NOVEL NEXT Chapter 309: Killing Sprees and To-Do Lists
Thalion was stressed out. Flying at such high speeds between massive tree trunks had frayed his nerves. This was definitely something he would need to train for in the future. It was impressive to see how dangerous the eagle form could be, but having a near-death experience every few meters was far from pleasant. That was why he decided to switch forms. It wouldn't hurt to get some combat experience in another shape anyway.
Lee was already off, gathering the injured survivors and dragging them along. Some wore expressions that made it painfully clear they thought Thalion was about to sacrifice himself. The elves, however, had very different looks. A few stepped back in fear, while others edged forward with greed gleaming in their eyes. Killing him here would likely earn them a generous reward.
Thalion had neither sword nor armor, which limited him greatly. These elves were strong, and now was not the time to experiment with blood manipulation, especially when the Sanguis Impera seemed to be doing its own version of it. No, this was the moment for a little… switch.
"Look what we have here. The human leader right for the taking," one elf sneered, loosing an arrow at Thalion's head.
Thalion stepped aside with ease, shifting mid-motion into the crippled Eclipsari. It was time for carnage. His passive abilities were now empowered by his bloodline, amplifying their already menacing effects beneath the shadowy canopy of the seventy-meter-high trees. Normally, the light would bend away from him, draping him in darkness while the shadows stretched and deepened. Now, his bloodline turned that subtle effect into something absolute. The shadows became pitch black in an instant, spreading far and wide. Around Thalion, it was as if night itself had descended, his silhouette barely visible except when the occasional stray ray of light fought its way in.
The air's mana, as well as the energy within the nearby plants, ignited under his bloodline's influence. Thalion gave the elves no time to think. He blurred forward, targeting two who stood closest. A pair armed with an axe and dagger. Dark energy coiled around the claws of his right hand. There was so much power packed into Shadow Claw that swinging felt heavy, but Thalion ignored the discomfort and slashed.
The claws ripped through the elves as if they were made of paper. Five arcs, shaped like his talons, continued past their bodies, carving through everything in their path until they smashed into the ground, flinging dirt high into the air. The elves never had time to scream. The shadow elemental took the opportunity to devour them, its thick, festering tendrils of darkness dissolving their bodies in an instant before lashing at tree trunks and whipping wildly around Thalion.
Yes, controlling his skills these days was definitely not easy even for the elemental.
Without pause, Thalion unleashed another attack. Shadows rose from the ground and slashed toward the nearest elves. They were fast, brimming with far too much energy lacking grace or elegance, but direct and brutal. Many managed to dodge, but those who didn't were cut in half, crushed to death, or reduced to nothing more than limbs. And when the festering darkness touched them, it didn't stop. It continued to break down their bodies into pure black liquid.
The smell or perhaps the aura of this liquid drove the elemental wild. More tendrils erupted from Thalion's body, seeking the wounded elves. Most missed, smashing into dirt or branches, but five unlucky ones were caught, their bodies dissolved into darkness and absorbed in seconds.
The feast calmed the elemental somewhat. It had been elated at the sudden power boost to each tendril, but also frustrated by the loss of fine control. Now, with the steady stream of nourishing prey, its frustration gave way to pure gluttony.
The remaining elves quickly realized the battle was unwinnable. Several activated their escape tokens immediately. Only a few were left, and Thalion cut them down without hesitation.
They tried to run, but when it came to speed, they couldn't hold a candle to the crippled Eclipsari. Thalion caught up quickly and killed every single one without mercy, though not without a little experimentation. At one point, he even let an elf land a blow with his blade. The enchanted sabre simply scraped harmlessly off his skin, now empowered by his passive skills, without leaving so much as a mark. He had been tough before, but this was on a completely different level. Paired with his high recovery rate, he had become a true nightmare to fight. Against anyone without extreme offensive capabilities, he was practically unkillable.
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Yes, things were going very well for him. The only real problem was control. If he could learn to master his skills, he would be a true powerhouse. But until then, it was going to be a long road, and there was no way he could do it within the tutorial's time frame. He doubted it was something that could be learned in a week or even close. No, in the tutorial he would focus on powering up even more and worry about control later. Once on the new world, he wouldn't have access to anything like the Fear Pillar or the Leviathan. Maybe he could find something else of value, but missing out on these opportunities would be a mistake.
For now, he needed to help a few more hunting parties. The elves seemed to be launching multiple ambushes, and his map was lit up with over ten red markers indicating ongoing attacks. Thalion spent the next few hours killing elves and trying to save as many humans as possible. He refrained from using large-area skills that might harm survivors, limiting his testing, but still got valuable practice in fighting with his skills and bloodline. His bloodline flames were far more aggressive than before his evolution, and their damage had increased dramatically. The Sanguis Impera also struggled somewhat with vines and blood abilities, but it was still more than enough to kill any elf without much trouble.
Once the survivors were safe, it was time to return to base and resume smithing. He also wanted to see if the alchemists had figured out what the runes on the Leviathan's tentacles did. But there were more problems ahead—namely, how to catch the female elf. He had no plan. With most raids failing, she might be forced to challenge him to a duel. That was… not ideal. He didn't feel ready to fight someone so powerful at the moment. At that stage, precision was everything, and right now, he had none.
Thalion honestly didn't want to fight yet. He wanted to craft his armor and sword first. On the way back, he received more messages from Kaldrek and Maike. The news was not encouraging. They had lost hundreds of hunters, and the elves had captured several strong elite fighters. Grim as it was, Thalion had to prioritize. The people needed to be able to defend themselves. He couldn't hunt down every elf personally. More urgently, he had to finish his gear or risk even worse trouble later. He trusted Maike and Kaldrek to reorganize the hunting parties more effectively.
One disturbing detail was that some hunting parties had been wiped out without even sending a distress call. These attacks happened on the opposite side of the usual elf ambushes. Kaldrek's theory was that strong vampires were still at large, seeking revenge for what happened in the catacombs. Thalion didn't doubt it, but he simply couldn't divert his focus right now. If he went chasing after every new threat, he'd never finish his preparations.
If his people couldn't defend themselves against vampires or elves, then they'd have to stay behind the walls until the tutorial ended. He couldn't be everywhere at once. This was the preparation needed to survive the coming system events. Neglecting it could mean his death. If it had been a less critical craft, he would have helped immediately, but this was too important. They had multiple elite fighters, if they still couldn't hold their ground, the safest place for them was inside the base.
Curiously, there had been zero casualties at Ankhet's palace, where treasure chests were constantly being delivered through the portal. None of the other forces dared to clash with his troops directly there, which was reassuring. But thinking about the treasure that would arrive in just a few days, it was only logical that the female elf would try to strike before then. Without him, she might even manage to push his troops out of the palace and claim the treasure for herself. This theory made even more sense considering she wanted to rescue her son, especially after Thalion had told the elven leader that he was torturing him.
All of it was shaping up to be very stressful. Better to get back to work, finish the armor and sword, and be ready. Trouble would be coming soon.