Lia's trembling hands glowed faintly as she activated the skill, sending buffs to the struggling Zither Scouts. The buffs took effect instantly, their movements becoming faster and more precise.
The grounded scout slammed its serrated limb through the neck of the pinned insectoid, severing its head in one clean strike.
[Ding! Your summon has killed a Zither Wing.]
[Ding! You have gained experience points.]
The second Zither Wing screeched in defiance, diving toward Ethan with mandibles wide open. Ethan braced himself, dagger raised.
"Grug! Now!" He shouted.
Grug didn't hesitate. With a powerful swing, his club collided with the crippled creature, sending it crashing into a tree. The impact splintered the bark, and the insectoid crumpled to the ground, twitching.
Ethan rushed forward to land the finishing blow, driving his dagger into its exposed underbelly.
[Ding! You have killed a Zither Wing.]
[Ding! You have gained experience points.]
[Ding! The entity Zither Wing has been added to your summoning list.]
Ethan staggered back, panting as the notifications flashed before him. The battlefield around them was still chaos, but the addition of flying creatures had upped the stakes significantly. He glanced at Lia, who was leaning against a tree, visibly horrified.
"We can handle this," Ethan said, his voice resolute. "We've got the tools now. Lia, take a moment to recover. Grug, Snarl, scouts—regroup. Tweety, keep watch."
Ethan took a deep breath before summoning the newly added minion. The Zither Wing materialized before him. Its translucent wings twitched slightly, emitting a faint hum as its serrated limbs adjusted to its surroundings.
The creature's glowing, predatory eyes fixed on him for a moment, and then it lowered its body submissively, awaiting his command.
Ethan exhaled sharply, the tension leaving his body as relief washed over him. "Good. Another one on our side," he murmured, stepping back to observe it fully.
The Zither Wing looked identical to the others he'd faced, but now it radiated a sense of loyalty—a sharp contrast to the feral aggression of its brethren.
Lia, still leaning against the tree, looked at the creature with a mix of awe and discomfort. "Master… how do they listen to you like that? It's… unsettling."
"It's the system magic.." Ethan shook his head. "They're mine now. They'll fight for us, not against us. The more we take down, the stronger we get. We don't have the luxury to be squeamish."
Lia swallowed hard and nodded. They didn't have much break time as a few more came their way soon enough.
Ethan straightened up, his grip tightening on his dagger as the next wave of insectoids skittered toward them, their glowing eyes gleaming with malevolent intent.
The cacophony of the battlefield surged around them, but his focus narrowed on the approaching group—five Zither Scouts and five Zither Wings, all coming at them at the same time.
They were outnumbered.
Ethan's heart pounded as the group of ten insectoids charged toward them, their serrated limbs slicing through the air with deadly precision. The sheer numbers felt overwhelming, but he couldn't let fear take hold.
"We've been here before," he muttered under his breath. "We'll manage."
Raising his voice, he barked out commands. "Grug, Snarl, Scouts—frontline! Zither Wing, stay high and pick off their fliers. Lia, buffs now—focus on speed and strength." He did not hold back this time and summoned everyone including Shadow, the slimes, and the spiders.
The summons moved swiftly into position. Grug and Snarl braced themselves as the Zither Scouts crashed into them. Their weapons struck hard, the heavy impacts sending tremors through the ground.
The summoned Zither Wing let out a shrill screech, engaging its airborne counterparts in a flurry of clashes above.
Lia's trembling hands worked swiftly. Grug's strikes became heavier, shattering the exoskeletons of two Zither Scouts in quick succession. Snarl ducked and weaved, his jagged blade slicing cleanly through a Scout's legs before finishing it with a brutal upward strike.
[Ding! Your summon has killed a Zither Scout.]
[Ding! You have gained experience points.]
[Ding! Grug has leveled up]
[Ding! Your summon has killed a Zither Scout.]
[Ding! You have gained experience points.]
[Ding! Snarl has leveled up]
Above, the summoned Zither Wing maneuvered with deadly precision. It tore into one of the wild Zither Wings, its serrated limbs finding purchase in the vulnerable joints of its opponent.
The enemy flier screeched as it spiraled to the ground, crashing in a broken heap. Ethan's summoned Zither Wing didn't hesitate to engage the next target.
Ethan focused on the grounded Scouts. One broke through Grug and Snarl's line, heading straight for Lia. "I got this," Ethan growled, darting forward. With a calculated strike, he drove his dagger into the creature's exposed underbelly, using its momentum against it.
The creature shrieked as it collapsed, ichor pooling beneath it.
[Ding! You have killed a Zither Scout.]
[Ding! You have gained experience points.]
[Ding! The entity Zither Scout has been added to your summoning list.]
"Keep going! Don't let up!" Ethan shouted, summoning the newest one mid-battle.