Chuck froze as the system message appeared before him. Judging from what he saw, the system actually expected him to defeat every single beast around them alone. Not only was it unreasonable, it was a blatant death sentence.
He quickly activated the God Eyes again to reassess the field, and what he saw made his throat tighten.
The beasts were no longer roaming. They had clustered together beneath the sand in a tight formation, almost like they were mourning, or reacting to the loss of their fallen comrade whose headless body lay sprawled across the ground.
"Uhm… guys," Chuck called out, voice strained, "you might want to pause whatever you're doing. The beasts are about to attack, and I think… I think they're all coming up at the same time."
The entire group turned toward Chuck. His eyes were still shut, the God Eyes activated behind his closed lids. For a moment they found it strange, then realization dawned on them like a hammer.
"Oh my God," Xin whispered as her boobs bounced subtly as she stepped closer to Erik, "does he actually have the God Eyes?"
Erik raised a brow at her, smiling. "I didn't know either. Maybe he just awakened it."
Chuck continued scanning the shifting energy of the beasts beneath the sand. Before he could process any more information, one of the beasts shot upward with blinding speed.
"Incoming!"
Chuck immediately activated both the Infernal Shroud and Infernal Craft.
[ Infernal shroud has been activated ]
[ Infernal craft has been activated ]
[ Weapon created: Flaming shield and sword ]
[ Harelm energy: 110/150 ]
Golden flames erupted around Chuck's body, bathing him in a divine fiery glow. A blazing shield formed in his left hand. In his right, a sword of pure golden flame flared to life. The flames were bright enough to draw the beast's attention.
The beast screeched and lunged at him with impossible speed. The others reacted instantly, firing spell after spell, lightning and fire streaking across the field like a meteor shower.
The spider-beast shrieked as fire scorched its flesh, leaving gaps for lightning bolts to tear through its insides. It toppled, spasming violently. The stench of burnt, rotten meat thickened the air as black blood soaked into the sand.
Kaiden was about to finish it off when a powerful vibration pulsated behind her. She spun around just in time to see another monstrous spider rising from the sand. Its bladed leg lifted high and slashed diagonally, changing its trajectory to a vertical direction at the last second.
Kaiden saw the bladed leg aiming to detach her lower body from the upper part. She reacted at the last heartbeat. A jet of flame blasted from her feet, propelling her forward. The blade missed her waist by inches. She flipped through the air and landed, looking down, she saw a few strands of silver hair on the ground, severed cleanly.
"You fucking cunt."
Her aura flared violently.
Kaiden blasted forward again, fire erupting beneath her feet and ripping a gouge through the sand. The beast lunged, jaws expanding to swallow her whole as she surged toward it.
But Kaiden didn't slow.
She accelerated.
She shot straight into the creature's mouth, landing inside with a thunderous impact. Fire and electricity twisted around her arms like living serpents.
She detonated.
A pillar of flame exploded upward as the beast convulsed violently. Kaiden burst through the top of its skull, tearing a hole through its head, and landed gracefully in the sand, drenched in black blood, smelling of charred flesh.
The creature fell. Silent. Dead.
Chuck exhaled in relief until a system prompt flickered before his eyes.
[ Quest failed ]
[ 1/10 beast has been defeated by another creature ]
[ The system deems the user a weak, pathetic being ]
"What!" Chuck's mind screamed. "And how the hell was I supposed to kill ten of these things alone? I should be thanking Kaiden. That thing would've murdered me."
His internal complaints ended immediately as eight more beasts erupted from beneath the sand, and the one the group had weakened was already beginning to regenerate.
Without hesitation, Chuck sprinted forward, his body wrapped in golden fire. He hurled the flaming shield with explosive force. It whirled through the air, slamming into the beast's neck and punching straight through. The impact sent a sizzling sound across the field as a golden fire consumed its insides.
Chuck leapt high and descended like a falling star. He struck the edge of the shield with his sword's hilt, driving it deeper through flesh and bone. The beast's body twitched and went still.
He pulled the shield free. Black blood evaporated instantly from the golden flames.
"So… the shield only disappears when I release it or when it's overwhelmed with a massive force," Chuck muttered, recalling the fight with Bobby.
[ You have successfully defeated a Spider Claw ]
[ Exp: 70/400 ]
"Twenty exp? Seriously? I'm doomed. It's only going to get harder to level up from here."
Chuck looked ahead and saw eight more beasts ready to rip them apart.
Xin, Lance, and Erik grouped together as two spiders charged at them.
They shot a cannon-like blast of condensed explosive flames from their palms. The recoil pushed them back as the blazing beam split midair and struck both beasts head-on. An earthshaking explosion followed, kicking up a storm of dust and spraying black blood everywhere.
When the dust settled, the result was undeniable — the beasts' heads weren't just severed. They were obliterated.
"You know what they say," Lance grinned, "teamwork makes the dream work."
Now the group understood the key weakness of the beasts.
Fire.
But their moment of triumph shattered instantly as a massive silhouette rose behind Kaiden.
"KAIDEN, BEHIND YOU!!!" Chuck roared.
But it was too late.
A crimson blade pierced straight through her back, erupting through her abdomen. Blood sprayed like a fountain. The beast yanked its bladed leg free, ripping flesh and widening the wound.
Kaiden looked down at the gaping hole in her stomach. Her knees buckled.
She collapsed onto the scorching sand.