With the thirty percent boost in his speed, Zenon moved like a golden streak amidst the monsters.
The giant grey monster, Malakai, stood at the top of the trash heap like a king on a throne of filth. It didn't move. It watched with purple, glowing eyes, curious to see the human struggle. Surrounding the pile were thirty more silt-reapers, their red scales clicking as they hissed at the intruder.
[Swordsmanship boon: 49 seconds remaining]
"Too many," Zenon whispered.
The nearest monster didn't even have time to raise its claws. Zenon drifted past it, his ceremonial sword blurring against it.
The monster's head didn't fly off immediately; it stayed on for a second and slowly fell off its body. The creature collapsed into the mud without a sound.
[Kill! SP +40]
Zenon didn't stop to look. He was already in the middle of three more. One lunged low, trying to sweep his legs. Zenon hopped over the red arm, his boots barely touching the creature's shoulder, and thrust his blade downward.
The blade found the soft tissue at the base of the monster's skull.
[Kill! SP +50]
[Swordsmanship boon: 40 seconds remaining]
Zenon felt the fire in his blood growing hotter. Every kill made his mind sharper. He could see the movements of the monsters clearly now.
Five monsters rushed him at once, a wall of red scales and black teeth.
Zenon didn't retreat. He lunged into the center of the group, his body twisting like a dancer's.
Ting. Ting-ting. Ting.
Four rapid-fire thrusts sounded like breaking glass.
Four monsters fell. The fifth one froze, its claw inches from Zenon's face. Zenon didn't even use his sword; instead, he grabbed the monster's scaly wrist and twisted it with a sharp jerk, using its own weight to slam it into a jagged piece of rusted metal sticking out of the trash pile.
[Triple kill! SP +150]
[Swordsmanship boon: 25 seconds remaining]
Zenon stood in the center of a circle of corpses. His chest was burning, and sweat mixed with black blood ran down his forehead. He looked up at the top of the pile.
There were still a few monsters before Malakai.
"They aren't going to kill themselves, are they?" He smirked.
At this point, he was already enjoying the thrill of winning and killing. He gazed at the remaining monsters, already looking for ways to kill them.
[Time's up]
[Blood rush is no longer effective]
Like he cared. He already understood how the Flowing Water skill worked and was almost flawless with it.
A few monsters before the big boss shouldn't be a problem. Then again, he had almost forgotten his HP.
He summoned the system and checked it.
[HP: 500/100]
"Still good to go."
With that, he charged at the monsters at full speed and they did the same.
Zenon didn't have the magical speed of the Blood Rush anymore, but his movements didn't slow down. If anything, they became more purposeful. Without the artificial heat in his veins, he could feel the grit of the dump and the weight of the air.
He was a Mortal again, but a Mortal who had finally remembered how to dance with death.
The remaining six silt-reapers didn't hesitate. They saw the golden glow fade from his skin and thought the predator had become prey again.
The first one lunged, its mouth open wide to reveal rows of black, hooked teeth. Zenon stepped into the monster's reach, shoulder-checking its chest to throw off its balance, and drove the ceremonial blade into the soft spot under its jaw.
Squish.
[Kill! SP +40]
He didn't pull the blade out. Instead, he kicked the dying monster's body toward two others that were rushing him. They tripped over their fallen comrade, and Zenon was on them in a heartbeat.
Ting. Ting.
Two precise strikes to the centers of their foreheads. The impact went straight through their skulls, liquefying their brains instantly. They dropped like stones.
[Double kill! SP +80]
"Three left," Zenon muttered. He could feel the Warden's purple gaze burning into his back, but he ignored it.
The last three monsters were smarter. They didn't lunge blindly. They spread out, trying to pin him against a wall of spoiled carriage parts. One hissed and kicked a jagged piece of wood at Zenon's head.
Zenon tilted his head just enough to let it whistle past his ear. He didn't wait for the next throw. He sprinted toward the middle one, sliding low through the mud. As he slid, he slashed the backs of the monster's ankles.
The creature collapsed with a gurgle. Zenon popped up behind the other two. Before they could turn, he grabbed their heads and slammed them together. The sound of cracking scales filled the air. He finished them with two quick thrusts to the chest.
[Triple kill! SP +120]
[Total SP earned: 480]
[Bank: 10/10 slots filled (Max capacity)]
Silence fell over the dump, broken only by the crackle of the distant fire and the heavy breathing of a prince covered in black gore.
Zenon stood up straight, wiping a streak of blood from his cheek. He looked at his ceremonial sword. It was chipped, the gold plating was peeling, and it looked ready to snap.
"Alright," Zenon said, looking up at the top of the trash pile. "No more distractions."
At that moment, a loud roar echoed across the ruins, sending tremors through the dump.
Malakai raised its massive, rusted meat cleaver. Green acid dripped from the blade, melting the trash beneath its feet as it stared at Zenon with hatred and malice.
The Galaxy Online chat linked to Zenon's fight scene had increased in views a few minutes ago and now it was pumping with countless messages and reactions.
[User 444 loves you]
[User LazyGoat is impressed with your fighting skills]
[User WhoKnows trusts you to kill the Warden]
And much more...
[Galaxy Online chat]
User {BlackDarkness}: "He is going to die. I am just sure of it."
User {ElfQueen234}: "Kill him, human!!!!!"
Malakai roared and immediately something felt wrong. At the last minute, Zenon remembered he was at a great risk since he didn't have a direct supernatural skill.
"Damn it!"
[Malakai has activated his skill — Gravity well]
[Effect: Everyone within fifteen meters movement speed reduced by 70%]
"Oh... biscuits."