Up on the top of the cliff, Jack was laying still on the ground.
Jack's ambusher who dealt the killing blow was Red Death. She had hidden a distance away while watching the battle between Jack and the three Heavenly Officers. When she thought the opportunity had arrived, she used Vanish to turn invisible and approached. She then used the level 60 skill of her Mad Slayer class, the special class bestowed by the Goddess of Wrath.
This skill was called Phase Kill. It was similar to the assassin's phase strike but much more powerful. Aside from delivering higher damage, it could also be executed from an extremely long range of twenty meters in its first level. If fully maxed, this skill could cover fifty meters in an instant, making her a nightmare for the range classes.
This skill also increased her overall speed during the execution. That's how she was still fast despite Jack's time realm in effect. It also ignored the target's defense by 50%.
Red Death even added her weapon's skill in the execution, the demon's bite. All to ensure her ambush scored a kill.
And she succeeded. Jack's body with zero HP was laying at her feet. She looked at the body with mixed emotions.
"Hehe, martial sister. Good job. Master will reward you well," Long said as he approached.
"Shut up. I'm not doing this for him," Red Death uttered. She had been here under the order of the Goddess of Wrath, to help World Maker win this war.
"Doesn't matter whom you do it for. All that matters is the result."
Suddenly, they heard crashing not far away. They turned and saw it was Abasi who crash into the ground. In the sky, Therras was still tussling with the sky wyrm. The sky wyrm's HP was below half already.
"Hey… Aside from companions, don't pets and summoned creatures disappear when their owner dies?" Long asked. He then sensed something that made him hurriedly jump back.
Red Death did the same. Only Delgado was unaware. She stayed at the same spot when Jack rose from his supposed death, performing Whirlwind Slash and Ice Ring as he rose. Delgado was hit by both.
Jack followed up with Penta Slash. He also activated Asura and Dances of the Brave. Delgado was battered by uncountable slashes. In a short time, Delgado's HP was brought down a huge chunk.
Jack only stopped when a blast from the ground forced him to move away. It was the Ki Geyser from Long which had gone off cooldown.
"How are you still alive?" Long asked.
Jack didn't answer him. He was instead staring at Red Death.
Jack was able to survive because of Peniel's Second Life. He had Peniel cast it on him because he was ready to die together with Long from Therras' Earth Core Bomb. But that bomb attack had been softened by Long's fist art, allowing both of them to survive. With Jack's current Call Familiar skill at five-star grade, Peniel's Second Life lasted five and a half minutes. It was still active when Red Death ambushed him.
"Why are you on their side?" Jack asked her.
"… It's my Goddess' order," Red Death answered.
"Goddess?"
"I am now a follower of the Goddess of Wrath."
Jack used Inspect on her. She had a special class now. He supposed that class was bestowed by that Goddess. Her armor also looked like a unique set.
"You follow her for benefit?" Jack asked.
"Do you think that way of me?" Red Death asked back.
"In that case, you can always say no."
"… The Goddess of Wrath is not someone you say no to."
"Hehe," Long chuckled. "Martial sister. Never heard you talk this much. Especially never heard you trying to explain your action to someone. This boy must be special. Unfortunately, my beast form has a time limit, so you must excuse me for cutting your conversation short."
Long lunged at Jack. His palms unleashed the Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms. Jack faced the palm strikes using the burst attack of his sword art.
The Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms itself was already very powerful, combined with Long's two classes' attributes and the boost from the beast form, Jack who was not in beast form was pushed back with each collision. Even the golden swords dancing around him were smacked aside.
At the same time, Delgado and Red Death moved to Jack's flanks. When they were about to strike, Jack's body split into multiple shadows.
Jack struck his three opponents using the Hundred Shadow Strikes. Delgado's HP lowered some more as she was struck. Long and Red Death sensed the attacks and managed to parry them accurately.
At the same time, ten golden wolves and another Therras appeared. 'Time to go all out,' Jack thought. He also cast Myriad Venomous Vipers where Delgado was. That native was the least refined among the lot here, she would have trouble dealing with the vipers.
Her companion, Ronald, had either already died or simply didn't care about her to use his companion badge to unsummon her. Jack thought she was the most ideal target to take out first.
While his ten wolves pounced at Long and Red Death, Jack continued his assault on Delgado by casting Orb of Storm and then Lightning Strike. He then cast Acceleration on himself, the two Therras, and two out of the ten wolves.
With accelerated movements, Jack rained hell on Delgado with his six arms. All the while, his wolves and Therras' copy held Long and Red Death back.
Delgado's HP went down at a rapid rate. Her face now showed fear. She regretted not leaving when her companion was gone. She tried using every skill in her arsenal to free herself, but with the fifteen vipers and Jack's slashes, she was unable to.
Red Death used her martial art, Soul Trapping Blades, to break through Jack's wolves. She then activated her companion token once he got near to Jack. Her companion, Rayne, now a level 78 rare elite, used Hundred Shadow Strikes once he appeared.
When Jack readied his swords to face the assault, he sensed another presence. He was at first worried this was another ambush directed at him, but this newcomer turned into multiple images and clashed with Rayne's shadows.
At the same time, someone came striking above Red Death. Red Death, who was planning to coordinate her assault with Rayne, was forced to take a step back.
The person who had stopped Red Death turned out to be a beautiful armored woman carrying a long mace. The one who had stopped Rayne was a man in a black cloak
"Grace…? Oswald…?" Jack said when he saw the two.
