Chapter 39: Hunting

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We moved quickly, but before we could reach our destination, an army greeted us. Around two hundred giant skeletons emerged, clad in armor and wielding nightmare weapons.

They charged at once with overwhelming force. Giant swords blazing with nightmare fire slashed through the air, unleashing dozens of cutting, burning attacks toward us.

The assaults were devastating, but I split the flames apart with my Psychic Aura and sword, then carved through the nearest skeletons, shredding their armor to pieces.

Demon Claw sliced through their bodies one after another while my sword split them apart, causing them to explode.

Several magma spirits surged behind me—smaller, floating versions of the lava golems—spewing magma across my body.

I dodged as swiftly as I could and unleashed both of my nightmare spells at once, summoning endless masses of writhing black tentacles from the darkness and vast gardens of living vines.

Dryad merged with them, infusing her power and taking control. The monsters smashed away at the giant vines and tentacles while I employed my whip-sword strategy, catching flying creatures, dragging them close, and cutting them down.

Meanwhile, I grew more aggressive. I finally used my Knife Throwing Skill again, conjuring dozens of floating knives made of Harmony and Sorrowful Ice. I fired them at the monsters from a distance, making them explode one by one, freezing their bodies and shattering them into pieces.

A large group of skeletons, however, sneaked behind me, rising from the lava.

“Behind you!”

Mongrel came to the rescue, tanking their hits before spreading chains made of nightmares to bind them in place.

Paragon rushed in, cutting them down and finishing them off.

“Thank you! Dryad! Put more strength into it!”

“Tsk!”

Dryad clearly didn’t want to help, yet she fought with everything she had, slaughtering as many monsters as possible with her ever-growing garden. I channeled the bracelet’s powers into her as well, until she seized control herself.

“You want a show?! Fine, you can have it!”

She roared, absorbing all the plants and vines within her garden domain and transforming into a giantess. She swung her massive fists, smashing skeletons aside. Giant sharp vines stretched everywhere, quickly alerting the two guards to our presence.

“…!!!”

Their eyes blazed beneath their helmets as they charged with furious intensity. I panicked and stepped back, barely avoiding a giant black sword aimed at my neck. They were far faster than their enormous size suggested. I scarcely had time to think before another devastating slash came rushing down, threatening to split me in two.

I activated Stealth, vanished from its sight, and reappeared behind it, unleashing an Eclipsing Breath to push it back. The attack barely affected it—the armor held firm. The giant sentinel swung its sword again. I dodged and deployed Nebula of Memories through Harmonious Chaos Reversal, turning it into distracting fog.

“…?!”

The skeleton groaned as specters of its past surged forth one after another, formed entirely of black spectral nightmare energy. I had fused the technique with my own nightmare magic.

The specters became real—dragons, serpents, monsters, humans, and more. They attacked the skeleton, distracting it long enough for me to spread my Miasma Veins and absorb even more energy from the dungeon.

“Now!”

I infused the power into my sword, generating a giant Eclipsing Blade, and swung it horizontally.

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“Eternal Blade Arts – First Form: Horizon Cut!”

Once again, I sliced through the horizon with a blinding white beam of light from my sword. The giant armored skeleton resisted, but cracks spread across its armor.

I smiled fiercely and attacked again and again—swinging my sword, firing Elemental Knives, spreading my Ice Garden, and using Matter Restructuration to widen the cracks further.

CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! CLASH!

I was faster, could fly, and had stealth on my side. Whenever it charged a powerful attack, I evaded at the last moment as the strike slammed into the ground, triggering a massive explosion of black fire.

“Nasty.”

I kicked off the air and dove in once more. The monster had learned my patterns. It swiftly raised a massive shield materialized from nightmare magic, taking a defensive stance.

CLAAASH!

My sword could not pierce it. The monster stabbed my stomach with its giant knife, forcing vomit from my throat as I crashed to the ground in agony.

“Nnnggh!”

But this was nothing.

I injected myself with venom, reversed its effect, and began healing rapidly. I popped a Mind Pill and a Soul Elixir simultaneously while Mongrel, Dryad, and Paragon bought me precious time. Then I summoned Ariel and Asmodeus to my side.

“Let’s go.”

I unleashed all my spells at once—Demon Bite, Shadow Hand, Nightmare Curse, Minor Curse—along with Ariel’s supportive abilities, overwhelming the monster with an endless barrage.

“….!!!”

Crack, crack…!

The shield began to fracture as I pushed my psychic power to its limits, blood dripping from my nose while I forced the tiny cracks to widen.

The second warrior was distracted, battling the specters I had summoned against it with the reversed Nebula of Memories.

“Now!”

I attacked, swinging my sword. The giant intercepted with its own. Our blades clashed. Explosions of flame and harmonious light erupted as the ground shattered and the ceiling cracked, sending giant boulders crashing down without end.

RUMBLE!

I pushed harder, my Psychic Power becoming almost solid as I fused it with Fantasium, beginning to create…