Capítulo 20: Chapter Twenty: Dark Flame
Chapter Twenty: Dark Flame
Dusken slashed his sword with precise, well-targeted movements. Instantly, the beastman went on the defensive.
Arrows rained down upon him at rapid speed, but with his heightened senses as a level one, not a single one met him.
He ducked and swung his sword, each strike imbued with a profound intent that drove his attacks faster and sharper.
To Dusken, battle was not just about countering an enemy's tactics, it was about controlling the battlefield.
He would let his opponents see what he wanted them to see, luring them into a false sense of understanding. When they attempted to counter him, they would find themselves facing an endless, calculated onslaught.
Dusken's movements - both offensive and defensive, were deliberate and purposeful. The way of the sword, taught to him by his father, was a legacy no beastman could hope to rival.
Even so, the beastman's claws were capable of stopping his blade's advance with relative ease, not giving him enough chance to maneuver.
With a heavy kick to the beastman's chest, Dusken sent it stumbling backward, coughing up blood.
"I have to admit you're strong," the beastman snarled. "But I'm no mindless creature. I have talents and abilities of my own. Heh. Defend against this! ROAR!"
The beastman roared, and a fierce gust of wind surged outward, striking Dusken like a hammer and sending him flying through the air like a golf ball struck by a club.
While still airborne, the second beastman - a pink-skinned figure with a bow - unleashed a barrage of arrows aimed at his falling self.
Dusken's flight slowed before coming to a brief halt, leaving him suspended in mid-air for a fleeting moment.
Terror crossed his face as he plummeted toward the forest floor. From such a height, survival seemed like a distant hope.
The arrows closing in on him made his predicament even grimmer.
I hope this works, Dusken thought desperately, reaching for his card.
He hurled his spell card downward, as it hummed, hovering in midair.
Spell Card Activation: Nightfall Whisper
A soft, melodic whisper echoed through the forest.
Its words were shrouded in mysteries - not discernible but instilled a deep sense of loneliness in those who heard.
However, what happened next left even Dusken stunned.
Just before he could hit the ground head-first, his shadow rose, forming into a shield. The shield was oddly soft as he landed, softening the impact and bouncing him upward.
Rotating in the air, he landed on both feet, one hand pressed against the ground. A sharp jolt of pain shot through his body from the force of the landing, but he was glad that he was alive.
The arrows struck the shadow shield but failed to penetrate it. Though soft to Dusken, it was as hard as metal against attacks.
The beastmen stared in bewilderment, their minds reeling as they tried to comprehend what had just happened.
All they had seen was a card, which had somehow summoned a black, obsidian-like shield from the shadows.
Dusken, too, was stunned but quickly recollected himself. He nodded as he remembered the card's effect:
Spell Effect: In the twilight of time, the world was cloaked in darkness, shrouded by shadows, and drowning in solitude. From this silence, a whisper was born - the songs of the night.
The spell, Nightfall Whisper, seemed to be far more potent at night, and what Dusken had witnessed was likely just a glimpse of its full power.
Raising his head, his expression fell. The sun was still high, hours away from nightfall.
Stretching out his hand, he willed the shield to revert into its spell card form, which flew back into his grasp.
The card cost no abyssal energy to activate since it was dormant.
But due to his earlier manipulation of the beast's shadow, his Abyssal energy had dwindled alot.
Dismissing the card, he returned it to the mysterious space where all his equipment resided.
Dusken's attention shifted back to the two beastmen, who stood frozen as though deep in thought.
The pig-faced, pink-skinned archer was the first to recover, nocking another arrow. Before it could fire, the other beastman, this one with a long tail, intervened.
"Let me deal with him, Junior Brother," it growled, stepping forward.
Dusken smirked. The breeze ruffled his short white hair, and his dark eyes gleamed with confidence.
Despite his pale skin and ragged clothing giving him an unassuming, almost pitiable appearance, the air around him exuded danger.
The tailed beastman roared fiercely, charging at Dusken with heavy, thunderous steps that sent vibrations through the damp forest ground.
Dusken, however, stood his ground, inwardly attempting to summon his innate ability, Dark Flame.
'Summon. Arise. Burn!' He repeated every command he could think of, but there was no response.
The beastman was closing in fast. Anger bubbled within Dusken as he gripped his blade tighter.
Since entering this trial, he had known no peace, only one danger after another. This granted him immeasurable excitement.
However…
They were always overconfident, feeling like he was a bug they could squash anytime. This unnerved Dusken the most.
The hitch of being underestimated was both pleasing and frustrating.
Perhaps this beastman would finally be his outlet for all the pent-up frustration from all this.
Dusken tried a last-ditch attempt to summon the dark flame while retreating from the advancing beastman.
Following a pull at the depth of his heart, a flicker of black fire, no larger than a finger, suddenly appeared in his palm.
What the...
Before he could process it, the beastman roared again, unleashing another gust of wind. Dusken couldn't react and was swept back by the harsh winds.
However, he managed to recover quickly, landing flat on the ground before springing to his feet, his eyes planted on the beastman.
Calling on the flame again, he watched in awe as it flew from his palm to coat his longsword. The blade suddenly turned as dark as obsidian and Dusken felt something incredulous.
He was unsure, so he ran toward the beastman with his sword held high to test out his discovery. The beastman inhaled deeply, seemingly preparing for another wind blast… but Dusken was faster.
He closed in on the beast-man, not giving it a chance to release its absorbed air. He swung his blade in a wide arc, aiming for a weakness.
The beastman raised its hands and swiped its claw at the incoming sword. However, the blade sliced through them with effortless ease.
The claws that had been stably defending against Dusken's strikes were now sliced apart like tofu right now.
They fell to the ground with a low thud, completely cut off. A rage-filled growl erupted from the beastman, but Dusken paid no heed and slashed downward with overwhelming force.
The beastman, in desperation, roared one final time. The winds lashed against Dusken, threatening to push him back, but he planted his feet firmly, gritting his teeth against the pressure.
Things were turning for the worst as the winds seemed to be helping the beast-man out.
They pressured him, wanting him to fall, but Dusken refused to relent. This was not the worst he had faced. The pain from the hall was greater than this.
Seeing Dusken's firm stance and falling blade, the beastman attempted to flee. But how could Dusken allow that?
"Hah~," his blade fell against the wind's pressure aiming for the beastman's head.
Despite the beast-man's best efforts to defend itself by using its strong arms, the obsidian-enhanced sword cut through its defences with ease, slicing its head clean in two.
The power of the Dark Flame was undeniable, doubling the strength of his weapon and attacks. The beastman simply had no chance.
As the battle ended, waves of negativity surged through Dusken's mind just like earlier, threatening to consume him.
[You have slain a Level One Awakened Beastman.]
[Your abyss within grows darker.]
Dusken raised his head, his dark eyes burning with determination despite the chaos within.
A confident grin spread across his face as he turned to the remaining beastman, who stood frozen in terror.
His dark blade pointed at the beastman.
"You're next!" He growled, charging forward.
*******
A/N: A new chapter has been updated. Thanks to all those who read. Remember to vote with power stones.
PENSAMENTOS DOS CRIADORES 
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