"What do we do now, Nina?" Keil asked grimly.
At this point, all of the males had unconsciously begun treating Nina as the center of the group—their anchor in the darkness.
"Stay close to me," Nina instructed calmly. "No one separates. Keep your shields activated at all times."
She handed the powerful explosive weapons she had used earlier to Aviel, Idir, Keil, and the others, quickly explaining how to operate them.
"We'll each guard a different direction. The moment those creatures open their mouths, throw the weapons straight inside."
After observing the creatures, Nina realized their bodies were incredibly durable. She was not confident that the explosives would kill them if thrown externally. Their mouths, however, were clearly a weak point.
"Understood."
The males immediately moved into formation.
Nina's vines remained wrapped around all of them, connecting the group together like lifelines.
