NOVEL NEXT Chapter 120: Against the Shrouded Executors
Karl and Lunara charged toward the primordial Rhino, their hands gripping their weapons with unyielding determination, their bodies low and poised like coiled springs. The beast, sensing the impending attack, let out a guttural snarl as its massive horn pulsed with energy, a luminous glow radiating like molten gold. In an instant, it unleashed a concentrated blast, the raw power piercing through the air like a divine spear, drilling towards them with terrifying velocity.
Lunara's instincts took over, she leaped high, twisting mid-air with the grace of a falcon, her silhouette spinning against the sky. Below her, Karl ducked low, his legs gliding across the ground, sending dust swirling into the air. His upper body leaned so close to the earth that he could almost taste the dirt, the deadly energy beam slicing just inches above him. A deafening explosion erupted behind, shaking the land as fragments of rock and soil blasted outward in chaotic disarray.
Landing with feline precision atop the beast's broad back with the grace of a falcon. Lunara wasted no time. Her daggers, now glowing with the brilliance of her immortal energy, plunged into the Rhino's thick hide. A surge of pain rippled through the creature like shockwaves through water, the agony coursing like venom through its veins. A tormented bellow thundered with earth-shaking roar, a primal cry of rage and suffering. It bucked and thrashed, muscles rippling beneath her feet, but Lunara clenched the hilts of her daggers, refusing to be thrown.
Then, without warning, the Rhino's horn flared again, but this time, its power took an insidious turn. The energy, rather than exploding outward, coiled around the beast's own form, the creature manipulated the very essence of the attack, guiding the energy beam backward along the contours of its own body, bending like liquid metal. Gravity itself seemed to bow to the creature's will, molding the radiant energy into a thin, shimmering layer that slithered along its body, a lethal current gliding just above its skin, undeterred by the flesh it should have seared. Before Lunara could react, the energy arced toward her like a lightning bolt dancing through an unseen conductor.
A thunderous crack split the air.
The impact was instantaneous,Lunara was hurled from the beast's back like a cannonball shot from a warship. The sheer force sent her rocketing through the sky, A deafening 'BOOM' split the battlefield as Lunara's form was catapulted like a fallen star, her trajectory ending in a violent collision with the craggy midsection of a distant mountain. The impact resonated like a war drum, sending fractured boulders tumbling from their ancient perches. momentarily veiling her fate in a cloud of destruction.
Karl, still locked in motion, had closed the distance, his axe now an extension of his will, suffused with potent energy. With a roar that rivaled the beast's, he leaped toward its right flank, his weapon an arc of silver fury. The blade met flesh with a force that carved the very air, slamming into the creature's lower jaw. A grotesque crunch echoed as the beast's skull wrenched violently leftward, its bellow of anguish shaking it surrounding.
Landing back on the ground, Karl skidded backward, his boots digging trenches into the dirt as he struggled to stabilize his stance. His gaze shot toward the mountain, searching for any sign of Lunara amidst the swirling dust. But before he could take another step, a phantom force struck him square in the chest with the force of a collapsing star.
An unseen energy beam, bent and camouflaged within the daylight rays, The energy beam, twisted through the very fabric of daylight itself, had bent its trajectory to strike unseen like a whisper of death. Karl barely registered the impact before his body was hurled backward, He tumbled backward in a spiraling somersault, a human shuriken slicing through the chaotic winds caught in a tempest. The wind howled around him, dust whipping in his wake until his body finally met the earth.
The ground did not welcome him gently.
With a resounding thud, Karl's form crashed into the earth, his body carving an imprint into the dirt as the land itself seemed to yield beneath him. Dust and debris sprayed outward in jagged waves, carried by the force of impact. The very ground groaned in protest as if bearing the weight of his suffering.
The primordial Rhino snorted, its breath steaming in the cool air, its glowing eyes scanning the wreckage of its devastating counterattack. Then, like a beast that refuses to fall, Karl's fingers twitched.
Back at the second Primordial Rhino, Kola stood firm, his body engulfed in a pulsating aura of raw energy. His arms crossed defensively over his chest as waves of echoing force rippled from the beast's cavernous maw, crashing into him like relentless ocean waves battering a lone rock. The sheer force pushed him backward, his heels carving deep trenches into the solid ground before the energy finally lifted him off his feet and slammed him down with a bone-rattling impact. A deafening boom split the air as dust and debris scattered, marking his fifth time enduring this brutal assault. Yet, his body had already begun adapting, muscle memory refining itself against the relentless barrage.
Not far from him, Theodric, having just been flung into the dirt, rose once more, unwavering in his determination. His eyes locked onto the beast, his every breath steady and controlled. With a sharp inhale, he surged forward, closing the distance between him and the towering monster. As he advanced, his seven knives, each pulsating with a lethal glow of immortal energy, rose into the air, gliding alongside him like the fangs of a serpent poised to strike.
Sensing the imminent threat, the Primordial Rhino let out a guttural roar before unleashing another devastating blast of condensed sound waves. The air around it compressed and then exploded forward, shrieking through the battlefield like a bullet fired from an unseen sniper. The force distorted the space it traveled through, leaving a ghostly ripple in its wake.
Undeterred, Theodric swiftly positioned his knives in a perfect line across his chest, the energy-infused blades seamlessly connecting to form a single, elongated spear. With a flick of his wrist and the sheer force of his will, he launched the weapon forward. A powerful shockwave erupted behind it as the spear rocketed through the air, splitting the very atmosphere with a deadly hum.
A heartbeat later, the two forces clashed.
A cataclysmic explosion erupted at the point of impact, shaking the very ground beneath them. A violent shockwave rippled outward, momentarily illuminating the battlefield in a burst of blinding light. The collision sent razor-sharp gusts of wind spiraling in all directions, lifting stones and fragments of shattered earth into the air like airborne shrapnel.
Theodric barely had time to brace himself, crossing his arms over his face as the remnants of the battle tore through the surroundings. When the dust finally began to settle, he cautiously lowered his arms, his eyes narrowing at the battlefield before him. Three of his seven knives lay on the ground, their edges dulled by the brutal collision. He barely had time to process the aftermath when a thunderous RRROOORR snapped his focus back to the beast.
The Primordial Rhino, its fury undiminished, exhaled a hot, ragged breath that sent ripples through the air. Its enormous horn began to vibrate again, charged with an even deadlier force than before. The very space around it shimmered under the raw energy, a foreboding sign of the devastation it was about to unleash.
Theodric's fingers trembled from the sheer recoil of his previous attack. He knew he wasn't ready for another direct confrontation. His body screamed for a moment of reprieve, but the monster was relentless. The energy around its horn intensified, vibrating violently, preparing to unleash its next catastrophic strike.
Then, a shadow loomed over the battlefield.
A massive form descended from above with breakneck speed, growing larger as it neared the beast's head. Kola. His hands were clenched together, brimming with condensed energy, an unyielding force of nature about to be unleashed.
"Theodric!" Kola's voice thundered through the battlefield.
Theodric's eyes widened at the call.
"You're not someone who gives up just because your opponent is stronger!"
With a defiant roar, Kola brought his fists crashing down like a celestial hammer against the beast's vibrating horn. The impact was instant and catastrophic. The Rhino's skull slammed into the solid ground as if gravity had suddenly turned against it, bending reality to Kola's will. A seismic explosion rocked the battlefield, sending shockwaves spiraling outward. A dense cloud of dust and debris erupted from the point of impact, shrouding the scene in a suffocating haze.
"OOOOORRR!" The beast's agonized bellow reverberated through the battlefield as its massive frame staggered backward, struggling to regain its balance.
Kola flipped back through the air, landing with precision beside Theodric, his feet skidding against the cracked earth. The two warriors stood side by side, their bodies battle-worn but their spirits unbroken.
The battle was far from over.