With every fiber of his being, Dylan summons forth his strength, propelling himself forward with an impressive display of athleticism. In his hands, he wields not one, but two deadly swords, their razor-sharp edges glinting in the light. And hanging from his shoulder, a halberd, ready to strike at a moment's notice. But that's not all – even his ankles are armed, with two gleaming daggers that emit brilliant flashes as he moves.
As he charges towards his opponent – a fearsome crocodile man – Dylan's blades blur with speed, each one aimed with deadly accuracy at the creature's limbs. With a quick twist of his body, he narrows the distance between them in an instant, his every movement calculated and precise. The sound of metal on metal echoes through the factory as the two combatants clash, stirring up clouds of dust in their wake.
Clang clang clang!
The blades struck with lightning speed, mocking the crocodile giant's pitiful defense as they sliced through its blue scales, sending sparks of blue flame shooting out in all directions.
But Dylan paid little attention to the effectiveness of his attack, already reaching out for his next strike. The battle raged on, filling the entire factory floor and spilling over into every corner.
Watching from the sidelines, Lennok couldn't help but marvel at Dylan's incredible prowess. It was clear that he was a superhuman of unparalleled skill, surpassing even the most seasoned fighters.
With each step he took, Dylan twisted his direction, seamlessly blending his breath with the fluid motion of his weapons. It was an elegant dance of blades, a blur of movement that was both secretive and lightning-fast.
Thud thud thud!
Dylan's desperate sword strikes force the crocodile giant to take a step back, reeling from the intensity of the attack.
Seizing the opportunity, Lennok quickly gathers his mana, channeling it into a concentrated ball of energy. With his right arm slightly bent, he conjures a sphere of blue lightning, crackling with raw power and growing in size until it's as big as his head.
Pajick!
Lennok's spell was a formidable one, gathering and consolidating several hundred bolts of lightning into a single attack that rivaled the power of [Bolt] spell. The amount of mana consumed was immense, but Lennok managed to complete the spell nonetheless.
[Lightning Bound]
With a flourish of his will, he fired off his Lightning Bound spell, piercing through the reaction speed of the two monsters and pinning the crocodile giant's legs to the ground.
Pajijik!
As soon as the sphere made contact with the earth, a deafening crack split the air as the hundreds of currents inside it burst out, attacking the giant with ferocity.
Caught off guard by Lennok's stealthy magic, the crocodile giant writhed in surprise, giving Dylan the perfect opportunity to strike. Pouring all his strength into his attacks, Dylan unleashed a massive wave that covered the giant, his blades slicing through the creature's tough scales and finally drawing blood.
But the crocodile giant was not so easily defeated. It raised its paralyzed hands, using its tail to effortlessly evade Dylan's attacks while blocking only the strikes aimed for its pupils. With a sudden movement, the giant grabbed Dylan by the neck and hurled him toward the factory wall with tremendous force.
Boom!
The impact was deafening, sending shockwaves rippling outwards and shattering the wall in its wake. Lennok knew he couldn't afford to stick around and watch the fight play out any longer.
"Damn it…!"
If the crocodile giant could withstand the full force of Lennok's Lightning Bound spell, which was powerful enough to melt steel into molten metal, it would be unlikely that Lennok could turn the tide of battle, even if he joined in.
Recognizing the dire situation, Lennok wasted no time in fleeing the scene as soon as Dylan was caught by the giant. It's unknown whether Dylan managed to survive, but it's certain that he was flung out of the factory with tremendous force.
"23 seconds left…!"
Lennok couldn't afford to stay and watch the aftermath of the fight, so he focused his mana on his legs, increasing his speed dramatically. Despite the harm caused by his trait of Mana Poisoning, he pushed himself to the limit, running towards the exit with a sense of urgency.
Using his Flash spell would have been much easier, but the amount of mana required was too great, making it impossible for him to use it in his current state. He rushed through the door at a breakneck pace, his surroundings blurring as he sprinted towards the warehouse's exit.
As he burst out of the building, he saw Dylan lying in a grotesque posture near the back door, covered in blood with broken bones and pus oozing from his body.
After a moment of hesitation, Lennok gritted his teeth and lifted Dylan's body, carrying him as he made a run for it. He poured all his strength into his muscles and mana, pushing himself to his limits as he fled from the scene.
Even if he survived the battle today, Lennok knew that he would be unable to move properly for at least a week. But now was not the time to worry about such things. He was completely spent, his energy reserves depleted to the point of exhaustion, his breath ragged and suffocating.
Despite his previous experience in military service on Earth, he felt weak and vulnerable in this world, constantly in pain and suffering even when he pushed himself to the limit. Though he knew that he was losing his lifespan with each effort, it didn't seem to matter at the moment.
As Lennok took a moment to catch his breath, Dylan regained consciousness, wincing in pain as he moved his legs. He sneered at Lennok's mask, making a sarcastic remark, "Ugh, seriously? You're smoking right now? Even chain smokers have their limits, man. You're crazy."
"I can't live without it," Lennok retorted, his voice trembling with exhaustion.
‘2 seconds.’
It was time.
With just two seconds left on the clock, Lennok threw Dylan to the ground and lay on top of him, raising his hands above his head.
Just then,
BOOM BOOM BOOOOOOM!!!!!
From deep within the earth, a sudden burst of flames erupted and swiftly engulfed the entire factory, painting the sky a fiery red. Lennok clung to the ground with all his might, bracing himself against the ferocious waves of heat that threatened to sweep him away.
The ominous sound of his protective barriers slowly giving way echoed in his ears, driving him to frantically reinforce his defenses. Despite his efforts, he could only wait helplessly as the deafening explosion raged on relentlessly.
Had it not been for the sudden appearance of the crocodile giant, he would have been able to assess the situation from a safer distance. But the sudden chaos had thrown everything into disarray, leaving him struggling to make sense of the catastrophic scene before him.
As the earth finally stilled and the deafening noise died down, Lennok slowly lifted his head, his eyes met with a scene of utter devastation. The explosion had obliterated the basement completely, reducing Charlotte's factory to a pile of rubble.
Observing the trembling factory that appeared to be on the verge of collapse, Lennok gradually rose to his feet.
His thoughts were interrupted by a sudden urge for a cigarette. Instinctively, his hand reached for his mouth, but he was unable to locate his cigarette. Perhaps it had flown away during the explosion?
As he searched for his misplaced cigarette, Lennok's attention was drawn to Dylan, who was holding one in his hand. The cigarette rested vertically on the back of his hand, emitting a faint trail of smoke as it burned through his leather gloves.
"Do you need it?"
"Throw it away right now."
Without any hesitation, Dylan flicked the cigarette away and stood up, despite the obvious signs of severe injury.
"Ouch, I feel like I've shattered at least ten bones in my body."
Although Dylan's tone was calm and collected, Lennok knew that he was telling the truth. The force with which the crocodile monster had thrown him had undoubtedly caused severe damage to Dylan's body.
Lennok was aware that Dylan possessed an otherworldly resilience. Even if the crocodile giant had torn off his spine, Dylan would have still gotten up and continued fighting as if nothing had happened.
It was evident to Lennok that Dylan was far from being an ordinary human, capable of enduring the most severe injuries and bouncing back without any difficulty.
"At first, I thought this was just some humans vs monsters showdown, but you're not exactly ordinary either. Are all superhumans as tough as you?" asked Lennok.
"Well, every superhuman is different and has their own thing going on," replied Dylan, his response shrouded in vagueness as he grabbed Lennok by the back and helped him up from his seat.
"Come on, we gotta move if we don't wanna get left behind. Let's go!"
"…what?!"
Lennok was momentarily taken aback by Dylan's words but quickly grasped their meaning.
"You think the crocodile giant is still alive?"
"I don't think, I know he is," Dylan replied firmly. "Don't you know who that old man is?"
Lennok shook his head, clueless about the identity of the crocodile giant. It was true that there were heterogeneous races in the earlier versions of the WORLD, but none of them were as extreme as animal subspecies.
Dylan let out a sigh, clearly exasperated. "Croken Asilus. He used to be a war mercenary, and now he's some big-shot executive at Pandemonium."
"Pandemonium?" Lennok repeated, the name unfamiliar to him.
Dylan looked at Lennok incredulously. "You serious? Pandemonium is like, the biggest criminal organization in the world. They only let the most ruthless and dangerous people in. Don't you keep up with the news as a wizard, or have you just been hiding out in the mountains or something?"
"Eh, let's just say I've been out of the loop for a while."
Lennok realized that if Dylan, an accomplished mercenary, was familiar with the name Pandemonium, there was a high chance that Jenny and Jordan, who were also involved in this line of work, were aware of the organization as well.
He realized that it was important to keep in mind the existence of such a powerful organization and its association with a monstrous being like Croken Asilus. Surviving the current situation was the top priority, but he knew that he would have to be more vigilant and informed in the future if he wanted to continue working in this field.
Kwaaaaaang!!
The deafening roar of flames subsided, and a massive shadow descended behind them. Croken, the colossal crocodile giant, emerged from the wreckage and flames of the destroyed factory, appearing unscathed except for a few singed scales. He set his sights on the two fleeing men in the distance and bent his legs, preparing to launch himself at them.
Baaaang!
In the blink of an eye, his muscles bulged, and the ground beneath him cracked as he lunged toward them. If they were hit by his massive body, it would be the end.
There was no time to waste. Dylan and Lennok unleashed their mana and took flight, each veering to the left and right sides, narrowly avoiding certain death.
Sssaaak!!
Croken's reaction was swift as he realized that his attack had barely missed its mark. With lightning-fast reflexes, he slammed one arm onto the ground, halting his colossal body in mid-air. The impact was so forceful that it created a thick, noxious smoke, causing the asphalt to skid for over ten meters.
Lennok was left speechless, marveling at the superhuman strength he had just witnessed. While it was a world where one could enhance their physical abilities with magic, Croken's display surpassed the limits of any living being.
As Croken effortlessly flipped himself back to his feet and approached Lennok, he spoke with a hint of amusement.
"Hey, you're the wizard who blasted that lightning ball before, right?" he remarked.
Lennok remained silent, unsure of how to respond.
"Even though you're young, weren't you taught not to explode dangerous stuff near someone's crotch?" taunted Croken.
Lennok retorted sharply, "I mean, can you really call someone who survives an explosion like that a human?"
Croken chuckled, amused by Lennok's audacity.
"Look, even if you hadn't messed with the factory, I still would've gone easy on you. But I gotta settle a score, so I can't just let this slide," he explained.
His reptilian pupils glinted as he added, "For Antares’ face… Well, I'll make sure you don't suffer too much when you die."
Croken's ominous right hand descended toward Lennok's face, but Lennok quickly activated his magic.
[Gravity Bind]
Ordinary restraining spells would have had little effect on the massive crocodile giant, but Gravity Bind had the power to suppress movement proportional to the target's mass. The whip, imbued with the weight of Croken's body, effectively suppressed the giant's movements, providing Lennok with a fleeting opportunity.
Seizing the moment, Lennok rolled backward, summoning all of his remaining mana without reservation. In a life-or-death situation, he had no intention of conserving his energy.
Despite the excruciating pain coursing through his body, Lennok's mana united perfectly as he projected an image. A chilling breeze flowed between his outstretched fingers as he placed both hands flat on the ground.
[Frost Soul]
A blinding flash followed by an icy cold permeated the air. Lennok's magic surged through the gravity-bound whip and into Croken's scaly arms, causing the giant's body to abruptly freeze in place. His bluish-green scales were covered in white frost, and he exhaled a white breath between his thorn-like teeth, resembling a frozen reptile as his pupils constricted in shock.
(TO BE CONTINUED)
