The Preying City

Mr. Collector looked behind him and observed everyone. After finalizing that everyone had made their preparation and their only member who wouldn't be participating in combat had moved back to a safer spot, he nodded to his two subordinates. The duo retrieved a big cauldron from the c.h.e.s.t and poured in dozens of ingredients.

Their actions were smooth and practiced. The contents boiled even without any fire or heat source. Thick green smoke began coming out of the cauldron and a strange smell spread out. Amelia began to feel a little apprehensive as she stared at the nefarious looking smog. Just as she was wondering if she should move further away, the taller subordinate waved his hand.

The green gases started spiraling around each other and moved back into the cauldron. This continued until the smoke which had almost turned cloudy filled the container to its brim. Just looking at the spectacle would give a normal person chills.

The shorter subordinate then lifted cauldron with ease and threw it towards the cave. Despite his small build, the power contained within his body was terrifying. The cauldron which easily weighed more than a dozen kilograms was flung almost 50 feet away.

Crash!

The cauldron made out of clay shattered upon impact, letting loose its harmful contents. The gas spread around like wildfire, clinging to every corner and crawling up the walls. Soon, it had taken up most of the cave's space and the excess gas made its way out.

Everyone watched in fascination as the giant cave was filled with smoke in less than a minute. Even for supernaturals like them, it was a rare sight.

Mr. Collector watched the entrance with seriousness and moved forward. The shabby robe he now had on began fluttering strongly despite the absence of wind. The loose strips of fabrics grew longer as they danced around like tentacles. Beneath the moonlight, it was a strangely enchanting and uneasy sight.

His subordinates moved just a beat slower and stood behind him. Their backs were ramrod straight and their gazes sharp. Their muscles tensed up, ready to take action at any moment.

Chaotic footsteps echoed out the cave. They were rushed and abnormally loud. The slight tremor in the ground gave the group a slight sense of how big their opponents were going to be.

Human like silhouettes grew larger on the screen made up of green smoke as the residents of the cave made a run for the exit. Their outlines grew clearer and darker as the distance between the two parties shrunk. Before long, the first troll blew through the green fog and stared at the unwelcome visitors.

Three other followed behind him shortly. They easily stood over four meters tall and were built like sturdy walls. Two long fangs protruded out their maxilla, giving them a sinister look. Grey and white fur covered their entire body. The trolls looked like giant humanoids with fangs and angry faces.

Mr. Collector calmly stared at the giants growling at him and issued orders. "I will take on the one closest to us, my subordinates will deal with another. I shall leave the other two to you ladies and gentlemen."

As soon as his words ended, his robe's tentacles grew dozens of meters long and headed for the trolls in tricky angles. His enemies were clearly unprepared as they split up hurriedly. The attack didn't hurt any of the four but he didn't mind. His goal was to separate the trolls and it had been achieved.

The two subordinates quickly closed in on the troll to the left. The tall subordinate waved his hand and his action was followed by a strong gust of wind. Dust and sand were blown towards the troll on the farthest left. Faced with the cheap attack, it covered its face with the back of its palm. The short subordinate took this opportunity to rush in and move behind his opponent. He retrieved a thick rope from under his robe and tied it around the troll's t.h.i.g.h.

Surprised, the giant looked down and found a thin string coiled around his t.h.i.g.h. The tiny man pulled on the other end and it tightened. Annoyed at the uncomfortable feeling, it tried to swat away the pesky little human. The man was nimble and he put some distance between them immediately. Ignoring the pest, he began pulling at the thread to snap it. But no matter how much he pulled it didn't snap or give way. In fact, it only seemed to squeeze him tighter.

"It will really snap if this goes on. Hurry up." Rudy watched Toby frantically dodge the giant hand as he spoke cheerily.

Toby directed a glare at his companion and shouted, "Give me a hand."

Rudy shrugged and did as he was told. Anymore playing around and both his companion and his master would be unhappy. He was a little exhausted from his previous work but he could go on. Mustering his powers one more time, he directed the green smoke that was slowly thinning out to gather together. A blob about half a meter wide formed under the influence of his ability and moved towards the troll chasing Toby.

Seeing the cloudlike green sphere approaching him, the troll wanted to dodge but it followed him as if it had a mind of its own. Annoyed, he slapped it away. The cloud dispersed only to congeal together and head in his direction one more time. Ignoring the thread that was still getting tighter, he tried to get away.

Toby exploded with power and pulled the free end of the rope. The troll hadn't expected the pest that was only running away to try and fight him. Surprised, he couldn't brace himself in time and was brought to his knees. Both his arms were on the ground and he could no longer deal with the green blob. He held his breath to try and not inhale the gas but under the influence of the taller subordinate, all his efforts were in vain as two green streams entered his nostrils.

The giant body overflowing with herculean strength slowly lost power as the troll couldn't even stand properly. His consciousness became fuzzy and he collapsed unable to put up anymore resistance.

The two subordinates were the first ones to complete the fight. Rudy took in deep breaths as he approached Toby who was raising a giant axe above the troll's head. Mustering all his strength, Toby brought down the axe. The sharp and heavy axe head whistled as it tore through the air with great speed. But even so, it failed to cut anymore than quarter of the neck. Toby let go of the handle and grasped it once more. He yanked with all his strength and pulled it out. The deep cut was already showing signs of clotting and if left alone, the troll would be completely healed in less than a minute.

"What frightening regenerative powers. No wonder master wanted their core blood even when he had to pay such a high price to Redwolf. I just hope Redwolf manages to hold back the special police till he said he would." Rudy stared at the large wound and spoke. He was out of strength and quite exhausted. Multiple usage of his powers had worn him out and he plopped down to the ground.

Toby hacked at the neck repeatedly and finally managed to behead the troll. He dropped the axe and gently massaged his palm. The work had been taxing and he needed to catch his breath. Beheading the monster turned out to be tougher than the entire fight. "Redwolf might have a terrible reputation but he always gets the job done. His pack is no joke. He accepted the job, he will see it through to the end. We only need to worry about collecting what we came for before the time ends."

The two sat beside each other and stared towards the others. Mr. Collector held the upper hand throughout the fight. The troll couldn't get close to him nor could it get away. He repressed the monster using nothing but his robe. In fact, he was extra careful not to use any of his abilities. If others figured out your powers and grade, they could be prepared to deal with you and the best way to stay safe would be to have as much cards in your hands as possible.

Mr. Grey and some others were dealing with the third troll. The experienced man was wielding a sawed off which he used to shoot every once in a while. His target was always the troll's face and he managed to land his hits even when the monster was on guard against him from the beginning. Mr. Grey was getting help from four others, each wielding different powers to keep the troll busy.

A man breathed fire at the giant every now and then, forcing the monster to retreat and cover up. Flames were highly effective against the troll as it had trouble regenerating burnt parts. Even so, the burns were but superficial injury to it. Two other men were using machetes and knives as they moved around the troll and kept it busy. Their enhanced physique allowed them to stay safe and even if they did get into a rough spot, the fire breathing man would come to their rescue. As for the last member of their team, she was a tall woman. She kept her distance silently muttered to herself in a hysteric manner. Every time she stopped her mumbling, the troll would freeze for a moment or two. The others would use this opportunity to inflict a serious injury on the troll. The team seemed to be doing well. They would eventually complete their work but the problem was that it might take longer than the time they had.

Despite the continuous injuries inflicted on it, the troll continued fighting and its wounds healed naturally. On top of their ridiculous healing prowess, their endurance was top notch and Rudy had no doubt that the team would run out of time unless they received some form of help.

"How does it look? Did you take note of everyone's abilities and performance?" Toby retrieved a giant cleaver and asked his companion. Rudy had been entrusted with the task of finding out about everyone's abilities by their master and he was curious about it as well.

"More or less. I have the general understanding of everyone present. The only problem is that Mr. Secret isn't making his moves at all."

"What do you mean?" Toby asked with a puzzled look on his face.

"Just what I said, he hasn't done anything at all." Rudy answered helplessly as he looked at the masked man who stood there watching while Big Joe, Mr. Eagle and his female companion fought the troll.