#- Area 3 -#

  "So, how is it? Can we easily slaughter our enemies?" Gans asked as he approached Zhendra.

  "It seems difficult, their numbers are much greater than ours."

  "Just relax, we defeated the Tigar group before, even easily. We can definitely defeat the u?frām."

  Zhendr tightened her grip on the staff he held in his right hand, "Right now, we're facing u?frām, three times more than the Tigar group. Besides, the players in the Tigar group were still beginners, they were all scared."

  Gans, watching the horde of u?frām that had slaughtered all the wood elves troops and civilians, aimed his bow at them, "Yeah. When those three guys fell, they scattered without any protection or resistance, but what we're facing won't run away. You're right, this is way worse."

  "Get ready. I know your accuracy stat is still bad, but try to hit every shot at the enemy," replied Zhendra, already ready to chant his mantra.

  Bow and arrows were targeted, Gans was ready to attack, "I really hope for that. Seriously."

  They both held their breath for quite a while before releasing it, and smoke appeared between their noses, as well as in Zhendra's winyer lormi.

  What they witnessed was a horde of u?frām ruthlessly preying on wood elves, tearing apart every part of their bodies, scattered in the Land of Silence.

  While they both waited and kept watching the slaughter, one u?frām in the distance stopped feasting on its prey, and slowly turned its gaze toward the cabin. After staring for a while, the u?frām screamed, displaying its sharp fangs.

  Whoosh!

  Gans shot his arrow as the horde of u?frām sprinted towards them very quickly. Gans' arrow hit one u?frām's shoulder, but it didn't seem to affect it much.

  Zhendra moved his hands and chanted his mantras, casting the shadow of arrow, attacking all the u?frām. Some of his attacks successfully killed them, but not all.

  As they both continued to attack, Crocils and Vector came, taking positions at other windows to launch their attacks.

  Whoosh! Whoosh!

  A relentless onslaught unfolds. Following Preta's directions before, the four of them tried to aim for the eyes of the u?frāms. Some managed to hit u?frāms' eyes and blind them. The blinded u?frāms then messed up and slowed down the movement of the enemy horde.

  However, it doesn't last long as the blinded u?frāms are quickly killed by others.

  There is no distance between them now, the u?frāms are attacking the cabin.

  "We'll go back to our positions, you guys hold your ground," says Vector, running back to the east, to area 5.

  Crocils does the same, returning to the west while shouting, "Preta, only 7 casts left."

  "Do you still have plenty?" asks Gans, busy shooting arrows after successfully killing some u?frāms.

  "Just four, can you hold on for a while?" replies Zhendra, lowering his hand.

  "Just rest for now."

  #- Area 1 -#

  The growling sounds of the u?frāms are heard as they slam into the cabin wall, immediately destroying some barriers on the windows.

  Dens and Preta immediately kill the u?frāms that enter the cabin by stabbing their heads.

  Dens' swift slash beheads one u?frām, and without delay, black blood spurts onto Dens' face, momentarily blinding him. However, he wipes it off and continues beheading other u?frāms.

  Preta focuses more on blinding the tiny-eyed u?frāms, creating chaos outside and giving them a break.

  "Preta, only 7 casts left," Crocils' shouted voice is heard.

  "Shit, we're running out of ranged in a short time," says Preta.

  "Tell them to rest first, we have to sacrifice the one floor," replies Dens.

  "This quickly? It hasn't even been ten minutes."

  "Do you have a different idea, then?"

  Preta finally chose to chop off the u?frām's head, then he patted Dens on the shoulder, "I'm heading upstairs, remember to retreat if you can't handle it."

  Dens nodded.

  #- Area 2 -#

  After hearing growls in Area 1 where Dens and Preta were, Hexon quickly raised his sword, intending to help them. But, he changed his mind as the door and walls in his area vibrated from being hit by a horde of u?frāms.

  Hexon blindly attacked, stabbing the same spot on the wall to hit the u?frāms outside. Every stab Hexon made felt heavy after hitting something, and after he pulled out his longsword, black-colored liquid was seen sticking to his blade. Over time, the color thickened, and the liquid dripped onto his legs.

  "Preta, only 7 casts left," Crocils' shouted voice is heard when the plank at the main entrance cracked and shattered.

  Hexon immediately turned and prepared to attack as soon as the main entrance was successfully broken.

  "Hex, how's the situation?" asked Preta, who had just come and was climbing the stairs.

  "Not good," Hexon replied without shifting his gaze.

  "DENS, Retreat!" Preta shouted as he reached the second floor.

  Crash! Crash!

  #- Area 1 -#

  Dens was still defending the window that was almost damaged, but unfortunately, another window that wasn't defended had been shattered, and a u?frām entered the room where Dens was.

  The u?frām swung its arms with four long and sharp claws towards Dens. Easily, Dens managed to dodge the u?frām's attack and maneuvered his sword to slash the u?frām's arm.

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  After its hand was cut off, the u?frām tried to attack with its mouth, but this time its head was cut off before it could strike.

  "DENS... Retreat!" shouted Preta, his voice reaching Dens.

  Following Preta's command, Dens quickly stepped back towards the stairs.

  However, not forgetting, he swung at a few visible u?frām heads. While the broken window hadn't been entered by other u?frām yet, as the foolish creatures were scrambling to get in.

  At the door room, Dens glanced briefly to see the sturdy defense of the back door.

  #- 2nd Floor -#

  Preta, coming on the second floor, immediately ran towards Natasha's room, shouting, "Croc, Vec, Zhend, take a break. Save your SP, we'll be cornered to the stairs."

  Without needing his command, Vector had already rested, gazing at the horde of u?frām below him.

  Meanwhile, Crocils, during his rest, tried to find something he could use to his advantage, like something that could explode and kill many u?frām at once.

  #- Area 6 -#

  "Are there enemies behind?" asked Preta as he entered the room where Natasha was.

  Preta could see clearly, Natasha held a dagger with both hands, and she was trembling.

  "Nothing," Natasha replied.

  Preta approached Natasha, "Relax, everything will be fine. If you see enemies, run to the stairs."

  "I'm not scared, I'm just still thinking about the wood elves," Natasha said.

  Preta stroked Natasha's back and then her head, "Sigh... I know this is tough, especially since you're of the same species, but I ask you to focus on the battle right now."

  Natasha hugged Preta briefly. "I'll try," Natasha said with a smile.

  "THEY'RE IN!" shouted Dens, the sound echoing loudly.

  #- Area 3 -#

  "You said about fifty. This seems like more, and they keep coming," said Gans, who was unfazed by exhaustion, still shooting his arrows, even though his hands were starting to hurt and ache.

  Zhendra, still watching the horde of u?frām rushing towards their cabin, swallowed hard, "Looks like it's multiplied several times, they might not have been visible because they were feasting on the elves killed earlier."

  "This is really bad, I'll run out of ammo," said Gans.

  Zhendra glanced at Gans' pile of arrows, "Looks like it's halved."

  "More, I've been counting. I've shot 69 so far. And now, 70."

  "THEY'RE IN!" shouted Dens, the sound echoing loudly.

  #- 1st Floor -#

  "The window has been breached," Dens said as soon as he reached the stairs.

  SLASH!

  "It looks bad here too," Hexon said, swinging his sword at the u?frām breaking in after the main door was breached.

  Dens looked at the main door, the hole was still small, and they still had time to hold out. Unfortunately, as he shifted his gaze westward, a u?frām immediately clawed and hit him.

  Dens swiftly swung his sword to kill the creature, noticing there were already more than three u?frām entering the cabin.

  Knowing the cabin had been breached, Dens shouted, "THEY'RE IN!"

  "At the back, bad?" Hexon asked, busy dodging and slashing at the u?frām trying to get in.

  "Awful. Retreat, gather around the stairs," Dens ordered as he himself stepped back to get closer to the stairs.

  #- 2nd Floor -#

  Preta and Natasha immediately came out of their room. "Plan B, defend the staircase area," Preta said as he ran towards the stairs.

  Vector and Crocils quickly followed Preta's plan.

  Meanwhile, Zhendra helped Gans collect and carry his arrows, while Gans continued to shoot some arrows into the u?frāms’ eyes.

  #- Staircase Area -#

  Coming on the 1st floor, Preta could see the u?frāms had gathered and were attacking Dens and Hexon, who seemed overwhelmed by the large number of u?frāms.

  Preta immediately helps them, "Nat, go into the tunnel and try to find a way out."

  Natasha approaches Preta, "Take these two items. I'll go in, but send one caster."

  Preta receives the two healing items given by Natasha, while Natasha goes straight down the stairs and opens the tunnel door.

  Shortly after, Crocils and Vector come and immediately cast their spells to help the short combatant in the fight. Followed by Gans and Zhendra.

  "Preta, ammo is down to 30, should I save or use them all?" says Gans, who immediately shoots his arrow at the u?frām approaching Preta.

  Without turning, Preta answers, "Just focus on killing those getting close to us. And Zhendra, go into the tunnel and accompany Natasha who went ahead."

  Without saying a word, Zhendra runs into the tunnel to meet Natasha, while the other ranged combatants continue to assist the melee combatants in holding their positions.

  Dens performs his agile maneuver, avoiding some claws from the bones that come out of the hands of the u?frāms attacking him. Once he dodges, the weak point of the u?frām is exposed, and he quickly slashes it.

  Preta moves flexibly in the fight, his agility like dancing, but his grip on the sword he carries is strong enough to parry, dodge, and strike the enemies.

  Hector, the most brutal, without needing to dodge or evade, he can attack the enemies even before the u?frāms has a chance to hit him. His trusted longsword has quite a reach compared to enemies attacks.

  Gans, as their protector, observes the movements of his friends and the u?frāms approaching. When Preta is stabbing and slashing one u?frām, exposing himself, Gans skillfully shoots his arrow over Preta's head as he ducks to avoid.

  Vector and Crocils, they use the shadow of arrow to maximize their SP usage. Their shadow arrows shoot in various directions, piercing through the dry and thin u?frāms skin.

  They are quite agile in defending themselves, and the battle brings destruction to the cabin that serves as the battleground. Floors, walls, and other furniture are scattered, shattered when sword swings and claws fly around.

  Holding on for quite a while, but the u?frāms horde keeps growing. In the middle of the battle, they all can hear the sounds of crumbling walls and the wood being trampled coming from above them in the middle of the groans of the u?frāms attacking them and the clashes of swords against u?frāms claws.

  "Dens, quickly upstairs. Protect the ranged," Preta commands while continuing to swing his sword.

  Dens pulls his sword from the u?frām's neck, "Got it."

  The u?frām horde turns out to have come much faster than they thought. Vector, who is at the top, unable to avoid the surprise claws given by the u?frām, falls from the small staircase.

  Of course, it attracts the attention of Gans, who becomes the next target of the u?frāms. Gans immediately turns around to kill the u?frām about to claw him. His shot hits the tiny u?frām's neck accurately, but unfortunately, another u?frām in the horde attacks him, leaving him helpless.

  Dens, who successfully reaches the stairs, manages to pull Gans' body filled with u?frāms claws, and even his cloth armor looks messy, filled with tears from the u?frāms’ claws.

  Dens takes over the upper part, giving time for the ranged combatants to hold on.

  However, unfortunately, on the other side, Preta couldn't withstand attacks from two directions at once. Three u?frām successfully left Preta defenseless. Preta managed to slash one u?frām’s arm, while the other two thrust their claws into Preta's chest and shoulder.

  Hexon saw his friends overwhelmed and under attack, deciding to push all the u?frām in front of him until they all crashed into the fireplace, causing it to collapse and kill the u?frāms beneath. Unfortunately, even though his action managed to kill many u?frām at once, he also received many scratches.

  "Preta, we need to get in, now!" shouted Gans, opening the tunnel door and quickly entering after taking a moment to use his healing items.

  Preta, who turned to give orders, shifted his defense, allowing one u?frām to take advantage of it by stabbing Preta's back with its sharp claws. Fortunately, it didn't hit Preta's heart.

  Crocils, who saw this, immediately approached Preta and used his staff to strike the u?frām's head, causing it to fall, and its claws released from Preta.

  "SP's out, we have to go in. Everyone, to the tunnel!" shouted Crocils, giving orders while carrying the injured Preta.

  Vector, now standing right in front of the tunnel, used his last spell to give Hexon some time to run by releasing all his shadow arrows into the eyes of the u?frāms.

  The blindness of the u?frāms caused chaos among them, providing a brief moment for Hexon to run into the tunnel.

  Meanwhile, Dens, who didn't have time to go down the stairs, chose to push the u?frāms in front of him to plunge below. A loud noise accompanied by vibrations was heard as they all fell.

  After that, Dens quickly ran into the tunnel after Vector had entered.