I dangled from her hand, my body limp as she grinned and licked the blood off her finger. Her grip around my throat tightened slightly, making it harder to breathe.
I could think of only two ways out of this—Essence and my skills.
A plan formed in my head, but I needed to distract her first.
"Guro," I croaked, forcing a strained chuckle. "I trusted you. I thought you wanted to reduce your sentence by training me… but you lied."
She scoffed, her sharp teeth glinting.
"Training? Who the fuck do you think you are to receive training from me? You're not worthy."
I attempted to shift my neck under her grasp, but her fingers clamped down even harder.
I grinned despite the pain.
"I thought our entire universe was fighting against the Eternals," I continued, locking eyes with her. "Yet here you are, trying to kill me."
She shook her head with amusement.
"You're delusional if you think you have a place in that fight."
She went on, ranting about how weak and insignificant I was. I let her words wash over me, my focus shifting entirely to my plan.
I decided to use [Seismic Burst] but not with my fists. That was the obvious move, something she would expect. Instead, I would channel it into my legs.
I had never tried using the skill this way before. It was a risky, one-shot move, but if I executed it correctly, it could turn the tide.
The skill worked in a simple manner: I activated it, raw strength concentrated in my fist, and then I infused Essence to compress and release it in a controlled explosion.
The only difference this time was that I needed to direct that concentrated force into my legs. Essence would be easy to manage, but the raw strength? That was another story.
I refocused on her words just as she leaned closer, her breath hot against my face.
"…And you're wrong," she said, her grin widening. "I'm not going to kill you, I'm going to eat you. It's been a while since I last tasted human flesh."
A deep rage boiled inside me.
"You think the commander will let you do that?" I spat.
She chuckled darkly.
"Of course not. He said not to kill you, but he never said anything about cooking you and savoring the smell."
She licked her lips. "That should be fun, right?"
'Fucking bitch.'
I wasn't sure who I was more furious at - Guro, the commander, or myself for ending up in this position.
I had no choice. I had to take the risk.
I started struggling in her grasp.
She laughed, watching my pathetic attempt at escape. Then, keeping me suspended in the air with one hand, she punched me in the stomach.
The force of the blow made me gag. Blood spewed from my lips.
I wheezed, forcing myself to struggle again.
"It seems you need some more beating, human."
I acted fast.
First, I activated [Psynapse Boost], sharpening my perception. Then, without hesitation, I triggered [Seismic Burst].
Raw power surged through my body, flowing toward my fist as usual.
I threw a wild punch at her, just to keep her distracted. She easily dodged, tilting her head back with a smug grin. Then, with no effort, she hurled me to the ground.
I barely had time to react before I heard her whisper—
"Reaper's Rush."
'Shit.'
I braced myself, muscles tensing—
Her foot slammed into my stomach.
The impact disrupted my skill, the strength dispersing before I could use it.
I rolled, bouncing off the ground as pain flared through my ribs.
I activated the skill again.
Closing my eyes, I focused. This time, I forcefully redirected the strength, pushing it downward toward my leg.
It wasn't easy.
Raw power tore through my body, straining my muscles to their limit. I coughed another mouthful of blood, but I didn't falter.
My mind remained locked on my goal, channeling all that force into my left foot.
I ignored the sharp pain flaring in my ankle. It was already broken. There was no point in worrying about it now.
The raw strength condensed in my foot, my muscles tightening, hardening—
Then, a sharp whistle cut through the air.
Guro's foot crashed into me again.
The force sent me flying, but I clenched my jaw, refusing to let go of my concentration.
My body smashed against the ground.
Pain erupted across my body, but I didn't let it distract me.
By now, too much strength had already gathered in my foot. It was now or never.
Shakily, I picked myself up. It was time to attack.
I taunted her.
"To think I'd see the day when a level 30 demon feels proud about toying with a level 22. You're not that strong, are you?"
I kept my perception heightened, locking onto the heat particles in the air rather than her physical form.
If I relied only on my eyes, I'd fall for her speed again. Tracking the subtle shifts in temperature around me was the only way to predict her movements.
Her eyes narrowed.
"You know what? I've played around enough with you."
And then she sprinted toward me.
I shut my eyes and focused.
The heat particles rippled as she tore through the air. Fast and then Faster. She wasn't holding back anymore.
I caught the shift in the air pressure a split second before impact. Her fist came crashing toward my stomach.
Instead of dodging outright, I shifted slightly, just enough to let her fist connect but not fully send me flying. Pain erupted in my gut as the blow landed, forcing blood up my throat, but before my body could be thrown back, I clamped both hands around her extended arm.
I gritted my teeth, ignored the searing pain spreading through my core, and shifted my weight onto my right leg. At the same time, I channeled every ounce of available Essence into my left foot.
Then, I struck.
My left foot shot up, aimed straight at her head.
The moment it connected—
I triggered the explosion.
Boom.
A shockwave of Essence and raw power detonated from the impact point. Her entire body slammed into the ground head first, the sheer force burying her into the molten rock beneath us.
But I paid a price.
My leg, everything below my knee, erupted into a shower of blood and torn flesh.
Horrendous pain flared through me, white-hot and unbearable. I roared in agony, barely staying upright as my vision blurred.
I shook my head, forcing my vision to clear.
Then, gritting my teeth, I limped toward her. This time, I wasn't going to give her a chance to get up.
She lay face-first in the ground, motionless for a moment.
I didn't hesitate. I dropped down onto her back, pinning her beneath me, and activated [Seismic Burst] again.
Raw power surged through my body, gathering in my fist.
I drove my knuckles straight into the back of her head.
Boom.
Her face slammed into the ground with a sickening crack. A groan escaped her lips, and she twitched beneath me. She started to thrash, trying to shake me off, but I pressed my elbow down on her spine, keeping her pinned.
I activated the skill again.
This time, I swung from the side. My fist smashed into her skull.
A sharp throb of pain shot through my arm, my muscles screaming in protest, but I ignored it.
Gritting my teeth, I pushed myself off her body, swaying as fresh pain surged through me.
A sharp breath hissed through my teeth as I steadied myself.
There was no stopping now. Shifting my weight, I raised my elbow high, Essence surging into it as I activated [Seismic Burst] once more.
But this time my target was not my fist, not my leg but my elbow.
The raw force condensed, my arm trembling under the strain. Then, with a roar, I jumped, ignoring the agony shooting through my body and drove my elbow straight into her spine.
Boom.
The impact sent a violent shockwave rippling through the ground.
Her body jerked, a strangled snarl escaping her lips as cracks split the molten rock beneath her. My own arm screamed in pain.
I rolled off her body and collapsed onto the ground, my chest rising and falling in ragged breaths.
Each inhale felt like fire burning through my lungs, but I forced myself to take short, controlled breaths, trying to regain even a sliver of control over my body.
I was completely spent. My Essence storage was drained, not a single unit left. My stamina was in shambles, every muscle screaming in exhaustion. I had nothing more to give.
Then, a notification flashed in my mind.
[Skill Level Up!]
[Seismic Burst – Level 1 → Level 2]
A weak chuckle escaped me. At least something good came out of this beating.
But before I could savor the moment, a low groan rumbled beside me.
Guro was still conscious.