Free Web NovelChapter 11: Chapter 11
The dome of absolute darkness collapsed folding back into Glen’s shadow like water draining down a sink.
As soon as the Predator Domain deactivated Glen stumbled. The cocky smirk vanished from his face replaced by a sharp grimace. He dropped to one knee driving the tip of his silver sword into the marble floor to keep himself from collapsing completely. His chest heaved as he gasped for air and a thin stream of blood trickled from his left nostril. freёweɓnovel.com
Isla walked over her heavy boots clicking against the stone. She did not lower her pistols. She looked at the dead assassins-and then down at Glen. Her piercing green eyes were filled with a mixture of awe and intense suspicion.
"You look terrible Mcdonald" Isla said her voice flat.
Glen wiped the blood from his nose with the back of his hand and forced a weak laugh. "Just a little mana exhaustion Sinclair. Creating a localized domain of absolute death takes a lot out of a guy."
"A domain skill" Isla repeated shaking her head slowly. "Those are A Rank minimum. Usually S Rank. And you just manifested one briefly after making contact with the assassin’s blood,you are not mimicking anythin are you?Y-you are absorbing them."
Glen looked up at her. He could lie but Isla was too smart for that. She had seen the entire process. More importantly he needed her to trust him if this partnership was going to work.
"I steal them" Glen said his voice dropping the sarcastic tone for a moment. "I steal them and I merge them together. But my base stats are still garbage. I am still not strong enough. That domain just drained ninety percent of my mana in less than a minute. If there had been a fifth assassin I would be a dead man right now."
Isla stared at him for a long silent moment. The ambient blue light of the cavern reflected off the metallic barrels of her pistols. He could see it in her eyes, she was calculating the risks. Harboring a hunter with an unregistered illegal class was treason against the Association. But he also knew that Isla did not care about the Association.
They had done nothing when the major guilds destroyed her family.
She finally lowered her weapons and holstered them at her hips. She reached into her duster and pulled out a small glass vial filled with glowing blue liquid. She tossed it to Glen.
"Drink it" Isla ordered. "It is a high grade mana potion. It tastes like battery acid but it will restore your reserves. We still have a boss to kill and I am not fighting it alone."
Glen caught the vial popped the cork and downed the liquid in one gulp. He gagged as the bitter alchemical mixture burned its way down his throat but almost instantly a warm soothing energy radiated outward from his stomach. His spiritual core greedily absorbed the mana refilling his depleted reserves.
He stood up pulling his sword from the floor and rolling his shoulders. The pain was fading.
"Thanks" Glen said offering a genuine smile. "I owe you one."
"You owe me thirty thousand credits" Isla corrected turning toward the center of the ruined city. "That potion was not cheap. Let us move."
They navigated through the decaying streets of the underground temple complex. The architecture grew more imposing the deeper they went. Massive statues of what appeared to be forgotten gods lined the pathway their stone faces eroded by time and damp air.
Glen kept his senses sharp but he did not activate his skills. He needed to conserve every drop of mana for the boss. The fight with the assassins had been a harsh reality check. His skills were incredibly overpowered but his body was still a fragile vessel. If he relied entirely on his flashy abilities he would burn out and die. He needed to fight smarter.
"The central temple is just ahead" Isla whispered crouching behind a fallen pillar.
Glen crouched beside her peering into the massive open courtyard. The area was roughly the size of a football field surrounded by towering obsidian walls. In the very center of the courtyard resting on a raised stone dais was the boss.
It was an Obsidian Chimera.
The monster was a terrifying amalgamation of beasts carved from solid black volcanic glass. It had the body of a massive lion the wings of a gargoyle and a long sweeping tail that ended in a jagged crystalline spike. It was currently asleep its massive chest rising and falling with a deep rumbling sound that shook the loose pebbles on the floor.
"B Rank boss" Isla analyzed her eyes narrowing. "High physical defense. Magic resistance. And judging by those wings it has aerial mobility. This is going to be ugly."
"Can you pierce that stone armor with your pistols?" Glen asked.
"Not with standard shots" Isla replied drawing her weapons. "I need to create a thermal shock. If I hit the exact same spot with absolute zero ice and then immediately follow up with explosive fire the rapid temperature change will shatter the obsidian plating. But the casting time for a combo like that takes three seconds."
"Three seconds is a lifetime in combat" Glen noted.
"Exactly" Isla said looking at him. "Which means you need to keep that overgrown rock cat distracted. Do not try to kill it Mcdonald. Your swords will just bounce off that armor and you will most likely break your wrists. All you have to do is just keep its attention on you."
Glen smirked spinning his twin swords. "Distract the giant flying stone monster. Got it. No pressure"
"Do not die luggage carrier" Isla said.
Glen did not reply. He activated Lightning Movement.
He exploded from behind the pillar a streak of crackling blue electricity shooting across the open courtyard. The sudden noise and the blinding light instantly woke the Obsidian Chimera. The massive beast opened its glowing yellow eyes and let out a roar that sounded like two mountains grinding together. freewebnovel.cσ๓
Glen closed the distance in a heartbeat. He did not aim for the thick armor on the beast’s chest. He aimed for the joints. He slid across the smooth marble floor dodging a massive swipe from the Chimera’s stone paw and slashed his silver swords across the monster’s back ankle.
Sparks flew as the blades scraped against the obsidian. Glen felt the jarring recoil travel up his arms but he managed to chip a small piece of stone away.
The Chimera roared in annoyance. It spun around whipping its jagged crystalline tail toward Glen’s head.
Glen ducked the tail passing mere inches above his hair. The wind pressure alone was enough to make his ears ring. He realized instantly that if that tail hit him his Level 6 body would be cut completely in half.
"Hey ugly" Glen shouted channeling a tiny bit of mana into his voice to make it echo. "Over here."
The Chimera lunged snapping its massive stone jaws. Glen used Lightning Movement to dart backward leading the monster away from the pillar where Isla was hiding. He was playing a dangerous game of tag dancing on the razor edge of death.
He glanced toward the pillar. Isla stepped out into the open. The runes on her left pistol were glowing a blinding icy blue. She was taking aim locking onto the center of the Chimera’s chest.
"Hold still you overgrown pebble" Glen muttered.
He needed to lock the monster in place for exactly three seconds. He deactivated Lightning Movement and planted his feet directly in front of the charging beast.
The Chimera seeing its prey stop moving raised both of its massive stone paws to crush Glen into the floor.
Glen took a deep breath. He did not run. He waited for the exact perfect moment.
"Now Sinclair" Glen roared.
