Free Web NovelChapter 22: Battling the Wolf Alpha [2]
Lucien looked at the angered Alpha Wolf, who emitted a bloody, ferocious aura that pressed against his skin like a living thing. The air around it grew thick, heavy with the weight of its fury.
His attention was slightly focused on the shallow wound he had inflicted on the Alpha Wolf.
Such an attack had only done such minimal damage. Before his eyes, he watched the wound squirm, the flesh writhing and knitting itself back together with alarming speed. Within moments, the Alpha Wolf had returned to its peak, as if the cut had never existed.
The Alpha let out a piercing howl, a sound that tore through the forest like a blade. Its figure vanished, not a blur, but a true disappearance, as if it had stepped out of existence itself.
Lucien’s guard immediately went up. His eyes darted, scanning the darkness, his senses stretched to their limits.
The Alpha appeared in front of him, materializing from the shadows like a specter. Its massive claw swept toward him, the jagged obsidian tips aimed at his chest.
Lucien swung the Abyss Carver to meet the attack, using the blade to defend himself. The impact sent a shockwave through his arms, his teeth clenching against the force.
But as he did this, he felt danger behind him, a cold, suffocating presence pressing against his back. The Alpha Wolf had appeared behind him like an assassin, its claws already in motion.
Even though Lucien sensed it, he tried to move the Abyss Carver to defend himself, but the blade was held down by the Alpha Wolf before him, its claws locked onto the edge with crushing strength.
What’s happening? Lucien thought. How can there be two Alpha Wolves?
Or are there two Alphas? No, their aura is the same, which means it’s the same Alpha. A speed technique, it had moved so fast that it left an afterimage, or perhaps it was a shadow clone.
At this moment, Lucien was torn between choices. It was either he abandoned the Abyss Carver and dodged the attack, or he bore the brunt of the attack. But there was no way he would abandon the Abyss Carver. The blade was his lifeline, his only chance of survival.
Lucien made his choice. His Originat circulated to his fist, his wrist engulfed with flames, covering his fist like a gauntlet of living fire. The heat was intense, the air around his hand shimmering.
Fire God Fist.
Lucien thrust his fist forward as he chanted the skill name in his mind. The flames roared, trailing behind his arm like a comet’s tail. His fist shot forward, colliding with the Alpha’s descending claws.
The impact was explosive.
Fire met darkness. The clash sent a shockwave rippling outward, kicking up dust and dead leaves. Lucien felt the force travel up his arm, the flames flickering against the Alpha’s claws, struggling to hold.
For a moment, the two forces stood locked, the Alpha’s claws pressing down, Lucien’s burning fist pushing back.
Then, with a surge of Originat, Lucien pushed harder. The flames flared, forcing the Alpha’s claws back by a fraction of an inch.
But he underestimated the Alpha Wolf. An immense force came through the claws, surging like a tidal wave of raw power. This sudden force flowed through his body, jolting every nerve as he was sent flying, crashing through the trees.
Branches snapped against his back, the impact jarring his bones. He crashed into one trunk, then another, each collision stealing the breath from his lungs.
At the nick of time, he got hold of his body, using the trees to disperse the force as he landed on one with his legs in a vertical way. His feet pressed against the bark, absorbing the remaining momentum before pushing off.
Then he landed on the ground, taking deep breaths. His chest heaved, his lungs burning, but he was still standing.
The wind blew before him. He knew who it was. He swung the sword before him, the Alpha Wolf had attacked.
But this time there was only one of it.
CLANG!
Blade met claw. Sparks erupted from the collision, illuminating the darkness for a fleeting moment. Lucien staggered backwards two steps, his arms trembling from the force.
Their clash continued, a relentless exchange of blows. Sparks and weapon clash could be heard echoing through the forest, a brutal symphony of metal and bone.
Six red eyes watched this battle from the shadows.
Flaming Slash.
The Abyss Carver was engulfed in flames in an instant. The fire roared along its edge, hungry and wild.
At this instant, Lucien’s speed increased, his movements becoming a blur. The Alpha Wolf swiped at him, but its claw struck empty air, Lucien was no longer there.
He appeared above it, his flaming blade swung down with all of his weight and strength. The blade tore through the air, plummeting the Alpha Wolf to the ground.
The raging flame engulfed the Alpha Wolf, golden fire consuming its form.
Blazing Thorn.
Below the Alpha Wolf, flaming circular runes covered the ground. The runes blazed to life, and from them erupted blazing thorns, jagged pillars of fire that shot upward, meeting the Alpha Wolf head-on.
It pierced through the body of the Alpha Wolf, making it howl in pain.
Lucien had calculated, waiting for this moment to inflict such damage.
For this speed to drastically increase, it was due to the Whisperwind Boots, concealed as ordinary footwear. The boots hummed faintly with each step, channeling Originat through their hidden arrays, amplifying his agility far beyond his natural limits.
He increased the output of Originat channeled for the Fire God Slash. The Originat surged from him like a raging river, flooding through his meridians, into his arm, and down into the Abyss Carver.
The blade drank it all greedily, its edge beginning to glow with intense heat.
The least of his worries was his amount of Originat.
Fire God Slash is a technique, unlike Blazing Thorn, which is a skill.
Techniques are forms, methods of combat, movement, or weapon handling that rely on physical execution, precision, and mastery.
Skills, on the other hand, are more like abilities, spells that channel Originat through the use of runes to produce mystical effects, like Blazing Thorn.
Lucien immediately used this opportunity, wanting to eliminate the Alpha Wolf.
He poured massive Originat into the Abyss Carver, which swallowed them all like a bottomless pit. The blade pulsed with power, flames licking along its edge as the darkness within it stirred, hungry and waiting.
Even though the thorns weren’t able to severely injure the Alpha Wolf, they held it down long enough for Lucien to execute this move. The blazing pillars of fire pinned the beast, their jagged forms digging into its flesh, keeping it rooted in place.
A whirlwind of fire gathered around the Abyss Carver, which released darkness, tainting the flames with a hue of black. The golden fire twisted, Abyss bleeding into its flame, creating an eerie, flickering blaze that danced in the shadow.
Lucien charged at the Alpha Wolf with killing intent in his eyes. His figure blurred, the Whisperwind Boots carrying him forward with explosive speed.
But from the shadows, three figures burst out, moving with silent, predatory grace. Their forms were cloaked in darkness, their features obscured, their presence deliberately hidden. They emerged from the depths of the forest like assassins, their movements coordinated and swift.
Lucien wasn’t surprised at their appearance; his lips slowly curled up into a smile.
I have been waiting for you guys.
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