"I need to act fast, or they'll all be massacred," Isaac gritted out, clenching his fist. His eyes darted across the forest.
He took a deep breath and whispered, "Swarm Authority."
The system notification flashed before his eyes.
[Summon Swarm? Y/N]
Glowing words materialized in his vision. He exhaled sharply. "Yes."
The 'Y' lit up, like a switch had been flipped.
A deep hum filled the air.
Then, the sky darkened.
From the treetops, thousands of locusts erupted, their wings buzzing like a storm. The trees trembled as the swarm poured down, flooding the forest like a living shadow.
Everything stopped.
The refugees froze, eyes wide in shock. They had no idea what was happening.
The Howlers twitched violently, their heads jerking in every direction. They could hear everything now, every heartbeat, every breath, but the swarm was too much.
The air thickened with the deafening buzz.
A new system notification appeared.
[Command is required.]
Isaac didn't hesitate.
He took a step forward. "Attack."
The word pulsed in the air, like a trigger being pulled.
Then, the swarm struck.
Locusts dove straight for the Howlers, latching onto their heads.
The creatures howled in confusion as the insects crawled over their faces, slipped into their ears, and clogged their noses.
Some Howlers staggered backward, shaking their heads violently, trying to shake off the relentless insects. Others clawed at their own faces, shrieking as locusts burrowed into their ears, flooding their heightened senses with unbearable noise.
One Howler thrashed, its claws slicing the air wildly, but it couldn't see. Another stumbled over a rock.
"IF YOU WANT TO LIVE, KILL THEM NOW!" Isaac's voice roared over the chaos.
The refugees, snapped out of their daze, grabbed their weapons. With renewed hope, they rushed forward, slashing and stabbing at the distracted monsters.
A Howler swiped at a refugee, but its movements were sloppy. The locusts had thrown off its balance, its attacks swinging wildly in the wrong direction.
A spear rammed into its chest and a sword sliced through its throat.
Amidst the bloodshed, Isaac locked his eyes onto the handle of his axe, buried deep in a Howler's skull.
He sprinted forward. A Howler lunged at him, but its attack was sluggish, its senses blocked by the swarm. He ducked, pivoted, and drove his fist into the creature's gut. The impact sent it staggering backward.
With no time to waste, he reached for his axe, gripping the handle with both hands. He planted his foot on the Howler's chest and yanked the weapon free with a sickening crack as blood sprayed.
Isaac spun just as another Howler leaped at him. He reacted instantly.
The axe whirled in his grip.
One swing… clean, swift, deadly.
The blade bit deep into the creature's neck. Flesh split, bones cracked, and its head snapped to the side. The Howler let out a choked gurgle before collapsing in a heap.
Isaac's grip tightened on the axe. His breathing was steady. Controlled.
Then, he moved.
He was a blur of motion.
His axe tore through the forest, carving through Howlers with brutal efficiency. One monster lunged, he sidestepped and split its torso open with a diagonal slash. Another pounced, he met it midair, cleaving straight through its shoulder.
Blood spattered and stained his clothes. Then, suddenly, the notification flashed in his vision.
[Warning Energy Level: 30%]
He clenched his jaw, refusing to stop.
A Howler tried to run. He closed the distance in two strides and buried his axe into its spine.
A growl behind him… he turned, swinging upward.
The axe cut through a Howler's jaw, splitting it in half.
The refugees, seeing Isaac's rampage, fought harder. Their fear faded, replaced by raw determination.
Isaac didn't stop.
His axe rose and fell, again and again.
—-----
Amidst the chaos, deeper in the forest, Aiah fought to stay on her feet.
Her chest heaved, her arms heavy with exhaustion, but she refused to stop. The forest was a blur of chaos, Howlers shrieking, refugees fighting, and the endless buzzing of locusts filling the air.
Her flames had drained too much of her energy. If she kept using magic, she wouldn't last.
She took his knife from the side of his outfit and saw a Howler staggered nearby, its claws swiping at nothing, completely disoriented from the swarm covering its head.
Aiah didn't hesitate.
She dashed forward, gripping the knife tight. With a swift motion, she slashed across the Howler's throat.
A wet gurgle.
Dark blood sprayed as the creature collapsed.
Aiah barely had time to breathe before another Howler stumbled past her, shaking its head violently, trying to shake off the locusts clinging to its ear.
She took her chance.
She drove the knife into the back of its neck and twisted.
The Howler jerked once, then dropped.
Aiah stepped back, panting. Her arms ached, but she forced herself to move.
Everywhere she turned, Howlers were disoriented, clawing at the air, tripping over themselves, unable to hear. It was an opening. A chance.
She gritted her teeth and pressed forward, slashing at another Howler's exposed throat. Then another. And another.
—-----
After several more moments of battle, the Howlers were gradually wiped out.
Then…
Isaac's axe struck the neck of the last Howler.
A sickening crunch.
The creature's head flew, rolling across the blood-soaked ground. Its body collapsed right after.
For a moment, everything was still.
Isaac exhaled, gripping his axe tightly. The forest was littered with motionless Howler corpses. The buzzing of locusts was fading, their work complete. The only sounds left were the heavy breathing of the survivors and the distant rustling of trees.
Then, the system notification appeared before his eyes.
[Swarm Authority Level: 10% points.]
Isaac read the message, his mind still half-wired for battle. His heart pounded in his chest, his muscles tense. He scanned the battlefield again, expecting movement, another threat.
But there was nothing.
The fight was over.
"…Is it done?" he muttered under his breath.
He inhaled sharply, forcing himself to steady his breathing. If the system had updated, that had to mean it was over.
'Yeah. Maybe it's done.'
The tension in his shoulders eased slightly. He rolled his neck, wiping the sweat and blood off his face.
Then…
The system notification flashed before him.
[New Swarm Commands Unlocked: Swarm Devour. Swarm Heal]
Isaac's brow furrowed. 'Swarm Devour? Swarm Heal?'
A faint buzzing cut through the silence as Hopper flew over and landed on his shoulder.
'You are confused, Master?' Hopper's voice echoed in his mind.
Isaac glanced at the locust. 'What do these new commands mean?'
'Swarm Devour allows us to consume the dead. Their remains strengthen our authority, making the swarm more powerful.'
Isaac's fingers curled around his axe. 'And Swarm Heal?'
'A minor restoration ability. We can mend flesh, seal wounds. It will not save those who are near death, but it will prevent further blood loss.'
Isaac exhaled slowly. A new level of control. A different kind of power.