Chapter 78 More Fluid
Even though it was currently very limited on heavier objects, and that would likewise apply to weapons being wielded with great Strength as well as that was even worse than just a heavy weapon, that didn't mean it was useless.
Zurog regained his balance, snarling. He could still feel that heavy punch, and it had jarred him quite seriously. Behind him, his Rotten Wolves and companions were still ripping each other apart. His heart was truly bleeding.
The entire gnoll village had been wiped out by these people. He could feel a dense rage bubbling up within him.
Unbeknownst to Zurog and even Sylas, Madness had inexplicably taken hold.
Zurog roared and slashed out, his Aether spinning freely as a blade jetted out toward Sylas.
Sylas' eyes widened. He hadn't been expecting this at all.
Sudden Burst.
He rushed to the side, feeling the ache in his body after using the Gene Talent so soon after the first time. At the same time, he could feel that <Madness Control> was already running out, and he didn't feel any closer to winning this battle.
Zurog released another wild strike and Sylas felt that he was beginning to retreat too much. Even if Cassarae and the other retreated, what about the militiamen and the villagers? If his Madness enveloped them, there was no telling what could happen.
'Focus. Think.'
Even though he told himself this, he had no idea how to deal with this situation. All this time, he had been relying on fighting entertainment he had watched back on Earth to barely inform his fighting style. But nowhere in those matches would there be a weaponless man going up against a polearm like this, and definitely not a scythe of all things.
Even worse, by now he had completely lost track of the dagger that Olivia had thrown. He still knew around where it had landed, but no matter how much he looked for it in that region, he found nothing.
However, he finally found some hope to cling onto.
He realized that Zurog's attacks had become more dangerous, but he was even more focused on Sylas than he had been before. As Sylas made a subtle attempt to lead him in a different direction, the gnoll elite unhesitatingly followed.
Fatigue was beginning to take hold and <Maddened Control> was moments away from not having any Aether to draw on.
Sylas slipped past another attack and downed the Elixir that Cassarae had given him.
He suddenly felt a wild rush of Aether flood his body and his eyes widened. It was more than he could handle.
It was only an F- Elixir, so he hadn't thought much about it, but Sylas had forgotten that his Intelligence was incredibly weak.
He felt a bulge in his stomach area, but luckily it didn't feel too dangerous. He could only let the Aether leak out of him, his body clearly incapable of handling anything more than this.
'This is…'
Sylas felt something odd. It was like the reverse of <Maddened Meditation>. The Aether had nowhere to go, and so it naturally flowed out of him. But when he used <Maddened Meditation>, it was as though the opposite was created, almost as though his body was suddenly the point of low concentration it needed to come to…
A scythe's blade appeared before Sylas. With his <Madness Control> still in effect, he found it just as easy to dodge, his control over himself at a peak.
His eyes seemed to glaze over as he comprehended something.
[Skill <Maddened Meditation> has evolved into <Maddened Enlightenment>]
[<Maddened Enlightenment> has reached Fragmented Mastery]
[Maddened Enlightenment (FF+)]
[You are deeply in tune with the Madness of your Ancestors. It helps you to focus, relax, and form a oneness with the world. Understanding yourself is a form of peace, but understanding your place in the world makes you Enlightened]
[Your understanding of <Madness Control> has deepened]
[<Madness Control> has reached Bronze Mastery]
Sylas' head ducked under a scythe's blade and he suddenly felt like he could see with far more than his eyes. He looked in the direction of the fallen dagger again. His eyes still saw nothing, but for some reason… he could feel it.
His telekinesis tugged, and the dagger rushed over with 75 Speed.
Madness, which had been about to run out as well, suddenly snapped back into focus and his mind felt like it had just expanded.
Zurog couldn't even react as a dagger suddenly plunged deeply into his back. Unfortunately, there was armor there, much thicker and more substantial than anything the other gnolls had been wearing.
Even so, Sylas didn't regret it. The sudden attack from the back sent a spike of fear through the gnoll elite, whose eyes suddenly cleared somewhat as he looked for his attacker.
Taking advantage, Sylas pressed his advantage, closing in and drawing a hook across the gnoll's snout.
Zurog's teeth flew and blood splattered, but he reacted quickly, his Aether rumbling again.
'Feint.'
Sylas concluded this without the slightest change in expression and unloaded an elbow across Zurog's snout before unleashing a knee right into his crotch.
One of Zurog's hands released from his scythe in an attempt to swipe at Sylas while his scythe pulled back once again.
'The same trick won't work twice.'
Zurog seemed to have already forgotten about the dagger because when it suddenly moved, pulling out from his back and slashing against his wrists, his cry of agony was as much of pain as it was of surprise.
His fingers loosened their grip as his scythe fell to the ground, and his body became a punching bag. A barrage of fists and kicks, each one flowing seamlessly from the last, bore down on the gnoll elite.
The feeling of rotten flesh and putrid blood flying through the air seemed to fuel Sylas all the more.
Faster. Sharper. More fluid.
Tail Whip.
His shin collided with the side of the gnoll elite's head, causing sprays of blood to flow.