The monster’s free hand touched the ground. Instantly, the texture of the solid sand beneath their feet turned into a slippery liquid, like vibrating quicksand. Rasie and Zaefal’s balance collapsed immediately. Fyar, carrying Illya, slipped and crashed hard onto the ground. Their combined attack failed completely.
"Ah, damn it!!!!!" Rasie screamed. She punched the slippery sand with her fist. Her face was flushed red, her molars grinding together to hold back her peaking rage.
"That BITCH has plot armor!!"
Up in the sky, Hasya laughed uproariously, clutching his stomach.
"Holly shirt!!! , look at them, look at them!" Hasya’s laughter echoed amidst the roaring wind. He slapped his own thighs enthusiastically. "Damn damm dammmmm!! This is so exciting! Hahaha!"
Beside him, Cyhas stared down in horror. Both her hands covered her mouth, her eyes wide with shock at the chaos on the battlefield. Her body trembled violently witnessing the monster toying with them.
The monster leaped high into the air. It performed a light somersault and landed far from their reach with a silent, perfect movement.
It stowed its hammer back on its back. The monster raised both hands into the air like an orchestra conductor.
The sand beneath it vibrated violently. Dozens of sharp sand spears jutted up from the ground. The monster snapped its fingers.
Whoosh!
The tips of the sand spears instantly ignited with blazing blue fire.
The monster thrust its hands forward. Dozens of fire spears shot through the air, heading straight for Fyar and his friends.
Zaefal advanced at the front. He spun his greatsword with a high-level defensive technique. His blade absorbed some of the fire, while the rest was deflected to the left and right.
Zaefal’s feet kept marching forward, braving the storm of fire.
Rasie moved chaotically. She jumped in a zig-zag pattern to avoid the spears’ trajectory. Occasionally, she slashed at the fire spears heading for her face until they shattered into hot sand particles.
The monster moved its hands upward again.
The ground beneath Zaefal and Rasie’s feet suddenly shot up into the air like giant pillars, carrying the two of them to a great height.
The monster clenched its fists. The sand around the pillars rose and curved, forming a tight dome. The sand dome moved quickly, intending to trap and bury Rasie and Zaefal inside.
"Jump!" Zaefal shouted.
"Fuckk, what kind of skill is this, fuuuckk!!!!" Rasie cursed.
The two of them jumped out of the pillars just before the sand dome closed with a loud boom. They floated freely in the air without any foothold.
Sst!
Down below, Fyar and Illya had teleported and appeared right in front of the monster’s standing position. Fyar was ready to slash.
However, the monster vanished exactly when the edge of Fyar’s blade touched its skin.
Fyar and Illya’s pupils constricted simultaneously. Fyar immediately looked up. "Shit!!"
Sst!
The monster appeared right in front of Zaefal’s face, who was floating defenseless in the air. The monster grinned.
Zaefal bit his lip until it bled. He forced himself to thrust his sword. But the monster spun its body in the air with ease, dodging Zaefal’s blade, then delivered a brutal heel kick straight to Zaefal’s solar plexus.
Bam!
Zaefal’s body was hurled downward with terrifying speed, like a falling meteor.
"Illya!!" Fyar shouted.
Fyar and Illya teleported to Zaefal’s impact point. Fyar caught Zaefal’s massive body just before it hit the ground. Fyar groaned loudly, withstanding the momentum of the impact until his knees sank deep into the sand.
Sst!
On the other side, the monster reappeared in front of Rasie, who had just landed.
The monster adopted a low stance and unleashed a straight kick toward Rasie’s stomach. Rasie, with quick reflexes, blocked the kick using the flat side of her sword.
Clang!
The monster pulled its leg back and immediately launched a barrage of punches toward Rasie’s shoulder.
"Fire! Fire!" Rasie shouted.
Her entire body and sword were instantly enveloped in raging red fire. The sand around her feet turned black from the extreme heat.
The monster pulled its hammer from its back again.
They engaged in close-quarters combat. Rasie slashed blindly with fire. The monster blocked every one of Rasie’s slashes using the handle of its hammer with high precision. Sparks of fire and the clash of metal created a deafening rhythm of battle.
Zaefal, having recovered his balance, dashed silently to the monster’s blind spot. He aimed a straight thrust toward the monster’s spine.
The monster sensed the attack. It prepared to turn and jump away.
Bang! Bang!
Two bullets pierced the back of the monster’s head. Its movement stopped instantly. Its knees wobbled.
Srak!!!
Zaefal’s greatsword, coated in black Void energy, pierced the monster’s back, going straight through to its chest. Blue blood splattered heavily, soaking Zaefal’s face. Zaefal twisted the handle of his sword, tearing the internal organs inside.
The monster let out a suppressed roar.
Srak! Srek! Srak!!
Rasie saw the opening. She went berserk. Her fire sword slashed the monster’s right shoulder, left thigh, and waist in turn. The monster’s flesh split and charred instantly upon contact with Rasie’s fire.
Sst!
Fyar appeared in front of the dying monster’s face.
"AREAN!"
Instantly, a purple energy dome encompassed the four of them.
"Void!" Zaefal shouted.
The area inside the purple dome turned pitch black. The monster’s life energy and mana were sucked out in massive amounts. Its body went stiff, completely paralyzed and unable to move.
Zaefal pulled his sword from its back and moved to the front. He slashed both of the monster’s legs at the knees with full force.
Crack!
The monster’s leg bones snapped, causing it to fall to its knees.
Rasie thrust her sword deep into the monster’s right chest, burning its lungs.
Fyar drew his katana. His voice was hoarse and cold. "Neutralize."
His katana blade glowed dark purple. He swung the sword horizontally, slashing the monster’s neck until its head was nearly severed, leaving only a bit of skin attached.
Illya aimed both of her violently trembling hands toward the destroyed body of the monster. Blood dripped fresh from her nose. She coughed, spitting blood into her own hands, but her gaze remained sharp.
"Retreat!" Illya shouted hoarsely.
Zaefal dispelled the Void area. He and Rasie leaped back simultaneously, distancing themselves from the monster.
It’s okay. My level is high enough. I can use this spell! You can do it, Illya! Illya thought, encouraging herself.
Illya chanted one final word. "Explode!"
Instantly, a point of red light appeared in the area where the monster stood. The surrounding area heated up drastically.
Sst!
Illya, still carried by Fyar, teleported away. Blood continued to pour from her nose due to excessive mana usage.
On the sand, the monster’s body twitched. It tried to move its fingers to regenerate.
Bang!
Fyar fired one last bullet straight into the monster’s heart, cancelling the regeneration process.
BOOM!
The area around the monster exploded. A wave of fire and destroyed flesh swept across the area.