Chapter 50 – There Can Be Only One

“Vesper, Silex, you take one; I’ll take the other. Embi, Sprout, assist where you can. Everyone, watch yourselves,” Maximus ordered as he prepared Spore Cloud to erupt the moment they were close enough, his focus sharpening.

A loud, piercing screech tore through the air as the two centipedes burst from the woods, and as soon as they did, they lunged at each other first in savage instinct. Thick breaths of pure, corrosive darkness collided, toppling trees as the roiling black fumes made even the still-standing ones wither, crack, and dry.

Maximus surged forward on his lupine legs and released Spore Cloud. Thick white mist engulfed the two, their massive bodies freezing mid-coil as if time itself had stalled.

The paralysis lasted only a brief moment before they began to writhe, slowly at first, then faster and faster, but it was just enough. Maximus unleashed Lunar Flare, followed immediately by Solar Pyre, and then Wisp’o Bomb in rapid succession.

A beam of lunar light descended, bathing the beasts in pale radiance that ignited their abyssal bodies with cold, ghostly flames that spread like wildfire across oil. A pillar of searing solar fire followed, scorching away chunks of shell and limbs while crimson flames burned deeper, purifying the darkness within. Finally, the orb of emerald flame detonated like a flashbang, flooding the battlefield in blinding green light that seared the eyes.

He swallowed a couple of Cinder Seeds before leaping back, heat flaring in his chest. In that instant, Silex blasted Aqua Jet into chaos while Vesper detonated two dense orbs of coagulated blood with explosive force.

The ground trembled violently, and the resulting roar forced the group to wince under its sheer, overwhelming fury.

The two surviving monsters rose again, their bodies engulfed in pale and crimson flames, chunks missing along their length, legs torn away, half a tail gone, yet they cared little for their wounds as rage kept them moving.

They reared back in fury and snapped downward, unleashing jets of black corrosive fluid that hissed through the air toward the group like venomous rain.

Maximus grabbed Sprout’s puppet and dove into the pond while Silex followed close behind. Vesper weaved between the attacks, dancing on the razor’s edge of death, while Embi unleashed a barrage of fireballs straight into the creatures’ exposed, burning wounds.

Vesper counterattacked with a howl that rippled outward in bloody waves, slamming into the monsters as his wolves gathered and grew larger, their forms swelling as they were empowered by his rage.

The wolves swarmed the centipedes while Vesper split into two, raking at them with blood-forged claws that absorbed iron from the spilled blood, sharpening and hardening with every strike.

Silex erupted from the pond, raising an enormous wave that carried him forward as he sent echoing bites crashing into the centipede lunging at Vesper. The phantom bites pinned it down long enough for Silex to launch himself forward, jaws snapping shut around its neck as he thrashed violently, tearing flesh and shell apart in brutal bursts.

At the same time, Sprout burst from the pond and wrapped Maximus in thick vines, catapulting him toward the second centipede as it hissed and poured thick black smoke from its maw towards Vesper.

A barrier flared over Vesper just as Maximus came crashing down onto the creature’s head. His falchion elongated as it absorbed layers of enchantments, lightning crackling, winds howling, and Embi’s fire blazing along its surface. The combined energies formed an extended, radiant blade, a crude imitation of the aura techniques of royal knights, yet potent all the same. Interesting… Maximus noted as he drove it down with force.

Swish

The head rolled free, but not before it spat a spray of poison that fell like deadly rain across the battlefield.

Maximus frowned as he felt his reserves draining rapidly. Only enough spirit left for Barkskin and Tank Form. At least something… The thin bark-like barrier formed just as he used the power of his lupine legs and launched himself into the air above the final beast, which had coiled tightly around Silex, attempting to snap him in half.

“Max, you’d better hurry if you don’t want to lose this beautiful king of the rivers!” Silex roared as wolves bit relentlessly at the centipede, trying to free him, while Sprout bound vines around Silex’s tail, pulling with all his might.

On the other side, Vesper staggered, black sludge spilling from his mouth as his regeneration fought the poison, his crimson barrier flickering under the relentless, corrosive rain.

Seeing Maximus descend, the centipede snapped its maw open, pincers clattering wildly with frantic hunger. With nowhere to dodge, Maximus hurled his blade like a spear straight into its throat before shifting into his Tank Form and following behind it without hesitation.

He spun mid-air, his spiked back slamming into the creature just as the energy blade cut clean through it, and his massive weight drove its head into the ground, crushing it into pulp with a sickening impact.

***

The area grew silent once again; only the sound of acidic rain falling over the leaves and the sound of two beasts and one man groaning could be heard.

The air carried a pungent, almost rotting smell that made their eyes watery and their chest burn with each inhale.

“By the heavens… that was close. My spirit regeneration must have improved; I had enough spirit for barely two skills that were crucial here… luck truly favors the bold,” he muttered as the tank form dispersed, leaving him sprawled in a pool of poison and gore, breathing heavily.

Vesper approached as Silex dragged himself free from beneath the massive corpse, panting heavily. “Boss, we did it!” Vesper exclaimed proudly, his chest rising with exertion.

“Everything hurts… couldn’t you have killed it faster…” Silex complained, voice strained.

“Oh, shut up with your constant whining…” Vesper exhaled, annoyed but relieved.

Embi zipped happily around them while Sprout helped Maximus sit up. “Amazing work, everyone,” Maximus nodded, a faint smile crossing his face as he looked at his strange, chaotic group, pride flickering in his eyes.

You have defeated: [King Shadow Centipede Lv. 30] x2

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Talent Points gained: +4

Battle Token earned: 4000

Quest Completed: There can be only one.

You have exterminated all Skittering Shadow Centipedes within their region. And cleansed the Shadow Touched curse.

Rewards Earned: 10 Talent Points, Blessing of the Centipede, Acknowledgment of The Weaver of Shrouds

He put aside the notifications for now as he stood up and moved away from the pools of poison that had seeped into his body, his muscles still burning. “Vesper, did you get poisoned as well?” he asked, voice edged with worry.

“Don’t worry, I puked it all out. I even got stronger,” Vesper said proudly, puffing his chest. Maximus scanned him and nodded; Vesper, like Silex before him, had unlocked the Lesser Poison Resistance trait.