Free Web NovelChapter 116: Sudden Intervention
The attacks continued without rhythm or pattern; sometimes they descended from above, sometimes they came from behind, and other times, they struck from angles so impossible that even Regaleon found himself wondering how such movements could even exist.
The assassin was utterly unpredictable and every action of it defied common sense.
Even Regaleon, who prided himself on reading the flow of battle, couldn’t comprehend the hunter’s movements and that realization alone unsettled him.
Throughout his years in House Valehart, he had crossed blades with more than a handful of assassins from House Noctivane. Aureleah herself belonged to that profession, and her mastery over stealth had saved their lives on numerous occasions throughout the past week.
Yet compared to the hunter before them, the silver-haired Assassin wasn’t merely outmatched; there existed an entire gulf between their abilities...
Every appearance of the assassin lasted less than a heartbeat. One instant, the cloaked figure would materialize from nowhere; the next, it would melt seamlessly back into the surrounding shadows, becoming one with the darkness as though it had never been there at all.
It was as if the forest itself had become its hunting ground. And that was precisely what made this battle so terrifying.
Regaleon found himself constantly turning, blocking, retreating, or simply enduring attacks with nothing but his Count-Tier Armor.
CLANG!
Another knife ricocheted off his breastplate...
SLASH!
A second carved a fresh groove across his shoulder guard.
Every metallic impact echoed through the crimson forest and every exchange left yet another scar upon the once-pristine golden Armour.
Without his halberd, every successful defense merely delayed the inevitable and there was no way of attacking back.
In fact, more than once, Regaleon had attempted to recover the weapon embedded within a distant crimson tree but each attempt ended the same way; the moment he took more than two steps toward it, a knife would suddenly appear without warning...
Every single blade forced him backward before he could even reach out toward his Soul Essence, making him quite helpless in this fight.
Also, the frustration steadily mounted.
But what choice did he actually have?
He could only continue fighting while relying solely upon his Armour. Hopefully, the Soul Essence would endure long enough for him to survive...
Meanwhile, Vaelorin also refused to remain idle.
Every fleeting glimpse of the assassin was answered by torrents of blazing crimson fire; infernos surged across the forest, ancient trees erupted into towering pillars of flame, and scarlet leaves were reduced to drifting ash before they even reached the ground.
Yet despite the overwhelming destruction, every attack he made struck empty air. This was because the instant Vaelorin activated an Essence Rune, the assassin had already vanished...
It happened several times over the course of the battle. And at this stage, it was as though they weren’t fighting a person anymore, but the forest itself.
Several more exchanges followed; a knife would appear first... Then a wound would follow... Then another knife and another injury...
Gradually, even Regaleon’s breathing became heavier as he began to feel the heat of the fight; sweat rolled beneath his damaged armor and his muscles were already burning.
His golden eyes narrowed as countless possibilities raced through his mind.
Honestly, this couldn’t continue. If the battle dragged on any longer, then death would become inevitable.
Not because the assassin lacked the strength to kill them. In fact, it was quite the opposite because at this point, Regaleon had become increasingly convinced that the hunter was deliberately avoiding fatal blows.
Every strike could have ended a life... Yet every attack stopped just short.
Why?
He didn’t know. Nor was he willing to waste precious moments searching for an answer.
Instead, he turned sharply toward his companions and yelled. "REGROUP!"
His voice thundered across the battlefield.
"BACKS TOGETHER! NOW!"
Neither Veyrath nor Vaelorin hesitated. Abandoning their positions immediately, both sprinted toward him and within moments, the three of them stood shoulder to shoulder; each guarding a different direction and entrusting their blind spots to the others.
Only after the formation was complete did Regaleon speak again.
"Vaelorin! Eruption Pulsen around us! Now!"
The red-haired pyromancer nodded.
Without wasting another heartbeat, he raised his Staff high into the air and activated the Essence Rune "Eruption Pulse."
BOOM!
The surrounding air instantly became blisteringly hot...
The earth trembled. Then... Massive pillars of gold-crimson fire erupted from the ground around the trio.
Flames raced across the forest floor before surging several meters into the sky, forming a blazing ring that completely enclosed them.
Heat distorted the surrounding air; causing nearby crimson trees to blacken almost instantly. Leaves ignited also before drifting away as glowing embers.
Regaleon slowly swept his gaze beyond the burning barrier and spoke once more.
"This should force him to approach from a predictable direction."
His golden eyes remained fixed upon the sea of flames.
"And even if it doesn’t, it still gives us something we’ve lacked since this fight began. Awareness."
The blazing wall illuminated every nearby shadow. Every branch, tree, and movement beyond the flames should become infinitely easier to notice now. Or at least... That was the theory.
Silence settled over the battlefield after Vaelorin engaged "Eruption Pulse." For the space of a few minutes, there were no footsteps, no shifting leaves, and no murderous pressure.
Instead, only the crackling roar of flames filled the forest...
Several long moments passed in stillness... Then, a figure emerged.
The assassin calmly stepped from behind a crimson tree several meters beyond the burning ring.
Unlike the trio, the hunter appeared completely untouched. It’s dark cloak remained immaculate, it’s tunic bore neither dust nor damage, and every silver knife remained perfectly arranged beneath the folds of it’s cloak.
Even the hood hadn’t shifted by so much as an inch. It looked less like someone who had fought dozens of exchanges, and more like someone enjoying an evening stroll.
The contrast was almost insulting because the trio were in a very terrible shape as...
Regaleon’s golden Armour was covered in cuts and deep gouges. Fresh blood slowly seeped through several openings where the metal had finally yielded and his breathing had grown noticeably heavier...
Behind him, Veyrath still clutched his bleeding arm while sweat drenched his clothes...
And Vaelorin’s wounded shoulder remained tightly wrapped, yet fresh crimson continued staining the bandages.
Against such a scene, the assassin appeared almost unreal. Completely pristine if one must say.
The hunter quietly observed the burning ring.
Then, it’s head tilted ever so slightly. Almost in a curious manner.
Before any of them could understand the gesture... The assassin disappeared once more.
Regaleon’s pupils shrank violently as he tried to track it’s position. Suddenly, his instincts screamed wildly and he shouted instantly.
"It’s inside!"
As it turns out, the hunter had somehow crossed the wall of flames without disturbing them nor was it burned.
It had simply appeared... Directly in the center of their formation...
Regaleon spun around instantly, but he was still too slow...
BOOM!
A devastating kick crashed directly into his ribs...
The impact was monstrous, cracking several bones immediately as his body shot backward like a cannonball.
The ring of flames exploded apart as he tore straight through it before slamming violently into a massive crimson tree...
BOOM!
The trunk shuddered violently while its branches shook overhead with leaves even raining downward...
Pain exploded throughout Regaleon’s chest and the failed Knight slid helplessly down the bark before collapsing onto one knee.
A mouthful of blood spilled from between his lips, his vision blurring where he knelt.
"REGALEON!"
Veyrath instinctively turned toward him. But it was a mistake because in the next heartbeat...
SLASH!
A silver knife buried itself deep into the failed alchemist’s back...
"AAGH!"
Veyrath screamed in agony, his legs immediately giving way beneath him and he collapsed face-first onto the forest floor.
The knife remained lodged between his shoulder blade and spine as blood rapidly spread across the back of his clothes...
Now, only Vaelorin remained standing.
The red-haired pyromancer whipped around.
And for the first time since the battle had begun, the assassin hadn’t disappeared.
The red-haired saw an opportunity and without the slightest hesitation, he took it by activating his Essence Rune "Solar Lance."
A blinding pillar of condensed crimson fire erupted from his staff...
WHOOSH!
The beam screamed across the battlefield before completely swallowing the assassin...
The surrounding forest exploded into flames; towering trees blackened instantly while the ground itself split apart beneath the unbearable heat.
Everything within its path disappeared beneath the inferno and for one fleeting moment... Vaelorin believed he had succeeded.
Until, the flames suddenly vanished. They weren’t dispersed nor extinguished. They simply vanished and upon seeing this, Vaelorin’s Fiery eyes widened...
The assassin’s dark cloak rippled softly; and like the surface of still water swallowing a falling stone, every trace of the inferno simply disappeared into it...
After this, the assassin slowly raised its head.
Cold emerald, serpentine eyes calmly met Vaelorin’s horrified gaze and within those indifferent pupils, the failed Pyromancer saw emotion.
It was a faint trace of amused contempt.
Upon seeing this, his heart froze and before he could even breathe, the hunter moved...
The distance separating them disappeared in an instant. A silver knife rose into the air, then descended straight toward Vaelorin’s throat...
Time seemed to slow.
His heartbeat thundered inside his ears... His breathing stopped... And his body refused to obey him.
Death! He thought. Death was less than an inch away...
Then...
CLANG!
A brilliant streak of silver suddenly tore across the battlefield...
The descending knife was violently knocked aside, followed by a shower of sparks erupting into the crimson air.
