Chapter 85: Zen is back!
Chapter 85
"ARGHHHH!" Vynn thundered as he kicked off from the ground, causing a massive crater to form beneath his feet. The lightning encasing his sword flared fiercely, crackling with violent sparks, and then with a clean, brutal slash, the B ranked boss’ claws were severed, falling to the ground with a small thud.
AWHOOOO!
The beast howled in pain, a guttural, spine-shaking cry as blood sprayed from its sliced-up claw. Vynn skidded to a halt, dirt and rubble scattering in his wake. His frown lingered, but the corner of his lips curved into a small, defiant smile as his sharp eyes stayed locked on the wounded beast in amusement.
"So you can get terribly injured? Glad to know, because..." Vynn lifted his sword, waving it through the air to flick off the beast’s blood, each crimson droplet scattering like rain under the moonlight.
"I’m about to make you terribly injured even more. Be prepared!" he roared, bolting forward like a thunderbolt towards the stunned beast.
Growl!
The beast snarled viciously, its massive form blurring as it leaped to the side. A loud bang rang out as its feet slammed against the ground, leaving cracks and tremors in its wake. Vynn skidded again, eyes darting as he tried to lock back onto his target.
Bang!
The beast moved again, this time zigzagging with terrifying speed, closing in on a still and focused Vynn.
’I only have a single chance with this skill. If I use it, my essence will be completely depleted. I need to calmly wait for the right moment before I strike,’ Vynn thought, gritting his teeth as he twisted and turned, desperately trying to track the beast’s erratic movements.
"Up above." He muttered sharply as his instincts screamed. He raised his sword over his head just in time.
With a resounding boom, the beast came crashing down from above like a falling meteor.
"Ugh!" Vynn groaned, his arms straining as he blocked. The strength behind the beast’s descent was so overwhelming that cracks began spreading across his sword. His hands and legs buckled, every muscle trembling as he fought to hold it back.
Then, with a swift spin, the beast swung its foot. Its sharp nails slashed into Vynn’s head, piercing deep and drawing a violent gush of blood. The impact sent him hurtling away like a ragdoll.
His body crashed and bounced roughly across the ground, each thud echoing painfully, before finally skidding to a brutal halt.
"Kuk!" Vynn coughed out blood, twitching weakly on the ground. Too weak to stand or even move, his head spun, his vision blurred, and his breathing became ragged as he bled profusely.
’Damn it! I’m getting too tired. How the hell is a B ranked beast so overwhelmingly strong? Even a squad of C ranked Reavers combined couldn’t take one down? It has to be its veil. That’s the reason. It’s making it faster and stronger than before,’ Vynn thought, struggling to push himself upright as the beast approached, each heavy step steady and merciless.
It leaned forward, ready to dash again, but before it could...
BOOOM!
A massive shockwave erupted, slamming into the beast and sending it skidding several feet away from Vynn. The ground shook as dust rose high into the air.
Within seconds, Jace descended, landing firmly in front of the battered young Reaver. His breathing was ragged, his body bruised and battered, yet his grip on his sword was unyielding, and his eyes burned even brighter, radiating cold fury at the beast.
BAM!
Another figure landed almost immediately behind the beast, the ground cracking beneath her.
It was Erin. And this time, her once emotionless face was gone, replaced by raw fury that burned violently in her eyes.
"Wow. The whole gang is here," Vynn groaned, forcing a grin as he finally pushed himself back to his feet, gripping his sword tightly as he wobbled into stance.
"Can you still fight?" Jace asked without looking back.
Vynn sighed, his voice weak but firm. "Got a little bit of essence left to use my only skill. After that, I’m done."
"Still good. Let’s make it w..." Jace started, but his words were drowned out by a deafening roar.
"Ice Veil: Cold Death!"
Erin’s voice thundered as she charged forward recklessly, her sword radiating a frosty mist that froze the air around her.
"Shit! We need to back her up now!" Jace barked, and instantly he bolted forward, water swirling wildly around his blade as he rushed to join her.
Since Erin was directly behind the beast, she reached it in a split second. Her sword swung forward, aiming for its head, but sensing the danger, the beast leaned back while one of its massive hands shot into the sword’s path, blocking the attack.
Clang!
The blade struck, sending ice particles swirling through the air. Frost spread across the beast’s arm, quickly encasing it. It was about to retaliate when Erin withdrew her blade with practiced speed and slashed diagonally.
The beast once again intercepted, its claws blocking, but this time it failed to notice that ice was spreading even faster over its hand.
"Water Veil: Wheel of Death!" Jace roared. He coughed out blood mid-call, but ignored the pain, leaping into the air with fierce resolve.
His sword carved a perfect arc, and in that instant, a massive wheel of water erupted forward, spinning violently as it tore through the air toward the beast.
Desperate, the creature thrust its ice-coated arm forward to block.
But the moment the wheel connected—CRACK!
The ice shattered. And with it, so did the beast’s arm, breaking apart like brittle shards of frozen glass.
The creature recoiled, stunned, staring in disbelief at the space where its arm once was. Left with only a single hand, it glanced between Jace and Erin, confusion flashing across its savage features.
"Come on! Let’s go harder!" Vynn thundered. In a burst of speed, he blitzed forward, reappearing in front of the beast in the blink of an eye. Without hesitation, he launched into the air and swung his sword down with all his strength, his aim locked firmly on its head.
But just as his blade was about to connect, the beast’s movements doubled in speed. With a sharp burst of power, it leapt back, avoiding the strike entirely.
BOOOM!
Vynn’s sword cleaved into the ground instead, sending dust, rock, and debris scattering violently. The earth cracked beneath the force, leaving a massive crater around him.
"Kuk!" He coughed blood, grimacing as the backlash of his own attack rattled his body.
"Where is it?!" Erin shouted, her blade still dripping with icy mist, her head snapping around frantically.
’Crap! I used that skill recklessly out of anger. Now I can’t call on it again for five minutes... and even then, I’ll only have one last usage left before my essence burns out,’ she thought, her eyes darting from side to side. Panic began creeping in as she twisted and turned, trying to sense the beast’s movements.
But none of them could track it. The beast had vanished once more, its speed amplified under its Veil. All three of them were left tense, breathless, confused, and afraid.
Until...
GROOOOWL!
The beast’s roar came from directly behind Erin.
Jace and Vynn spun around in alarm, but it was too late. The Lycan’s lone claw tore through the air at terrifying speed, its deadly trajectory aimed straight for Erin’s skull.
Her pupils dilated, her heart hammering violently.
’Shit! I didn’t sense it in time. Its Veil completely clouded my perception. Damn it... Is this the end for me?!’
"NOOOOO!"
The desperate, ear-piercing scream ripped through the battlefield, shattering the suffocating tension. Suddenly, a sound like breaking glass rang out across the entire area.
CRACK! CRACK!
In the blink of an eye, the Veil that had cloaked the battlefield receded, peeling back as if the world itself was tearing open. Vision cleared. The darkness dissolved.
But Erin had no time to celebrate. The beast’s claw was still inches away from splitting her head open—until...
"Soft Touch!"
A voice boomed, raw and commanding.
FWOOOSH!
Something shot through the air with blistering speed, whistling past Erin’s face so closely that it ruffled her hair. An object slammed into the beast with crushing impact, colliding with its chest.
BOOOOM!
The Lycan was lifted clean off its feet, its body launched back four meters before it crashed, tumbling and bouncing across the battlefield. The force was so immense that the ground split, deep fissures and cracks spreading wildly from each impact.
Dust filled the air. And when it cleared, everyone could see.
The battlefield was now visible without the beast’s veil, but more importantly, they could see the figure who had saved Erin.
"Zen?!"
They all gasped in unison, voices full of disbelief. Their comrade, the one who had gone off on a mission, had returned. But something was different about him now.
His eyes were pitch black. No whites. No iris. Just endless, consuming darkness.