章節 20: The Battle of Beasts.
The village was already in chaos as the Gloomfang Wyrm slithered through the breach in the walls. Its massive, shadowy form loomed over the village, coils of darkness swallowing buildings whole as its venomous green cracks pulsed with an eerie rhythm. The stinger on its tail struck the ground with a sickening hiss, and everywhere it touched, the earth blackened, rotting away into a cursed wasteland.
Villagers ran in terror as the beast moved through the square, smashing structures with its spiked tail and razor-sharp claws. A few brave souls attempted to fight back, armed with spears and bows, but the Gloomfang's shadow cloak made it almost impossible to target. Arrows and spears passed harmlessly through the dark air where it had just been.
Kiyoshi, Rajieru, and Celosia stood side by side, bloodied and battered, but ready for one last fight. Their eyes locked onto the monstrous serpent as it raised its head, its silver-glowing eyes narrowing in predatory hunger. They could feel the weight of its gaze on them, like an impending storm.
"We need to be smart about this," Rajieru muttered, his eyes scanning the battlefield. "We're injured, and this thing is playing in its element."
"It's not just a battle anymore," Celosia said, her voice low. "We need to protect the villagers."
Kiyoshi gripped his sword tightly, the blade shimmering with mana as he called upon his materialization magic. "I can create distractions, but we'll have to hit it hard and fast. That venom of its will rot everything if we don't stop it soon."
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"The Fight Begins: Ambush and Survival."
Before they could strategize further, the Gloomfang Wyrm let out a guttural hiss, its body rippling with dark energy as it vanished into the shadows. The village square plunged into sudden twilight as thick, stormy clouds formed overhead, crackling with green lightning. The air grew thick, suffocating, and the Gloomfang was gone—completely merged with the darkness around them.
The wind howled as Kiyoshi, Rajieru, and Celosia braced for the inevitable strike. It came from nowhere—sharp claws tearing through the air with a speed that belied the beast's size. Kiyoshi barely managed to parry with a quickly conjured shield, the force of the impact sending him skidding backward across the dirt. The shield shattered on impact.
"Kiyoshi!" Celosia cried, sending a wave of water magic to push the serpent's claws back. Her arm ached with the strain, her injuries hampering her control, but she managed to deflect the attack.
Rajieru, using his precognition ability, had already moved, rolling out of the way as the Gloomfang's massive tail smashed into the ground where he'd stood moments before. The impact sent a shockwave through the village, crumbling a nearby building into rubble. He spun his staff in tight arcs, sending bolts of light into the shadows, trying to reveal the beast's position, but the Gloomfang was too fast, too elusive.
A roar—deafening and soul-shaking—split the air. The Gloomfang emerged from the shadows, its split jaw opening wide, releasing a burst of sound that ripped through the village. The Nightmare Roar. Kiyoshi felt it in his bones, a creeping terror crawling up his spine. For a moment, the world around him distorted—horrifying visions flashed before his eyes: the village burning, Celosia and Rajieru dead, and the Gloomfang devouring everyone he had fought to protect.
"Kiyoshi, snap out of it!" Rajieru's voice cut through the hallucination. He reached out, grabbing Kiyoshi by the shoulder and shaking him. The visions faded, but the fear still lingered.
"We can't let it get inside our heads," Rajieru said. "Stay focused!"
Not even seconds after Rajieru's words left his mouth, the Gloomfang Wyrm exploded from the shadows, claws outstretched, aiming to eviscerate the first thing in its path. Kiyoshi barely dodged, rolling under the creature's legs with a rough, desperate tumble. Dust filled his lungs as he hit the ground hard, the impact sending a shockwave through his body. His heart pounded in his ears, the world spinning for a second before he regained his bearings.
Rajieru's staff swung through the air, the momentum snapping like a whip as he parried one of the beast's attacks. The Wyrm's claws scraped across his staff with a metallic screech, sparks flying from the contact. Rajieru gritted his teeth, shifting his body weight to counter the force, his muscles screaming from the strain. He dropped into a low stance, pushing his staff forward, using the Wyrm's own force to shove it back—but the beast was too strong, barely flinching from the strike.
Celosia darted in, using the rubble as cover, her movements quick and fluid like water itself. She vaulted over fallen beams and leapt onto a building's ledge, narrowly avoiding a snapping maw full of teeth. Her eyes were sharp, focused. She conjured a stream of ice, throwing it toward the Wyrm's maw, aiming to freeze its jaws shut—but the creature twisted, breaking the ice midair as it swirled back into the shadows, vanishing from sight.
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"Strategizing: Tactical Moves."
As the Gloomfang moved to strike again, Kiyoshi realized brute force wouldn't work—they needed a plan. "We have to hit it when it reveals itself! I'll create weapons and traps to slow it down, but we need to force it out of hiding."
Rajieru nodded. "I'll keep predicting its moves, but we need to use the terrain to our advantage."
Kiyoshi's hands glowed as he summoned materialized weapons—a set of ropes and spears appearing in his grasp. He threw them into the air, directing them to coil around nearby debris and ruins, creating makeshift tripwires and traps. At the same time, he conjured bows and arrows for the villagers brave enough to fight, quickly instructing them on where to aim.
Celosia, gritting her teeth through the pain, sent streams of water snaking through the air, freezing them into spikes at the edges of the traps. "We can slow it down—at least for a moment."
The Gloomfang lashed out again, its body moving through the shadows like a ghost. One of the villagers cried out as the beast's claws reached for him, but Kiyoshi was already there, conjuring a shield just in time to block the strike. The villager stumbled back, gasping for breath as Kiyoshi helped him to his feet.
"Go! Get to safety!" Kiyoshi ordered before turning back to the fight.
As the Gloomfang's body disappeared into the twilight storm, Kiyoshi took a deep breath, his pulse quickening. The beast was fast—too fast. But he could be faster. Summoning all his strength, he ran toward the crumbling remains of a stone tower, leaping over debris and broken ground with the agility of a cat. His hands caught the edge of a rooftop, and he hoisted himself up, muscles burning from the effort.
The Wyrm reappeared, striking with lightning speed. Kiyoshi had just enough time to jump from the roof, twisting his body in midair to avoid the strike. The creature's tail smashed into the stone with a deafening crack, sending debris flying in every direction. He hit the ground hard, rolling to absorb the impact, feeling the sharp sting of a fresh wound on his leg as he scrambled to his feet.
Rajieru, foreseeing the next attack, ducked under the creature's sweeping tail. In a burst of speed, he rolled forward and lashed out with his staff, striking the Wyrm's underbelly with a series of rapid blows. The staff crackled with energy as it connected, each strike aimed at the softest points between its armored scales. Rajieru moved like a whirlwind, his body a blur of motion as he danced around the beast, dodging claws and fangs with calculated precision.
Celosia used the Wyrm's immense size against it, parkouring up its back, her hands gripping the spiked ridges for leverage. Her feet found purchase on the creature's massive body, and she scaled it like a mountain, water magic swirling around her palms. When she reached the creature's head, she slammed a fistful of water into its glowing eye, blocking the beast's vision momentarily. The Gloomfang let out an enraged screech, bucking wildly as it tried to throw her off.
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"The Turning Point: Unleashing Power."
The Gloomfang, enraged by the resistance, coiled its massive body, preparing to strike again. Its tail whipped out, smashing into the traps Kiyoshi had set, sending debris flying. But as it moved, the ropes tangled around its legs, slowing it just enough for Celosia to act.
She leapt forward, water magic swirling around her, her movements fluid and precise despite her injuries. She conjured a massive wave, slamming it into the Gloomfang's side, knocking it off balance. The beast screeched, venomous green cracks pulsing brighter as it struggled to regain control.
"Now!" Rajieru shouted, his eyes gleaming with precognitive insight.
Kiyoshi didn't hesitate. He raised his hand, summoning a massive spear, its tip glowing with concentrated mana. With a forceful throw, he launched it directly at the Gloomfang's exposed underbelly. The spear struck true, piercing the beast's flesh with a sickening crunch. The Gloomfang roared in pain, thrashing wildly, its stinger lashing out and striking the ground with enough force to send tremors through the village.
Kiyoshi wasn't fast enough to dodge the next blow. The Gloomfang's claws ripped into his side, and he felt a burning, searing pain tear through his flesh. Blood spurted from the wound, staining his clothes a deep crimson. Gritting his teeth against the agony, he stumbled back, barely able to stand. His vision swam, but there was no time to think about the pain—he had to keep moving, had to keep fighting.
Villagers, emboldened by the trio's fight, charged forward with their own weapons. One man thrust a spear toward the Wyrm's exposed flank, but the creature lashed out with its tail, catching the villager in mid-strike. Kiyoshi saw it happen in slow motion—the man's body crumpling, bones snapping with a sickening crunch as he was hurled into a nearby building, blood spraying across the ground.
"No!" Kiyoshi cried, his voice hoarse. He rushed forward, summoning a shield with his magic just in time to block the Wyrm's next attack. The shield shattered on impact, but it gave him enough time to grab the downed villager, dragging him out of harm's way before the creature could strike again.
Rajieru's staff connected with the Wyrm's jaw in a brutal uppercut, the force knocking one of the creature's dagger-like teeth loose. Black blood oozed from the Wyrm's mouth, dripping onto the ground, where it hissed and burned through the earth like acid. The air filled with the stench of decay and rot.
But it wasn't over.
The sky darkened further as the Gloomfang unleashed its Twilight Storm, green lightning crackling through the air. The bolts struck down, blasting through buildings, barely missing the fighters on the ground. Kiyoshi, Celosia, and Rajieru dodged and weaved through the storm, using every ounce of strength they had left.
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"The Final Blow: Team Effort."
When the Wyrm unleashed its Nightmare Roar, the sound was so intense it felt like the world was splitting in half. Kiyoshi's head spun, the roar burrowing into his mind, filling it with horrifying images—Celosia impaled on the beast's stinger, Rajieru crushed beneath its coils, the village reduced to ash and ruin. His limbs felt heavy, his breath short, as panic seized him.
But then Rajieru's voice cut through the hallucination like a blade. " "Its weak spot! Aim for the back of its neck—it's about to drop its guard!"
Kiyoshi's grip tightened on his sword, his vision clearing just enough to see the Gloomfang stumble, its movements slowing. He forced himself to stand, despite the pain in his side, despite the blood loss that threatened to overwhelm him. Summoning all his remaining strength, he sprinted toward the beast, vaulting over debris with one final burst of energy.
Using his materialization magic to conjure a rope, which he swung from like a grappling hook. He launched himself toward the Gloomfang's back, sword in hand. The beast twisted, trying to shake him off, but Rajieru and Celosia were already working together. Rajieru directed bolts of light at the beast's eyes, disorienting it, while Celosia used her water magic to freeze the creature's movements for just a moment.
He pulled himself up, scaling the creature with sheer force of will, ignoring the pain as he climbed higher and higher. Finally, he reached its head—Rajieru's earlier attacks had exposed the soft flesh between its armored scales.
Kiyoshi raised his sword, mana surging through the blade, and with a fierce cry, he drove it down into the Gloomfang's neck. The beast let out a final, ear-splitting roar as it thrashed, but Kiyoshi held on,driving the blade deeper until the Gloomfang's body went limp, collapsing into the ruins of the village square.
Silence fell over the battlefield.
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"Victory, But At What Cost?"
The village was in ruins, the ground scarred and twisted from the Gloomfang's venom. The sky slowly cleared, the storm dissipating as the monster's corruption faded. Kiyoshi, Rajieru, and Celosia stood together, panting from exhaustion, their bodies battered and broken, but victorious.
Villagers emerged from hiding, some injured, some weeping, but all alive. For now, the nightmare was over. But they knew this victory had come at a heavy cost, and the true threat—the force behind the Gloomfang—was still out there.
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每周推薦票狀態
-- 推薦票
榜單 
-- 推薦票