The spear blitzed past his left ear before Dean's head finished moving.
He noticed immediately that the spear wasn't directly meant for him. Much to his relief.
His mind suddenly riled up. If the spear wasn't aimed at him then what?
Turning. He saw a creature or whatever was left of it on the floor. Its body was pinned into the dark flow by the blood-red spear.
He'd missed this creature when he was distracted. This was a wake up call that seeing in all directions didn't necessarily mean, he wouldn't need to be concentrated.
'Damn,' Dean thought 'That could have been me.'
The creature on the floor looked like a shadow with physical attributes.
Most of its body was obscured with fuzzy black steam that was dissolving fast.
Dean stared at it for a second with hermit's eyes granting him a clearer outline as if it was zooming in on the creature.
Then he heard the click of a tongue from behind.
The culprit was standing on a boulder about five meters high, with her umbrella still open and her body straightened.
She wore black cotton gown with a red pendant hanging on her neck, gleaming like fresh blood behind the umbrella.
She stared down on the dead creature with a look of disappointment as if she hadn't killed it, the way she wanted.
"Tsk.. a few inches off."
Hearing this, Dean looked at the creature and noticed the spear had missed the creature's head by about 10-12 inches.
'if she had been aiming at me,' he thought, 'i'd already be done for.'
The thought made him shiver slightly.
Before Dean could process his situation. More of the shadow creatures began to arise slowly from the ground around him.
Before Dean decided on a method of approach or even the system assessing the threat level. A flurry of red spears about five meters long perched over head.
They descended in rapid succession hitting the ground in front of each creature.
The impact sent tremors through the black ground as cracks spread like veins across the floor with each entry point.
Two of the creatures dissolved instantly as the other two that the spears missed. Escaped into the ground without turning back.
While all this happened, a single spear didn't come close to Dean.
He looked a bit dumbfounded before regaining his composure as he turned towards her.
Seeing him staring, she raised her umbrella slightly just enough to reveal her face properly for the first time.
Her hair was red with same shade as her pendant and her eyes.
Her expression was composed with a smile of mild amusement on her red lips.
But behind it all. Dean felt like it was a mask. Like a front or a persona.
He'd seen something like this before. Hell, he'd done something like this in his early days as a professional fighter. It was like adapting a persona.
"Liar," a soft and charming voice pulled Dean in her direction.
'Liar?' Dean thought with a brow raised.
"I don't even know you," Dean said with a calm voice trying not to over think.
"I am number one," Astrea said as she brought her umbrella down to cover her face.
"Ohh…" Dean voiced half-heartedly, recalling the name as he continued. "Thanks for the save."
Astrea's lips curled into a playful almost sadistic smile.
"Be grateful, you're fun."
"Fun?" Dean blurted while he cocked his head to the side.
Astrea chuckled softly as she descended from the boulder.
She took a few steps forward when she suddenly paused. Her grip on the umbrella tightened.
"Is something the matter? Miss-" the vampire without the umbrella that followed Astrea showed herself immediately she felt her discomfort.
Dean was about to say something, when he felt it.
The air suddenly felt heavier with pressure for the second time since meeting Leona.
Unlike Leona that made you feel like an ant. This one made you feel like you had stepped into the wrong place.
The slime on Dean's shoulder suddenly began glowing.
A loud bang resonated around the area as the ground ahead of Dean began to crack open.
The cracked line spread about 20 meters in all direction as the dark ground split open.
From the split, a creature came out like a titan.
The system's screen flew into Dean's vision before he could request for it.
[Threat Detected]
[Species: Mag-Titan ]
[Classification: Ascended - High]
[Recommended approach: Run!]
Dean looked at the system's final words then looked to the creature that was casting a long and imposing shadow over everything.
It was Ascended. And not just Ascended but High tier for that matter.
'Thats a step from sovereign Class,' he thought even as his fingers began vibrating on their own.
"I am only Aspirant Tier 10," Dean spoke in a hushed tone.
"What the fuck is this?"
The creature now fully emerged came into full view. Its body was plated with what looked like volcanic rocked fused with flesh.
The edges of the plates glowed red like heat was lived within the cracks
Its clawed forearms hit the ground as it moved toward leaving deep gouges on the ground.
It didn't move immediately to attack but kept its eyes on them.
Dean saw this and didn't hope to antagonize it. He was backing off slowly with his familiars when a Red spear flew past.
Astrea had created a spear at blinding speed towards the joint of the creature where its defensive plates were the weakest.
The plating deflected the spear easily as it shatter against the surface as the impact left a crack below the creature's feet but not on the creature itself.
"Tsk," Dean lamented as he moved to retreat as the Mag-Titan raised its hand that slammed towards the ground between them.
Dean who was in the process of retreating suddenly felt like time wasn't on his side.
The sheer size of the Titan's hand placed him in a disadvantage.
But the slime wasn't having any of it. It launched forward using flight to intercept the forearm.
As it moved. It spread, expanding its body to surround the arm of the Titan in its rainbow gelatinous form.
It intercepted the forearm's contact with the ground absorbing the impact across its entire surface.
The force, although cushioned drove it downward as the slime compressed after hitting the ground, and was sent towards Dean and Astrea.
The momentum sent Dean sliding back while Astrea didn't flinch.
Dean caught the slime that had shrunk on its way back
[Familiar 3: IMU Activated]
[Slot 4: Volcanic plating]
[Source: Mag-Titan,]
[Method: Impact absorption]
[Grade: C - evolving]
Dean was barely wrapping his head around what just happened when another notification appeared.
[NOTE: Slot 2 evolution complete]
[Skill- Impact Recoil]
[Source: Silver-scaled armadillo]
[Grade - C]
[All slots filled]
Dean blinked at the screens. Those upgrades couldn't have came at a better time.
Though all four slots were filled, there was maybe a chance now. To stay alive at the very least.
He looked at the slime who was now hovering in front of him with its body changing.
Underneath, it's gelatinous form, the volcanic plate were already forming as it copied the Titan's physique on impact.
Pulling its forearms back. The Mag-Titan released a powerful heat wave that washed around the area in all directions.
The dark rocks around began to glow orange as if they were touched by the sun.
With the wave attack coming towards Dean. He had channeled gale breath but before he could try his futile attempt.
The slime expanded again and formed a blockade around Dean, Astrea and the other vampire.
Dean watched as the Heat blasted the slime's surface but the plates underneath prevented it from passing through.
Watching the platings underneath the slime's surface shifting. Dean knew it was time for offence with the goal being a diversion for retreat.
He was pulling his tanto from its scabbard when the girl with pale white skin walked beside him with umbrella still covering her.
"That thing is at least Ascended class," she said with a focused expression even as blood bubbled around her open palm.
"I know," Dean said with the tanto fully drawn as he channeled the Night domain skill. Waiting for the right time, with eyes that seemed more confident than worried.
Astrea looking at his eyes spoke again.
"You're nowhere near that level," she exclaimed. Trying to understand his confidence.
"I know," Dean answered simply.
"So what do we do?" she asked as the orb in her open palm thickened.
Looking at the Wind sprite and then the slime.
He smirked as his grip on the tanto tightened.
"We wait." Dean said as he looked directly into Astrea's eyes underneath the massive shadow of the Titan.