It was too quiet.
That was the cliché line in most corny suspense movies. But that was exactly the case here.
How had I allowed myself to be singled out like this? Let alone caught off guard again… I needed to be better…
I remained in the same spot, sensing the presence of three powerful beasts.
So, this was also a trap?
I heard the growl of a fierce monster, the hum and wingbeat of another, and the loosed breath of a more humanoid beast.
0800, 1200, and 1600…
I was surrounded.
Right then, a large claymore had been thrown from my 1600.
I sensed it and dodged, facing toward my 1800 now.
But the minute I did, the beast from my previous 1200 had launched itself at me, nearing feet away from swallowing me in its massive jaw.
Tyrannosaur… I thought as I glanced back, refusing to let my guard down from where I was already facing.
I threw a hand to the ground and launched myself as well, sending a kick upward to the Grade 1 beast's jaw.
Like clockwork, the one that threw the claymore appeared just as quickly, with a large, red fist charging at me.
I used my hands to push and spin me upward, causing my upside-down spinning kick to deflect the next beast's surprise attack.
Berserker… how quaint…
It had gray bristly hair and red skin. It was incredibly muscular, like it had been juicing on mana before evolving into such a thing. And the common trait with Berserkers aside from that was its shredded face, reminding all that it was a walking corpse.
I wondered what ability this one had…
But as I was still flipping in the air, I sensed a powerful mana output from my 0800.
My eyes darted toward it, but I couldn't dodge.
Fine… I'll take it.
The beam came, and the Berserker and Tyrannosaur jumped away as it struck me directly.
A powerful black blast enveloped this section of the forest, almost—if not stronger—than Havoc's Ecliptic Heaven's Shatter spell…
As the beam petered out, the three beasts watched as the smolders faded, leaving only a long, cindered path with me at the end of it.
"Guess there's a first for everything…" I said dreadfully as they watched my silhouette rise from the smoke.
This was definitely a controlled and preemptive strike. These three Grade 1 beasts—a Tyrannosaur, a Berserker, and…
When the third one hovered out from the shadows of the trees, it was like a large, mutated batlizard with massive membranous wings forged from darkness.
A Noctryss… Ryo's 'favorite'.
These three beasts never work together. But the fact they were the Grade 1's pitted against me, meant whoever was pulling the strings wanted me out of the picture first.
I emerged from the smoke, and my vantablack coating shrouded me from head to toe.
My fanged smile opened as I let out a diabolical laugh.
"Bring it the fuck on!"
I dashed forward as the Berserker and Tyrannosaur reacted just as quickly. They crossed each other—allowing the Berserker to grab the claymore it threw earlier—flanking me from opposite sides.
All the while, the Noctryss charged another powerful Dark magic beam.
I allowed them to arrive inches away from me as I spun, and met the Berserker with a fist and the Tyrannosaur with a kick to the snout, staggering them both in place for but a moment.
The Noctryss unleashed another beam just in time. I grabbed the Berserker's fist and used the force of my momentum to maneuver it to clash into the Tyrannosaur's side, continuing the motion until they were both in the path of the black beam.
But they were to be used for more than a block…
I stomped hard on the ground to position myself, pressure sending a pulse they could feel.
I reeled in my fist, and then surged it toward them. These were Grade 1 beasts, blessed with overwhelming power—the Tyrannosaur especially was my main target. For but a blink of a second, a painful memory shot through my mind involving the creature… This time… I would be these blessed creatures' curse.
My fist made impact and pushed them toward the beam, spreading it like black fireworks across the forest.
They kept on and on until they had finally met the Noctryss, colliding with it—all three beasts now plummeting against each other, backward at a devastating speed.
I bolted again as they flew past the trees, further—deeper into the dense boughs.
For I had a single goal: defeat these three before they could use more of their abilities.
The Noctryss was very ability reliant, so there was no escaping its usage here. But Dark magic wins in the game of attrition, so letting it use more of it would just put me at a disadvantage. Tyrannosaurs had Vibration magic, and could vibrate the air, cause earthquakes, or even shatter spells—even Jo would struggle to keep one completely frozen. And I had no idea what ability this specific Berserker had—or its magic weapon—but I wasn't here to find out. Nor was I here to play.
But by the fucking Keeper…
I couldn't help but smile.
When I caught up to them just as they slowed down, I dashed to the side and used the ground as a catapult to launch me like a missile to the Tyrannosaur's side.
I met it with a barrage of ruthless punches, striking its weak spots—its chest and lungs.
It clamped its jaws on me, using an innate spell, pulsing endlessly. A grasp like this would have exploded any other mage, but I grounded myself—recoiling the vibrations—which shattered its teeth.
I then grabbed its upper and lower jaw and ripped it in two with near to no effort, ending the beast at last.
One down.
Next, I sprinted to the Noctryss, standing atop it like it were some platform. It attempted to let out a sharp screech at my arrival, but I slammed its jaw shut with my boot, and forced my heel down, shifting all my weight onto it.
We crashed into the ground as its head splattered in a disfigured mess.
Two down.
And lastly…
The Berserker rose and took its claymore, swinging it toward me and the corpses of its monster comrades.
Both the Noctryss and Tyrannosaur faded simultaneously, their ether particles following the direction of the large blade.
The ashes hovered in the air until it merged and became one with it.
So, that's what it is…
Berserkers were notorious for three things: the unknown of which ability it had, the type of ability, and the ability of its magic weapon.
Its claymore morphed, enlarging in size, now twice the size of this thing's already staggering ten-foot-five height.
Its muscles bolstered as if it had given itself extra strength to wield the massive thing. It positioned the blade behind, and it hummed, emanating a dark aura from it all the while.
The strong pressure pulled me in as I witnessed its devastating build up—Absorption magic, and Strength Enhancement magic… sick combo…
The ground quaked and the air shocked with black lightning as the two abilities it absorbed—Vibration and Dark—began to protrude out, like they were fighting for dominance. One step was all it took to shatter the area and flutter debris upward.
I guessed now was as good a time as any to try something new. I always had a feeling I knew how to achieve Capitulation Tantra, the same as Daz—the same as Pride…
I felt it then when I lost control and forced that Apostle into submission. Though it was rough and I wasn't in control, I was still in the backseat.
Let's see if I could achieve this while I was the driver…
Stepping once, I craned my fist back with my other hand positioned under it. My eyes widened in focus, and I felt my aura rise. It was a different type of aura. Not one a normal mage naturally produces. No. This was pure pressure.
The ground beneath me cratered, and the air began to circulate around my fist, pulling in the Berserker, overpowering its own force.
The look on its skull face said it all when I did this.
Good. I wanted it to witness its defeat.
Like I had created my own force of gravity, it pulled closer to me, failing to resist. It's mana aura from its blade had begun to flicker, eventually snuffing out.
And once it was just over me, my aura pulsed, and the ground cratered even more.
"Now!"
The air stopped and the pressure began to lighten. All of a sudden, it was easier to breathe.
The Berserker stood over me like it was anticipating something big…
But nothing happened…
"I failed!" I shouted, excited at the achievement of nothing.
The Berserker used that as a signal to swing, and I returned the favor.
It leaned forward and its heavy swing crashed onto me; a loud and final boom echoed these now silent woodlands.
The quiet was always more deafening than the overstimulating noise.
Still, the Berserker lingered over me like it had won. But then…
Crack. Squish…
The sound of its bones and organs twisting on the inside.
From where it had swung down, the ground had protruded earth, clumping in piles of cubes.
And below, as it leaned in for that massive swing, I stood… with a fist lodged into its chest.
I closed my eyes as its purple insides poured over me like a waterfall; baptized in the blood of the beast. And the beast began to slump—arriving now at death's door.
It faded gradually as I remained entirely purple, but eventually that faded too, reverting me back to my natural pristine state.
"Three down," I said with a hint of rasp edged in my tone, solemn eyes its partner.
It faded quietly like ash as I stood there gathering my thoughts.
"Now where the hell did I end up?" I said to no one in particular.
But someone answered… and that voice…
"Where, you ask?"
My eyes darted to where I thought the voice came from, but it wasn't there. I looked every which way as it started sounding like echoes in every direction.
"Who are you!?"
Then from behind the originator of the voice appeared, spawning slowly from the ethers.
"Who do you think? You're the one who summoned me…"
When I turned around, a tempest of feelings flooded my mind as I beheld the individual. It was as if I was staring into a mirror.