NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 13: Battling Jorim! (2)
The riverside was a battlefield scarred with destruction. It bore the scars of their first clash.
Craters dotted the muddy banks, and steam hissed from the smouldering embers left behind by the flaming wraith monkey.
The river's gentle current was now marred with ash, and the once clear night air reeked of smoke and burning sand.
Creed wiped some blood from his lip, his breathing ragged but steady. He stood shoulder to shoulder with Dagga, whose claws still shimmered with shadowy energy.
Across the battlefield, Jorim remained infuriatingly calm. His piercing gaze was locked on them, his lips curling into a wicked grin.
Beside him, his spectral horse let out a guttural snort, its glowing red eyes scanning for its next target.
"You've lasted longer than most," Jorim said, his voice taunting. "But this is where the fun begins."
Dagga growled, his shadow-coated claws twitching. "You talk too much for someone who hides behind their summons. Let's finish this."
Jorim's smirk widened. "As you wish."
Without warning, he slammed his dagger into the ground. A burst of sinister energy erupted around him, and another flaming monkey materialised beside him, its fiery form flickering like a living inferno.
Not only was this monkey as big as a gorilla, the size of it's muscles alone could make one shudder in fear.
Creed's heart sank. He barely had time to register the new threat when a deafening screech filled the air.
A second wraith emerged—a flaming eagle.
Its massive wings spread wide, scattering embers as it soared high into the night sky, casting a shadow of death over the battlefield.
"We're not done yet," Jorim sneered, his aura surging with malicious power. "Let's see how long you can last now."
Creed's mind raced as he assessed the situation. The three summoned wraiths had turned their burning focus on him, leaving Dagga to square off against Jorim.
Roar!
The fiery monkey snarled and leapt at him, its molten fists blazing as they swung toward his head.
Creed sidestepped, rolling away just in time to avoid the attack. The force of the monkey's strike shattered the ground, leaving a smouldering crater.
From above, the eagle swooped down with a piercing screech, its talons glowing white-hot.
Creed shadow-stepped backward, narrowly avoiding the searing attack, but the horse was already galloping toward him, its hooves igniting the earth with each step.
"Three against one, huh?" Creed muttered, clenching his sword tightly in his hand. "Let's even the odds."
The fiery monkey came at him again, its speed unnerving. Creed dodged left, then right, each swing of the wraith's molten fists missing him by inches.
He utilized the boost in speed from his Bloodline transformation to it's peak, flashing around like a dark blur.
The monkey roared in frustration, its body flaring brighter as it slammed both fists into the ground, sending a shockwave of fire in all directions.
Creed leapt into the air, twisting to avoid the wave, and hurled a shadow spear downward.
The spear pierced the monkey's shoulder, scattering embers. The wraith staggered but recovered quickly, leaping onto a nearby boulder and launching itself at him again.
Creed crouched low, letting the monkey's leap carry it past him, then struck with his shadow blade.
The blade sliced through the wraith's leg, causing it to stumble and crash into the riverbank. Water hissed and steamed as the wraith's flames flickered, but it wasn't done yet.
Before it could rise, Creed shadow-stepped behind it and drove his blade into its back. The monkey howled, its flames extinguishing as its body crumbled into ash.
He had stuck to the monkey like glue and hurriedly defeated it in close combat. This way, the other 2 wraiths could only watch, afraid of harming the monkey as well.
This showed their low level of intelligence, and Creed made sure to exploit it fully. Now that the monkey was dead though, they got even more furious!
The fiery horse wasted no time, galloping straight at Creed with flames trailing behind it. Creed darted into the shadows of a large rock, using it as cover.
The horse skidded to a halt, rearing up and kicking at the boulder, its blazing hooves sending sparks flying.
Creed emerged from the shadows on the other side, hurling a volley of shadow spikes at the horse.
The spikes struck its flank, causing it to rear back in pain, but the beast charged again, undeterred.
Meanwhile, the eagle screeched and dove toward Creed. Its flaming talons extended, aiming for his chest.
Creed shadow stepped at the last second, disappearing into the darkened base of a nearby rock. He reappeared behind the eagle, hurling a shadow spear at its back.
The spear struck true, sending a burst of flame scattering into the night. But the eagle wasn't done.
It spun mid-air and launched a torrent of embers at Creed, forcing him to shield himself with a wall of shadows.
The embers sizzled against the barrier, some slipping through and burning his arms. And by then the horse was already close to Creed!
This time, Creed stood his ground. At the last moment, he shadow stepped to the side, leaving a brief shadow decoy in his place. Like an afterimage but made of shadows.
The horse charged through the decoy, its momentum carrying it into the river.
The icy water hissed as the flames on the horse's legs sputtered and dimmed.
Creed took advantage of the moment, summoning a shadow spear and hurling it at the wraith's head.
The spear struck true, and the horse collapsed into the river, its fiery form dissipating in a cloud of steam.
High above, the fiery eagle screeched in anger, its ember-laden wings beating furiously.
It dove toward Creed, talons outstretched. Creed rolled to the side, but the bird's talons grazed his arm, leaving a searing burn.
"Damn it," he hissed, clutching his arm.
The eagle circled back for another strike. This time, Creed didn't dodge. Instead, he raised a shadow barrier, the bird slamming into it with full force.
The impact sent a shockwave through the ground, but the barrier held.
Before the eagle could recover, Creed extended the barrier upward, forming shadow tendrils that wrapped around the bird's wings. The eagle screeched, thrashing wildly as the tendrils pulled it down.
Creed leapt onto the bird's back, driving his shadow blade into its core. The eagle let out a final screech before its flames extinguished, and its body disintegrated into ash.
With the wraiths defeated, Creed turned his attention to Dagga. The fiend demon was struggling against Jorim, his shadow claws barely holding off Jorim's relentless strikes.
Blood dripped from Dagga's wounds, and his breaths came in ragged gasps.
"You've lasted longer than I expected," Jorim taunted, his dagger gleaming with malevolent energy. "But this is where it ends."
Dagga growled, attempting one last lunge, but Jorim sidestepped easily and brought his dagger down in a deadly arc.
"No!" Creed shouted, melting into the shadows.
He reached them just in time, appearing between Dagga and the dagger. The blade sank into Creed's side, the searing pain nearly dropping him to his knees.
"No!" Dagga's voice was filled with shock and disbelief.
Creed gritted his teeth, forcing himself to stay upright. "Partners look out for each other, right?"
Jorim snarled, yanking his dagger free and raising it for another strike. But Creed acted first, summoning a shadow spear and driving it into Jorim's shoulder.
The force of the blow sent Jorim staggering back, leaving him open.
Dagga didn't hesitate. With a roar, he lunged at Jorim, his claws slashing through the man's chest.
The shadow energy tore through Jorim's body ruthlessly, and even his heart was visible from terrible wound.
Jorim fell to his knees, his dagger slipping from his grasp. "You… fools…" he muttered before collapsing lifelessly onto the ground.
Dagga turned to Creed, who was clutching his side, blood seeping between his fingers. "You're insane," Dagga said, his tone a mix of irritation and respect.
Creed managed a weak smirk. "We're partners, aren't we?"
Dagga's gaze lingered for a moment before he nodded. "Yeah… I guess we are."
A notification flashed in Creed's mind.
[Ding! Trust Level with Dagga increased from 6 to 37!]
Creed smirked inwardly. 'Such an easy way to build trust...'
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