Exile groaned as he shouldered the brunt of the golden wolf's attack. With luck, he had managed to angle his shield to take it and the damage check confirmed that his Endurance prevented any damage. 'If it strikes me while I'm unprotected though, I'll definitely take a good chunk of damage because it will check against my Speed.'
Exile frowned as he increased his vigilance. He had intercepted two of the beasts. This was to make sure the others could fight one on one and increase their chances of coming out victorious. As long as one person succeeded, then the pressure on him would be lifted.
Players and wolves alike had cleared a large area for them to fight. But they stayed to watch the battle instead of going around. The players were more concerned that if these powerhouses failed to stop this offensive, and they had moved away from the area, then the wolves would break through to Valheim immediately.
So it was not that they were slacking off and enjoying the show. No, they were still doing their part by acting as a last line of defence if Exile and the others failed. A loud collective hiss came from the players as Severance was sent sprawling in the snow by a feint from his wolf. Aeri's speed seemed to be enough to keep up with her opponent, meaning neither could gain the upper hand.
Daynah's fight seemed to be going well. But the more experienced players knew she was buffing herself. Sooner or later, her DP would run out and she would receive a ticket to the temple for revival. However, many of the players who used shields themselves were admiring Exile's battle. With the realistic combat of Pantheon, it was clear to see that he was paying attention to his surroundings at all times.
If the two wolves he faced tried to flank him, he would steadily back up to keep them both within his field of vision. When they tried to charge him, he sent an Electrosphere towards one, bringing its attack to a halt while meeting the other head-on with his shield. He was putting up a splendid defensive battle, but he was in the same position as Daynah. As soon as his DP ran out, he would not be able to hold both of them off with that tactic.
"Hey! He's not using a spell!" One of the players in the crowd shouted as the two wolves charged at Exile again.
The crowd gasped as they wondered if he had run out of DP. It was possible that he had used most of it up before rushing over there after all. But the crowd gasped again as he narrowly jumped to the side of the wolf on his left and slammed the rim of his shield into its jaw! The creature flailed in anger and ended up striking its companion.
The second wolf howled at its injury as it turned its angry gaze on its companion. But it did not devolve into them fighting amongst themselves. Both wolves turned wary gazes on Exile after that last exchange.
"Damn! He used one to damage the other!"
"It's more impressive he could do that without receiving an injury or wasting DP!"
"Hey! Maybe he will be able to hold them off until one of the others beats their wolf..."
"You're dreaming! Look at them! If anything, a victory will be a close shave. They'll be in no state to continue fighting. It'll be up to us once these guys weaken the wolves!"
Exile groaned as he listened to the comments. It allowed him to keep track of how the other fights were going. 'This isn't working. But even if we close ranks, the five wolves together will overwhelm me easily. No, this is definitely the best we can do in this situation. That guy is right, we may need to sacrifice ourselves to give them the chance of landing the killing blows.'
Just as he was about to shout that to the others, he froze. A problem sprung to mind if they did that. 'Damn! Won't they just eat our orbs and get stronger if that happens though? As long as they keep killing, there will be no end to it. They could surpass the player's limits so they can't be hurt! No! They have to be stopped here by us!'
A quick glance around him told him Aeri, Severance and Daynah had come to the same conclusion. Except they had no way to make it happen. 'If Noslin were here, it wouldn't look so bad... We need someone else...' However, his own thoughts mocked him by saying they would have had a good chance, even in this situation, if he still had access to the healing spells of the Hearth.
'Damn! I wanted power too much. I'm too used to there being classes and healers in plenty of supply. But this game is different. Healing and support are probably rarer in this game!' It was the first time that he truly regretted his choice. But this situation just showed him how vital his old abilities could have been to resolve it.
'If I get the chance, I'll definitely try to switch away from pure offensive. I have to put the Pantheon before myself!' Eventually, one of the wolves managed to find an opening and its claws raked against Exile's side.
[You have been attacked by Divine Wolf (Elite)]
[Divine Power Damage Check… Enemy Speed 40. Your Speed is 23. Your Divine Power is inferior. -18 HP]*
Exile cursed at the damage as he spun away from the second wolf, trying to take advantage of the situation. It was his first slip up and barely qualified as a scratch against his HP pool. 'It would take twelve more of those to kill me... And my DP is still looking good. Barely used anything. But the situation was not looking as good for Severance and Daynah.
'If one of them fall... We've as good as lost...' Exile sighed as he realised he only had one way to salvage the situation....