Cain let out a long sigh. His heart was beating rapidly as if it would burst. He looked up and stared directly at the gorilla that had evolved into a real monster.
Its steel body was glossy, covering the black, pulsating flesh inside, which pumped a pungent, black liquid. The smell was a mixture of rotten meat and mop water that had settled for a long time.
At first, he didn't realize it, but now, without the armor suit filtering the air around him. Cain could feel how rotten the creature called the virus beasts was.
His footsteps were slow while gripping the katana hilt in his right hand. Every step he took carried determination, sharpened by his honed instinct from training and continuous battle.
He stomped the ground hard, and in one breath, his body disappeared, leaving a black shadow that shot like a torpedo. The gorilla also did not remain silent; it roared, sending a shockwave through the air.
The tentacles behind it writhed and spread like a net; instead of cables, their ends formed several weapons, ranging from a mace to a greatsword, a spearhead, and even some that were hollow, like a muzzle tip.
Cain wrinkled his eyebrows as the tentacle with the spearhead tip charged. He jumped and landed on the tentacle that was stuck to the ground and ran, gripping his katana with both hands.
A shadow approached from above and leapt onto the ground. The two tentacles collided, making the gorilla narrow its red eyes.
'Hmm, what's wrong with that monster?'
Cain's expression faded, revealing a flat face with a fierce glint. He stopped running. Above him, a tentacle with a greatsword tip swung downward right above his head.
He sidestepped, ran, but attacks from other tentacles rained down on him from all directions. The boy relied on his footwork to weave like lightning in the sky.
In the fast-paced battle, Cain's eyes followed all of the enemy's attack trajectory, especially the slightly clumsy movements of each tentacle when trying to coordinate an attack. He turned to the right, seeing the sword tentacle accidentally slash the tentacle with the mace tip.
That made him widen his eyes, and a new thought popped into his mind. Thanks to his enhanced state, Cain could think faster and find the solution.
'Is it possible that because of the merging of several live virus beasts earlier, the gorilla's consciousness became tangled?'
The red glow in the gorilla's eyes lit up ominously. It roared towards the tentacles as if scolding them.
'Bingo!'
The corner of Cain's lips lifted, he took a deep breath, and kicked the ground, turning himself like a black bullet that brandished his katana.
When he reached just below the gorilla, the boy saw the monster's four arms, awkward and stiff, as if opposing one another.
Cain jumped straight, and his black pupils shrank, looking for the location of the monster's weak spot. A flurry of black flashes wreaked havoc on the beast's body, leaving deep scars visible to the naked eye.
His perspective changed as he saw the gorilla's face grow closer, but instead of aiming for vital organs like the eyes, the boy planted his foot on the monster's chin and jumped back.
Before touching the ground, Cain spun in the air and landed neatly before running out of the monster's range. He glanced right and left. From a distance, the boy saw his comrades gathering in one place, then approached them.
...
'Cain!?'
Abel, who flinched thanks to Cain's arrival, exhaled all the air in his lungs that he accidentally held.
(Listen, all of you!)
A sound transmission that echoed in his head made the others, including himself, gulp. Abel widened his eyes because the boy in front of him did not show the slightest fear in his black eyes. It instead radiated a glow of wisdom that rattled his consciousness.
He swept his gaze toward his comrades, and sure enough, everyone was as surprised as he was.
(Look closely! I have marked the monster's weak spots, so please help me defeat it. Because if I am alone, the fight will be difficult.)
Hearing that, Abel, Peter, Rika, and Louise exchanged glances; a hint of fear still lingered in their eyes. They stared at the monster in the distance, then couldn't help but hold their breath when they saw the scratches on the monster's body clearly visible, like a sign.
Roar!
The monster's roar pounds their heads. It caused their pupils to shrink and their expressions to tense, turning pale.
(What should we do?)
A feminine, but fierce voice resounded in the blonde boy's head. It came from Rika, who was pulling the magazine from her rifle and putting it back in.
(I want each of you to work together to launch attacks at the scratches I have created.)
For a moment, Abel peeked towards Cain, who looked to the side while clicking his tongue.
'W-Why is he suddenly feeling annoyed like that?'
(We don't have much time. Please, help me, everyone.)
Rika, Peter, and Louise nodded deeply, showing strong willingness to carry out their leader's command. However, it was different from Abel.
His right hand clenched tightly on the hilt of his cold sword. Abel bit his lips, feeling guilty for not being able to finish the monster in the last attack.
As he was daydreaming, his vision jerked violently, accompanied by a 'thunk' sound from Cain's hand slapping his helmet.
(You are thinking too deeply. That is not your character at all. In a time like this, you need to trust yourself and the comrade next to you.)
Hearing that, Abel glanced at his other comrades and found them nodding while smiling lightly. They were waiting for him to rise because they knew that, besides Cain, Abel was the one who held the key to the strongest power in the team after him.
Abel took a long breath and stared at Cain's face, who was not wearing a helmet.
(Good, hurry up and act! I will lure the monster alone and attack whenever you are ready. Let's go!)
Without waiting for an answer, Cain spun his body around and ran, leaving the other four blinking in wonder how he could move so much even though he was exposed to the cosmic virus in the atmosphere.
"Alright, let's have a brief discussion, Peter?"
Rika looked to the side, making Peter flinch. From behind his visor, Abel could see his face covered in cold sweat.
"Yes, Vice-leader."
"You look tired, are you okay?"
Abel and Louise nodded when they heard Rika's worried tone. The blue-haired boy shook his head and opened his mouth.
"I would be lying if I said no, but the leader and vice-leader have a plan, right? I'm ready to listen to it."
Abel held his breath, feeling amazed by the determination radiating from his sharp blue eyes. Louise nodded and hesitantly stepped forward while clenching both her fists.
"Let's do our best, Mr. Peter."
The two smiled slightly, then turned to Rika, who wrinkled her eyebrows.
"Good, Peter, can you create a distraction like before? I know the strength we have is still not perfect, but even so, our attack was effective and almost defeated that big monster if there had been no interference from the other side."
Rika paused for a moment, gnashing her teeth and glaring into the distance, making the other three tilt their heads in wonder. The girl shook her head and continued.
"Louise, I want you to launch a powerful attack; it's okay even if it's only once. I need it later. Then, Abel, you have to work a little hard and try to manifest that golden sword longer so you can cut off all those tentacles, then stab it into the gorilla's body! The rest, let me and that idiot handle it."
Abel, Peter, and Louise exchanged glances and couldn't help but chuckle hearing the sweet curse from Rika, who was still reluctant to call their leader by name.
They began acting and took their respective positions. Abel, who stood at the very front, near the battlefield. He pressed his sword close to his chest.
He closed his eyes, listening to his quiet heartbeat slowly accelerate. When a loud 'thumped' reverberated in his mind, his consciousness that saw darkness was momentarily blinded by the presence of a golden light.
It wrapped him in a warm embrace.
Abel opened his eyes. A golden aura formed a layer over his armour, bringing a sense of comfort and holy power that dispelled the negative thoughts in his head.
He stared straight, seeing Cain, who was busy distracting the monster's attention.
'Heavenly Slash.'
His sword hummed, emitting a long golden light and transforming into a sharp sword edge.
"Here I go."
...
"Go, Abel!"
Peter crouched as he placed both hands on the ground and channelled the brown energy that seeped from his body, sending a seismic signal that gave him a clear picture of the surrounding area.
He saw Abel running towards the monster with his long sword. The battlefield was instantly filled with a terrifying roar, intertwined by two colours: black destruction and golden divinity.
The corner of his lips lifted when he saw his comrade's strength truly making them like the main characters in their own world.
Louise, who was standing a bit far from him, was the same; the shy girl who used to underestimate herself had transformed into a great warrior with a sharp aura that reflected her true self.
Then Rika, who was in a still position, was holding her rifle. She looked creepy because neither of her eyes even budged, like a statue.
Everyone had their own role and importance, including him. Even though the power he chose could only be a distraction for the opponent, it was enough to fulfill his dream as a hero who moves in the shadows.
'Heh, aren't I cool one too, right, Big sis?'
Peter smirked, then channeled all the brown energy in his body. He looked up and watched Abel and Cain cut the enemy's long tentacles one by one, which opened the curtain for the final attack.
"Vice-leader, Louise, I'll leave the rest to you."
He twisted his hands in opposite directions to create an incoherence that caused a small earthquake around the battlefield. But the result exceeded his expectations.
From a hole not far from where they were fighting, a crack appeared. It spread, reaching the monster and trapping one of its legs, leaving it stuck.
Peter didn't know if this was a miracle or just sheer luck. The boy shouted with all his might.
"Go!"
...
Louise, who was standing in the middle of a vortex, opened her eyes when she heard a shout from Mr. Peter beside her. She saw Abel's golden sword penetrate a quarter of the scratch that Cain made.
She twisted the spear in her hand and pulled it back in a position to throw.
The girl gripped the spear hilt tightly, letting the wind vortex that enveloped her body move to the spear while accumulating it at the back for acceleration.
"Take..."
Louise puffed out her chest and cheeks, transferring all the strength in her body to her right hand and throwing the spear with all her might.
'That!'
Boom!
A sonic boom echoed on the field, the momentum even spun her body, which immediately fell to the ground as she released all the air trapped in her lungs.
(Huff, R-Rika, please)
...
(Good job, Louise)
Rika, who was aiming, saw Louise's green spear flying at great speed. And when it met its target, an explosion occurred, creating a deep hole that spewed black liquid from the monster's body.
Her eagle eye skill was active. She could see why Cain made the scratches on the monster's body. The girl was curious why he knew its location, and added that question within herself to vent on the grey-haired boy later.
She narrowed her gaze, and of the thirteen red dots, eight were destroyed, leaving five others intact. Taking a deep breath, then holding it, Rika channelled the hot energy spiralling through her body into her rifle.
Her weapon hissed with smoke coming out of the tip of its muzzle. Rika realized that her weapon was at its limit because it received external pressure from her attribute.
'Please, help me finish this one, and thank you for everything.'
Rika pulled the trigger, not once but twice, as two red bullets shot through the wind barrier, leaving a crimson trail like a falling meteor.
"It's your turn, Idiot."
...
Cain, who was standing behind the monster, saw two large explosions that spewed blazing fire; the heat even stung him from a distance. The corner of his lips lifted, and he gripped the hilt of his katana tightly.
'Thanks, everyone.'
His black pupils contracted as he activated his eagle eye to see the location of the last core. But before attacking, the boy opened his mouth.
"Copy the Heavenly Slash sword ability!"
[Copying complete.]
[Skill Acquired: Heavenly Slash.]
The long-stored data he copied from Abel after the survival test still lingered in the corner of his mind. Cain didn't forget it, but was hesitant to acquire it, for there were many eyes in the training facility.
But today was different.
An image began to replicate in his brain, causing the lightning in his body to crackle and move. The black lightning seeped into the katana blade, conjuring an additional pitch-black blade.
"This is your end."
Cain jumped, clenching the katana at his side. He swung it diagonally and split the last core that had formed at the base of the monster's neck.
[Integrity +600%]