Chapter 27 - Hero

The Rhaskan lifted off the ground, creating waves of water beneath it as it flapped its wings repeatedly.

The sheer pressure of the wind forced back stones and sent rubble from the damaged wall, flying back. My body fell from the air, there was a slight bit of resistance from the wind.

I had hoped to land on it but the Rhaskan took off, snapping its beak at me as it passed. I was already within its mouth by the time my skill activated and teleported me a meter away.

“—Too close!”

I reappeared out of the puff of smoke and continued falling back down to the ground. The fall wasn’t too long but once I hit the ground I forced myself into a roll to absorb the damage. As I popped back up I heard the sound of wind being pushed aside.

“Argh— what the?”

The Rhaskan extended out its wings above me and sent out an army of blade-like feathers. I dodged back using the Rush Skill and kept my distance, running along the edge of the ring. A few hit me, the rest burst as they hit the ground, like glass on stone.

It’s all over if I get caught up in that, I’ll be torn apart! I need to keep moving—even faster than this!

I pulled out my Chakram and flipped through the air. The onslaught of green feathers flew into every angle of my sight. Each time I hit one, it felt like three more would blast past me and cut through me. After countless feathers met my blades I began slowing down, my body had been covered with small cuts.

I can’t keep…up! My arms are about to fall off…

My eyes constantly darted back and forth between ahead of me and the flashing HP bar in the bottom corner of my sight. It gradually moved down into the yellow and my eyes widened as it neared into the red.

Sweat built up on the sides of my face and ran down into my eye as my arms slashed through the air like two squirming snakes.

“I can’t...It’s too fast to…I—I…”

As the feathers collided with my curved blades, the residual impact forced me back. I hadn’t realised how far I was pushed back until I could feel the curve of the wall pressing against my back.

Not good!

My Chakram shot out from my hand and hit the ground beside me. Feathers began breaking through my defence and suddenly the HP bar dropped even faster.

“No I—Ack! I can’t lose yet… I won’t die here—”

I howled out desperately as the feathers pierced through my shoulder and legs.

My body gave in and I fell back defeated.

It felt as though the onslaught had finally finished and the last feather remained wedged into my shoulder, like an arrow.

My eyes fluttered open and closed, then into darkness—once they opened again I saw the next wave of feathers breaking through the air.

I lay back motionless. Even if I had wanted to do something, it was impossible. I had no more strength and my health bar was as good as empty.

The crisp embers flew past my face as my eyes struggled to remain open.

“Ellios…?”

For a brief second, it appeared as though Ellios stood over me but my senses soon returned when the angelic voice of reason pulled me back.

“Drink this!” She insisted hastily.

The woman crouched over me and forced a strange liquid into my mouth from a lavish flask with gold trimmings and a shiny emerald glass design.

My eyes widened and the clear amber jewels of Liv’s eyes met mine. She poured the last of the elixir into my mouth and sighed a deep breath of relief.

As the soothing texture of the elixir filled my stomach I felt the weight of all my pain lift out from my body. All the scratches, cuts and bruises began closing themselves up under the healing green light covering my body.

It feels…better? Was it a healing potion, where did she get her hands on something like that? For it to heal this much damage at once…

There was no question, that design of the elixir's container was of the highest quality. In a matter of seconds, I felt as good as new, I might have had even more energy than before.

“It’s a high-grade healing potion, you should be okay now.”

“Wait what are you doing here, did they push you into the dungeon as well?” My eyes widened with concern.

Liv stood up and readied her sword at her side.

“I came to help.” She replied sincerely.

That’s insane, why would she put herself in danger like that on purpose? Doesn’t she know that if she enters then she can’t go back out? It was bad enough being solo in such a dangerous place but now that she is here too, it only means more people will get hurt.

“Liv don’t you realise that you can’t leave now! That’s the Wandering Boss, it will kill us both now.”

Her eyes remained glued to the large bird towering over us. There wasn’t a trace of fear in her eyes, if anything she looked like she was rearing to fight it.

“I can beat it.” Her words were so plain but I felt the sincerity in her voice. I felt at peace for a moment, like a hero had appeared. “You’re safe now.”

Liv burst forward in a swift sprint with her sword at her side, she extended out her hand and began muttering under her breath.

Suddenly a blazing red flame erupted from her hand and shot through the air. The flames crashed into its chest and sent the Rhaskan crashing into the wall. The impact sent a wave of air rushing out that brushed past me.

“So strong…did she always know magic?”

I watched closely, if she had magic then I’m sure I would have seen it. Sure my senses aren’t sharp enough to be able to sense it but I’m confident that I would have caught it if she had! She definitely kept it to herself until now, but why?

Feathers shot past me, heading towards her with a hastened pace. They circled around her and cut off any direction for her to run from, trapping her in a sharp vortex of green light.

She swatted them away with her sword, cutting them out of the air one at a time but there was no end to it. Every time she would cut one out of the sky, another three would take its place.

It was at that point that I lost her in the storm of feathers, she had disappeared into the vortex.

“Skriiii!”

The Rhaskan broke free from the wall, it shook off the loose rubble on its wings and scattered feathers into the air around it. It had drastically decreased in size, standing much lower off the ground than before.

With a few beats of its wing, it lifted into the air and commanded the sky. A strong current of wind pressed out from each flap of its wing, making it difficult to stand.

What now, is it going to make a storm of something?

My eyes glanced back to the vortex containing Liv, which was perfectly aligned with the Rhaskan's body.

“It’s going to hit her with all of that…she won’t survive that!

My body didn’t wait for my thoughts to react, I darted across the outer ring towards the Rhaskan at my highest speed. That elixir had brought back all my strength but even more than that—I could feel my mana pouring out of my body.

I feel stronger than before!

{Rush activated}

With a powerful burst of aura, I leapt into the air and ran along the wall, spiralling around the room. I leapt into the air. The resistance from the wind was too strong, I felt my body being forced away.

I slammed back into the wall high up in the air and slowly felt myself falling. As my back fell forward and away from the wall, I placed all my weight forward and shot off from my feet.

“Rush!”

The aura surrounding my feet increased and I flew through the storm, leaving a crater in the wall behind me.

{Rush Skill has increased to Level 2}

“Even with that—It’s still not enough!”

I was inches away from its shoulders, gradually floating away. “Shadow step!”

I appeared over its wing and felt the full force of the storm surrounding me. The amount of wind that its wings were generating made me lightheaded like all the air was being sucked out of my body and then forced back into me.

My hands hovered over my Chakram and hesitated. The last time I used them I couldn't even leave a scratch, there’s barely any chance that it would then.

It’s just like the Golem…wait didn’t I tear through the Golem with Shadow Claw? There's no time to debate, it’s all I have!

{Shadow Claw activated}

I dropped down from the shoulder and buried my claws into its body as I slid down. The shadowy nails covering mine cut through the feathers, sending them flying out behind me as I went. The thin layer of feathers protecting it soon fell away and its fleshy belly was exposed.

Unlike the wings and back, its front section had significantly less volume of feathers on it. Seeing as the feathers it rains down mostly fall from its stomach and wings, it probably had a weaker defence there.

As I cleared out the feathers I began ravaging through the exposed skin with my skill. The claws tore through the skin and sent blood spraying out behind every attack.