Chapter 40: Trusting Each Other

Chapter 40: Chapter 40: Trusting Each Other

The detonations continued one after another.

Boom!

Boom!

Crack!

Silver lightning burst violently from inside the wolf’s body. Flesh split apart and burnt fur scattered across the ruined hall. The once proud High B rank beast no longer looked majestic.

Earlier, its silver fur had been smooth and imposing. Its stance had been proud, like a king surveying weaker creatures.

Now, it looked miserable.

Large patches of fur had been burned away.

Its left shoulder was blackened.

One eye was swollen shut.

Blood stained its mouth while lightning currents still danced across wounds that refused to close.

Even its breathing had become uneven.

Yet despite its miserable appearance, the wolf still stood.

And its bloodshot eyes burned with hatred.

Rooooar!

Damon couldn’t help but whistle.

"Still standing?"

"You’ve got some life in you."

The beast growled.

But this time, it no longer looked down on them.

No.

It had finally acknowledged them.

Unfortunately... It was too late.

Before Damon and Freya could move...

BOOOM!

The entire floor exploded.

Something enormous descended from above.

Damon’s instincts screamed.

He grabbed Freya and disappeared from his spot.

Bang!

The place where they had stood shattered.

Stone fragments flew everywhere.

Only then did Damon finally see the second monster clearly.

Its body was covered in dark silver scales.

Its limbs resembled those of a lion.

Its head carried draconic features.

Four massive wings folded behind its back, and wind mixed with lightning around its body like obedient servants.

Its golden eyes held intelligence.

And violence.

A High B rank beast.

Stormwing Drakelion.

The true ruler of this place.

The beast raised its head and released a deafening roar.

ROOOOOOOOAR!!

The hall trembled.

Even the injured wolf stepped aside slightly.

Damon grinned.

"Finally."

He pointed his knife forward.

His eyes burned with excitement.

"YOU DECIDED TO ACCOMPANY YOUR COLLEAGUE TO ITS DEATH?"

"WELCOME TO THE DEATH PARTY!"

Crackle!

Silver lightning exploded around him.

Even the Drakelion paused.

Then it attacked.

Its wings spread.

Whoosh!

Wind blades descended from every direction.

Freya jumped. Damon rolled.

Boom!

Boom!

Boom!

Pillars exploded one after another.

The Drakelion appeared before them in an instant.

Its claw swept downward.

Damon’s pupils shrank.

"So fast!"

Crack!

Lightning burst beneath his feet.

He escaped by inches.

Freya had already vanished.

"Freya!"

"Fifth skill!"

Chirp!

The little fox nodded.

And then...

The world changed.

Bzzzzz!

Silver lightning spread outward.

The atmosphere darkened.

The ground became covered in flowing currents.

Lightning Domain.

Ten afterimages appeared immediately.

And above Freya...The familiar ethereal silhouette emerged.

The faint image of the nine-tailed divine fox.

Its eyes looked down upon the battlefield.

The pressure alone made the two beasts freeze for a moment.

Crack!

Lightning bolts rained from every direction.

Boom!

Boom!

Boom!

The injured wolf was forced back.

Even the mighty Drakelion narrowed its eyes.

Yet neither beast was weak.

The wolf had already learned from its mistakes.

Every movement became careful.

Meanwhile, the Drakelion adapted frighteningly fast.

Its four wings moved together.

Whoosh!

Wind and lightning gathered.

Hundreds of feather-like blades rained down.

Bang!

Three afterimages exploded before reaching it.

Damon cursed.

"Seriously?!"

Another bolt descended.

The Drakelion twisted its body and escaped.

Its tail swept backward.

Boom!

A pillar collapsed.

Damon narrowly avoided being crushed.

"Tch!"

"This thing’s annoying!"

The Drakelion had been watching from the beginning.

It had studied them.

It knew the danger of the afterimages.

It knew Damon liked attacking blind spots.

It even learned to distinguish Freya’s real body.

Several times, its attacks came dangerously close.

Meanwhile, the injured wolf compensated with experience.

Though wounded, it moved carefully.

Whenever the afterimages approached...

Slash!

Wind claws cut them down.

Whenever lightning bolts descended, It dodged.

The currents accumulated.

But slowly.

Far too slowly.

And Freya...

She was beginning to struggle.

Maintaining the domain while controlling ten afterimages consumed enormous Aether.

Damon noticed immediately.

Sweat dripped from his forehead.

He dodged another claw.

Slash!

His knife left a wound on the wolf.

But the Drakelion’s wing struck him from the side.

Bang!

Damon slid across the floor.

"Cough!"

Blood dripped from his lips.

Yet... He smiled.

His heart pounded wildly.

He had played countless hard games in his previous life.

But this...

This was different.

This was real.

One mistake.

One wrong step, and both he and Freya would die.

Oddly enough... He felt alive.

His mind worked faster than ever.

Every movement.

Every attack.

Every possibility.

His brain pieced them together.

And then...

His eyes widened.

"I’ve got it."

He immediately shouted.

"Freya!"

"Cancel the domain!"

The little fox froze.

Her beautiful eyes showed confusion.

Cancel it?

Now?

But Damon trusted his instincts.

He dodged another attack and stabbed forward.

Clang!

The Drakelion blocked.

Then Damon shouted again.

"First skill!"

This time, Freya hesitated.

She knew.

She had already consumed too much Aether.

Using that skill now...

She might not have enough strength left afterward.

Her worried eyes looked at Damon.

Damon smiled.

And despite the danger around them, his voice remained calm.

"Trust me."

"You rest afterward."

"I’ll handle the rest."

Freya stared at him.

Then she nodded. And without further hesitation the Lightning Domain disappeared.

The two beasts became cautious.

Even they couldn’t understand what the human and fox were planning.

But they didn’t have to wonder for long.

Freya floated into the air.

Her five tails spread behind her.

Silver lightning erupted from her body.

Crackle!

Crackle!

The air became heavy.

The hall shook.

The two High B rank beasts froze.

And behind Freya...

The ethereal nine-tailed fox appeared once more.

It felt closer and clearer. More real.

Its majestic eyes overlooked the battlefield.

Ancient.

Noble.

Untouchable.

The pressure descended.

The wolf trembled.

Even the mighty Stormwing Drakelion lowered its head instinctively.

The winds around it became chaotic.

And then...

The clouds above the floating ruins darkened.

Rumble...

Rumble...

Lightning roared across the heavens.

Damon watched with a smile.

Even after seeing it several times...

He still found it unbelievable.

"Beautiful..."

Freya’s eyes glowed silver.

And the divine lightning answered.

BOOOOOOOOM!!!