NOVEL NEXT Chapter 176: Null Lash [3]
One of the two Wraithhounds burst forward again, this time its claws glowing with residual black energy, jagged mana clinging to its limbs like coiled smoke.
Kai smirked.
"Now," he muttered, low and steady, "let's do it properly."
His muscles coiled.
This time, there would be no hesitation.
He kicked off the ground.
And in a blur of motion.
Wind and debris swirled behind him as he met the charging beast head-on.
Mana surged through his core like a raging current, flowing through his meridians in a precise stream.
As he moved, his breathing slowed.
One step. Focus.
Two steps. Anchor the wrist.
Three, He exhaled and cut.
The blade screamed through the air, not as a mere weapon, but as an extension of his will.
A sharp pulse rippled across the space between them.
[<Null Lash!>]
The energy layer in the air cracked, an invisible veil peeling open as Kai's blade carved a perfect arc from shoulder to hip.
The Wraithhound didn't even have time to scream.
Its armor dissolved mid-strike, its cursed claws evaporating as if they were smoke under a gale.
The entire right side of its body erased in a smooth, vanishing line.
Thud! Thud!
Its remaining limbs collapsed, lifeless and twitching.
But Kai didn't watch it fall.
Because the moment the skill completed—
Pain hit.
"Gkh!"
His legs buckled as his back spasmed violently. A sharp jolt ran through his arm like someone had driven a blade directly through his nerves.
Tsssk!
He dropped to one knee, his daggers slipping from his numb fingers. His back hunched forward, and he planted a hand on the cracked stone to keep from slamming face-first into the ground.
"F-Fuck!" Kai hissed, gritting his teeth.
"Didn't know it'd hit that hard…"
It felt like his bones had been rung like a bell.
His shoulder throbbed, his arm limp and trembling. Even his breathing came in shallow wave, tight and strained.
[<Congratulations. You're still alive, brat.>]
'Barely.'
He shook his head and tried to rise—
Grrr!
But a sharp bark-like growl cut through the silence.
The last Wraithhound, seeing weakness, pounced.
Its jaw split open unnaturally wide, revealing rows of dripping, jagged teeth.
The shadows on its body twisted and curled, lengthening its form like a demonic blur as it lunged straight for Kai.
Kai didn't have the strength to lift his blade.
Didn't have time to dodge.
But he had one option left.
His lips barely moved as he breathed out—
"Vael."
A gust of wind exploded beside him. A narrow slit of light tore open midair like a ribbon being unraveled.
FWOOOOOOOSH!
Out of it shot a sleek, feathered form like a streak of silver lightning.
Creeee!
A falcon with storm-gray feathers, blue wings and glowing cyan eyes emerged with a piercing cry.
[<Sonic Dive!>]
With blinding speed, the Windsight Falcon struck the lunging Wraithhound midair.
CRACK!!
His talons, dug into the creature's side, slashing deep.
The Wraithhound was thrown violently into a half-collapsed pillar, stone cracking on impact.
It screeched as Vael spun in midair and unleashed a cutting gale from its wings.
[<Wind Fang!>]
That severed the beast's left forelimb in a clean slice.
The Wraithhound tried to retreat.
But Vael didn't let it.
With another cry, the falcon shot forward again, this time spinning into a spiral dive. Wind blades laced its feathers as it dived talons-first—
[<Sonic Dive!>]
[<Wind Fang!>]
THWACK!!
The beast slammed into the ground.
It writhed once, twice, then lay still, dark mist leaking out from its shattered body.
Kai groaned, finally managing to push himself onto one knee.
He wiped the sweat from his brow with his somehow good hand, glancing at the smoking remains of the Wraithhound.
"…You show off more every time," he muttered, a weak smirk tugging at his lips.
Vael landed beside him with a soft flutter, chest puffed out slightly in pride.
Then he let out a small chirp and gently perched on Kai's head.
Kai chuckled under his breath.
Kai sat down on a broken stone slab, finally letting his body relax. His arms still felt like jelly, and there was a dull ache in his back from the recoil of Null Lash.
He reached into his storage bracelet and pulled out two crystal vials, one glowing soft blue, the other a pale gold.
The mana recovery potion first, he downed it in one gulp, letting the cool energy slide down his throat and spread across his drained core, the meridians.
Then came the healing potion, which burned slightly going down, but its effects settled like warm liquid fire across his muscles and nerves, dulling the pain.
He leaned back, exhaled.
[<Ding!>]
[<Congratulations!>]
[<You have successfully executed a true Null-type skill with near-perfect alignment.>]
[<Due to synchronization and successful invocation of Null energy— >]
[<You have gained a new Affinity: Null>]
[<You've stepped into the void, and it noticed you.>]
Kai blinked. "Wait, I actually unlocked it…?"
He straightened, reading the panel again.
Null Affinity.
A second window unfolded beneath the first one, explaining the affinity in more detail.
[<Null Affinity>]
Affinity to the Null Element grants the user the ability to interact with non-existence, void-energy, and disruption-type magic.
Unlike elemental affinities like Fire, Wind, or Water, Null does not create. It erases.
Core Traits of Null Affinity:
• Null energy can negate physical and magical defenses.
• It ignores conventional resistances and mana shielding.
• It is highly unstable and causes backlash to users without proper resistance or mastery.
• Null-based skills are harder to control and cannot be learned through normal elemental study.
----
Kai whistled softly, sitting up straighter. "Damn…"
[<Don't get too excited boy.>]
'Hmm?'
Then a new window popped out in front of him.
[Status]
{Basic Information}
Name: Kai
Race: Human
Age: 17
Class: Beast Tamer
Sub-Class: Rogue
Rank: Mid-Advanced Core
Affinity: Dark, Poison, Null (Temp. Locked)
{Attributes}
Strength: D+
Agility: A+
Endurance: D+
Charm: B+
Intelligence: B-
Mana Capacity: B
Soul Essence Capacity: B
{Skills}
Active: Ghost Steps, Phantom Slash, Stealth, Beast Synchronization, Falcon's Sight, Warding Veil, Beast Merging, Null Lash (Temp locked)
Passive: Mana Regeneration.
{Tamed Beasts}
-Dual-Heart Kitsune—Luna (Evolution stage) _Mystic_
Rank: Peak-Intermediate Core
Skills: Fireball, Ice spear, Icicle barrage, Illusionary Viel, Foxfire
-Phantom Lynx—Vex _Rare_
Rank: Peak-Advanced Core
Skills: Phantom slash, Ghost Steps, Stealth, Shadow Ball
-Windsight Falcon—Vael *Uncommon*
Rank: Early-Advanced Core
Skills: Sonic Dive, Falcon's Sight, Echo Ball, Wind Fang
-Thunder Drakelet—_(Stromeon)_ _Rare_
Rank: Early-Great Core
Skills: Thunder Roar, Groundbreaker Slam, Thunder Clap, Static field
'What? Locked?'