The group shared their concerns before Max silenced them.
"I said the chances were minimal, not nonexistent. I have a plan. The results of the plan depend on you. Fox, Nakamura, and Kalani I need you to take care of all the surrounding scouts between here and here."
"Kahawai, I need you to wait up above that ridge with a big spell. Alexander and Kai will
be with me preparing something."
Alexander respected Max, but could tell he was even more serious than usall. He didn't insult anyone was a first for him since Alexander met him. He was serious enough that his gocus was vomplety on task.
Max issued orders through line as quickly as the plan allowed, "Scout elimination team, you have six on your right in ten meters, and five more after that in thirty meters to the south of your position. After that, circle around for the others. Kahawai, hold for activation."
While Max was focused on overseeing the others, Alexander worked on his task to supply mana to his device.
It was a sphere machine, with lights and two orbs that siphoned the mana he poured into it on its sides. Mechanical clanks and whizzing could be heard from inside the sphere making Alexander and Kai nervous with their hands so close to it.
The mana drifted out of Alexander's hands fluidly. With steady meditation with the elder of the Akamai and Kelani, he had a good understanding of mana in his body. It allowed him time to consider all that had happened to him and the subtle changes in his body.
The breeze on his skin and the entity within him became one in the same. He was sure that it was something other than himself, now that it was on standby and didn't actively contribute to his body, he felt it, warming and changing itself actively.
'What are you? He asked himself, receiving a warm and understanding nudge on his mind. He didn't flinch or retreat, but nudge back. He had gone through so much over the past month with it. It had helped him gain so much more, he suspected with its help he could gain even more.
Kai was gifted in magic from birth and was accepted into the Kahawai's group, because his family personally knew Kelani the elder of the Akamai clan.
Transferring mana should have been easy for him to do based on his training and level. His breathing was rough, hands clammy from sweat, and he leaned heavily on his right. All signs Alexander couldn't guess why he exhibited.
His focus trailed to Kai, trying to use his ability on him as when the voice talked to him. Searching for the cause of his distress using Lunaris.
Alexanders eyes filled with mana, diverting it from the siphoning process. Nanites poured through his eyes, analyzing every fiber of his being.
"Hey, Kai. I know somethings up. Youve been struggling since we got through the gate."
Kai spat into the tree line with disgust. "How dare you presume to know anything about me. An F-rank like you should shut their mouths about things that don't concern them. It's a scratch and my body will heal on its own, focused on what concerns you and fill this damned thing."
'You ignorant... No that's not how to deal with these types. He presumes that I don't know he's dying, so play that against him.' He thought, taking a moment to compose himself.
"Listen Kai, you know what happens when a Hunter can't perform, right? Watch yourself, or you'll be the one left behind, losing to an F rank. Here, you don't have to take it, but atleast I tried."
A vial of red liquid was placed between the two as Alexander closed his eyes and concentrated on his part of the plan. 'I have no qualms letting an immature bigot die, unless it puts my life in danger. If he dies now, we could be at a huge disadvantage when the boss comes out. Just drink the low grade potion, fool.'
Soon, Kai's haggard breathing had lessened to an extent that the device proceeded at a greater pace. The device filled up in minutes and was ready to be activated.
Kai avoided Alexanders smirk, tossing the glass and making him have to catch it clumsily. "A jerk and a litter bug, all in one loser; perfect." He murmured as they joined Max.
Max seemd relived while also concerned. Alexander knew from experience that it was directed towards his device and not them. The times Max would come and check if he was hurt on the training grounds was only to check if his electric reading markers he put on him were damaged.
"You didn't have any trouble? Course not, I made you my beautiful darling. Oh, you two are still here. The Scout team is finishing with the clean up, and should be done soon. We're moving out now to get close enough for the plan. I'll need you at your best Kai."
Kai, twitched slightly to his side at the potion working the poison from his body, sending tentacles of electricity through his right side.
"Yeah, I got it."
Alexander didn't agree and decided to step in if it got too messy. He didn't agree to keep Kai's wounding a secret, and he wouldn't if he could and only if the secret didn't cause him any hassle. He had his own problems to solve and didn't want more if he could help it.
The trek through the forest was slow as they avoided traveling Goblins on patrol. Their sense of smell was as good as a Doberman. Their feral state made for a complicated tool to avoid.
The thick woods didn't help either. Branches held them up as they didn't want to cut through and alert the enemy. Soon they arrived close enough to the goblin camp that avoidance was impossible.
There, Alexander realized what the voice in his head had been defending him from.
After taking down a his third pair of goblins, Alexanders hand shook as the monsters blood dripped from his sword.
He had to take the lives of creatures before but not human shaped one's. His feelings started filling with dread and worry as the bodies left behing started to pile up, and the blood on his sword become harder to grab.
'I need to keep going. It's just a monster, it would have done the same to me. Breathe.' He composed himself using water magic to clean himself up, and darkness to dissolve the evidence from passing Goblins. A move that had become easier and easier for him emotionaly and physically. Erasing their deaths for his own protection and increasing his ability with Darkness.
They carried on that way, much like the Scout team. They made their way till they arrived within the vacinity of the large wooden gates that protected the camp.
The forest ended a few meters from the camps gate but the coming of night aided them in their mission.
Clang! Thump! Clang!
Weapons clanged inside the goblin camp, a display of power from a larger goblin. He towered over the others as he fought with similar goblins that ressembled it.
The battle was fierce and distracted many of the creatures allowing Alexander and Kai to sneak in unnoticed with Max's device.
"Get as close to the center of the camp and press the two buttons on the side. You'll have five minutes to set the device and make it out alive. The machine knows the radius from the sensors I placed on the walls, so I repeat, you will need to make it past the gate before it activates," He whispered loudly before they left to sneak in. He was adamant about the time limit, which made Alexander nervous.
"The fight had attracted many of the Goblins to the left side of the camp, allowing them to go mainly unnoticed. Those that did see them where quickly silenceed by Kai, using earth magic to trip them, finishing them off with his blade. With each spell he cast Alexander noticed his color pale further.
"Where almost there, the middle of the camp is just a few houses down here, according to Braniac. Lets take is cautiously and make as little noise as possible," he said as his heart raced from the stress.
They had slowed significantly as Kai needed more time to recover. This began to worry Alxeander as it took two people to carry the device and he could see the middle of the camp. If they pushed further just a bit they would get there.
"Are you ready? I'll deal with any new goblins that catch us. Just catch your breath and let's go. The noise seems like it's dying down."
"No... I'll take care of it. d*** it." He struggled. Standing shakily on his feet and pickedthe other half of the machine up.
When they finaly shuffled towards the center A large pot, with high beams, stood in the middle of a large circle of dead things.
The corpses where of various sizes and creatures, rats, boars, deers, and other Goblins. They placed the device under some bodies, pressing the two buttons as Max instructed.
The machine beeped loudly, activating and begun to spin inside its casing. It's gyro like spining twirled and displayed a timer for them.
Ok, lets go! We have to get out now," Alexander began to run back the way they came, stopping only when he didn't hear Kai's footsteps.
"What are you doing? We need to escape." Kai had collapsed on his knees, wheezing and unresponsive. Kai was suffering from intense mana exhaustion, something that could not be healed with potions.
Alexander made a split decision to grab the idiot, his dark hair falling over his forhead, which felt hot to the touch with fever. Alexander tossed him over his shoulders, the near similar body type taking on the new weight braced and wobbled slightly as he marched on.
The trip was gruesome, the clash of the Goblins had ended and an explosion blasted off at the grouping. A sight of fire and smoke, wafted on his right as he put one leg after another, his legs buring as he passed shack after shack finaly getting a few meters away from the gate.
Ehhh ehh!
A goblin near the size of Alexander stopped him from going forward, standing between him, a minute of final time and his freedom. He knew exactly how much time he had left, as he counted every second and set his device to beep every minute. Three beeps had gone off and one more till he only had seconds left.
Beep!