At the farthest shore of the black stone lake, an intense battle raged.
A man stood guard at the back of several people controlling monster pets.
Slightly built with a lean frame that hinted at quiet agility rather than brute strength, the man was clad in a crisp black suit, compared to the other people who were clad in full intimidating battle gears made from monsters.
Their combat pets formed an impregnable battle formation, and the monster rangers controlling them were trying their best to contain some wild monster threat.
They were trying to hold back some fish-type monsters, however, these monsters seemed persistent about leaving the lake and venturing into the land.
These monsters were none other than the Lung Demon — a fearsome species, mutated from the lungfish of Earth's pre-mutation era.
Twisted by evolution and time, their once soft bodies had grown grotesque; their limb-like tentacles had thickened into stubby, grotesque limbs that thudded against the ground with startling speed. Their nimble movements, erratic and serpentine, turned the battlefield into chaos, giving even the most seasoned monster rangers a hard time.
Yet amidst the turmoil, the combat pets held fast.
Like an unyielding bulwark, rows of round, armor-like shells lined the front, their obsidian-black surfaces etched with strange engravements.
Under the sharp cries of command from the monster rangers, these living shields moved in unison. Inch by inch, they pressed forward, forcing the snapping Lung Demons back, back toward the dark waters from which they had risen.
"Just a little bit, Now fire!!"
A loud sound erupted, it was from the assistant squad leader, and at this command, multiple heads extended from the center of the battle formation.
These heads resemble fiery red salamander heads, their maw opened to reveal a roaring fireball forming little by little, becoming bigger until they couldn't be contained.
With a roaring blast, the salamander launched the fireballs out of the battle formation, in a parabolic path, the fireballs, like destructive projectiles, streaked through the air with a whistling sound, hitting the fish monsters.
A deafening and high-pitched cry erupted from the fish monsters as the fireballs scored a burning hit on them.
Assistant Song's eyes sparkled with a satisfied expression, they can't afford to let these fish monsters into the woods, if they pass the shore, it would be hard to contain them. There was even zero chance that they would be caught in the woods, with their nimble limbs, they could dig up tunnels in mud and lay dormant there for a long time.
Song's face hardened, if that happened, this location would be forced to be classified as a monster lair, at least, a Wild-tier monster lair since the fish monsters were Wild-grade.
With that in mind, he focused on the battle ahead.
However, from time to time, his head couldn't help but turn and look at his superior, the squad leader who stood silently on guard, his black shades completely masking his expression.
This was just one of the many expeditions that they partook in, even if the members were D-rank monster rangers who worked for the association, these were just Wild-grade monsters, and as an assistant squad leader, he must finish this mission safely.
Even though most high-ranking monster rangers had been recruited by popular guilds, having low-ranking members wasn't an excuse, if the leader was capable, with correct tactics, he could turn low-ranking members into the deadliest team.
There was no way he was going to let his superior interfere again, this was his time to show that he was also a capable leader.
The water-type monsters shrieked and shook their body aggressively as multiple fireballs hit them.
Some jumped back into the lake while some gnashed their jaws as if to tank the burning pain while persistently advancing forward.
There were at least twenty Lung Demons. Their eyes glowing red with malevolence and intelligence.
Another score of fireballs, they shrieked and shook, still matching forward.
Assistant Song wanted to panic a little, such an aggressive nature shouldn't be underestimated.
These monsters were water-type but they have yet to display their ability, are they preparing a checkmate?
"All combat unit, move back!!"
Song's voice shook a little as he gave out the order.
He knew something was coming, the way these fish monsters were tanking the fireballs, they were preparing their own attack.
The combat unit started advancing backward, little at a time.
The fish monsters, noticing this development, started scuttling forward with their nimble, stubby, and short limbs.
Suddenly, they stopped, prompting the moving unit to also stop, the fish monsters rose on their hind limbs, this action made them stand at about one and a half meters tall.
They opened their powerful jaws and a ball of water began to form.
"It is coming, full defense!!"
Song ordered, his intuition whispering to him that something bad was coming, but he calmed himself down, these were wild-grade fish monsters, the armor creatures responsible for tanking were tier-five wild-grade Earth-types, and there was no way their incoming attack could injure anyone here.
In the maws of these fish monsters, the water balls forming were becoming smaller, as if they were condensing it.
PEEW!!!
Like powerful bullets, the shrank water ball shot out, targeting the row of black shell armor.
In Song's mind, he was thinking this water bullet couldn't do any harm, but before his brain could register what he saw, a large scythe-like blade slashed at the rows of black armor shells.
As these water bullets were shot, just after leaving the monsters' maws, they spread into fine thin destructive arcs that slashed at the rows of armor with incredible power!
Sparks flew as the water blade made contact with the armor, and loud metal noise sounded from every direction.
A black shell armor was knocked out from the battle formation as two water scythes landed on it consecutively.
A painful cry erupted as the black shell armor landed some distance away from the team members.
A small head peeped out which looked like a raccoon. Blue blood was streaming down its skull, the Black-armored raccoon had received a devastating attack.