Chapter 48: Last Ditch Effort!
Chapter 48
"ARGHHHHHHHHHHHH!" An ear-piercing scream erupted from Rina, shaking the very walls of the chamber as she stared in horror at the gravely injured Zen.
His body twitched with pain, and blood specks burst from his lips as he coughed uncontrollably for several seconds before his breathing steadied.
His vision was hazy, his eyes barely focusing as he caught sight of the brutal battle raging between the ogre boss and the battered duo of Erin and Jace.
"Zen, Zen, Zen! Are you okay?" Rina cried out frantically. She dashed to his side without hesitation, crouching low to examine his mangled arm. Her hands trembled as she reached toward him.
"Kuk! I swear, I feel like this world hates my arm." Zen managed a dry, broken chuckle, wincing in agony before coughing again.
"Let me see what I can do." Rina’s voice cracked, her eyes moist with worry. She rubbed her palms together in desperation, her hands glowing faintly white. Without hesitation, she pressed them over Zen’s battered body.
"Ah... that feels... warm." Zen muttered weakly, his eyes fluttering half-shut.
A translucent system screen appeared before him:
{HP: 15/45}
The bar inched upward, slowly refilling. But when it reached 22, it stopped abruptly. Zen’s gaze shifted to Rina, realizing the glow around her hands had vanished.
"No, no, no, no... my essence can’t be depleted, not now, not at this moment!" Rina’s voice cracked as she rubbed her palms together repeatedly. But the glow that had once radiated life now flickered weakly before fading completely.
"Don’t worry... you’ve really done enough already." Zen forced a strained smile, even as pain shot through his body. He tried to push himself up, groaning heavily, but his strength gave out.
Rina quickly supported him, helping him sit upright with his back resting against the cold wall. Together, they watched the chaos unfold.
’Not only am I useless in this fight, but this damn system refuses to give me any useful skill. If I had something good—anything other than soft touch, I could have stepped in, I could have made a difference.
But now? My weapon is destroyed, my arm mangled, and I’m reduced to nothing more than a spectator while my teammates gamble their lives against a monster that could end them at any second.’ Zen’s thoughts burned with frustration. His one good fist clenched tightly, veins bulging across his forearm as his teeth ground furiously together.
---
"What are you doing? I’m not done with you!" Erin roared, flipping through the air with remarkable agility, her heel aimed straight for the ogre’s head.
The beast, unfazed, casually lifted its massive hammer, preparing to swat her down like an insect. But Jace was already moving. His face was bloodied, crimson dripping steadily from the corner of his mouth as he hurled himself forward with reckless speed.
His blade glinted fiercely in the dim light as he thrust it into the ogre’s hand, piercing through thick skin. The strike forced the monster’s swing slightly off course, diverting the hammer’s crushing arc.
That fleeting opening was all Erin needed. She sprang from the hammer’s surface, her body twisting midair with breathtaking precision. Her momentum carried her forward, and her sword, now gleaming with frost, aimed unerringly for the ogre’s eye.
Jace, despite his battered state, held the hammer’s attention, gritting his teeth as he fought desperately to survive. Erin, meanwhile, was the spear meant to end it all. She narrowed her eyes, every muscle in her body coiled with lethal intent as she rocketed toward her target.
Yet something felt wrong. A strange, unnatural sensation crept across her skin.
’Wait! Why am I feeling a chill all of a sudden? That’s definitely not from me, so wh...’
Her thoughts were cut short as a crackling sound split the air. The noise was sharp and vicious, like the tearing of burning wood. Her eyes widened, flicking instinctively toward the sound.
Hovering directly beside her, as if it had spawned from nothing, was a blazing fireball the size of her torso.
’Shit! I thought it could only conjure fire through its hammer. But this?’ Panic thundered in her mind, her body frozen for a fraction of a heartbeat.
Before she could blink, the fireball slammed into her with devastating force, engulfing her in a scorching explosion that threw her backward violently.
Her body was flung through the air, part of her cloak scorched badly as crimson sprayed out, her body smashing into a nearby wall and denting it heavily.
"ERINNN!" Jace yelled, his voice breaking as he glanced at the young female who twitched on the ground. Her hands were slightly burnt, and she coughed out weakly, blood staining the corner of her lips.
That glance at her was his biggest mistake. The beast’s massive hammer was already descending from above, moving at full speed and aiming to pulverize him into the ground.
"You fool!" a voice shouted as someone leapt forth and slammed into Jace, shoving him out of the way. The two of them tumbled together across the floor just as the ogre’s gigantic weapon smashed into the ground.
BOOM!
The entire room shook as if an earthquake had just struck, dust and pebbles raining down from the ceiling. The two who had narrowly escaped death coughed violently, choking on the debris-filled air.
"Ka...Kael?" Jace muttered, struggling to push himself up, but his body betrayed him and he fell back onto his knees. Exhaustion weighed him down, blood dripping from his mouth and face as he clutched his chipped sword tightly with trembling hands.
"What do we do now?" Kael asked while helping Jace to his feet, his voice thick with desperation.
"I...I don’t know what to do. I thought by now help should have arrived, but it seems either I’m wrong or something must have gone terribly wrong." Jace muttered, his gaze dropping to his hands, which wouldn’t stop shaking.
"So what? Are we just going to die here?" Kael asked, gulping nervously, fear evident in his eyes.
"I...I..." Jace stuttered, his eyes sweeping the room. His gaze first landed on Aria, who stood frozen and useless in fear.
It moved again, pausing on Zen, gravely injured, his body sprawled on the ground as Rina desperately attended to him.
Jace’s eyes left them and shifted to Erin, who struggled to push herself upright. Her hands trembled violently, whether from unbearable pain or sheer exhaustion, he could not tell.
Finally, his gaze returned to himself. Battered. Bruised. Broken. His once neatly combed blonde hair was now a bloody, tangled mess. Red rivulets dripped from the wound on his head, sliding into his eyes and blurring his vision.
His sword was cracked and chipped beyond recognition. His arms shook, his grip unsteady, every nerve in his body screaming for him to collapse. Yet even in that state, his gaze rose to meet the towering figure of the ogre king, which still bore a mocking smirk.
With a heavy sigh, Jace clasped his trembling hand with his other and spat blood to the side. Despite his broken state, he grinned coldly at the beast.
"I brought you all here. That makes me the one who will take you all out. Safe and sound. That’s my promise." Jace said, his voice carrying a conviction that made Kael’s eyes widen.
Slowly, he began to limp toward the ogre, each step filled with defiance. The ogre tilted its head, almost confused by the audacity.
"Well, I’m with you every step of the way. Together, we’re getting everyone out of here." Kael said firmly as he swung his shield off his back. He tapped the center of it with a smirk, confidence blazing in his eyes.
"You have any essence left?" Jace asked without sparing him a glance.
"Enough for two, maybe three attacks. Why?" Kael responded quickly.
"Perfect. Go right, I’ll go left. When I say now, I want your shield in the air and headed for me. Let’s go!" Jace shouted, suddenly exploding into motion.
He dashed toward the beast’s left side, while Kael darted toward the right, their movements perfectly split as the battle with the ogre king reached its next desperate phase.