SSS-Ranked Trash Hero: I Was Scammed Into Being Summoned-Chapter 85: The Hidden Center

The courtyard was dark when they moved out. Ollen had kept the torches minimal, just enough to navigate the path to the eastern edge without tripping.

Too much light too early and the swarms would orient toward them before they reached their positions. Lena had suggested that and Ollen had agreed without needing it explained twice.

No one spoke.

The guards and mercenaries moved with the steady pace of people who had done this many times before.

The only sound was the crunch of gravel under their boots in the dark.

When they reached a fork in the path, the group split up without a word. Dren and two guards headed north.

Tok and two others kept going straight toward the center. Skall and the last two guards turned south.

Lena went with Tok’s group.

She didn’t stay for long.

Once she had the layout of the center position in her head she moved north toward Dren’s group, keeping to the edge of the path where the grass was shorter.

The growth pressed in on her right side, dark and dense.

She reached Dren’s position and settled into place behind the line just as the sound started.

A low, steady dragging sound came from the left side of the growth. The guards heard it and shifted their weight, getting ready. Dren didn’t say anything. He already had his sword off his back and held it low at his side.

The swarm came out fast. There were many more than the night before. Their pale bodies showed up clearly in the moonlight as they rushed out of the tall growth and spread out, attacking the line before the guards were fully ready.

Dren moved first. He didn’t wait for them to reach him. He stepped forward and swung his heavy blade in a wide circle, clearing a space with a single hit. He didn’t bother with being precise; he just killed as many as he could at once. Worms died in groups, but more kept coming from behind.

The guards held the sides. Cael, the guard with bone ridges on his arms, worked the right side with short, quick stabs. Even though he had been bitten earlier, he didn’t seem to feel it.

The swarm pushed hard, but the line held.

Lena stood back and watched the whole group of worm. She didn’t focus on the ones dying at the front. Instead, she watched how the entire mass moved and where it was weakest. When the pressure finally eased and the worms started to pull away, she watched exactly where they went.

They headed north-northeast, moving into the thick growth at a slight angle to the right.

Lena memorized the direction and moved.

The center was already under attack when Lena arrived. Tok’s group had been hit while she was busy at the northern point.

Tok fought differently than Dren. He stayed low to the ground and moved right into the middle of the swarm. He used short, fast strikes, and his wrapped fists crushed the worms instead of knocking them away.

He kept a four-foot circle clear around himself. Anything that stepped into that circle died. The guards stayed behind him and held the rest of the line. It worked just as well as Dren’s method.

Lena watched from the side and waited. When the monsters finally retreated, it was harder to see their path. The trees were thicker here, and the creatures scattered as they ran into the dark. Still, the main group moved south-southeast.

Lena noted the direction in her head. She had two points now. She just needed the third.

She turned and headed south.

On her way to the southern position, Lena heard someone walking beside her.

She didn’t reach for her weapon. She had heard him coming from a distance and knew he wasn’t trying to sneak up on her. She kept moving and said nothing.

Skall caught up and walked right next to her. He didn’t speak or look at her. He moved silently and matched her pace exactly. They walked together through the dark for about thirty seconds in total silence.

Then, he turned toward the southern position and left without saying a word or looking back.

Lena kept walking. She thought about him for a few seconds, then stopped. she didn’t have time to be distracted.

The southern spot was quieter than the others. Skall’s group was still waiting when Lena arrived. They stood still, watching the trees.

The swarm showed up ten minutes later. It was the smallest group yet, much smaller than the one from the night before. Skall’s group handled it easily. Skall didn’t waste any movement. He was fast and quiet, hitting exactly where he needed to.

When the worms finally ran away, their path was the easiest to see. There was a natural gap between the trees, and the swarm ran straight through it in a tight line. They headed east-northeast, moving deep into the woods without stopping.

Lena stood there after the last one disappeared. She had three different directions now. She compared the angles in her head, accounting for where each group had been standing. The lines didn’t meet at a single perfect point, but they were close.

The source was deep in the eastern woods, further than any of Ollen’s men had ever gone. Now she knew exactly where it was.

The groups met back at the secondary line an hour before sunrise. Everyone was exhausted. There were a few minor injuries; Cael had a new bite on his other arm that he didn’t mention, and another guard had a cut on his jaw. No one was badly hurt, but no one was in a good mood.

Tok sat on a post and tightly rewrapped his hand. Dren wiped his sword with a cloth and stayed silent. Skall stood away from the group, staring at nothing.

Ollen walked up to Lena. He didn’t ask any questions. He just looked out at the dark woods and waited.

Lena stared at the growth for a long time. She went over the three directions in her head one more time. The spot where they met was clear to her now. She knew exactly where she needed to go.

"Get some rest," she said. "I’m going in an hour."