Two strange creatures emerged from the jungle. They were massive, each as big as two Sun Ties, and had an unusual body composition. The monsters resembled bears but were larger and covered with patches all over.
Upon close inspection, Sun Tie noticed their body parts were different: the arms were black, but the legs and back were gray. One of the beasts had one leg shorter than the other, causing it to stumble peculiarly. As they came into full view, both stood up and roared toward the distant red moon.
It was a dreadful and exciting scene, but what was even stranger was that the bears had two heads situated closely together, both howling at the moon. Sun Tie glanced over his shoulder and saw the child trembling.
"Hey, it will be fine. We'll kill these monsters," Sun Tie assured him, nodding slightly. "Just stay there and wait."
The child shook his head rapidly and visibly calmed down before turning his attention back to the monsters. Sun Tie caught Sofia's eyes looking into his and saw something different in them. She shook her head at him, and he turned to face the beasts.
"I'll heal you if needed," she said, but Sun Tie, Cole, and James were already walking toward the monsters.
Sun Tie used [Identify].
[Inferior Abomination - lvl ???]
[Inferior Abomination - lvl ???]
Abominations, indeed.
"Are you sure you want to do this?" Sun Tie asked, looking to his side at James.
"Yes," James replied, looking to the horizon, "That's our world now, isn't it?"
"It is," Sun Tie replied and looked forward. Cole was muttering something under his breath and had a smile on his face.
"What?" Sun Tie asked.
"Nothing, kid. Let’s kill these monsters already."
Sun Tie didn’t reply, just rushed towards the beasts while hearing Cole’s arrow zipping by him. They flew towards the monsters and embedded themselves in their flesh, but the bears didn’t move back. A [Charged Shot] came flying, and this one made one of the beasts flinch.
Sun Tie glanced over his shoulder and saw James close behind, running with his blade in both hands. Sun Tie thought the sword would be better used with only one, resolving to train with the priest if he had the opportunity.
As thoughts evaporated from Sun Tie’s head, he clashed with the creatures. His sword was already unsheathed and ablaze, its flames intensifying as the seconds passed.
Sun Tie swung it towards the closest beast. This one was missing an eye in each head, while the other had both pairs intact.
The partially blind monster dodged the hit slightly, but its fur burned near its shoulder. The beast used the momentum to rise and swing its paws towards Sun Tie. The other monster ran towards him as he ducked the blow, but a yellow and bright arrow stopped it.
The projectile hit its mouth, and the beast screamed in pain, its mouth illuminated by a powerful light. Whatever was in those new arrows from Cole hurt these beasts.
"Keep these coming!" Sun Tie shouted as James was hit by a swing of the blind beast’s paws. The bald man was hurled away, and Sun Tie rushed again to hit the monster and prevent James from being killed.
Sun Tie activated his [Mana Seer] mastery and saw the mana pool glowing close to the monster's right shoulder. The young master released a [Whirlwind Strike] that hit the monster and staggered it, opening a window for Sun Tie to thrust his sword at its mana pool.
The ablaze sword embedded itself in the monster’s body, making it scream loudly but not die. [Echo Strike] did the hard work. The monster retaliated with a horizontal bite that missed Sun Tie's face only by inches. The young master tried to remove the sword, but the monster’s insides were too thick.
Stolen novel; please report.
He dodged bites and strikes while trying to remove the sword and turn it simultaneously, causing immense pain to the monster.
James ran to his rescue, swinging his blade and cutting deep into the monster’s arms. Through his [Identify], Sun Tie saw that the monstrous bear was almost out of health; it should probably be dead by now, but it wasn’t.
Sun Tie finally removed his sword, seeing the beast's torso all ablaze with orange flames. The beast was too fast this time, and its paw hurled Sun Tie away, making him crash into James.
The beast’s claws had made considerable wounds in his face, but the young master felt a rush of energy through his body, healing him, and in the distance, he saw Sofia directing her staff in their direction. That’s quite good, to be honest.
"We have to aim for the head, just like the wolves the other day, and hope for the best," Sun Tie said, getting up and helping James to do the same. "Help Cole with the other one; I’ll deal with this."
The half-blind creature was trashing with pain.
Sun Tie looked at Cole and saw him fighting the other beast, dodging its attacks and losing one arrow after another with the agility of a gymnast. He was significantly faster than the last time they had encountered each other, and that hadn’t been very long ago. The other creature also had its fur ablaze, probably due to [Ember Chains] or one of Cole’s potent arrows.
Cole's fight was a sight to behold, but the young master had work to do. He ran towards the closest beast, swinging his blade with another [Whirlwind Attack], causing it to stagger. Sun Tie jumped, propelling himself off the beast's leg.
The swing was fast and precise, and soon, one of the heads was on the ground. The other head screamed in pain and grief. Its arms and legs thrashed in all directions, striking Sun Tie and knocking him to the ground beneath the monster.
The young master shielded his eyes to avoid being struck while trying to dodge the monster, but its fury was uncontrollable. Sofia’s healing kept him in good shape, but he needed to get up soon.
Swinging his blade, Sun Tie skillfully struck one of the beast's legs, causing it to falter in place. The swordsman attacked again, quickly moving from beneath the monster. Sun Tie sprang up as fast as he could, avoiding a paw strike that might have eviscerated him.
With momentum, the youth jumped again, and severed the beast's head with one swing.
After watching the beast die, Sun Tie realized he hadn’t used his [Mana Flow Blade] yet. Activating the skill, the young master rushed towards the other beast, which a brave James was repeatedly striking.
One of Cole’s arrows hit the monster’s knee, and the creature dropped to the ground, coming within sword's reach for Sun Tie. His blade, aflame with fire and mana power, severed the creature's heads with a single swing.
[You have slain Inferior Abomination - lvl 07]
[You have slain Inferior Abomination - lvl 07]
Description: Abominations created by Necromancers of Umbraheim, these creatures are nearly immortal and are fueled by life force injected into them by their masters.
- Mission Updates -
Kill 15 enemies (14/15). Reward EXP and Uncommon Treasure Chest.
Kill 5 Umbraheim hostile life-forms (4/5): Reward: EXP and an Uncommon Treasure Chest.
"Tough bastards," Cole muttered, catching his breath.
"Indeed," Sun Tie replied as they returned to Sofia and the boy.
"That was incredible!" the kid said to Sun Tie. "Your sword was red with flames, then orange and blue! And you two also did an amazing job!" The boy exclaimed, unable to contain his excitement. His behavior struck Sun Tie with uncertainty and pain; one moment, the boy seemed heavily traumatized, and the next, he was cheerful and full of light.
"It was great, Sun Tie." The young master looked up to see Sofia finishing her sentence. Sun Tie couldn’t believe she was addressing and thanking him, of all things. The world changes, doesn’t it?
Before Sun Tie could answer, Cole approached them, crouching at the boy's side.
"Are these the demons you told us about?" Cole asked the kid.
"I think so... but the adults talked about bigger monsters,"
"Bigger than gigantic bears with two heads?" James asked incredulity in his high-pitched voice. The boy just shrugged.
"I guess so," the child said. "I don’t know everything. Mom tried to hide it from me, but I always listened to the adults talking while they thought I was sleeping." The kid spoke, a smile on his face.
"And what do you know?" Cole inquired further.
"I know there’s an old war going on. Our masters, the guardians of life, are fighting the demon sorcerers, worshippers of death. These devils are their soldiers, and they are attracted by death." The kid explained, and silence established itself among everyone.
Cole broke the stark silence. "So, it’s better if we get the hell out of here, right?"
"Yes." The kid answered, and Cole locked gazes with Sun Tie while the young master sheathed his sword.
"I promised I'd follow you on your journey, but first, I must deliver this kid to his mom. Are you coming with me?"