Lucin narrowed his eyes. “It’s time to finish this.” With swift precision, he ran toward Banny, tightening his fiery whips. Two lashed around Banny’s legs, one coiled around his remaining arm, and the final whip encircled his neck. Banny strained against the bonds, grabbing for the nearest whip, but Lucin allowed no room for escape. With a surge of strength, Lucin slammed him down, the impact sending shockwaves through the ground. Not letting up, Lucin lifted Banny again and hurled him against the dome’s walls. The walls cracked and crumbled with each collision, blood seeping from Banny’s mouth as Lucin swung him repeatedly, battering him without mercy. In one final motion, Lucin charged to the dome’s center, spinning Banny in a whirlwind, his body colliding with the ground in a brutal 360-degree arc. The momentum forced Banny’s impact to disturb even Vondrel and Clinton’s ongoing fight. With a final throw, Lucin flung Banny high into the air, flames erupting from his own body as
… Back to the Present … “I didn’t forget,” Vondrel said, catching his breath. “He’ll survive. He’ll just be out of action for a day or two. Don’t forget their regenerative trait.” He moved to sit beside Lucin, both taking a moment to gather their energy. They barely had a chance to rest, though, as they noticed the soldiers around them drawing their weapons, prepared to strike down anyone who had dared to take out their leaders. Suddenly, a streak of pink light burst towards them at incredible speed. “Boom!” An explosion rocked the area, and Vondrel and Lucin barely escaped its blast. Both leaped out of the way just in time, but neither escaped unscathed. “Damn!” Lucin grimaced, wincing in pain. “It went right through me! My whole body feels numb, even with my Ki shield up.” Vondrel had taken the brunt of the blast. On one knee, fists clenched, he fought to regain control. “My insides… they feel like they’re on fire. What was that?” “Are you alright?” Lucin asked, eyeing
Tamar chuckled, her eyes flashing with amusement. She pointed a finger at Vondrel, releasing a bolt of pink lightning. Instinctively, Vondrel stomped the ground, summoning an earthen wall to shield himself. But as the lightning struck, it didn’t shatter or even stop at the wall—it phased through, passing effortlessly and hitting him square in the chest. A jolt of electricity surged through his body, leaving his muscles numb and his movements sluggish. What kind of power is this? he thought, struggling to comprehend the strange energy weakening him so profoundly. His thoughts raced, trying to analyze the effect, but Tamar's mocking voice cut through. “Did you really think an earth wall would stop my lightning?” she taunted. But before she could press her advantage, a gleaming white and gold slash streaked toward her face. Tamar barely managed to dodge, jumping back just in time to avoid the strike. “Oh, so tricky,” she muttered, regaining her stance as Vondrel charged at her. His
Amidst his desperate struggle to break free from Tamar's unrelenting grip, Vondrel glanced toward Lucin. He hoped his ally was faring better, but his heart sank. Lucin was locked in a relentless battle with the storm of pink lightning. The more he destroyed them, the stronger they seemed to grow, as though they were alive and adapting. It wouldn’t take long before Lucin was overwhelmed. “I could kill you right now,” Tamar said, her voice laced with mockery, “but you still worry about your pal over there. Don’t fret. He’ll join you soon enough. But first, I’ll teach you not to annoy a beauty like me again.” Her grip on Vondrel’s neck tightened, and the crackling pink lightning surged through his body with even greater intensity. Pain racked every inch of his being, his muscles convulsing uncontrollably. His vision blurred, and his body screamed for release. --- (Acquisition begins. Everything comes with a price.) (1%, 2%, 5%, 8%, 20%...) (Stay under the effect of the lightning to
"Here it comes," Vondrel muttered as he braced himself, closing his eyes tightly.Lucin, standing nearby, saw the impending danger and attempted to intervene, but a barrage of dark pink lightning bolts surged toward him with intensified ferocity, keeping him at bay. The crackling bolts illuminated the darkened skies before crashing into Vondrel's position. A deafening explosion erupted, sending shockwaves rippling outward and obliterating everything within the vicinity.As the lightning struck Vondrel, the temporal protective garment shielding him disintegrated in an instant, along with all the summoned energies and auras surrounding him. His defenses shattered, leaving him entirely exposed. Vondrel's eyes shot open in shock, and an agonizing scream tore from his throat."AHHHHHH!" His voice echoed through the chaos as his body convulsed violently under the relentless assault. The once impenetrable skin that marked his resilience began to sear and crack under the bolts’ scorching inte
Rad pursued Tamar with relentless determination, his every step sending tremors through the ground. As he stomped, chunks of earth surged beneath him, propelling him forward. With his massive axe in hand, he closed the gap and swung downward, aiming to crush her. Tamar sidestepped the blow with ease, her movements fluid and precise. Rad wasted no time. Before she could counter, jagged spikes erupted from the ground, shooting at her from all angles. The barrage was relentless, leaving her no room to rest. Tamar’s reflexes were remarkable, her lithe form twisting and turning to avoid the deadly spikes. But her challenge multiplied as Lucin joined the assault. From a distance, Lucin launched fireballs, fiery bombs, and blazing whips that arced through the air. The combined assault forced Tamar to split her focus, dodging the spikes while deflecting the fire attacks. Rad seized the opportunity, clenching his twin axes together. With a low growl, he forced the weapons to fuse, their
The battlefield was silent, the tension finally dissipating as everyone let out breaths they didn’t realize they were holding. The storm clouds above cleared, revealing the crimson hues of dusk. The only sounds were the faint crackling of residual lightning and the groans of the injured."Did she really leave us alone just because of him? And what was that message she mentioned?" Rad muttered under his breath, his gaze shifting to Vondrel, who stood at the epicenter of it all."I guess someone has finally managed to get on the good side of that dangerous beauty," Lucin quipped with a wry smile, casting a sidelong glance at Vondrel.But Vondrel didn’t respond. His knees buckled, and he collapsed to the ground, utterly spent. His breaths came in ragged gasps, his body drenched in sweat. Lucin, too, sank to the floor, leaning back against a shattered rock as he stared up at the now-clear sky.Rad, however, remained standing, his piercing gaze fixed on Vondrel. The weight of his unspoken
The harsh wind howled across the endless expanse of sand, grains swirling in chaotic patterns. Four figures trudged onward, their forms battered and smeared with dust and the dark blood of beasts they had fought. Every step felt heavier than the last, the blazing sun overhead casting wavering heat mirages across the sandy wasteland. “The closer we get to the hyper-tier snail, the fiercer and more coordinated these beasts become,” Timmy said, his voice tinged with both awe and exhaustion. “And let’s not forget, none of these creatures even come close to the snail in terms of tier or power,” added Noah grimly. “What annoys me the most is their teamwork. It’s as if they have a collective consciousness,” Sam muttered, his voice low. Their conversation lapsed into silence as the group pressed forward, the crunch of their boots on sand the only sound. After a while, Sam broke the silence, his tone cautious. “Can we really defeat a hyper-tier beast if it comes to it?” The words h