“Ethan, focus!” Cedric’s voice cut through the chaos, snapping Ethan back to the present.
Their battlefield was swarmed with a variety of formidable beasts—hulking bears, brute apes, serpentine creatures, Shadowfang Wolves, and several giant flying birds. Their roars and shrieks filled the air, mingling with the sounds of clashing steel and explosive magic.
Swish… Swish… The sharp, rhythmic sounds of arcane arrows whizzed through the air as Yona unleashed a barrage of explosive projectiles. Each arrow erupted in a burst of energy upon impact, scattering the enemy forces and leaving scorched ground in its wake.
Cedric, spear in hand, surged forward with a powerful thrust. His spear skills triggered a series of precise, deadly strikes, each one aimed to pierce through the ranks of the approaching beasts. The spear danced in his hands, a blur of motion as he carved through the enemy lines.
On the other hand, Marcus, with his greatsword raised, charged against a horde of giant apes alone.
Seeing Marcus’s madness, Ethan shook his head and followed behind him to ensure his safety if needed.
With a swift, fluid motion, Ethan swung his Dragonian Blade, effortlessly decapitating a few of the brute apes that charged at him. Their massive bodies crumpled to the ground as their severed heads rolled away, leaving a trail of blood in the dirt.
“Screech!” Suddenly, a giant raven, its feathers as dark as night, lunged at him from the sky. Its eyes glinted with a terrifying, predatory gleam, promising death.
Reacting quickly, Ethan extended his hand, channeling his power into the ground.
“Earth Manipulation!” he commanded, and thick, multilayered walls of solid earth erupted from the ground, forming a protective barrier between him and the raven. The enormous bird collided with the wall at full speed, the impact reducing the barrier to rubble. The force of the crash left the Raven dazed, its head wobbling as it tried to regain its focus.
Shaking off its dizziness, the Raven opened its beak, and a dark, ominous energy began to gather within its mouth. Ethan’s eyes widened—whatever it was preparing to unleash would be devastating.
“Shadow Step!” he muttered, and in an instant, he melted into the shadows cast by the crumbling walls, reappearing five meters away from the raven. He knew he couldn’t match the beast in raw physical strength, but he didn’t need to. He had other ways to outmaneuver it.
“Inferno Leap!” With a burst of fiery energy, Ethan launched himself into the air, leaving a trail of flames in his wake. His target was clear: the raven’s vulnerable head, while its still preparing to unleash its breath ability.
“Slice!” His blade cut through the air with deadly precision, and in one clean strike, the raven’s head was severed from its body. The massive, blood-soaked head thudded to the ground, its once menacing eyes now lifeless.
But as Ethan descended back to the ground, he noticed something disturbing. A demonic aura, dark and malevolent, began to seep from the Raven’s decapitated body, attempting to flee into the shadows.
“Where do you think you’re going?” Ethan grinned wickedly, his eyes narrowing to slits.
“Holy Purge!” he shouted, channeling holy energy from his sword. A brilliant burst of light erupted from the blade, washing over the demonic aura. The dark energy writhed and twisted in agony before it was completely purged, disintegrated by the holy power.
“Bang!”
Suddenly, before he could have a moment to rest, Ethan was directly hit by a Serpentine creature’s tail, sending him flying away, before falling onto the ground.
“Damn it all..” Frustrated, Ethan stood up, blood covering his lips. His body was also feeling the pain, but he focused to finish the creature off.
“Come!” He grinned, before charging forward while activating Azula Sword Strike.
The giant serpent, sensing the growing threat from Ethan, widened its jaws and exhaled a thick, eerie white mist. The mist quickly enveloped the area around Ethan, its chilling touch creeping along his skin. His instincts flared, recognizing the dangerous nature of the mist-it was trying to petrify him, to turn his body into cold, lifeless stone.
Ethan’s eyes narrowed, and he let out a low, disdainful scoff. “Hmph, trying to petrify me? You’re too slow for that.”
Before the mist could take full effect, Ethan moved with blinding speed, disappearing from within the fog like a shadow slipping through the cracks of light. In an instant, he reappeared beside the serpentine creature, his sword poised for a strike.
“Slash!” With a swift and powerful motion, Ethan’s blade cut through the serpent’s thick scales and flesh as if it were nothing more than butter. The massive serpent’s head was severed cleanly from its body, crashing heavily onto the ground with a dull thud, its lifeless eyes still open in shock.
Ethan wiped the blade clean, taking a quick survey of the battlefield. “Guys, are you handling things alright?” he called out, his voice carrying over the noise of the ongoing battle.
But there was no response. The clash of weapons, roars of beasts, and the shouts of his comrades filled the air, drowning out his words. It was clear they were too preoccupied with their own battles to reply.
Scanning the area, Ethan’s gaze fell on Marcus, who was locked in a fierce struggle with two giant apes. Marcus’s movements were frantic, his greatsword swinging wildly as he tried to fend off the powerful blows of the towering beasts. Sweat dripped from his brow, and there was a desperate, almost reckless determination in his eyes-one that concerned Ethan deeply.
“This guy…” Ethan muttered as he stepped forward, concerned about what Marcus might do in his heartbroken state during these difficult times.
***
Meanwhile, at the first line of defense, City Lord Longus and his allies had slain nearly 300 Obsidian Terrors, working in perfect coordination. Only a few of the nightmarish creatures remained on the battlefield, and victory seemed within their grasp. Smiles spread across their faces as they surveyed the piles of monster remains in blood soaked ground—each creature’s body a treasure trove of valuable materials.
“Brother, allow me, you should rest for a moment.” Aria’s uncle said to his brother.
“Alright… ” Aria’s father nodded and let Astrid take charge of his position.
The battlefield, now littered with the remains of slain beasts, felt as if it were on the verge of calm. The overwhelming presence of the Obsidian Terrors had been significantly diminished, thanks in large part to the relentless efforts of City Lord Longus and the other A-Rank powerhouses.
A few minutes passed, and the beasts’ numbers dwindled rapidly, far outpacing the human casualties.
[ Congratulations! You have leveled up.]
[ You have received 5 attribute points to distribute freely. ]
[ Current level: 18 ]
As Ethan received the familiar notification, he allowed himself a moment to rest. He had slain so many beasts that their corpses now formed a small mountain around him.
Despite that, It was frustrating that he couldn’t use Skill Absorption because of all the prying eyes nearby.
Clap, clap!
“Haha, well done, young man. You young people are the real hope of humanity,” a group of elderly veteran hunters cheered, clearly impressed by Ethan’s party’s performance.
Cedric scratched his head, a bit embarrassed. “Don’t exaggerate, seniors. It’s you who did most of the work.”
“Hahaha, is that so? It’s good to see you’re modest. The world is unpredictable, so always stay true to your nature,” an old man said, patting Cedric’s shoulder warmly.
“Young man, are you married? What do you think about my granddaughters?” An elderly woman proposed, eyeing towards two beautiful girls.
The girls blushed and took glances at Cedric from the corner of their eyes.
Cedric blushed at proposal, and replied, “Sorry madam, I have a girlfriend already.”
Ethan looked dumbfounded at the site. “Man, I did all the work. Where’s my praise?”
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