He looked up. The milky-white clouds were torn to shreds by the wings of the Scorpion-tailed Lions as the monsters dove down from their midst.

Only then did Colin get a complete look at his opponents.

The creature had a human face, with a mouth full of sharp fangs that stretched nearly to its ears.

Below the human face, its body resembled a lion’s, complete with a thick, reddish-brown mane. The pair of wings on its back were bat-like—or, to use the parlance of this world, dragon-like.

What was most striking, however, was their tail, which resembled a meteor hammer and was covered in barbed spikes.

The moment they revealed themselves, the Scorpion-tailed Lions beat their wings.

The force caused their bodies to crack like whips, slowly channeling all the momentum into the spiky tips of their tails.

CRACK!

A huge bang erupted, and a cloud of white mist instantly exploded in the sky.

Colin quickly raised his Shield.

THWACK, THWACK, THWACK!

Countless spikes shot toward them, and the sound of them burying into wooden planks filled his ears.

Colin himself was unharmed.

He glanced back at his companions whose shields had been struck.

The Scorpion-tailed Lions’ Bone Spikes had pierced straight through the Wooden Shields and were lodged firmly in place. Each spike was nearly the size of a Javelin.

"Damn it, this spike must weigh a few pounds at least."

"Can you get the spike out?"

"No, I can’t. The barbs are hooked in."

While the others argued, Kase lowered his Insect Shell Shield, nocked an arrow, and shot it at a Scorpion-tailed Lion in the sky.

But the monsters were flying dozens of meters up. They simply flapped their wings as the Arrow approached, blowing it aside. It was completely useless.

Colin wanted to strike back, too.

But the effective range of his Magic was even shorter than a Longbow’s. There was nothing he could do in this situation.

CRACK!

Another loud bang erupted. Colin quickly raised his Shield and huddled together with his companions. Kase, beside him, hadn’t let shooting his bow compromise his Defense. Their Shields were enough to form a shield wall, covering every angle.

The Bone Spikes rained down again like a torrential storm.

He heard the sound of wood shattering in front of him and felt splinters spray across his face. When he opened his eyes, he saw a Bone Spike had pierced through his Shield and was now hanging from it.

The change in the center of gravity made Colin’s arm feel much heavier.

’I think the Romans had a tactic for disabling enemy shields with javelins. Our defensive front is too wide; if one person’s Shield is taken out in this formation, the rest of us will be in danger.’

"Agh, my hand! Damn it, my hand!"

A scream of pain came from behind him.

The surrounding Shields shifted; the others must have pulled the wounded man into the center of the formation.

Colin glanced back. A Bone Spike had pierced an unlucky bastard’s Wooden Shield and skewered his hand.

"Damn it, I thought these so-called flying spikes would be no worse than throwing knives..."

"Shut up and keep your eyes on those damn flying beasts!"

The surrounding Adventurers all had ashen faces and wouldn’t stop complaining.

As the Scorpion-tailed Lions circled overhead, mocking taunts in voices that sounded eerily human came from all directions.

"Fools! Haha!"

"So many humans... So many fresh, juicy humans..."

"Cower! Cower like turtles in your pathetic wooden shells! Once I’ve turned your shields into pincushions, let’s see what you’ll use to protect that soft flesh of yours!"

Gasps and wails echoed around them. The Adventurers were now completely on the back foot.

The sound of rushing wind came from all directions.

The Scorpion-tailed Lions didn’t press the attack, instead just circling the shield formation.

Colin watched the monsters in the sky.

’This is the worst-case scenario.’

’The Scorpion-tailed Lions aren’t firing all their Bone Spikes at once. They’re just circling overhead, forcing us to keep our Shields up and draining our stamina. And many of us already have spikes weighing our Shields down.’

’The moment we can’t hold our Shields up any longer will be the moment they swoop in for the kill.’

Of course, Colin had anticipated this the moment he learned the Scorpion-tailed Lions possessed Intelligence.

While the others complained, Kase once again risked lowering his Shield to fire off an arrow. This time, the Arrow grazed the hide of a Scorpion-tailed Lion, leaving a crimson stain on its brown fur. 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

The Scorpion-tailed Lions immediately began to whip their tails.

The Half-Orc raised his Shield again.

Another volley of Bone Spikes flew, and the sound of them thudding into Wooden Shields rang out once more.

Kase complained, "There’s no way for us to fight back."

"These Bone Spikes are stuck all over our Shields! We can’t hold them up for much longer!" another Adventurer yelled.

"See? Told you so," said Hunter Glenn from his protected position in the center of the formation. "It’s not too late to turn back."

Another man shouted back, "Go back? Why don’t you go negotiate with those monsters and ask them to let us leave?"

As they argued, Colin spoke up quietly. "It’s not time to turn back yet. Haven’t you noticed? The monsters have stopped firing."

The other Mage asked, "What’s that supposed to mean?"

"They’re afraid of running out of Bone Spikes and being forced into close combat with us," Colin shouted. "Everyone, maintain formation and advance toward the Scorpion-tailed Lion nest! We need to keep provoking them!"

The words had barely left his mouth when a chorus of doubtful voices rose from the other Adventurers.

"Are you serious?"

"Look, pal, I feel I have to remind you, but we’re fucking cowering here like a bunch of goddamn turtles!"

’Independent Adventurers, just as I expected. They’re nothing like the obedient field personnel of the City Guard.’

Kase, standing nearby, shouted angrily, "If you turn back now, you’ll meet the same fate, and they’ll just attack you on your way down the mountain! Are you going to take a gamble for the Gold Coins, or are you going to scurry back home with your tails between your legs like dogs?"

The area fell silent.

"If there are no objections, then tend to the wounded as best you can and follow my lead," Colin added.

"Cover me, gentlemen," Orelia chimed in.

’I don’t even have to look back to know the expressions on their faces. They’re not likely to trust a Tiefling so easily.’

Fortunately, their lives were on the line.

That, at least, was enough to suppress their racial prejudices.

The surrounding Adventurers moved to protect the wounded, closing the gap Orelia had left.

After the splinters were cleared from the wound, the light of a Divine Art flashed for a moment, and the wounded man’s cries of pain gradually subsided.

"Follow me."

Shield held high, Colin started walking toward the Scorpion-tailed Lions’ nest. Kase and Orelia immediately flanked him, one on his left and one on his right. Seeing this, the other Adventurers silently fell into formation around them.

This group had never trained together.

Holding the shields in place was one thing, but as soon as they began to move, gaps started appearing all over the shield wall.

The shadows of the Scorpion-tailed Lions slid across the ground, and the constant thrum of their flapping wings filled the air.

"Remember to cover me in a moment, Kase," Colin said in a low voice.