Genshin Isekai With Homies [Ao3 Crosspost]

Chapter 9: Part XXIII - Trial by Fire Part 2

Felix shouts to his friends to ready up their stances again when a black claw, the size of a fist, pokes through the void. It rips open the rift as a snout, ash black, as large as his arms, sniffs through. A black wolf, nay, a mockery of a wolf, crashes out of the void and roars. A collection of a disembodied head as tall as a human's height dangling on a pair of baseball size paws glides toward them. Its eyes, deep purple in infinite hatred, lock on them.

"Black wolf..." Felix turns to Razor, growling and steadying his steel claw.

Black wolf, clearly abyssal magic, rift-void, the one in Razor's quest? Holy shit, the one that the local villagers fought and the Wolf King Andrius had to interfere? Rifthounds!?

But they were never implemented in the game???

Razor immediately pounces on it with his electro claw and Gui smacks his spear at it, but the beast dodges them with the flexibility of a snake and swipes in return with its deadly bony claws. They back out in time, but that rippling space before them, it's the same shaky feeling Felix saw Gui in Xiao's mask. This can't be good!

Felix tightens his grip on his sword and an arrow grazes his shoulders. A row of deeper growls surrounds him, Addy, and Klee. The hilichurls, they're back! He turns around and slashes at the incoming monsters, but darn, they're much tougher!

"Outta way!"

Addy stamps on the ground and a wall of stones flings the hilichurls away. Felix leaps across the geo wall, grabs the floating shard of elemental shield, and spears the dog's back, piercing its hide. It roars in pain and buckles like a rogue horse as he hangs on tight for James to whack the dog in icy blows. It howls again and tosses Bennett onto the blue guy before vanishes.

"Behind you!" Gui shouts as Felix rubs his head. Klee!

A black jaw lunges at her and Felix reaches for those little arms.

Snap!

"Argh!"

Klee huddles safely in Bennett's arms and Xiao guards them in time, parrying the physical claws. Unfortunately, the elemental claws echo through, gashing his chest. James runs right back and whacks its head away.

"You ok?" James yells back and dodges another blow.

Gui grabs this chance to stand up but falls back down.

"Stand back! I'll take care here," Felix declares and James nods. He and Razor carry the dog fight further away while Addy brings Klee out to trim the surrounding buffed hilichurls.

Felix takes out some sunsettia and goes to inspect Gui's wound. He kicks Felix away.

"Don't come near!"

Oi, Rude!— Purple stripes spring out of the wound like a hungry maw, missing Felix's face by a hair length. Gui pushes them back in and the purple veins creep further against Xiao's chest. Felix feels a burning on his hands and throws away his glove. It melted.

"...Corrosion..." Gui spits out, his face paling by the second.

Felix yells back at his crew.

"Guys, don't let the wolf touch you!"

"Oh my gosh, Thanks!" Addy blocks another claw.

"Klee! I need apple cider!" Felix yells. The child stops her bombing and rummages through her big backpack. Tears form in her eyes. There is none left.

"Addy!—" Felix is smashed by a mitachurl and Addy scrambles back from the wolf.

"Lupical!" Razor roars and attacks the wolf, but it blows him back with a sickening howl.