SSS Awakening: Creating Primordial Beasts To Be My Summons-Chapter 16: Treachery of The Pale Grove

The grove was exactly as described—

White, pale, chilling... and utterly silent.

It was the clash of battle that broke this chilling silence, though barely, as the sound seemed to be absorbed into the world.

Cohen stood on a tree branch, his hands crossed behind his back, orchestrating the fall of the first zone.

In this earlier phase, intelligence over raw bestial instinct was his weapon.

The enemies here were monsters called Hollow Deer. Slender, white-furred deer with pale antlers.

There were about forty of them, ranging from level 15 to 17—far above the majority of his monsters, who sat at level 7 to 9.

The Deer were counterparts to the Nebula Rams, their antlers dealing concentrated damage and their hide taking more than one would expect.

However, the Nebula Rams excelled at it far more.

Cohen used the innate bond between the Rams to coordinate their attacks against their foes.

Meanwhile, the Lynxes remained disorganized, refusing to move as a unit despite Cohen’s efforts.

They wove through the battlefield—sometimes using their skills—dealing their share of damage.

Only Nox, among the Lynxes, relied purely on its raw stats to deal damage to the enemies.

Bobby sat on the small ram’s back, using its skill from within the battlefield. Since the range it needed to fire through was less, its deployment of gates and the speed of shots were improved.

At the end, Zone One was conquered with a few of the weaker Rams taking hits while the Lynxes used most of their mana.

Aside from winning the battle, most of Cohen’s monsters also leveled up here.

Bobby had long crossed into level 17, almost halfway to 18.

The two familiar Rams were both at 11.

Only the smallest Ram was left at level 7, as most Rams were now at level 10, with a few at levels 8–9.

The Lynxes were mostly at level 12, with a few at levels 13 and 11.

Nox stood at the second highest level, entering at 15.

A key thing Cohen noticed in this battle was that not all Baptised had the awareness that made them intelligent. Most were still primarily driven by instincts.

- - - - -

After sending four of the Rams through the Gate of the Baptised due to injuries that made it difficult to continue, Cohen proceeded to the Second Zone.

Here, the gaps between the trees were even narrower.

Aside from the occasional band of Deers, the key monster here was Palevibe Bears, level 15-20.

There were around fourteen Bears and twenty deers were present too, mostly at level 15.

Here, the Rams took the lead, their raw power forming the backbone of Cohen’s strategy.

Still...

The battle was hard.

The Rams’ levels were at least five levels below the Bears; being a Rare was already doing so much.

But in the end, they prevailed.

More rams were now injured after the fray, but they won.

The Lynxes were still mostly intact, proof of their repositioning skills.

The battle dragged on for nearly forty minutes.

The white forest was a stain of dark red blood, the corpses were marred, reducing their monetary worth significantly.

By now, seven more Rams were out of commission, bringing the total to eleven Rams out of commission.

"Yeah... We definitely won’t be able to defeat the third zone."

Cohen said bitterly, pinching his nose bridge.

"Not like we have to... I’ve already gotten what I want in regards to killing. Most of the monsters have leveled, especially Bobby and Nox.

"What’s left is to Baptise some Zone 3 beasts."

Nox, now at level 17, had played a huge part in this section along with the two Rams.

The ram skilled at Nebula Charge leveled up again to 13, being the highest ranked Ram, while its ’brother’ was at 12.

The Small Ram also played a part in his battle, coming to help in the heavy situation as its level had jumped to 9.

Bobby was now at level 19.

Cohen brought out two of his last three mana potions and gave them to Bobby to use

The Slime was carrying hard at this point, its body bobbing far less than usual.

Cohen walked towards the center of the grove, patting the Slime with worry.

"I think I started relying on you all too much. I’m sorry. It’s my turn now."

With a steady gaze, he led the group toward the third zone.

He glanced at his status screen, taking in the information there.

[Level: 11 (11,729/12,100)]

[Intelligence: 70 → 75]

[Strength: 33 → 36]

Cohen stepped into the clearing and the grove opened up around him for the first time–wide, bright, and still.

Ten Hollow Deer scattered loosely across the space, grazing without urgency.

Two Greymantle Elks and one Palevibe Bear stood at the far end of the clearing.

The Elks watched Cohen’s entrance with the particular stillness of things that don’t feel threatened, their antler crowns catching the light.

Then above them, on a small hill at the clearing’s heart, stood the third.

Larger than the others.

Still in a way the others weren’t—not waiting, not watching.

Simply present, the way something is present when it has decided that everything around it exists on its terms.

It didn’t rule the clearing.

The clearing simply acknowledged it.

’The lowest level here is 19. This might actually be harder than I thought.’

With a dark smirk, Cohen’s grip tightened around his daggers.

He reinforced his belief that running in battle would only lead to greater danger; he would face it head on.

One second, the stillness was there.

The next, a wave of cosmic darkness clashed with a breeze of pale white.

Only one could be acknowledged here.

.....

The lynxes, along with half of the remaining Nebula Rams, spread out to suppress the multiple deer.

Their only task was to keep the deer from interfering with the main fight.

The remaining rams, led by the two Rams Cohen considered brothers, charged towards the Level 22 Palevibe Bear. Like in the previous zone, aside from Bobby, only the rams were capable of damaging the bears properly.

Nox darted into a quick split in reality before appearing beside a level 23 elk, bringing its two claws down, the collision causing a wave of air.

The elk, as if noticing Nox’s low level and feeling underestimated, attacked fiercely.

But the Null Obsidian Lynx proved it was the best at dodging and repositioning.

It wielded its Null Step more efficiently than the others, covering less distance and accurately choosing where to exit the void from.

Bobby dragged the smallest ram into a deadly combat. It rode the ram like a mount, aiming for the second strongest monster present.

The slime was now more adept at using its Rift Spit. The range at which it could accurately open rifts had expanded and now it could open two rifts at a time.

It had already opened two rifts from a distance, aiming at both sides of the level 24 Elk.

The Elk was able to sense the coalescing mana and predict the attack, blocking with its antlers and then its hooves.

But its hoof was now bleeding–a testament of Bobby’s firepower.

Bobby fought the elk from mid-range to close quarters, alternating between stone volleys and precisely timed arrows.

The elk managed to brush through the barrage of attacks at times, but the small ram managed to act on the defensive sometimes.

Although Bobby couldn’t be killed easily, it would have to regenerate its body if damaged.

If it takes more damage, its core, which was now smaller than a normal slime, would be exposed and one hit from the Elk could end its life.

’Things seem to be moving well for now.’

Cohen darted across the battlefield, calmly assessing it.

His target sat on the hill, just there as though the cacophony occurring mattered so little to it.