"Create an opening in its body," Nathan shouted as he lunged forward.
The Forest Hydra, despite having all its heads severed, continued moving on instinct. Or perhaps its cognitive center wasn't where everyone assumed it to be.
Hearing this, Evelyn unleashed another volley of her ice discs, sending them whirling past Nathan. The razor-sharp sawblades carved into the monster's belly. However, the defensive bark proved incredibly resilient, gradually wearing down the ice saws, leaving only shallow grooves on the surface. Seeing this, Evelyn supplemented her assault with sharp, sturdy Icebolts, concentrating them on a single point.
Her relentless barrage slowly carved open a gap in the Forest Hydra's abdomen.
Nathan bounded over the obstacle course of roots beneath him. Though unaffected by the cold Evelyn had generated earlier, they moved sluggishly enough to make his approach manageable.
Crackling sounds echoed above his head as the severed neck stumps writhed, trying to break free from their frozen state. The noise intensified as life force from the surrounding trees frantically poured in. Wood fibers gradually took shape, regenerating at the neck wounds.
With a final leap, Nathan thrust both hands into the substantial gap Evelyn had created.
"Berserker, 10%."
He roared as his skin took on an ashen hue, resisting the surrounding cold. Each breath produced a thin mist that swirled around him, obscuring his vision. Feeling the burning in his eyes, he closed them, straining with all his might to widen the opening.
Crack! Crack!
The regeneration of the six heads slowed as the Forest Hydra diverted its power to its belly, attempting to close the wound.
Nathan felt tremendous resistance against his hands. Without hesitation, he increased Berserker to 20%. Then, he withdrew his hands, pulled them back, and chose an angle to strike at the edges of the gap he'd created. His passive skills amplified his attack with tremendous force. The tear widened accordingly.
Bracing his feet, using all the strength in his core and body, he pushed his hands outward.
The Forest Hydra, seeing this, redirected its regeneration back to its heads, hoping to use attacks to drive Nathan away. It focused on one branch first rather than all of them.
A head took form just in time to catch Evelyn's ice saw. It opened its maw wide, snapping down with precision. Ice shattered and fell from its mouth. Then it spat projectiles in all directions, deflecting the other attacks coming from the girl.
As the second head was about to return, Nathan succeeded in his endeavor. The gash he'd carved was deep enough to expose the monster's innards. A misshapen organ pulsed with connecting strands that flickered on and off. Currently, they were frantically flashing, indicating the monster's panic.
"Evelyn!" he yelled, noticing the monster once again increasing pressure on his arms. The roots wrapped around his torso were adding force. If not for his superior physique and Qi Armor, his bones would have shattered under the pressure long ago.
With a whoosh, several Icebolts whistled past his ears and hair, carrying lethal cold as they pierced straight into what appeared to be the Forest Hydra's heart.
The heart exploded as Evelyn released her power, triggering the collapse of the monster's entire system. Blood vessels lit up intensely, still trying to transport nutrients to a body rapidly losing vitality. The center blazed like a miniature sun.
Nathan felt the forces around him diminishing rapidly. The roots drooped, no longer constricting him. Above, the second head, only half-regenerated, stared blankly at its completed counterpart, expressing disbelief. Both elongated necks stiffened, not from unmelted ice but returning to the motionless state of a tree.
As the blood vessels before Nathan's eyes dimmed, a green spherical object was revealed where the heart had been.
He reached out to grasp it.
Slash.
A strike powerful enough to pierce his defenses sent him flying, so swift that even the combination of [Tingling Sense] and [Adrenaline Boost] couldn't help him react in time.
After tumbling several times on the ground, Nathan pushed off, returning to a standing position, raising his eyes to look at the newcomer.
The one who attacked him wasn't Lachlan, but rather a subordinate in white attire, wearing a short green cloak on his back. In his hand was a sword completing its withdrawal motion. Blood didn't cling to the blade as the recent attack had carried wind aspect. His other hand reached into the Forest Hydra's gap, retrieving the monster core, smoothly and skillfully storing it in a storage ring.
Nathan gritted his teeth, words caught in his throat as pain became numbing from the slash wound on his flank. The bleeding had stopped, and he was using Qi Armor to push out the mana aspect. However, unlike his fight with Lunar Shadow, the wound wasn't quickly entering a healing state. He guessed it wasn't just the mana aspect, but that sword had left other complications in his body.
Lachlan's irritating applause rang out as he stepped slowly from the tree line, his face wearing a bright smile.
"We truly have a connection, don't we, young talented chef?"
Lachlan received the monster core from his subordinate, examining it briefly.
"Tier 2 Phase 7, not bad at all. Thanks!"
Nathan didn't open his mouth to speak, contemplating how to handle this situation. Earlier, when hearing Argentius and Evelyn's warnings, he could have used the time to leave. However, his team had struggled to defeat the Forest Hydra, so he didn't want to abandon everything. At least now the bracelet had changed its point count. His jumped up by over two hundred points, suggesting the mechanism split the points. He was just wondering why the essence from the monster had flowed almost entirely to him.
The precious monster core might also have some unknown effect on the scoring system, but the current situation didn't look favorable enough for him to reclaim it. Besides Lachlan, there were three others. Two weren’t in uniform, while the other was the girl with Shadow Aspect who had shown herself at the gathering.
Outnumbered, and outmatched in power.
"Oh, beautiful lady," Lachlan whistled toward Evelyn, "would you like to join my team? I promise to treat you exceptionally well."
Hearing this, Evelyn frowned, her hand emanating white smoke.
"Why so quiet?" Lachlan pouted in contempt. "You two don't think much of me, do you?"
"You've got the monster core," Nathan replied irritably. "What else do you want?"
"You," Lachlan spread his hands saying, his gaze even more intense than when he looked at Evelyn.
Nathan shuddered, if he didn't know a bit about Lachlan, he would have misinterpreted that look as something more sinister.
He glanced toward Evelyn, nodding once. This fight couldn't be won. The most viable option: run.
"Come with me and cook for me," Lachlan said. "If you please me, I might even save a spot in the top 64 for you."
Nathan raised both hands, appearing to surrender.
"Well," the young man who had cut him smirked, "quite reasonable."
Then, Nathan turned the back of his hand toward Lachlan's group, lowered his fingers, leaving only the middle one raised.
The frowns shooting his way coincided with a rain of ice bullets from Evelyn. He crouched down, springing backward. Mid-jump, he abandoned all subtlety or hesitation, grabbed Evelyn's sleeve, and threw her ahead of him.
Evelyn showed no reaction, just using the momentum to clear a path.
Just as Nathan completed another leap, Evelyn's ice rain was deflected. When the bullets were about to hit his back, she dissipated them, causing him no harm.
"Catch them," Lachlan commanded leisurely, hands clasped behind his back as he followed unhurriedly.
The young man in the cloak threw his sword forward, jumped onto it, then summoned winds to help him surge forward. The girl in uniform melted into the darkness, leaving no trace.
"Son of a bitch, just my luck," Nathan cursed aloud.
About to curse Lachlan when [Bad Omen] appeared.
"I will be caught by him."
Triggered [Bad Omen]. Prediction is false. One credit given.
This thing he'd rather not believe or think much about. Even by deduction, many situations could occur. For instance, being eliminated from The Shifting Trials entirely.
Feeling pressure behind him, Nathan, in mid-jump, twisted to punch to his right. Meeting him was the flat of the sword from that young man. The wind explosion between them helped him create more distance. However, simultaneously, slashes difficult to see carved into his Qi Armor with continuous shockwaves.
Taking out alcohol to drink, he channeled speed from Thunder Embrace into his body. Lightning flashed at his chest.
Right after, he saw a silver light flash.
Triggered [Tingling Sense]. One credit given.
Triggered [Adrenaline Boost]. One credit given.
With a clap, his hands caught the knife in the female assassin's hand as she emerged from a tree's shadow. He was about to pull her in for a headbutt when she dissolved, abandoning her weapon in his hands.
He threw the knife in the remaining direction. It was easily deflected by that young man.
Just because he stopped for a moment, two tendrils created from shadows had formed to bind his legs. Not too worried, he took out a handful of sphere-shaped objects, throwing them around.
The Artificer's bombs exploded, blowing away leaves, branches, and dust. Most importantly, the light disrupted the Shadow Aspect technique. The tendrils became weak and unstable. With one strong motion, he tore through them, person launching forward.
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Suddenly he felt an opposing wind, powerful and domineering. His speed decreased very quickly. As the sword approached, he turned his head, using [Martial Art Mastery] to exchange with his opponent. Sparks flew as his gauntlets clashed with the sword. At the same time, he had to carefully dodge invisible air slashes or edges clinging to that sword.
When he saw the girl's form materialize once again, he suddenly lost balance under his feet. He went along with falling on his backside, just in time to dodge a horizontal slash. The ice under his bottom was freezing cold, but helped him slide along a thin and narrow ice path. Surrounding him were glowing snowballs. Evelyn's purpose was to help him weaken that girl's techniques, who was no different from an assassin.
Lachlan isn't making a move, Nathan calculated silently, so there must be one more person.
As he feared, another sound jumped out from the forest. He only saw a punch as large as half his body flying toward him.
Letting out a harsh laugh, he swung his arm in response.
With a boom, both sides were knocked back, the aftershocks shaking the surrounding grass and trees.
The sword-wielding young man reached out to catch his companion. His hand spread open, creating a gentle breeze to neutralize the momentum.
The person wearing the mechanical gauntlet nodded in thanks. He raised his gauntlet to inspect it, eyes widening in surprise at the enemy's destructive power. The huge gauntlet had deformed, with electrical sparks like snakes crackling around it. Creating such damage with just physical strength, he dared not imagine what Nathan could do if he were an equal Tier 2, able to use mana.
He removed the gauntlet, storing it in his spatial ring for later repair. Taking out a new one, he used jet boots to continue the pursuit.
Nathan had no time to catch his breath, struggling incessantly. The enemy's attacks were truly unbearable, always maintaining a certain distance rather than coming close. Even when they got close, they would immediately separate him. They targeted him and didn't split their formation to catch Evelyn. However, this was also good, as it created an advantage for the girl to launch surprise attacks from the front, reducing pressure on him.
Evelyn proved herself a formidable contestant in The Shifting Trials by not only helping create ice paths for Nathan to slide faster but also attacking. By leaving mana anchor points along the way, she skillfully hid them in the night. Then when enemies approached, she made them explode into small ice spikes. While this attack method didn't cause massive damage, it was just enough to harass. Most importantly, it didn't drain her mana too quickly. Since the battle with Forest Hydra, she hadn't had time to fully recover. Mana from the mana stone she crushed was absorbed with lower efficiency compared to meditation.
"Need my help?" Argentius's question echoed in Nathan's head.
"No," he was resolute. "Keep to the outer perimeter and maintain distance from us. Report any monsters you encounter."
"Understood," Argentius complied.
Nathan couldn't let Argentius reveal himself. Not just because he wanted to keep it hidden when the situation hadn't reached desperation, but also because Lachlan's team might thoughtlessly change targets. After all, this was an event based on points. He figured eliminating contestants might also bring points, but currently both Evelyn and he only brought value equal to Argentius. Wasting time on them wasn't worth it.
The most worrying thing was that he had a life protection ring while Argentius didn't. One careless moment and his partner would be beyond redemption. Even if Argentius was strong, Nathan wasn't confident the monster had enough potential when compared to Lachlan. That bastard hadn't even made a move and he was already concerned enough.
He heard a hissing sound near his ear and immediately focused, turning his head to look back.
A barrage of rockets was fired at him by that Artificer. When he changed direction, they would still pursue without letting up. The speed wasn't fast, as if just wanting to warn him.
He charged straight into a tree trunk, legs swinging with all his might. Under his kick, the tree tilted to one side, the part near the roots breaking, revealing the jagged inner flesh of the tree. He dug his hands into the rough surface of the tree, grimacing as he used force then uprooted it completely. The tall tree became his staff, swinging at the rockets making them explode spectacularly, light bursting like fireworks.
The three pursuers were blinded, especially the girl hidden in the night. When they could see clearly, they saw a huge tree trunk hurtling toward them. The girl melted into a nearby shadow. The cloaked young man swung his sword to cut the trunk. The remaining Artificer used his gauntlet to block.
"Careful," the girl called out.
From three angles, three boulders large enough to crush them were thrown.
The young man skillfully used wind to dodge. The Artificer raised his gauntlet, creating a small explosion from his palm, just in time to block the boulder flying toward him.
"What a troublesome Tier 1," he grumbled.
His companion's cloak shifted slightly as his neck nodded in agreement.
Nathan continued running, flying and jumping between branches and tree limbs. The girl using Shadow Aspect was probably limited by distance, or she would have caught up to him already. As for Wind Aspect, although it moved quickly, trees were still wind's enemy, creating enough obstacles to prevent reaching maximum speed. And dealing with the Artificer, he just needed to occasionally do as before.
It seemed because this was an area near Forest Hydra's territory, Argentius couldn't find another Tier 2 monster to report information about. The plan to use monsters as interference still had no way out.
Sometimes when looking back along his escape route, Nathan clearly saw Lachlan's figure flickering under the artificial moonlight. He walked but always kept up, standing there observing like a ghost.
Nathan felt like he was being tested by a superior being. With that ability, Lachlan had many opportunities to grab him without needing this drawn-out chase with three subordinates.
"Nathan," Argentius contacted.
"Talk to me," Nathan's voice hopeful.
"No monsters anywhere," Argentius said.
"Keep looking."
"But there's a group of people also fighting each other. Do you want to head in that direction?"
After a moment's thought, he replied.
"Lead the way."
The communication channel between Argentius and Nathan didn't use language, but rather concepts. So, with just a thought, Argentius could send a general direction to his partner.
"Evelyn," Nathan called out, expecting she would adapt to his sudden change in tactics. The girl couldn't possibly have missed the growing tension in his voice.
With a powerful leap, he changed direction, angling left toward the nearest mountain peak.
Their pursuers remained relentless, never more than a few strides behind. Fortunately, Evelyn read his intentions and chose to follow. In retrospect, she could have easily maintained her original course and escaped this mess entirely. If she truly wanted to abandon Nathan, she'd had as many opportunities as Lachlan had to capture them. Yet she stayed.
The main problem now was their reversed positions. She no longer led the way, creating paths and setting hidden strikes to support him. Instead, they moved in parallel, making mutual support far more challenging.
Evelyn was forced to move diagonally, reducing her distance to Nathan to maintain the effectiveness of her abilities. The closer formation, however, left them both more vulnerable to area attacks.
The enemy took full advantage of this tactical shift, focusing their assault on Nathan with renewed vigor.
Wind Aspect slashes carved into his Qi Armor like a geometric nightmare. Knives formed from the shadows of leaves, trees, and stones rained down thicker than a summer storm. The Artificer's endless barrage of rockets and bullets gave them no moment's respite.
Nathan could only endure, alternating between rolling across the ground and immediately springing back into motion, seizing any chance to counterattack. Even his weakest retaliations could slow their pursuers momentarily. The shadow tendrils proved manageable thanks to his Berserker state, while Evelyn's ice walls deflected the worst of the wind attacks. Yet despite his resilient frame, injuries accumulated rapidly – if not in open wounds, then in deep bruises that would have crippled a lesser fighter.
The essence absorbed from the Forest Hydra depleted at an alarming rate, consumed by his constant need to maintain Qi Armor. He'd hoped that essence would fuel his breakthrough to Tier 2 Phase 4, given how challenging the monster had been to defeat. Now it slipped away like water through his fingers.
Finally, Evelyn closed the distance between them, made possible only by his stubborn determination to buy time by absorbing hits that should have felled him.
The three pursuers were showing signs of fatigue, internally cursing Nathan's cockroach-like tenacity. They'd clearly damaged him, yet the red-clad warrior kept rising and running as if his stamina knew no bounds. When they spotted him drinking from his alcohol flask again, they began to doubt their chances of winning this war of attrition.
"You two maintain pressure," the sword-wielder commanded. "Wait for my signal."
His teammates needed no verbal acknowledgment. They immediately intensified their assault, burning through their energy reserves at an unprecedented rate.
Only Evelyn's masterful ice control kept Nathan from buckling under the sudden increase in pressure. When he caught sight of her ashen face, his stomach twisted with concern. Without hesitation, he retrieved another flask from his Spatial Pouch. His eyes darted across their surroundings until he spotted a narrow gap free of obstacles. The flask flew through the air toward it.
"Catch!" he shouted to Evelyn.
The shadow-wielding girl, ever vigilant, formed an arcane hand seal. A blade of pure darkness materialized by the tree trunk where the flask would pass.
Just as the shadow blade seemed certain to shatter the container, an icebolt intercepted it. Evelyn snatched the flask from the air, taking a deep draught. The burning liquid spread through her system, its spicy warmth accompanied by a surge of mana. Though not completely restored, she no longer teetered on the edge of exhaustion.
Her ice powers intensified accordingly. Icebolts flew with renewed precision, forcing their pursuers to adjust their approach. She even managed to flash-freeze the forest's ambient moisture, causing their enemies to slip or lock up momentarily.
Both sides pushed themselves to their limits, neither willing to yield.
"Almost there," Argentius announced through their link.
Nathan's spirit lifted at the words, his feeling of being cornered diminishing slightly. Just a little longer, he told himself. Just a little more...
"Watch out!" Evelyn's scream pierced the air.
Triggered [Tingling Sense]. One credit given.
Triggered [Adrenaline Boost]. One credit given.
Through the forest's darkness, Nathan witnessed vegetation being sliced to ribbons in the distance.
Evelyn darted in front of him, hands raised to manifest walls of ice.
The furthest ice wall met the mysterious force and split in two, the residual energy shattering it completely.
Seeing this, Evelyn's face tightened with concentration as she poured more power into her defenses.
Yet each subsequent wall met the same fate – cleaved through and shattered.
Nathan lunged forward, his hands finding Evelyn's shoulders.
She started at his touch, but before she could turn, she found herself airborne, thrown clear just as he had done before. His aim was precise, choosing a trajectory free of obstacles. As she sailed away, the young swordsman stomped the ground, unleashing a battle cry that spoke of imminent violence.
The remaining ice walls collapsed under his sword strike, the attack continuing toward Nathan.
He raised both arms, activating the mana defensive membrane from his Vambraces. The protection shattered instantly, both Vambraces cleaved through like paper.
Palm still wreathed in Qi Armor, he thrust forward. The force drove him backward, his feet carving furrows in the earth. He directed his essence solely to his hands, abandoning other defenses in his desperate attempt to block the invisible slash. Wind blades dispersed on impact, scoring his face, chest, and neck – not deep enough to draw blood immediately, but leaving marks that would soon weep red.
His essence reserves dwindled rapidly, yet still the attack pressed against his defense.
In the distance, the swordsman pointed forward and uttered a single word:
"Explode!"
Nathan barely registered the command before his world became chaos. His body flew like a ragdoll, but even mid-flight, he felt the wind-forged needles piercing him from every angle. Blood sprayed from countless wounds, staining his uniform crimson.
The impact when he finally stopped left him dazed, uncertain how many trees he'd destroyed in his trajectory.
He lay still, his mind a jumble of fractured thoughts. Pain screamed from every nerve, threatening to drag him into the comfort of unconsciousness.
Muffled sounds reached his ears through the ringing. A familiar coldness touched his shoulder blade.
Evelyn. She called his name with increasing urgency. He forced his eyes to focus, shaking his head to clear the fog. His hand pressed against the ground, seeking purchase, but found little strength. The wind needles continued their assault on his circulation. Only his external wounds showed signs of healing, thanks to Physical Cultivation.
So this is what they mean by internal injuries, Nathan thought with grim humor as clarity slowly returned.
Fighting monsters in Moirath Forest had been one thing, but humans were another matter entirely. The human body might be fragile, but its capacity for dealing damage far exceeded mere beasts. Their techniques carried not just obvious destruction but hidden perils. Even now, the wind aspect wreaked havoc through his system.
"Wine," Nathan managed to groan.
Evelyn responded immediately, tipping the flask to his lips. This wasn't his cultivation blend with its herbs and enhancers – just pure mana and essence for recovery. Evelyn, who had no use for the essence, could have discarded it. Nathan, however, needed it desperately to combat the wind aspect ravaging his body. The process brought pain equal to his Physical Cultivation sessions, but its effectiveness was undeniable. Gradually, the invisible needles began to dissipate.
The sound of applause cut through the night. Lachlan's voice carried his praise.
"Now that's true Physical Cultivation," his eyes gleamed with fascination. "Truly rare indeed. I believe the only other practitioner I've met came from the east. Even there, this path is as scarce as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns."
Evelyn rose to her feet, assuming a combat stance.
"You're strong, I'll grant you that," Lachlan said. "Even I would need to exercise caution. But you're still not enough to face all of us."
Evelyn's gaze swept over the three who had arrived before Lachlan's appearance. The situation had gone from bad to impossible for her and Nathan.
She glanced down at Nathan's struggling form, clearly puzzled by his refusal to employ Argentius.
At that precise moment, an explosion rocked the area nearby.
A dark figure hurtled between Lachlan and Evelyn, cratering the ground upon impact.
From the opposite direction emerged a group of five people.
Their leader was Ruby Voss, daughter of Duke Kael Voss.
