I stood firm, trying not to let my legs wobble, facing a spreading lake of poison controlled by the demon grinning in the center.
279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkV9mheHJl4
Five minutes. That's all I had to stall. Five minutes. Doable, right? Well, I didn't think so. I was just one guy up against a whole lake of poison capable of swallowing a whole city.
279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4rhUiHxy61
I watched as Zoganoth raised his hand, commanding the poison to rise and form spikes aimed at me.
279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2DDo8a1wpB
279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhLUceHwAfA
"Crud," I muttered, stepping back.
279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyXv43o8s0X
"Die," Zoganoth said, grinning.
279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpXqDCwoGvG
The poison shot toward me with terrifying speed. I screamed, diving to the ground. It narrowly missed my head, causing a massive explosion behind me, filling the air with dust.
279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXvuVqGSIRK
Turning slowly, I saw huge craters in the ground.
279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡINgvxIf0iE
"Yeah... Five minutes my foot!" I yelled, fear gripping my soul.
279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXNJrbMWgYn
279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1lw46jKYne
"Five minutes?" Zoganoth stepped closer.
279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkgy9VopbpY
"Crud," I cursed to myself, realizing I'd blown the plan.
279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlxXy1htD0e
"So, you're here to buy time, huh?" Zoganoth's grin widened. "I guess the other one didn't just run off." He scanned the area. "You little bugs... scheming away." His voice grew angry. "Not gonna work." Raising his hand high, he summoned more poison, shaping it into humanoid figures armed and armored.
279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ08gmubE8Ng
279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPjBMNw8G5u
"Venofieldi Gundaee," Zoganoth declared, shrouded in darkness.
279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCeFYbwx6jn
I stepped back, surrounded by beings made of pure poison.
279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU9cUmy8NR4
"Is this really necessary?" I asked, watching the poison soldiers aim their weapons at me.
279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbYZPpXF4Zr
Expecting them to charge, I raised my fists, ready to fend them off, even though my hand was still swollen and red.
279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWeld1R9tdi
"What?" Confusion filled me as about ten of the poison soldiers split off, running in different directions. "Stop!" I shouted, realizing they were searching for Madelyn.
279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUCvsGE2mlQ
"I said stop!" I dashed forward. Normally, this would've been foolish, but I felt it—the dark energy coursing through me.
279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8fWh6vvQS5
I felt stronger, faster, almost weightless as I closed in on one of the poison soldiers wielding a javelin. I raised my fist, prepared to strike.
279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxAQ0PIBGXg
"Out of my way!" I yelled, aiming to punch the javelin away, hoping I wouldn't lose my arm in the process.
279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ08q8NY0ab
Metal clashed as my fist met the poison weapon. Surprisingly solid, considering it was once liquid.
279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdn7V43knTu
With a gust of wind, my fist gained the upper hand, sending the poison soldier flying.
279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu9L62wWDW0
"Yes!" I exclaimed, my fist throbbing slightly.
279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkNr0Ybu3FS
But celebrations had to wait. As I glanced up, I saw not just a few, but dozens—no, hundreds—of poison soldiers, each armed.
279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6rUH2NpTct
"Well, well. Seems you're a Pillar after all," the demon chuckled. "I was starting to wonder."
279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9h2zqAfnRf
Good news: I had the demon's attention. Bad news: I had all of it.
279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNdebBO1Ujb
"That aura," the demon growled, its dark eyes fixed on the darkness surrounding me. "I loathe that aura!" It bellowed.
279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoV3lt50HY8
279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMsbb7goodK
The soldiers, following Zoganoth's orders, charged at me.
279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxeBATq3h2g
"Shit!" I muttered, feeling my legs wobble under the pressure.
279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY7Mh5KKVc1
With a slight bend of my knees, I leaped, reaching heights I didn't think possible for me. My form wasn't exactly perfect as I soared through the air, screaming in a mix of fear and exhilaration.
279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgLZLc3irAk
As I hurtled towards a looming brick wall, panic set in. "Ah!" I yelped, surprised more than hurt as my fingers found purchase in the wall, allowing me to cling on. "Wall crawling. Handy," I remarked with a smirk.
279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4To6QaYwx4
Lesson learned: no more celebrations mid-battle. As I glanced up, I saw five soldiers hurtling towards me like cannonballs of pure force. They crashed into me, sending a spray of saliva from my mouth as we careened through the wall and into a neighboring house.
279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWatEGbZjah
Yep, definitely not good at this.
279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZcgyew15s3
I quickly regained my balance amidst the furniture in the living room.
279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNIpKb2edq9
The soldiers did the same, showing no signs of discomfort or pain from their recent encounter with the wall.
279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU0TIg37joZ
I moved swiftly, throwing punches in every direction, sending soldiers flying through the walls and back outside. Thank goodness this was easy.
279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDdU8zIrSKK
With a smile, I rushed out of the hole I made in the house. Hey, I was having fun.
279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPPW9b87F0c
"Who's next!?" I called out, fist raised as I charged forward. Racing through the poison-like soldiers, my punches created gusts of wind, sending them flying. But I soon realized I was getting nowhere.
279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡamqsm4tagw
Glancing upward, I saw one of the soldiers jump high into the air, katana in hand. A chill ran down my spine as I dove to the side, narrowly avoiding the slash of purple energy that split the ground and the house in two.
279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVMcL0qvStI
"I have to end this now," I muttered, surveying the destruction.
279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmz7VmFVUYD
Moving in a zigzag formation past the soldiers, I closed in on Zoganoth, ready to strike. But I found myself immobilized, held in place by the poisonous soldiers.
279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKVF4CSbwqn
"Dammit," I cursed, struggling against their grip.
279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9qicHc5tIC
Looking at Zoganoth, I smirked. "Do you think this can hold me?" I taunted. "I've been tearing your soldiers apart one by one."
279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡURH5IlQ5NG
Zoganoth chuckled, then laughed. "Shit," I thought, sensing trouble.
279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV2ZQz3t2xW
Suddenly, I felt something fill my mouth, a taste like... blood?
279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCnfS2HyT8v
Spitting it out, I watched as the red liquid stained the ground. "What's happening?" I asked, noticing the black aura disappearing.
279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEY355NwPfG
Zoganoth continued advancing, his words sinking into me like a weight.
279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY0WFFzMUF9
I gritted my teeth, feeling weaker by the moment. Then, another sensation hit me: pain, searing through my arms and stomach.
279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDOyWXDEtlN
"It seems you've finally realized," Zoganoth remarked, peering down at me. "Venofieldi Gundaee doesn't just attack physically; it fills the body with poison upon contact. Your dark aura protected you somewhat, but my poison was still seeping in."
279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD6RfarKWQ0
"I was careless," I admitted, struggling to speak.
279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2yiUIRuWU3
"Indeed," Zoganoth agreed, raising his hand as if to strike.
279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6OhNYwJ50s
Just as I braced for impact, a rush of wind pushed against my back. With effort, I turned my head and saw a bright purple light in the distance.
279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMSXxYDDojt
"You," Zoganoth growled, his attention diverted.
279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbSZPxjFwJi
A smile spread across my face as I spotted Madelyn standing amidst the purple light and raging winds. The five minutes were up, and Madelyn was ready.
279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbGDkyeSNN1
279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnQP09XLkGj
"Finally."
279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5dldXuR4AT
***
Author notes: Please support my work on Patreon for early access to new chapters. https://patreon.com/DarkMatteromniverse
279Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVZqoi9lMpo
然後按「加至主畫面」