章 27: The Quorvath
Chapter - 27
The Quorvath loomed before us, towering nearly twenty feet tall, its massive four-armed body covered in a coal-black hide marbled with veins that glowed like smoldering embers. Each breath the creature took sent faint pulses of molten light racing along those veins, illuminating its muscular form in eerie flashes. Rows of blunt, horn-like spikes framed its head, and from its powerful arms, razor-sharp claws extended like talons forged of iron.
The sight of it made my stomach lurch, and I immediately activated my skill, 'Insight of the Observer', hoping to glean some weakness. But I was met with the message:
Skill Failed
Iridium insufficient for Skill
I let out a sigh. Twenty points of Iridium wasn't enough to pierce through whatever defenses this thing had. Jennifer, however, didn't wait around. Her eyes narrowed on the creature, noting a jagged wound in the right side of its chest and one of its four arms hanging limply. Tiberius and Marcia must have left those as parting gifts before they retreated.
"He's injured. We have to strike now, before it recovers," Jennifer said, gripping her sword tightly. "I'm going in first. Cassia, give me support." Without another word, she rushed forward.
The scene that unfolded was almost comical, if not for the life-or-death stakes. As Jennifer closed in, she shouted, "Radiant Strike!" Her sword flared with light as she aimed for the wound in its chest, striking deep and causing the gash to widen. But the Quorvath didn't stumble back in pain. Unfazed, it turned its baleful gaze on her and swung one of its good arms, its claws slashing through the air. With a single brutal swipe, Jennifer was flung back, her body colliding with the ground and rolling to a stop before us. She lay still, unmoving.
Cassia's eyes widened in horror. She dashed to Jennifer's side, quickly checking her pulse. "She's alive," she whispered, glancing up at me, her face pale with worry.
Another roar split the air, reverberating through my bones. The creature had us in its sights now. Cassia looked back at me, her expression pleading, as if silently begging me to say we should flee, just like Tiberius and Marcia had done. But I had another plan in mind.
I ripped off my shirt, cutting it into a makeshift rope, then tore off my belt. I tied the shirt and belt to my axe, securing one end around my hand. Cassia watched me with wide eyes.
I walked over to her, grabbing her arm to pull her up, perhaps more roughly than I intended. "Leave Jennifer," I said firmly. "We need to focus on the monster. I have an idea, but I'll need you to keep it distracted."
She hesitated, her eyes flitting to Jennifer's still form, but after a second, I gave her a little shake. "Cassia. Focus."
Cassia, her red hair damp with sweat and flushed with nerves, nodded and took a deep breath. She raised her staff, her other hand gripping her short sword for extra reassurance. She muttered a quick incantation, her staff glowing with icy blue fire. "Boreal Flame!" A burst of freezing flame shot out from her staff, arcing toward the Quorvath and splashing across its side, leaving a trail of frost along its black hide. For a moment, the monster paused, its head snapping in Cassia's direction.
I gripped my axe, now modified with the makeshift rope, and prepared to move. "Cassia!" I shouted over the creature's growls. "When I tell you, use 'Glacial Shroud' at the edge of the cliff behind it. For now, keep using 'Boreal Flame' and keep its attention. Keep battering it with all you've got."
Cassia's brow furrowed as she watched me, but she nodded and turned back to the Quorvath, her resolve hardening. She launched another round of flames at it, each blast coating more of the monster's hide in ice.
Taking a deep breath, I sprinted toward the creature, closing the distance quickly. As I neared, I called out, "Frozen Spear!" A spear of ice materialized in my hand, and I hurled it at the creature's feet. The spear shattered on impact, but it did little else than enrage the monster.
It roared and moved toward me, but I was already retreating, forcing it to lumber after me. I gripped another 'Frozen Spear,' flinging it at its legs, each strike slowing it down just enough. The creature's movement was powerful but sluggish; if I could keep my distance, I had a chance. The only thing I had on this monster was speed, and I wasn't going to waste that advantage. I kept darting back, drawing it step by step closer to the cliff's edge, Cassia's flames arcing around me as she kept its attention divided.
Finally, I stood at the very edge of the cliff, the rocky drop-off just a step behind me. The Quorvath stopped a few feet away, its eyes narrowing as if assessing my next move.
I used my final reserve of Iridium to cast "Frozen Spear" one last time. Predictably, the enraged monster rushed towards me.
I waited until the last moment.
"Cassia!" I shouted. "Now!"
She raised her staff, muttering the incantation. "Glacial Shroud!" A wave of shimmering frost spread out across the ground near the cliff, covering the earth beneath the monster in slick ice. As the Quorvath moved to swipe its claws at me, its feet skidded across the frozen ground, and with a massive roar, it lost its footing. The beast stumbled forward, careening toward me, unable to stop itself.
I took a breath and, without a second thought, turned and leapt off the cliff's edge.
"Callum!" Cassia's scream echoed as I fell.
I had my shirt-and-belt rig prepared, one hand gripping the rope. In midair, I twisted my body, and with a desperate surge of strength, I swung my axe upward, hurling it toward the cliffside.
The Quorvath let out one last furious howl as it hurtled over the edge, plummeting down towards the ground. The roar faded as a loud thud resounded when it's body hit the ground.
My axe had lodged into the rock face, and the makeshift rope snapped taut, jerking me painfully to a halt. For a few heart-stopping moments, I hung there, breathless, the cliff wall scraping my side, my arm straining against the weight.
I hung there, panting, barely able to believe my outrageous plan had worked. Gritting my teeth, I began the slow climb back up, inch by inch, hand over hand along the belt and shirt that held me suspended. My arms screamed in protest, my muscles trembling with each pull, but I forced myself up until, at last, my fingers found the rocky ledge.
Cassia reached down then, her face filled with relief as she gripped my hand and helped me scramble up onto solid ground. I collapsed, breathing heavily, the world spinning as I lay on my back, arms splayed out, staring up at the sky.
Cassia knelt beside me, her face pale but smiling. "You… you're insane," she muttered, shaking her head, but there was a gleam of admiration in her eyes. For a moment, neither of us said anything, both of us too drained to speak. We just lay there, catching our breath.
Then, Cassia opened her mouth. "Umm... Callum. How will we get that monster's tag?" She asked.
F*ck my life.
クリエイターの想い 
JamesonSteele
JamesonSteele Like the story? Add it to your library！
Please support through Golden Tickets and Power stones and help this novel reach new heights. Thanks!
P.S, you can also check out my other novels, the more serious and romance heavy: The Wandering Cowboy, and the more lewder and erotic: Prince of Beasts and Chains
週次パワーステータス
-- 推薦
ランキング 
-- 推薦
チケット