Chapter 21: Fighting the Demon Worshippers (4)
POV Marcus:
Moments earlier...
I charged at the demon worshippers, my sword flashing with holy light, attacking the group. They immediately scattered. An archer user shot an arrow at me from afar.
Swuust~!
I leaped, dodging it, then with an explosion of golden aura, I shot toward one of the demon worshippers. He flinched, seeing my attack coming.
He tried to dodge, but I was faster. I struck him with my aura-filled sword and finished him off on the spot.
"One down," I said softly. The wound on my left shoulder was healed by a holy artifact. Then a circle of purple light appeared beneath my feet. I immediately leaped away from the light quickly.
[Demon's Hand!]
A black hand emerged from the surface of the ground where I had stood. Another arrow came, shooting at me from behind. I turned and parried the arrow.
[Light Sword Technique: Light Slash!]
Then I slashed the archer who attacked me with my technique. A curved light shot out from my sword and sped toward the archer, finishing him before he could react.
I lowered my sword, but I didn't have time to take a breath when the ground beneath me trembled.
[Shadow Spear!]
Black spears erupted from the ground, shooting toward me. I dodged quickly, leaping into the air, then slashing the spears with holy aura.
The light from my sword cut the spears like paper, making them explode into black smoke. But as I landed, a large shadow lunged from the right side.
I spun my sword, parrying the attack. The sound of clashing metal was loud.
"You stubborn fool!" one of them yelled.
I lifted my foot and kicked him backward, then slashed two others in one movement. One of them was sliced in half, his body slumping to the ground.
However, the mage who dodged my attack raised his hands to the sky. He yelled loudly.
[Demon Circle—Black Vortex!]
A black sphere appeared in the air, the wind roaring wildly, pulling everything around into the vortex.
I plunged my sword into the ground, resisting the strong pull. Holy aura enveloped my body, holding back the reverse push that almost sucked me in.
"Not so easy!"
I raised my sword to the sky, gathering all my aura into the blade, then slashed toward the sphere.
"Feel this pain, you strayed one!" I said loudly.
[Light Sword Technique—Heaven's Judgment!]
My sword shone brightly then—came down. A loud booming sound filled the forest; my sword shattered the black sphere in two. The holy light swallowed the darkness and exploded in a massive detonation.
BOOOMMM—!!!
A wave of energy pressure swept through the entire area. Trees fell, the ground cracked, and the remaining demon worshippers were instantly burned by the light.
I stood amidst the smoke, my breath heavy. My sword was still raised, but my aura was almost depleted.
However, from a distance, black clouds gathered in the sky and a repulsive mana felt heavy beneath it. I stared in that direction, my eyes widening.
"That boy..." I muttered softly, then ran as fast as I could towards the sound.
POV Ren:
[Maximum Aura!]
I saw the attacker mutter, and at that very moment, the aura around his body became thicker. Black clouds swirled in the sky.
The air around me violently shook, the ground beneath my feet cracked, and a dense black aura burst forth from the demon worshipper in front of me. His eyes turned fiery red, the veins on his face bulged, and his skin began to turn dark like scorched charcoal.
I gripped my sword tightly; a silvery-blue aura began to spin around me, suppressing the demonic presence emanating from him.
"So you're showing your true form, huh," I muttered tensely. He smiled crookedly, his deep, heavy laugh echoing through the forest.
"You will die, boy!" he said. His fingernails sharpened, becoming as pointed as blades.
I let out a heavy sigh, lowering my body and taking a fighting stance.
"Just try it," I said softly. In that instant—Calez disappeared.
Swuush~!!
Before I could react, the claws slammed toward me at a blurring speed. I parried them in the last few moments. But the attack sent me flying far back and I felt pain in my hands that blocked it with my sword.
"Akhh!!" I groaned in mid-air.
'Did his rank increase!? That hurt like hell!'
[Correct, Host. His rank increased to Low Grandmaster in that form.]
I spun in the air. As my feet hit the ground, I was still retreating backward from the force of the attack. My boots scraped against the soil.
But before I stopped and caught my breath, Calez, who had turned demonic, reappeared in front of me, kicking my stomach with the same force.
My breath hitched in my throat. Blood spurted from my mouth, and my body arched before flying at high speed.
"Kuuhh!!!" My breathing faltered.
[Warning! Major damage incurred!]
[Activating Instant Regeneration!]
[Endurance increased by 5 points!]
But it wasn't enough. He appeared with a grin above me while I was still airborne, and punched my stomach once more with insane force.
BAAMM!!
"Akhhh—!!"
[Endurance increased by 5 points!]
I slammed into the ground, making the soil beneath me crack like a spiderweb. My chest felt tight, and I was gasping for air.
Calez stood above me, black wings sprouting from his back, "Hahaha! How is it, boy? Does it hurt?"
Then, as if realizing something, he tilted his head, two small horns poking out from his forehead. Calez stared at me, confused.
"You... You're not injured?" Calez asked. That was right; my body was smooth without a single wound or scratch, only minor dust. That was due to the effect of my [Instant Regeneration].
He clenched his fist and punched me again forcefully. The ground trembled from the blow. I groaned resignedly.
"Uhhkhh!!" However, instantly, the marks of Calez's punch on my body faded as if nothing had happened.
[Unlimited Adaptation reduces the opponent's attack power by 50% to your body because it has adapted!]
[Endurance stat increased by 5 points!]
"What kind of body are you, boy??" Calez said, "You can withstand it and your body regenerates so fast!"
He punched me again, now stronger. I groaned in passive acceptance, unable to fight back. Blow after blow continued. Until finally the system message sounded.
[Because the attacker has consecutively struck the Host three times with the same strength, Pain is reduced by 80%.]
[Congratulations, Host has unlocked a new option for the [Unlimited Adaptation] power.]
[Gained 1000 EXP! And Endurance stat increased by 50 points!]
[Endurance increased by 2 points!]
[Endurance increased by 2 points!]
[Endurance increased by...]
.
.
[Endurance increased by 1 point!]
Moments later, he stopped, staring at me lying in the crater caused by his punches. But my body was unharmed, even though I was almost losing consciousness and gasping for breath.
Calez's expression turned frustrated. He raised his hand, intending to stab me with his claws.
"I'm finished, boy. Too bad I can't take you to our order; you are too dangerous," he said.
But just as the claw was about to stab me, a beam of light shot toward us, making Calez jump far back from me.
Someone—no—Marcus arrived in front of me with an aura-wrapped sword in his hand. Through my blurry vision, I saw him turn toward me and say.
"You can rest for a moment, son, I will fight him," he said firmly.
Hearing him, I offered a weak smile. Closing my eyes, I passed out before I could utter a word of thanks.