

"It's done."

"I did not manage to strike it," Laygak admitted.

"No, but it sure as shit hit you," Adam said, patting his shoulder.

"You alright?"

"I am fine," Laygak said, before looking to Faool, who was rubbing his chest. The young Iyrman bowed his head towards his Devilkin companion, glad that the Aswadian Priest had healed him, and his broken ribs. The teen Iyrmen glanced between one another, and even the pair who had been downed were grinning stupidly. Hydras! They had managed to come across three, and had faced one themselves. Not only that, they had managed to cut many of their heads by themselves.

The entire fight hadn't lasted long, with the group managing to swiftly slay the hydras before even half a minute had passed.

"You two alright?" Adam asked, glancing between Faool and Laygak.

"I am fine, thank you," Laygak said.

"I am well too, thank you," Faool said.

"Why don't you two head into the fort, take the rest of the day off?" Adam asked, but his tone of voice was more domineering than usual.

"Thank you," Laygak said, deciding against fighting Adam. Faool bowed his head, also thanking the Half Elf, before stepping away with his companion. Adam sighed, rubbing his head.

"What did I say about charging into battle?" Adam wagged his finger at Jurot.

"Why are you such a bad influence, Jurot? First Lanarot, and now my adorable Cousins? How can you do this to me?"

"They fought well," Jurot said.

"It's not about fighting well, it's about trying to fight more than three hydras each day. What if another three appear? If you go in to take more hits than you should, then we won't be able to fight more in the future." Jurot narrowed his eyes at the logic, which was completely sound.

"I understand. I am sorry, Adam." Adam let out a huff, before patting Jurot's shoulder.

"No, it's alright. I trust you three to be able to fight well, Lucy and Mara too. However, you lot need to not be so eager to die!" Adam wagged his finger at the teen Iyrmen too.

"You're lucky we have Dunes and Jeremy here. Without them, you would have been in such trouble."

"Nobby, Bavin…" Adam turned to the pair. He paused.

"Ah, who am I kidding? You punks all did great!" Adam laughed, almost howling with laughter as he pat the various Iyrmen on their shoulders.

"Did you see that, Dunes? My Cousins fought so well, didn't they?"

"They did," Dunes confirmed.

"Three hydras! Dunes! Three! They didn't even need my help!" Adam laughed, full of pride over the youngsters in his group.

"You cast two Fireballs," Nirot pointed out.

"Fireballs? Fireballs? What are two Fireballs when it comes to my Cousins' blades? Well done on fighting so well together, and not dying." Adam ruffled their hair, unable to contain his joy.

"Three hydras! Wait until your parents hear of this!" The teens stared at Adam, wondering why he was so full of joy. He had been telling them off not moments ago, and there was some seriousness in his voice at the time, but now he was laughing with joy.

'Aren't they each worth about a thousand gold? Hehehehehe.' The group left Adam alone as they went to part the creatures, keeping the tails as proof. The hide of the hydra was tough to pierce into, while the scales were even harder. The smallest scales were slightly larger than coins, but the larger scales were about the size of Adam's entire hand, from fingertip to wrist. They piled the scales high.

'Bell, it's only been a few days and we've already earned more than a thousand XP! If we keep this up, they'll be Experts in no time!' [Yes.]'They're going to get first place in the tournament for sure!' As the group continued to butcher the hydras, Adam picked up a scale, holding it in hand.

"We should have farmed their heads."

"Farmed them?" Dunes asked.

"No, nothing. It would have been too dangerous." Adam was glad they had managed to slay so many hydras. He stared down at the scale, rubbing it gently. It was hard to the touch, like bone.

"I want the biggest scale."

"Why do you get the biggest scale?" Lucy asked.

"I didn't get to slash at it with Wraith," Adam said, pouting.

"It's not fair that you guys were in such a rush to fight it and I didn't get to kill it." Lucy, who didn't care about wanting the biggest scale one bit, narrowed her eyes.

"That just means you weren't very good at fighting!" Adam narrowed his eyes.

"Nirot, do you see how Lucy is bullying me? She didn't talk to me for all that time and now she wants to claim the scale I want."

"My Cousin struck all three hydras with two Fireballs, he should be allowed to claim the biggest scale," Nirot said.

"You can't involve Iyrmen into this!" Lucy replied, frowning.

"Besides, that scale came from the hydra we killed!"

"Korin was there too," Adam stated.

"Dunes' magic hit it, and like my Cousin said, I cast two Fireballs."

"Everyone knows that hydras resist fire!" Lucy declared.

"They are not," Nirot replied, firmly.

"They're not?" Lucy asked, in shock.

"Fire weakens them, and delays their regeneration too."

"That's really a thing?" Lucy asked.

"I thought you were joking. They can regenerate heads?"

"Yes."

"They're nothing like the hydras I know," the Demon Lord said.

"Aren't these juvenile hydras?"

"No," Nirot replied.

"Oh…" Lucy replied.

"Is that how large they normally get?"

"Some are slightly bigger," the Iyrman admitted.

"How big are your hydras?" Adam asked.

"At least three or four times larger and longer," Lucy said.

"The size of a Dragon Turtle?" Nirot asked.

"If that's how large Dragon Turtles are."

"Either way, I want the scale," Adam said, rubbing it gently.

"Nirot." Lucy grumbled quietly, and allowed Adam to have the scale. There needed to be some push back in order to save face, but she cared very little about the scale. She noted the way he looked at the scale, and the small smile on his face.

'What's so special about that scale?'