CHAPTER 48: CHAPTER 48: THE TEAM’S BIG BROTHER

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, the Water Ghosts’ main force finally reached the vicinity of the trap, and a few of the nearby ones began eagerly fighting over the decaying corpses on the ground.

Their slender fingers with sharp nails constantly dug into the soft, sticky, blood-soaked rotten flesh and stuffed it into their mouths.

While eating, they made soft low growls, looking extremely pleased.

Gauss watched with some physical revulsion, especially recalling the strong stench he smelled from afar while setting the traps earlier, he even felt a bit like vomiting.

Though they looked somewhat similar to humans, in habits and essence, Water Ghosts and humans are completely different creatures.

Seeing the Water Ghosts treating those corpses, which smelled worse than excrement, as delicacies to fight over, Gauss resolutely refused to believe the folklore that Water Ghosts might originate from drowned humans.

We must thoroughly cut ties with such notions.

When the Water Ghosts were eating happily, letting down their guard, Medvedeva on the other side began signaling to Gauss.

Seeing her actions, Gauss immediately responded with a signal.

This was an arrangement the two had communicated beforehand, meaning it was time to close the net.

Then Gauss activated Mage’s Hand.

With a thought.

An invisible ghostly hand skillfully formed not far in front of Gauss.

Mage’s Hand floated out a few meters, triggering the pre-set mechanism.

"Swoosh!"

The next moment, a large net rose from the ground, directly cutting off the Water Ghosts’ retreat to the river.

And Medvedeva on the other side also triggered her mechanism at the same time as Gauss.

Due to the relatively open and empty riverbank, many traps couldn’t be set, so Medvedeva set up fire traps to exploit the Water Ghosts’ fear of fire.

"Whiz!"

An arrow with fire landed precisely amid the pre-buried flammable materials like pine resin soaked in fire oil.

"Boom!!!"

Almost the next moment, huge tongues of fire rose around the arrow.

The few Water Ghosts closest to it were engulfed by flames, fell to the ground rolling repeatedly, letting out dreadful hoarse screams.

"Ah!!!"

The Water Ghosts not affected by the flames nearby panicked, instinctively wanting to retreat to the water, but their escape route was cut off.

Though the surround net wasn’t particularly sturdy, it was enough to block them for a moment.

And on both sides of the net were the ambushed members ready.

The team encircled the main force of Water Ghosts from two sides.

"Don’t let them escape!"

Water Ghosts on land weren’t particularly tough opponents, but if they managed to escape back to the water, taking advantage of the environment, it would become much more troublesome.

Levin, Gauss, and the others stepped forward.

Capture the leader first to capture the enemy.

Gauss looked at the leading Water Ghost commander still issuing orders and immediately swung his staff.

Magic Power surged rapidly into the staff.

A bright blue Energy Light Ball gathered before him.

He locked onto the leader Water Ghost, and the next moment, with a thought, the Magic Missile shot out like an arrow leaving the bowstring.

"Magic Missile!"

The leader Water Ghost saw the flickering light and instinctively tried to dodge.

But as a 1st-level Spell, the speed of the Magic Missile was not something an ordinary Water Ghost could react to and avoid.

"Bang!"

The Magic Missile hit its rotting, soft neck precisely, accompanied by a wave of Magic Power, the entire neck was blasted apart, cleanly severing head from body!

"Thud!"

A head dropped to the ground, rolling far away.

"Water Ghost killed *1"

"Total monster kills: 41"

"Acquired title [Water Ghost Hunter], which will upgrade as more of this species are defeated!"

"Current title effect: Dancer. In battles with this species, it’s easier to predict the opponent’s next move and react in advance, current bonus 10%."

Successfully killing a Water Ghost, Gauss unlocked his fourth Monster Atlas and also earned the Hunter title for Water Ghosts.

Judging by the title’s effect, it seemed to enhance his anticipatory reaction against Water Ghosts, and paired with the state of accelerated brain hyperfrequency, it would be hard for ordinary Water Ghosts to hit him.

Gauss put away his staff, drew his rapier, and wielded the Round Shield, following Levin forward.

The reason he used the Magic Missile only once before stopping was also because Levin had told him something during dinner.

Gauss had been privately asking Levin to assist him tonight in creating more kill opportunities.

Levin agreed and also shared his uneasy premonition.

Though unsure if his feeling was reliable, Gauss cautiously reserved some Magic Power for unexpected situations.

In fact, if not for thinking that killing the leader Water Ghost first would throw the rest into a state of leaderless confusion, helping them save more energy, he wouldn’t even want to use the first Magic Missile.

"Kill them all!"

Doyle charged forward excitedly.

Gauss was not slow either.

As his brain began to accelerate, the world in his eyes slowed down once more.

Moreover, unlike before, now facing the Water Ghosts, he felt even more confident.

As if he were an expert who had studied Water Ghosts for years, just one glance allowed him to know their next move and reaction.

The effect of the Dancer was reassuring.

Gauss rushed in front of a Water Ghost, raising the Small Round Shield.

The shield appeared precisely in the path of the Water Ghost’s claw swipe in the next instant, steadily blocking it in advance.

"Thud!"

The Wooden Shield made a dull sound upon completing the block.

Flash of cold light!

Without stopping, enduring the Water Ghost’s claw strike, Gauss’s rapier like a viper pierced out, targeting the Water Ghost’s heart.

The gray-green sticky skin, upon contact with the sword tip, burst like a punctured balloon, and the blade pierced through, followed by the soft, weak internal muscle tissue, penetrated by the rapier.

The rapier punctured a bloody hole, twisted, and pulled out.

The Small Round Shield then sent the powerless Water Ghost flying.

The entire process was fluid!

"Water Ghost killed *1"

"Total monster kills: 42"

more to go!

"Gauss, come over!" Levin suddenly called out from afar.

Gauss looked in his direction, confirming Levin had indeed carried out their prior plan.

Using his skills, Levin had knocked away several Water Ghosts, creating kill opportunities for him.

Quietly grateful in his heart, Gauss didn’t waste Levin’s efforts.

He dashed forward with his rapier, swiftly finishing off the crawling Water Ghosts on the ground!

His rapier, like the scythe of death reaping lives, each flicker claimed a Water Ghost’s life.

"Water Ghost killed *1"

"Water Ghost killed *1"

...

Thrusts, slashes, shield bashes, arrows slicing through the night sky...

First ambushed by traps, then leaderless, the Water Ghosts fell back continuously, collapsing one by one under the group’s slaughter.

"Total monster kills: 49"

Seeing only one more kill needed, Gauss glanced around, seeing the ground littered with bodies.

At a glance, only Doyle was still dealing with the last Water Ghost.

"Doyle, leave the last one for me!"

Gauss didn’t want to leave this special opportunity for the next mission commission, so his tone became somewhat urgent.

Just as Doyle was about to rush forward for a strike, he hesitated upon hearing this, sighed, and retreated a few steps.

Without turning his head, he kept his eyes on the Water Ghost while waving his hand, indicating to Gauss that he had left the opponent to him.

No choice, after all, Gauss was now the team leader.

Faced with the situation, the proud Doyle had no choice but to yield.