Both Xavier’s darkness armor and the monster’s darkness hue tried to devour one another.
The darkness armor crumbled and transformed into a single stream connected to the monster’s darkness hue which flickered weakly as well. That was when Xavier discovered a golden opportunity.
Since the creature’s darkness hue broke down, he might as well strike now and kill the monster as long as he had the means to harm it.
Glut noticed what Xavier was going to do and dived to the ground. Dozens of blazing fireballs conjured around Michael’s companion. They compressed and dyed azure before Glut lobbed them toward the massive creature. This time, the monster didn’t have the darkness hue’s full potential to block the fireballs. The darkness hue broke down, revealing the monster’s thick grayish hide. The fireballs exploded, burning deep marks into the creature.
Xavier used Borrow, Foundation Boost, Dash, and Thunder Step to vault over the massive creature with ease. He slowed down mid-air using Glide and conjured some flames underneath his feet to change his trajectory ever so slightly.
He managed to land on the broad back of the massive creature and lifted his Energy Blade high into the air. His muscles flexed as he used every ounce of strength in his body to slash down while urging the World Energy within him to amplify his power as he used Coat of Fire, Armor Break, Pierce Armor, Shadow Blade, and the darkness to coat and enhance the Energy Blade.
The Energy Blade pierced through the monster’s burned skin and pierced deep inside it. A thick stream of blood poured out of the monster, yet Xavier wasn’t content. He noticed that the Energy Blade crumbled under the monster’s pressure. The Energy Blade was destroyed, rendering the rest of his attack useless.
The stream of blood spurting in all directions suddenly slowed down. It stopped mid-air and condensed into finger-sized needles that turned to Xavier. He wanted to change his position, but there were blood needles in all directions. There was no time, either.
The needles shot toward him when he was about to make a move. They pierced through his clothes from all directions and lodged themselves deep into his flesh. A scream escaped his lips as he felt a massive chunk of his strength leave his body instantaneously. His body felt numb, and he fell from the creature’s back. Even though Xavier wanted to grasp the monster’s back, he couldn’t move.
However, the creature’s attack was not yet over. It took advantage of Xavier’s restrained movements and conjured several darkness spears that impaled Xavier’s chest, abdomen, and his thighs, pinning him to the ground.
He smashed hard on the ground and struggled to breathe.
The monster stood towering over him, watching him struggle like a trapped butterfly. Xavier wanted to fight back, but no matter how much he tried, he could not move.
Is this how I die?
As the monster’s gooey saliva dripped over his body, he only felt regret.
Xavier took in a shaky breath as the faces of his family flashed before his eyes. He wanted to return home and meet them, he had promised to save them from all the dangers. But here he was, lying defenseless and pinned to the ground. There was so much he wanted to do and dreams he wanted to fulfill.
Suddenly, a massive emerald light appeared in the sky out of nowhere. It was so bright that Xavier could not even look directly at the pillar of light.
But he felt the brightness intensify and come closer to him. The pillar of light crashed onto the monster, about to rip his head off, freezing it temporarily in place.
The hue shrouding the monster flickered and deteriorated, but the creature regained some power and mobility despite being struck by the pillar of light. Xavier was taken aback by the monster’s strength and resilience and frantically began to free himself of its grasp again.
Meanwhile, the monster moved a little and tried to attack him, and this time, Xavier thought there was no chance of escaping, but something unexpected occurred.
The ground of the Grand Forest began to tremble and shake, throwing the monster off balance. It staggered back as thick roots suddenly tore free from the depths of the soil and sprang out of the surface. Xavier watched in horror as the roots seemed to come to life, swaying in the air dangerously. He feared one of them would smash him, but neither of the roots touched him.
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
He was showered with loose soil and pebbles as the roots all moved in one direction—toward the monster. They coiled around its legs, snaking up its massive torso and tightening their grip around its arms. It looked like the monster was chained to the spot with thick roots that restrained it, just like they had pinned Xavier to the ground a moment ago.
What is happening?
Xavier wondered as he saw the monster’s pitiful attempts to escape its restraints.
As the turn of events continued to surprise him, the emerald light expanded, weakening the hue and shrouding the creature even further.
On the other hand, Xavier's injuries were beginning to heal rapidly. He looked down at his hands and body as the wounds started to close, the bleeding stopped, and new, pinkish skin began to form. He scratched his head and looked around, hoping to see someone making all this happen.
His eyes spotted a faint hue levitating in the air. Or at least that is what his mind told him it was.
Is that a God?
He wondered but shook his head. There was no time to think about it. That horror was still alive.
The darkness spear pinning him to the ground dispersed suddenly as his wounds healed completely.
Xavier regained full control of his body, and his mind cleared up. The darkness writhing inside him restlessly also seemed to quiet down. Or maybe he could finally control the darkness inside him to a fair degree.
He urged the darkness inside him to condense around the Energy Blade he’d manifested to test his assumption. He went all out again using Borrow, Foundation Boost, Dash, Thunder Step, Armor Break, Pierce Armor, Poisonous Touch, Shadow Blade, Coat of Fire, World Energy, and his Fire, Darkness, and Shadow Affinity.
The Energy Blade shone vibrantly and continued to expand. It transformed into a massive sword coated in azure flames, almost ten times its regular size. Black flames danced over and around the blade, devouring moisture and light as they leaped out like little serpents every now and then. The blade itself hummed as shadows flickered and danced around it. Xavier barely got a minute to admire its beauty before the blade plunged into the beast.
The monster let out a pained roar as the blade cut down through its thick hide and bone. Blood gushed out of the wound like a fountain as the monster tried to stop the blade, but it was already too late.
The blade pierced further inside, and the beast stumbled back as it slowly lost control over its body. The darkness hue dispersed entirely, and a pained roar echoed through the Grand Forest. The monster tried to scream but only emitted a puff of stale breath as it collapsed lifelessly to the ground.
Xavier was panting for breath by the time the monster finally stopped moving. His eyes were still glued to the monster, his body tenser than ever. The kill notification hadn’t arrived yet. Was the monster still alive?
Just as Xavier began to doubt the monster’s death…it dispersed. The massive creature transformed into countless particles in an explosive burst. The particles swirled around and transformed into two strands of energy – silver and black, respectively. The black wisp of energy shot into Xavier’s body, nourishing the seed of darkness that had already bloomed inside him.
Xavier was not sure if that was good or not. He had a bad feeling about it. But then again, the darkness helped him defeat the massive creature. Without the darkness inside him, Xavier would be dead now.
While he processed that piece of information, another dot entered the Card Deck. A light silver sheen appeared and slowly covered the bronze Card Deck. The silver glimmered faintly and slowly began to coat the Card Deck, starting from the bottom and moving its way up. The outer surface changed from a pale bronze to a shiny metallic silver. The Card Deck underwent an upgrade as it turned more and more silver, making it look sleek and polished.
Sacred Beast of the Heir of Darkness has been killed. The Aether permeating its blood has been consumed.
+Darkness Fragment, +Aether(Pure)
The Host’s Innate Ability has grown stronger. All Foundation Stars +100
Xavier read through the notification, but he could not understand a thing. And he did not even want to decode the notification’s meaning. His body felt sore, his mind was exhausted, and his muscles begged for rest.
Getting adequate rest was his priority now that he was alive and knew Umbra and Glut were also alive. Umbra’s injuries healed significantly in the Soul World, and a few days of rest would help him recover completely. So that was a relief.
Unfortunately, the dark-skinned girl from before didn't give him time to rest. She had been hiding in the bushes but rushed towards him when she saw him almost collapse from exhaustion. She reached for his hand and checked his pulse.
Her savior was alive, and she managed to survive as well. And the monster she had been fighting was dead. She took a breath of relief as relief flooded her body. Then, excitement overcame her.
Not only was she and her savior alive but she encountered a God as well. That was amazing!
Her Eyes twinkled like stars. Today was a good day for her.
She forgot that she nearly died just a few minutes ago.