Chapter 282: Calling for More Backup
It was supposed to be three waves of attacks. Faye Yardley had originally assumed they would get a break after clearing one wave before the next began.
Apparently, she had been too optimistic.
The polluted creatures were seemingly endless, and there was never a moment to stop the slaughter.
Even Barrett Thorne, who had initially felt he had nothing to do, gradually became busy after more than an hour.
Just over two hours had passed, and there were already injuries.
Fortunately, Faye Yardley didn’t lose all reason in the heat of battle. She still checked on everyone else from time to time.
The system had even thoughtfully provided her with a holographic display of the island’s defenses, allowing her to see the current situation in real time.
As for her raft, Goliath, it was docked securely at the mouth of the conch harbor. It had an Invisibility function, but even without her actively using it, the system kept the raft in a semi-transparent state.
Any polluted creatures that slipped through were instinctively targeted and eliminated by the Bramble vines before they could even get near the shore.
Faye Yardley pulled herself away from the grueling battle and ran quickly back toward the raft.
She needed to summon the second batch of reserve teammates.
Even if they couldn’t join the battle immediately, it would be much more convenient to have them ready for substitutions.
Fighting her way back, it took Faye Yardley nearly twenty minutes to reach the raft. Once aboard, she didn’t hesitate, immediately using an Invitation Card to summon her reserve teammates.
She didn’t have time to say anything when they arrived. Instead, she thought for a moment, activated her All World Communication, and tried sending Invitation Cards through it. To her surprise, it actually worked.
Soon, the two people she invited, Bella Dillon and Mike, accepted and arrived.
"Miss Yardley, you called? Holy crap, look at all those freaks outside! Let me at ’em!" The big guy, Mike, was practically buzzing with excitement the moment he arrived. He saw the polluted creatures and immediately tried to charge out, only to be stopped by an invisible force from the system.
Faye Yardley quickly explained, "I’m in the middle of the Island Master quest, and I can only have ten people helping at a time. Wait here for a bit. I’m going to bring my injured friends back to the raft, and then you can rotate in."
Bella Dillon grew excited too. "Awesome! Let me be the first one to sub in!"
Mike stepped forward. "I should obviously be the first one!"
The other five newcomers glanced at each other but said nothing. They didn’t try to compete for the spot. Looking out at the sea beyond the raft, they knew their turn would come eventually.
Instead, they grew concerned about the condition of those who would be brought back injured. They began discussing the medical supplies they had brought and how best to treat the wounded.
Linda Shepherd walked over to greet Bella Dillon and Mike, pulling up a map. "Hi, I’m Linda Shepherd. It’s fine if you two want to go first. Here are the markers for the ten defense sectors. Whoever you’re replacing, you need to get to their sector as quickly as possible. Don’t go to the wrong one."
"Oh, you even have this." Bella Dillon thanked her. "Thanks, I’ve got it memorized. So this is Sector 1, right? To the left of the raft is Sector 2, and to the right is Sector 10?"
"Correct."
Mike studied the map for a moment before thanking her. "Appreciate it, ma’am."
Watching the holographic screen, Faye Yardley sprinted with all her might toward the area with the most severe injuries.
She avoided every fight she could. She absolutely could not let the people who came to help her get killed!
As she neared the most critical area, Sector 4, Faye Yardley shouted, "Kingston, get Alden back to the raft!"
Cole Kensington, who had ridden in on Bella to provide support, had the mount charge right up to Alden. He flicked out a grappling hook and snagged him. "Alden, stop fighting them! Let the rope pull you up!"
"I can still fight! I’m fine!"
The polluted creatures weren’t about to give them a break; the attacks never ceased.
Cole Kensington ignored him completely, tossed a Thunder Pill into the fray, and simply yanked him into the air.
He roughly hauled the man onto the back of his mount, regardless of his injuries, and galloped away from the island’s shore.
Faye Yardley immediately took over the defensive line, her blade, Light Wound, cutting down countless reckless pollutants that charged at her.
She was surprised to see that the person who came to relieve her was Bella Dillon.
"Faye, go take care of your business. I’ve got this."
She even revealed her true form—a silver-white Merfolk.
A single swing of her tail crushed a huge swath of them.
Her massive jaws, filled with menacingly sharp teeth, could kill a whole group in one bite.
So brutal!
Even Faye Yardley had to admit that Bella Dillon’s combat prowess was terrifyingly fierce.
Congratulations, Player Faye Yardley. You have survived the first wave of polluted creature attacks. The second wave will now begin.
’Only the second wave?’
Faye Yardley felt a headache coming on. The sea, already a dark, oppressive mass, was now taking on a reddish tint under the sun.
Her brow furrowed. ’If this gets any worse,’ Faye Yardley thought, ’maybe I should just call Nora Nash for help. I’m not sure she’d agree, but if I’m shameless enough, I might be able to trade some Talent Stones and Mysterious Fish for her assistance.’
The fact that the big guy, Mike, had come over so readily gave her a little confidence.
’If the injuries get too severe, I’ll have to bother Yvonne Lynch. A Healing Ability is not only rare but incredibly useful. I just hope her mother will let her come.’
Shaking off the thought, she raced toward Sector 6, where her brother was stationed.
Her brother was the one person who absolutely could not be in danger. She decided to swap him out first. His health status display had gone from green to yellow, and now it was flashing red.
That was just the first wave. The second had been announced, but the creatures hadn’t actually arrived yet.
Faye Yardley felt the difficulty of this island defense quest was a bit extreme.
’Perhaps this Island Master quest wasn’t meant for people at our current level.’
’I was too naive.’
But having come this far, Faye Yardley had no intention of backing down. There was nothing more to be said. It was time to fight!
Her heart gave a sudden, powerful beat, as if in support of her unwavering resolve.
When the reddish-black polluted creatures finally attacked, everyone felt the intensity ramp up—and not by just a little.
Gavin Donovan felt his spear wasn’t well-suited for this kind of wide-ranging battle. But if it wasn’t suitable, he would just have to create the right conditions himself!
Ethan Yardley lay on an open space on the raft next to two other injured defenders. His emotions were a complicated mess. ’Have I been slacking on my training?’
’But I’ve been pushing myself so hard! My personal Attributes are all over 20. It’s not 30, but it’s close.’
’Dammit!’
’Lying here uselessly at a time like this...’
Linda Shepherd warned Ethan Yardley as he tried to turn his head, "Don’t move. Your wound is deep. Bandages and Hemostatic Pills can only do so much."