Chapter 60 - Mercy?
Hunters and beasts overlooking the battlefield had moved away from each other as they watched the apocalyptic scene
A majestic dragon was being cornered and showered with an abundance of unbelievably destructive spells.
At the same time, a grotesque beast was pouncing on the dragon and shredding the scales on its body to a bleeding mess as its poison spread
The dragon crushed to the ground as one of its wings had been torn. Spurts of flames blew out of its mouth as the energy around it bubbled.
The grotesque beast ignored all of this as it continued to rain attacks on the body of the dragon, its body releasing noxious blasts of gas every now and then. The strong body of the dragon gradually could not endure and a voice was heard
"Please…"
---
My voice was low, but it was aimed at a specific person in the skies. My energy reserves were at the lowest as this horrendous creature continued its relentless attacks.
The wound I incurred as I desced down had flared up and was causing me to not be able to focus. I repeated again
"Please, stop."
We were of the same positions. Our lands were invaded and taken over, our people forced to submit and pioneer other worlds. I just wanted to make things a bit better for my people.
The man looked down at me coldly. His summon had stopped ravaging me for this instant.
"Do you know how many people you and your forces have killed?"
I turned somber as I heard this question
"I know, but our hands were forced."
We really were backed into a corner. I couldn't even bear the treatment that the royal family was receiving, how much worse would it be for the commoners?
"No. Your actions are your own responsibility"
The man shook his head as if I were wasting his time. I had to try harder if I wanted to come of this alive. My brain was working overtime as I tried to find a way out of this
"The beings that sent me here, they will send more once they know of my failure. I can work with you to fight off the ones that come in the future."
Right. Any sane person would want help for droves of coming enemies. Even if I had to heel under somebody's else's boots, I could at least survive for the time being. I waited with ragged breaths as I looked to the human in the skies
Only two words rang out.
"No thanks."
Two words that spelled my end.
My emotions churned as I saw the poisonous creature lunge towards me again. Anger. Frustration. Despair. That was all I felt.
Why?! Why did things have to go this way for us? Enslaved or killed, we couldn't change our fates!
My defenses could no longer withstand the creature's strikes. I couldn't form anymore mana barriers around me. My reserves were depleted.
In a few seconds, my right wing was torn off. The excruciating pain actually dulled as I fell down deeper into despair.
I'm sorry everyone. I wasn't able to do it.
I looked to the forces of half dragons and dragonoid creatures behind me that were madly screaming and leaving behind any reservations to try and save me, but it would all be for naught
My left wing was then torn off. I could only use my tail and claws to block the strikes of the poisonous creature, but it's poison had already spread throughout my body, dwindling my strength even further
Bated breaths came out as my life force neared its end. I looked at the unexplainable human in the sky as a few thoughts passed before the darkness came. Would he be able to lead his people to a different path?
I would never be able to know the answer, as the world that had been going in slow motion resumed, and the relentless beast continued pounding me
My vision blurred, and my eyes closed to meet the eternal darkness.
---
I looked to the screeching beasts that watched their boss be torn to pieces by the Virulent Abomination.
A moment after the dragon's death, the world had began shaking
I recalled the mysterious being's words as I commanded my summon to focus its rampage on the thousands of beasts rushing about in the battlefield
An uncomfortable feeling like a wound that was healing had begun spreading throughout my body as the world started shaking.
I went to the ground to grab the cores and what seemed like a skill book that dropped while I observed the changes around me. The world's energy seemed to be bubbling and I heard the mysterious voice once more, this time more clearly, without any headaches
[The hardest part is done, leave the rest to me. Do not resist the addition to the system of power that is occuring. When it is complete, you will have a multitude of options for your direction of strength]
I nodded my head towards this mysterious voice as it mentioned things I didn't completely understand. I was expectantly waiting for the revenge the voice mentioned after this. The enemies behind this, if they sent their forces here, it meant that I would be going to where they were to have a possibility of revenge.
So, where were they hiding?
Vengeful emotions rose from my calmness as I recalled the pain I wanted those enemies to feel. I didn't spare the dragon, no matter what words he was saying, and I wouldn't spare any of them either.
The changes around us increased as the Virulent Abomination continued to decimate the forces of the beasts around the battlefield
The small uncomfortable feeling I felt gradually intensified, and I stayed in the air as I waited for the changes to finish, and the surprises that would come thereafter
---
Kazuhiko was baffled at the level of strength that the newly appeared hunter displayed as he battled the dragon. He had thought his own strength was great, but he was completely wrong
His eyes shined as he looked towards this strong figure. If his memory did not fail him, this was the fast rising hunter called Noah Osmont from the Blessed Empire.
The hunter had thrashed the terrible dragon like it was nothing, casting skills he never thought were possible. That was the strength he wanted, that was the goal he had to reach!
---
In an unknown space, a mysterious hexagonal prism was spinning rapidly.
It seemed to be working overtime as it controlled the energies of everything around it to bend down to its wishes. It felt violated when foreign invaders came and woke it from its slumber.
It watched powerlessly as masses of its people were massacred. But it was young, and it learnt fast. It began by making drastic decisions that beings like it would normally never do
It chose a few champions to stand against the invaders, and one of these champions was given a privilege that most knowledgeable beings in the universe would be shocked to hear
But this mysterious being felt like it still wasn't enough. So it was defying expectations and bending the rules once more to create a function that would make it's champions even stronger
Essence was furiously being absorbed and used as a plain blue box that was showing blank attributes, skills, and equipment was getting a new addition right below it. Most of this essence came from this being's own reserves, with the rest coming from deaths of the many beasts that continued to meet their grisly ends even now. The death of the final S rank beast gave enough essence to accelerate this process
This new addition flickered in and out of existence, almost as if there was a restriction preventing it from coming to life. It felt as if it was something that should not be allowed to appear
The addition gradually became more and more stable as it could clearly be made out. Blue words shined brightly at the bottom of the base of the panel. They read, [Skill Combination]