Chapter 82: The Second Seal’s Wrath

  The moment the Res Orc Seal fully stepped through the

  portal, the cavern trembled. The air warped, flickering in and out like a broken illusion, and the gravitational pull around them fluctuated wildly—one second the ground felt light as air, the next it crushed down like an invisible force trying to grind them into dust.

  Marcus gritted his teeth, his body instinctively shifting into a combat stance. This wasn’t just a monster. This was something different, something wrong.

  The Res Orc Seal inhaled deeply, its massive, muscled chest expanding as its corrupted Ki pulsated like a second heartbeat beneath its charred crimson skin. Jagged black veins lined its limbs, pulsating with power that twisted the very air around it.

  The creature exhaled, a guttural snarl vibrating through the cavern.

  “It has been… long… since I last walked.”

  The weight of its voice pressed against them like a physical force. A presence. A will.

  Marcus exchanged a glance with Vira. She was tense, flames already flickering around her fingertips, but he could see it—the slight tremble in her stance. She felt it too. The sheer overwhelming aura of something not meant to be free.

  Thalron was the first to move. He vanished from sight in an instant, his Shadow Stride ability slipping him through the warped space to strike at the monster’s heart. His arcane rapier gleamed as it thrust forward—

  And passed straight through the beast’s chest.

  Thalron’s body froze mid-air as realization struck. “The hell—?”

  The Res Orc Seal turned its head slightly, not even acknowledging the attack. Then its clawed hand moved faster than sight, swiping at Thalron with a monstrous backhand.

  CRACK.

  Thalron was sent flying, crashing through a stone pillar before rolling across the cavern floor.

  “Thalron!” Vira shouted.

  Marcus' instincts screamed at him—this thing wasn’t fully anchored to reality yet. They were attacking something that wasn’t fully here.

  He clenched his fists. “Stem, what the hell are we dealing with?”

  Stem’s voice hummed, processing faster than before.

  "Marcus, this entity has not yet stabilized. It is phasing between existence. If you don’t kill it before it fully integrates into this world, it will open the portal completely—and its entire army will come through."

  Marcus exhaled sharply. "So what the hell do we hit it with?"

  "Energy. The right kind of energy—its own anchor. Disrupt its connection."

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

  Marcus cracked his neck and took a step forward. “Then let’s break this thing before it finishes forming.”

  The Res Orc Seal turned its attention toward him, its glowing red eyes narrowing slightly.

  “You. The anomaly.”

  Marcus felt something deep in his bones at those words.

  The beast launched forward with impossible speed.

  Marcus barely had time to brace before a colossal fist crashed into him.

  The shockwave sent him skidding back, boots carving trenches into the stone floor. His arms burned from absorbing the force, but he kept his stance.

  Arixa moved next, letting out a war cry as she charged in with her warhammer, swinging it like a battering ram. The sheer force of her attack shattered the ground, sending jagged rocks flying.

  BOOM.

  The warhammer met flesh, slamming into the beast’s ribs—

  And yet, it barely flinched.

  Instead, the Res Orc Seal turned its head slowly toward Arixa, and for the first time, something changed in its posture. Its gaze locked onto her with something beyond recognition—a primal familiarity.

  Arixa’s breath hitched. Her grip on her warhammer faltered for a fraction of a second.

  “Why…” she muttered, confusion flashing in her eyes.

  The Res Orc Seal took advantage of that hesitation. Its Ki twisted unnaturally, forming an extra arm from its shoulder—a grotesque, inky black Ki construct that shot forward.

  Marcus lunged, slamming his fist against the construct before it could grab Arixa. The impact rippled with Ki disruption, causing the construct to shatter.

  Arixa snapped out of her daze, shaking off the strange pull. “The hell was that?”

  Vira’s voice rang out. “Don’t listen to it! That thing isn’t normal!”

  Vira raised her arms, gathering raw mana, her grimoire glowing in response. She launched a torrent of fire, scorching the beast’s chest. The explosion roared, sending embers scattering—

  But even as the fire consumed its torso, the creature healed instantly.

  “Shit,” Vira hissed. “It’s regenerating too fast!”

  Stem’s voice cut in urgently. "It is adapting. Your mana-based attacks will be less effective the longer you fight. You need to disrupt its Ki Core."

  Marcus gritted his teeth. This thing wasn’t just a monster—it was a lock, something designed to keep something else sealed. If they didn’t destroy it the right way, they weren’t just failing the quest—

  They were dooming this entire region.

  “We need to hit it all at once,” Marcus realized. “Its core has to be exposed before we can break it!”

  He took a step forward and felt something shift within his gauntlets.

  An old notification resurfaced in his vision.

  [Condition Met: Release State Activated]

  Marcus’ body ignited with power. His gauntlets pulsed with energy, the runes carved into them awakening.

  Arixa smirked. “You’ve been holding out on us.”

  Marcus cracked his knuckles. “Nah. Just saving it for the right moment.”

  The plan came together in seconds.

  Thalron moved first, his body flickering in and out of shadow. He reappeared behind the Res Orc Seal, his rapier slashing across its spine, carving a deep gash that left a faint afterimage of arcane energy.

  The Res Orc Seal roared, its body momentarily stiffening from the unexpected damage.

  Vira moved next. She raised both hands, channeling every last bit of raw fire magic she had left. A massive pillar of flame erupted beneath the beast, consuming it in a white-hot inferno.

  The Res Orc Seal staggered. Its defenses were crumbling.

  Arixa let out a savage grin. She charged, leaping high into the air, her warhammer glowing with pure Ki reinforcement.

  “Let’s see how strong you really are!” she bellowed.

  She brought the hammer down with all her might.

  CRASH.

  The impact shattered the stability of the beast’s Ki Core. Its body flickered violently, as if its entire being was resisting its own existence.

  Marcus saw his opening.

  He clenched his fists, Ki and Psycha flooding through his body.

  One strike. One shot.

  Marcus launched forward, his speed a blur, fist cocked back—

  Then he unleashed everything.

  A single, devastating right hook collided with the Res Orc Seal’s chest, connecting directly with its Ki Core.

  BOOOOOM.

  The cavern exploded with force, the shockwave obliterating the ground beneath them.

  As the dust settled—

  The Res Orc Seal remained standing.

  Barely.

  Its form wavered, broken, its regenerative abilities failing.

  But then—

  It chuckled.

  And stood up again.

  Marcus felt his breath catch.

  "Stem," he muttered. "Tell me that was enough."

  Stem’s voice was grim.

  "It wasn’t."

  Marcus clenched his fists. Shit.

  The battle wasn’t over.

  And the Res Orc Seal wasn’t done yet.