"Why do I have to be in the middle?" Max protested. Three heavy duty monitors floated infront of him. A protective barrier he fashioned for himself as he set the pace for the team from the command center to the courtyard.
This formation was a famous one from the Hunter's Association playbook. It was seen as risky to deploy. Some were not adamant about it.
The formations' arranged with two, 3-man defenders on the sides with a single warrior in the middle. The sides were well defended with the middle having a wide open field of view as the focal point.
The Hunters Association adopted formation style roles for many years since the Gates formed. The roles were Ranger, Vanguard, Tower, and Bastion.
Rangers were the swift left hand of the Team. They specialized in high damage and swiftness. Evading their advasaries and attacking when least expected.They were the problem for anything infront of them. Nakamura and Kalani would be the teams Rangers.
Vanguards were the teams impenetrable wall, nothing gets past was their Moto Operandi, the first line of defense and unfortunately first casualties. Kahawai, Fox, and Alexander took up this mantle as the teams Vanguard.
The Vanguards were one of the oldest roles in the Hunters Association, having roots with the first Hunters and a permanent place in the UFG.
The Tower was one of the newest additions to the Hunters Association and Max had the privilege of being the teams. The role was the teams strategic eyes in the sky and main healer. Usually positioned in the back for their and the formations safety. However, in this formation the Tower would be in the middle.
The Bastion was the last line of defense for the Tower. Defending and protecting them by any means necessary, known for their well rounded abilities.
If the Tower went down, the Bastion was blamed for not doing their job.
Kai, as the teams Bastion for the assault, was ecstatic to be of use, but hated it was babysitting Max.
Max, annoyed as his steps echoed through the courtyard, kicking sand and dirt around, "Just what I needed today. A hundred-and-five experiments going on and you make me the bait. I would have done the same in your position. I would even say I was proud of your choice had it not been me placed in this situation."
"I respectfully wish you would just stuff your pie hole. How can I focus on protecting you when I want to end you myself. Hearing someone as skilled as you conplain over minor details make my skin crawl." Kai whispered rather loudly.
The formation also bothered Alexander and challenged his understanding of strategy. Having your healer out in the open is not something anyone would want but the formation was a pivotal part of Gate subjugation in the early years.
Fox and Kahawai made up the points of one of the triangular formation. Alexander and Kalani made up the left sides with Nakamura and Kai on the right.
"Alexander, will you tell this oaf that no one in this Century uses piehole as slang anymore. Also, tell him my death would never happen in a place like this. To think anyone would knowingly place their life in your hands. Its laughable, unthinkable... another negative-able."
"You just wait, if I am ever forced to save you, I promise to take my time. Purely out of disrespect." Kai retorted. It pissed him off even more, His ego just wouldn't allow him to let go.
Alexander ignored their bickering, not wanting to draw himself into their problems.
Kai had always been a weird around Alexander, but since the Goblin Gate he had been cautious around him.
What held his attention away from them was what he saw before him.
The shambling of dusty old bones clamoring around grew louder the closer they got.
The skeletons shifted around the carved stone courtyard like Marinettes, clumsily bumping into eachother and striking the closest thing in retaliation with sticks and rocks.
As the teams grips grew tighter around their weapons, Alexander saw a deeper scene as he witnessed dark strings covered in shadows connecting each boney creature to a single point like a spindle of wires.
Alexander followed the smoky wires, his eyes straining as the nanites adjusted as best they could to trace using his enhanced senses.
Hold, Alexander relayed to the team as the Proctors followed. His sudden stop confused them as they were near the objective.
From what Alexander could see, the point for the wires connected to the skeletons seemed to be in an area infront of the castle.
"Max." Alexander turned with alarm towards his teamate. "I need a view of the courtyard around..there. I think one of these guys are controlling the others," Alexander lied slightly.
The team halted a few feet away from the mass of skeletons while Max released his drones to the area above the courtyard.
The skeleton mob would not become aggressive untill they got within a certain area so they believed with some caution they could hold off for the intel.
"There, zoom in on that weird one. Thats the one, it's controlling the rest of them. I'm positive."
"It does look strange, I can tell its most likely an upper rank(D), nearing rank (C) monster," Max chimed in.
"Look how the others act around it. If thats not the controller I don't know what could. I'm with Alexander," Kalani agreed.
The team memorized the creature. A cracked skeleton towering over the others, Its clothes were torn but looked important when it was alive, much like a bishops or cardinal. It barely moved but none of the other skeletons ever dared to bump into it.
"Lets get him and complete this trial," Kahawai exclaimed.
Kahawais' excitement overflowing through his eyes like stars. He was worried at first, his first assault mode command would end in travesty. With a target insight he knew they would succeed.
When the team marched again with the Proctors close behind to pull them out if it got to ruff for them. That would also mean an automatic failure in the Trials.
The assault began with a large blast from a Fire spell, a Kahawai special he called it.
Everyone expected the skeletons to return as they slowly chopped through a group of skeletons. When most of the ones that died near the team never reanimated or got back up they made progress faster than they expected.
According to Max's info they should have revived as soon as they are destroyed.
Data that should have been fact was slightly off. An uncertainty that made Max readjust his data.
The assault revealed the skeletons could be permanently defeated and the team capitalized on their new found weakness. Their bodies turned to dust and blasted away as a frenzy took place.
In other Trials, using this Dungeon and taking this route would result in being overrun with shambling zombies from all sides as a team would try and make their way to the inner courtyard.
The infinite revival of skeletons after being defeated would quickly cause other teams looking to deactivate the Magic a hedache that ould impede the trial and usally result in a fail.
As the Alexander's team began clearing zombies, specifically Fox and Kahawai for their dense bodies and strong arms, notifications formed infront of Alexander.
***
Soul Fragment obtained x20
Weak Soul obtained x50
***
The skeletons no longer regenerated without souls, which Alexander realized he was absorbing into his Lanter A'rathèl had gifted him on becoming the first Guardian of Darkness.
While Alexander lamented his on-going boon, the team funnled the skeletons, most armed with sticks and rocks, towards Max who then vaporized them with Light magic.
Light magic was the ultimate counter to Darkness and Max was a genius with it. Even becoming an Akron for the Guardian of Light Kayle, Ruler of the Divine plane Heavens Choir."
After several minutes the team cleared half the courtyard. With no sign of the skeletons reviving they were that much closer to the Skeletons controller moving more confidently forward.
Fire like crimson spread through ranks of bones, destroying and ashing thouse in its path. Heat scorched ash fell around them as Kahawai lead the way forward.
Frozen Skeletons were diced to bits and crumbled onto the ground. A slight noise of a scabbard closing could be heard as more and more pieces were minimized to atoms.
Light radiated from complex runes around the team as cuts, burns, and bruises healed in seconds.
All the while, Alexander recieved notification after notification ringing in his ear. His strength, speed, perception seemed to increase with each culled enemy, resulting in another ring.
* Notice*