Chapitre 56: Phase 2. Evolution(3)
Six Gargoyle Elders with an army of a hundred gargoyle warriors faced a team of two teenage boys and their Spirit Beasts. The air cracked with anticipation of the battle that was about to go down. The Gargoyle Elders hovered in the air with condescending gazes apart from one who stood on the island. He was very massive, almost as a three-story building and as huge as a blue whale. Its huge wings were opened and stretched in all its glory, casting a massive shadow over the boys. A huge crater had formed where he stood.
"£rt$^^kJ£. ??**t^6$£... ..L+&^" a Gargoyle Elder who was about 7 feet tall and had a more human appearance said in a strange language. It sounded like rocks and thunder clashing, but the two boys understood it clearly thanks to the system.
"6th Elder Estril. You are going to destroy the island and incur the chief's wrath."
"Come on 1st Elder Reed. Everything would be fine."
"Don't say I didn't warn you."
"Erm... 1st Elder Reed, can we talk this out?" Ethan shouted with cold sweat drenching him, body, soul and mind. Just standing in front of these beings was draining him of energy much faster than the thermalions.
"Such impudence!"
"This bug dares to mention the 1st Elder's name?!"
"What does it think it is?!"
"Wait? It can understand us?"
"Silence! Now bug..."
"The name's Ethan." Ethan said cutting the gargoyle short of its statement.
"You unworthy ant! Do you think I will spare you for this disrespect?!" 1st Elder Reed said in cold and disdaining tone that drained the two boys of all color as they were once again reminded of the severity of their situation. They had managed to evade the pursuit for three days thanks Ethan's aura abilities but this time, they had only two choices which would still end in one end: death. The first was to break out of the encirclement and run but with their strength, they would pretty much die without using not more than a skill. The second was to fight the elders and somehow survive the battle which was impossible considering what they were seeing on the system's identification screen. The system had projected the stats of all the gargoyle elders there and the weakest of them was at the Master level or in beast ranks, Platinum rank. The strongest there, 1st Elder Reed was at the peak of Grandmaster level or Supreme rank for beasts. These were beings who didn't have to fight with physical blows or cast long spells and such to fight two Advanced level kids. Just a flick of their finger was enough to end them.
"To think the Chief Elder sent us to kill these weak bugs. My pride and dignity have taken a hit and you two will pay for it with your unworthy lives." 1st Elder Reed said, his voice resounding across the vicinity like thunder and causing powerful winds to blow.
"Leave them to me. It won't be honorable of us to gang up on two bugs more so, allow the 1st Elder to do it for us." 6th Elder Estril stated in a calm tone.
"What do you guys think?" Elder Reed asked the other four elders.
"Fine with me." A gargoyle who wore a long robe and monocle on his left eye said in a slightly hurried tone.
"Just get on with it already." A gargoyle with orange eyes said in a bored tone.
"Mm" a gargoyle who happened to be the smallest there just nodded.
"Hihi" a gargoyle with feminine features, the only female gargoyle there just laughed cutely, for a gargoyle that is. She just looked at the kids in amusement, but no one noticed the sudden flash of violet light in her eyes and her change of expression from amusement to annoyance. It vanished as quickly as it appeared though.
"Hahaha! You guys are the best!" Elder Estril said in his booming voice while shrinking in size. It was now a 7 feet giant of a gargoyle with the gem on his forehead shining in a bright platinum color. It appeared that the gargoyle wasn't even needed.
Ethan seeing that they had ignored his plea with no room to ask more, prepared for battle. The serpent tattoo on his hand glowed as a 36 feet long serpent appeared, causing the expressions of the gargoyles to change slightly but it didn't deter them in anyway. Scales appeared around Ethan's eyes while his hair grew a bit longer and red scales appeared on his hands. His eyes changed from green to blue as a strange energy burst from him. Before anyone could react to this change, a gold dot appeared on his forehead as a commanding and authoritative aura burst from him. It overlapped with humanoid serpent tattoo on his forehead as his eyes once again, took on a different color: gold.
"Stop him!" Elder Reed shouted but it was too late as a golden burst from Trevor. His hair became white smoke while his eyes turned to hollow sockets in which red flames burned. A white skeleton with red eyes appeared on his forehead. His spirit beast, Apole wasn't spared as its form became more refined along with the tattoo. Ethan had shared the Sync skill with Trevor through the subordinate mark, granting him Sync without working for it. Trevor felt a strange energy which was strange yet familiar, but he decided not to ponder too much over it. He had to survive otherwise this will all be a waste.
"I see you did something and even the 1st Elder felt the threat it posed, so I'm going to end you so that it doesn't continue." Elder Estril stated in a grim tone.
"It's not like you would have let us go scot-free." Ethan said in a sarcastic tone, his now blue eyes narrowing dangerously.
...
The air crackled with tension as Ethan and Trevor faced off against the imposing figure of Elder Estril. The gargoyle had shrunk to a formidable seven feet, yet his presence still towered over them. His platinum-colored gem gleamed ominously on his forehead, and a low rumble filled the air as he grinned menacingly at the boys.
Ethan wiped the sweat from his brow, his hand trembling slightly as he gripped his war hammer. Angitia, the enormous 36-foot serpent at his side, coiled protectively, its scales shimmering under the dim light. The energy between Ethan and Angitia was palpable, an unspoken connection deepened by their Telekinesis ability. Trevor, with his white smoke-like hair and hollow red eyes, tightened his grip on the scythe, while his spirit beast Apole, the skeletal figure of a flaming, red-eyed creature, hovered near him. Behind them, Galeno, Ethan's massive tortoise beast companion, stood like a fortress. His earth affinity hummed through the ground, cracking the stone beneath his feet.
Elder Estril's wings stretched behind him, casting a broad shadow over the battlefield. He raised one hand, the metal in the environment beginning to respond, subtly warping and twisting in his control. His voice boomed.
"You're all fools. You should have run while you had the chance."
Ethan's heart pounded in his chest, but he steeled himself. There was no time to think, only time to act. He raised his war hammer, the weapon thrumming with latent power. The serpent tattoo on his forehead flared, and his aura abilities kicked into gear. Boost activated with a surge of yellow lightning around his heels and elbows, granting him blinding speed as he charged toward Estril.
Estril's eyes narrowed, unimpressed, and with a mere flick of his wrist, a sheet of metal burst from the ground in front of Ethan, blocking his path. Ethan gritted his teeth, twisting his body mid-air, and swung the war hammer downward. The hammerhead crackled with energy as it met the metal barrier with a deafening *clang*. Sparks flew, but the wall held firm.
"You're too slow," Estril mocked, his voice echoing.
Trevor dashed to Ethan's side, his scythe glowing faintly in the dim light. He slashed forward, sending a trail of Smoke snaking through the air. The smoke thickened and expanded, enveloping Estril in a dense cloud. For a moment, the gargoyle's figure disappeared in the gray haze.
"Now!" Trevor shouted.
Ethan didn't hesitate. His eyes glowed with a golden light as the Aura Shell formed around him, a shimmering invisible shield protecting him from unseen threats. With a sharp flick of his wrist, he activated Clutch, sending blue energy claws shooting forward through the smoke toward Estril's hidden form.
But the gargoyle was prepared. The platinum gem on his forehead gleamed brighter, and the smoke was suddenly pulled away by a powerful gust of wind. As the cloud cleared, Estril was standing tall, his hand raised, a thin sheet of metal armor shimmering around him. The Clutch energy claws bounced harmlessly off the barrier.
"Pathetic," Estril spat, stepping forward. His voice was low and filled with disdain. "You're not even worth my time."
Before Ethan could react, Estril thrust his hand forward, and from the earth below, metal spikes shot up toward him. Ethan barely had time to dodge, twisting out of the way, but one of the spikes grazed his side, drawing blood.
"Not good," Ethan muttered, pressing a hand to the wound.
Trevor leaped forward, swinging his scythe in a wide arc. Apole, his spirit beast, released a burst of smoke that swirled around them both. The smoke began to solidify, taking the form of tendrils that whipped toward Estril. The tendrils snapped like whips, aiming for any opening in Estril's defense.
Elder Estril, however, was quick. He summoned metal shards from the ground, turning them into a spinning shield that deflected the smoke tendrils with ease. He laughed as Trevor's attacks faltered.
"Do you really think you can defeat me with such weak techniques?" Estril's voice rumbled like thunder.
Suddenly, a deep tremor shook the ground. Galeno, Ethan's tortoise companion, stomped forward, his enormous feet sinking into the earth. The ground around them buckled, and large chunks of rock lifted into the air, controlled by Galeno's Earth affinity. The rocks shot forward, aiming to smash into Estril from all sides.
Estril's wings flared, and with a single powerful flap, he shot upward, avoiding the incoming barrage of stone. But Ethan was ready. He activated Sky Uppercut, dark red energy swirling around his fist as he leaped into the air, aiming directly for Estril's torso. The blow landed with a massive explosion of force, knocking Estril back through the air.
For the first time, Estril's expression darkened, no longer filled with amusement. "Enough of this!" he roared, metal streaks beginning to form around him. The very air shimmered with metallic energy as he prepared a devastating counterattack.
But Ethan wasn't finished. His serpent tattoo flared with power, and the Face of Terror activated. The blue serpent face appeared on Ethan's skin, and before Estril could strike, his vision blurred. He blinked once, twice—then his surroundings shifted. Suddenly, he was standing in front of a massive serpent, larger than anything he had ever seen. Its cold, predatory eyes locked onto him, its hissing echoing through his mind.
The illusion took hold for a split second, but it was enough. Estril's movements faltered as he tried to shake off the terrifying vision.
"Ethan, now!" Trevor shouted.
Seizing the opportunity, Ethan and Trevor lunged forward together. Ethan's war hammer crackled with energy, while Trevor's scythe hummed with dark smoke. They swung their weapons in unison, aiming to land a decisive blow.
But Estril was far from beaten. The platinum gem on his forehead flared with power once more, and in an instant, his illusion shattered. With a roar, he raised both hands, and a massive wave of metal shards exploded outward from his body, slamming into both boys and knocking them back.
They hit the ground hard, gasping for breath. The difference in power was staggering.
Ethan struggled to his feet, blood dripping from his side, his energy draining rapidly. Trevor staggered next to him, clutching his scythe, smoke still swirling faintly around him.
"We can't... keep this up," Trevor muttered through gritted teeth.
But Ethan's eyes remained defiant. Despite the overwhelming odds, the flicker of determination in his gaze didn't fade.
"We don't have a choice," Ethan said, his voice low. "We fight... or we die."
The battle was far from over, and though they were outmatched, Ethan and Trevor weren't ready to give up just yet.
Cadeaux
-- Cadeau
reçu État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone