The monster-Eldritch hybrid executed Tezka’s tier five Chaos magic spell, Hungry Void. Normally it would’ve been impossible to weave such a powerful spell so fast, but the wargs mind link allowed the Abominations to use the fleeing monsters as catalysts.
Each one of them cast a small part of Hungry Void, leaving to Tezka only assembling and harnessing its energy. A black sphere materialized in front of the hybrid, clashing against Lith’s spells with such strength to make the ground tremble.
Lith didn’t like this turn of the events, but everything was still within his expectations. He believed that just like the warrior he had previously defeated, the warg in front of him was simply being empowered by its pack.
He had his spells envelop the black sphere as he unleashed more spells to finish off the wargs still in sight and cripple the enemy.
‘You lied! You said we could save them!’ The alpha cursed Tezka when more of its kin fell due to deadly wounds. Not even the maelstrom created by the conflicting spells made Lith miss his marks.
‘Focus, you idiot! The enemy did it on purpose!’ Tezka tried to warn the alpha, but its fury made Hungry Void unstable. Lith didn’t miss his chance and had his spells detonate, tainting the enemy’s spell with his own energy.
The resulting explosion engulfed the hybrid and ravaged its flesh. The Chaos magic was now unable to recognize its master, adding its remaining strength to what was left of the other two tier five spells.
Thanks to Life Vision, Lith could see through the smoke and debris that the hybrid’s body on the verge of breaking down. Only tendrils of black energy kept it together by wrapping around it like bandages.
<"I couldn't save you, but I'll not let you die either!"> The Tezka-alpha hybrid had its tendrils collect the Abomination’s fragments from the bodies of the dying wargs as he took away their remaining life force and forced them to take his wounds.
<"You'll live on as a part of me!"> It yelled as Lith ignored its ramblings and gave chase to the rest of the pack.
“Scum of the earth, don’t you have any honor? Come back and fight!”
Lith sneered in reply, using the spell he had readied to survive the cave in to actually cause it and bury the hybrid under tons of rocks.
‘Yeah, right. You have an extra life for every member of your pack and I’m the one with no honor? I’ll face you as soon as I get rid of your mushrooms, dear Mario.’ He thought.
‘Lith, those aren’t simple monsters. They have feelings, they can even talk and reason. The one behind us is almost like you. He’s a hybrid.’ Solus said.
‘A lot of those who I kill have feelings. Humans, crazy beasts, game, undead, take your pick. Yet it has never stopped me because it’s a matter of survival. Also, he is nothing like me.
‘These wargs have been modified in a similar manner to what Balkor does to his undead.’ Lith replied. He could sense the hybrid’s aura behind him becoming more powerful.
Half of the warg’s body was now composed of raw darkness element, giving the alpha a demonic look. Its yellow eyes burned like torches as several horns were growing on its head. Its fur was now completely red, making it look like a living incarnation of fire.
Its body was completely healed thanks to its packmates’ sacrifice, and now it had two tails. His own plus a fox tail comprised of pure energy.
“I said come back!” The hybrid yelled as he unleashed the tier four Chaos magic Howling Void. A spear made of darkness as thick as an arm erupted from his palm, aiming for Lith’s heart faster than a bullet.
Lith Switched his position with the nearest warg, making the pack’s strength dwindle even further.
‘That’s the problem with sudden power ups. What you gain in strength, you lose in accuracy, sucker!’ Lith Blinked behind the hybrid, thrusting the Gatekeeper towards the creature’s head.
Somehow, the Tezka-alpha hybrid perceived Lith’s movements and turned around abruptly. A new horn grew on his forehead. It moved fast enough to push the blade aside and aim for his enemy’s throat.
Lith Switched position again, and another warg died by its own alpha’s hands. Another of the lights in the hybrid’s mind was replaced by a sudden void, driving him almost mad due to the guilt he felt for his incompetence and his hatred toward the human.
Even though Tezka controlled half the body, he didn’t have the mastery to perfectly control the body nor was his essence developed enough to allow him to use most of his skills. The alpha’s emotional instability was crippling their already limited battle prowess.
‘Fuck! They had an escape strategy planned. The wargs divided into small groups and took flight in different directions.’ After killing the wargs who had yet to run away because they were too tired after sharing the barrier’s burden, Lith turned to the alpha.
He could follow only one group at a time and that would mean leaving his back exposed to someone capable of using Chaos magic. Lith had already witnessed how powerful it was. Even though he had yet to understand its nature, Lith didn’t underestimate his enemy.
‘How many did we take down?’ He asked.
‘Eleven.’ Solus sighed. She almost felt like they were the bad guys, chasing creatures that just wanted to live. ‘Fighting the Black Star or the Carpenters was so much easier.’
Lith had her assume her gauntlet form and take the Gatekeeper, leaving his hands free. Now a yellow gemstone was embedded on the back of the gauntlet’s hand, right beside the green one.
He decided to investigate what that evolution meant after getting rid of the last warg standing in front of him.
“Curse you, human.” Tezka was afraid of the sword flying circles around them. He was using sheer willpower to hold the alpha back, but after losing so many developed fragments and the rest of the pack getting farther away by the second, his consciousness faded away.
The hybrid bolted at Lith who infused himself with all the elements and took the charge head on.
‘Please, don’t! It’s a trap!’ Tezka begged the alpha in vain. Being so close to its nemesis that it could almost smell his blood, sent the alpha into a frenzy. The hybrid unleashed a chain of lightning that Lith grounded with earth magic and countered with a volley of Wind Blades.
The dark matter of the Abomination half of the body absorbed part of the damage and immediately started to heal the rest, but it needed time. Unfortunately, time was running out.
Lith’s hands grabbed the hybrid’s claws, leaving it shocked in realization that the human was physically superior to itself. Without its pack, even merging with Tezka wasn’t enough to face Lith’s enhanced body while boosted by fusion magic.
Things became even worse when Lith unleased the tier four darkness magic spell, Grim Reaper. The power of dozens of Plague Arrows flowed from his hands into the trapped claws. Direct contact made the spell’s slow speed irrelevant.
The hybrid felt his strength flicker as his fingers were crushed into a broken mess.
