Nina darted aside just in time. Vines burst from the earth at her command, whipping around the mutated beasts and tightening in an attempt to restrain them. But her rank was still too low—the creatures tore through the vines within moments.
She couldn't overpower them head-on.
Then she would have to fight smart.
Seizing an opening, Nina lashed a vine around the horn of one charging beast and yanked hard, using the tension to vault onto its back. As other mutated beasts lunged toward her, she repeated the maneuver—springing from one beast to another at the last possible instant.
The attacks meant for her instead slammed into the beast she had just abandoned, killing it in a frenzy of friendly fire.
After several such exchanges, the mutated beasts grew wary. They stopped attacking blindly and began circling, waiting for the right moment.
