Free Web NovelChapter 77: _Critical Damage
Phoenix Flight HQ
Devon decided to head back to Ambrose’s suite after much consideration. He really didn’t want Han’s visit to ruin their morning. Not to mention he needed to know if the Guide liked his pancakes.
When he was in front of the white door, he took in a short breath before knocking. Once. Then twice. He glanced left and right, noticing a couple of cameras at the top of the walls.
The moment he lowered his head was when a tiny voice spoke up from inside.
"Who’s that?"
He frowned. "Orion, it’s me."
"... Uncle Devon?"
Now his frown deepened. "Uncle? Buddy, where’s Ambrose?" A pause. "Don’t tell me he doesn’t want to open the door. Listen, if he’s in there let him know I’m sorry. I’ll... find a way to handle—"
"Are you really Devon?"
He subconsciously glanced at the cameras again. Something was wrong.
"Yes, kiddo. I am."
After a few more seconds, a sharp click resounded from the door. It creaked open slowly, Orion peeking his head out and blinking right at him with those golden eyes.
The boy’s face lit up. "It’s really you," he grabbed Devon’s hand, tugging at him to come in. The Esper did just that, brows arching when the door shut behind them. "Daddy said I shouldn’t open the door for anyone. Except you."
As the kid skipped toward a sofa, Devon swerved his head to the kitchen counter. Sure enough, there lay an empty plate and a glass cup that had once held Ambrose’s pancakes and parfait.
"Kiddo?" Devon pointed at the kitchen when Orion settled on a sofa. "Did your daddy eat before leaving?"
"Mmhm. He did."
"Did you enjoy the uh... ’perfect’?"
Orion’s brows knit. "I thought you said it’s parfait?"
Sigh... this damn kid.
"Yes, yes... you’re right," Devon held back a chuckle, striding toward the sofa. His head angled to the TV. "Is that the news?"
Orion nodded as he sat beside him.
Devon grabbed the remote, turning up the volume when he saw ’breaking news’ flash on the screen.
"After days of containing the Norfolk Echo Rift dungeon break," the female reporter dove straight into the report, "we’ve finally gotten new footage from the scene..."
The camera shifted to live footage. It zoomed on Norfolk harbour—or at least what remained of it. It was completely flooded and covered with water, thunder clouds rolling erratically above.
The Leviathan was still very much active, roaring into the skies while a phoenix projection descended upon it. His grandfather.
But there was something... off. Different.
"For days, the Rift has been increasing in size and width," the reporter’s voice went on in the background. "The bodies of the fallen bipedal beasts have also been seen trailing back to the Rift... like it’s been absorbing them."
Devon’s expression paled.
The camera panned again to the Rift, giving a clearer view. Letting him and the rest of the world see the new entity levitating over everything.
Humanoid. Pitch black skin. A spiralling void where its face was supposed to be. Everything about it screamed alien.
"... Not much is known about this new entity," The footage paused, the camera finally going back to the reporting desk. "But experts believe it might at least be SS Rank. Like the Leviathan."
"Federations all around the world are already making preparations in case this Cataclysm becomes a global issue. Which leaves us with two questions—how much longer can our country’s SS Ranks ’contain’ the Echo Rift?"
"And is this the beginning of a worldwide calamity unlike anything humanity has seen since the Emergence?"
Devon rubbed a hand down his face, taking a quick look at Orion. As usual, he seemed more intrigued than scared, eyes glued to the screen like it was an episode of Baby Shark.
It’s been years since he’s felt so... small. When compared to events like this it was hard not to. SS Rank. Cataclysm. The first Echo Rift ever recorded.
Why were all these things suddenly happening after thirty years since the Emergence? Was there a... trigger?
’That old man,’ he thought about his grandfather just then. ’I hope he’ll know when to escape if this becomes too serious.’
Now he had a question of his own.
"Orion?" He started. "Where did your daddy say he went to again?"
Orion tilted his head. "Daddy said... he had to go for a walk..."
★★★★★
"Shit, shit... SHIT." Ambrose cursed repeatedly, running through the fog and past tens of skeletons in an effort to escape the beast behind him.
He glanced back occasionally, regretting it each time. The B-Rank apparition wasn’t just fast but its movements were precise. No loops, no illusions. Just an honest desire to kill him.
And it sure did pack a punch, each strike that Ambrose dodged either shattering massive skeletal remains or sending out huge bursts of sand and debris.
’I need a weapon,’ he told the system hurriedly. ’At this rate even if I manage to evade it, I’ll get worn out. It’ll catch up with me eventually.’
Fireballs were almost completely useless, a waste of aether—doing nothing but agitating the thing.
He was still bleeding and his EP and HP were reaching levels he wasn’t sure he was ready to push past.
[Host currently has a total of 5250 seduction coins.] Aura flickered on a screen. [What kind of weapons would you like? Swords, spears—]
’A damn blade would work well, yes!’ he skidded through the ground, narrowly avoiding a punch aimed at his head.
He slid under a bone, the beast charging right through it a few seconds later.
The system showed him a list of bladed weapons available for the amount of coins he had. Most were B-Rank and had pretty impressive skills.
One was a poison-type dagger that could steal the life force of an enemy and give it to him with every successful cut he made. Disadvantage: Using a short blade like a dagger with this thing was suicidal.
He scrolled for a bit before his eyes settled on one.
[Weapon Details:
Name: Dragon Fang Twin blades.
Rank: A
Skills: Perfect for Fire type Espers. Users can channel fire attacks through them, making them ten times stronger. Blades become scorching hot when stabbed into a target.
Price: 5000 seduction coins.]
The blades were black, with intricate yellow linings carved into them like boiling magma.
Ambrose’s eyes glinted. ’Make purchase now!’
He looked back, heart pounding in his ears. The apparition had leapt into the air, its arms spread and face angled to him. It soared above like an eagle about to catch a mouse.
When it began descending, Ambrose saw his life flashing before his eyes.
’Aura!’
[Purchase made.]
[Weapons loaded out of the system shop...]
The blades appeared in both his hands, making him tighten his fists. He shouted, stabbing them upward right when the apparition was only a few meters from reaching him.
BOOM!
An explosion of flames, grey sand and bones consumed that spot, billowing into the glass skies like a mushroom cloud.
[Critical damage dealt.]
The world went silent.
No more system notifications. No movement.
Just smoke... rising into the sky.
Then—
—something shifted within it.
