NOVEL NEXT Chapter 66: Mia?
But then—
BOOM!
Suddenly, a black figure flashed into existence above him, so fast it looked like a shadow tearing through the sky.
And in the next instant— the lightning bolt was deflected mid-air— slammed aside by twin daggers crackling with a blood-red aura.
The sheer force of the deflection was apocalyptic.
BOOM—!
The impact was cataclysmic. A shockwave erupted, the force so immense it carved a massive crater into the earth, the ground splintering and collapsing in a cloud of dust and debris. The blast obliterated a dozen Skyrazor Crows mid-flight, their bodies disintegrating into showers of blackened feathers. Bloodhowl Wolves caught in the radius were flung backward, their howls cut short as the concussive force crushed their bodies against jagged rocks.
The deflected lightning, now a rogue spear of crackling energy, veered off its original path and struck an unassuming wolf lurking at the rear of the pack. The beast let out a gut-wrenching wail, its body convulsing as the bolt tore through its flesh. As the smoke cleared, the wolf was revealed once again.
The wolf let out a pitiful, agonized wail— its hidden aura flaring violently, its massive frame dwarfed the others, its fur singed and matted with blood. The wolves surrounding it lay dead, their bodies charred husks, while the Alpha staggered, its once-commanding aura flickering like a dying flame.
Meanwhile, around Ethan, the crater stretched wide, a jagged scar in the earth littered with smoldering remains. Yet, miraculously, he stood unscathed at its center, shielded by an unseen barrier of force that had absorbed the destructive energy. His chest heaved, his mind struggling to process the sheer power of what had just transpired.
Eyes wide with shock, he looked up, And then, he saw her.
The black figure, still hovering in the air—
daggers glowing with that sinister red light, her hair fluttering lightly in the wind, her dark silhouette framed against the beast filled sky...
Her twin daggers, still glowing with that eerie red aura, were held with a casual confidence that belied the devastation she'd just unleashed. Her presence was a paradox—both graceful and terrifying, like a storm given human form. Strands of dark hair whipped in the wind, and her eyes, sharp and unyielding, locked onto his with a mixture of concern and resolve.
"Mia…" The name escaped his lips— barely more than a whisper. His heart was pounding like a drum. He was shocked beyond words.
Her entrance wasn't just surprising— it was like the descent of a death goddess, shattering the flow of the battlefield in an instant, turning certain death into sudden survival.
He had always suspected Mia to be strong— but seeing it firsthand, like this… it shook him to his core. The fact that she had been with him this entire time shocked him even more...
Meanwhile, Mia's gaze locked with his. Her eyes were sharp— but underneath that, they brimmed with a storm of emotions.
Questioning.
Worried.
Concerned.
"Ethan, what the fuck is going on?" she demanded, her voice tight.
This whole phenomenon Ethan was going through— it was beyond normal.
Beyond reason.
She had been forced to reveal herself just now to save him. It couldn't be helped—
if that lightning breath had so much as grazed Ethan, there'd have been no saving him.
That was no ordinary attack; it was the mana-imbued breath of a Thunderwing Drake; a Rank 3 Dire Beast.
Lethal.
Final.
And completely unstoppable for someone at Ethan's level.
Mia gritted her teeth.
She had joined Ethan secretly back when he was still talking with Ben. Her presence hidden so well, neither Ethan nor Ben—
not even the elite guards lurking in the shadows— had sensed her. And it was meant to stay that way for a long time, Ethan was never meant to know of her presence
But once Ethan ventured deep into the Outlands, she had noticed it.
The way beasts around him were behaving…
the way they clustered unnaturally… and the strange, tense energy coiling around him.
Her instincts screamed that something was wrong. Then, after Ethan had killed those Grass Fang Jackals— she saw it.
How he suddenly accelerated without stopping for even a breath. How he moved like a man who knew what was coming.
That's when the realization hit her.
He knew.
He knew the beasts were drawn to him.
But how?
Was it a skill? Could his Unfated Scion talent have some hidden, cursed effect? Could it be dragging monsters to him like moths to a flame? And why did Ethan, standing in the eye of this maelstrom, seem so resolute, so unafraid?
She had little information so all she could do was guess.
But when she used her own investigative methods to probe deeper — what she found left her cold.
It wasn't just Rank 1 Feral beasts.
Or Rank 2 Savages. Even Rank 3 Dire Beasts… and worse—Rank 4 Terrors— were being attracted to him.
That had shaken her beyond words.
Because even for someone of her strength,
dealing with that many at once was suicide.
And then— when Ethan had faced death from the paralyzing gaze of the Stonehide Basilisks and Blue-hide Ferrets— she had acted in secret.
Her mana—strong enough to resist those deadly glares— she had channeled it into Ethan without him knowing, making her mana as compatible as possible so it wouldn't overwhelm him.
It was that surge that let him survive that deadly moment.
But even then— the sheer strength Ethan showed had rattled her.
It had only been days since he Awakened.
He hadn't even stepped into the Great Labyrinth to grind and level. So how?
How was he this strong? How was he standing toe to toe with death again and again…and not falling?
These thoughts swirled through her mind now,
storming violently inside as she looked at him— demanding an answer.
But Ethan… he remained silent.
His lips stayed shut, but he didn't look away, the purpose of this was obvious.
Mia's expression darkened. She realized then—he didn't want to talk. And so, she didn't force him. But even as she stood there, her mind racing—her senses screamed again.
Danger.
Her eyes snapped away from Ethan—
toward the sky.
The Thunderwing Drake— the same beast that had fired that deadly lightning bolt—
was diving now.
Its massive wings folded in, its speed doubling as it streaked straight toward Ethan like a living missile.
It didn't care about Mia. It ignored her completely. Its hate and killing intent locked solely on Ethan.
Mia's jaw clenched. She surged forward—
her red-glowing dagger flashing through the air like a crimson comet.
With a clean arc, she slashed right in the Drake's path.
The Drake was forced to halt mid-dive,its eyes flaring with electric rage as it let out a deafening roar.
It lashed out— massive claws slashing at Mia's attack without hesitation, sparks flying as mana clashed against mana.
Meanwhile— below, on the ground—
The Bloodhowl Wolfpack Alpha— still scorched and injured from earlier— had gathered what was left of its surviving pack.
Its bloodied eyes locked on Ethan—
burning with pure spite, as though Ethan was the one who had wounded it so gravely.
Normally— in its current state, it would have ordered a retreat.
Its numbers were no longer in the thousands—they had been cut down to mere hundreds.
The loss was staggering. Any normal Alpha would've pulled back.
But this wasn't normal. Under Loki's influence, its mind had been twisted. Its fury… its hatred… were all forcibly directed at Ethan. And now — it wanted nothing more than to tear him apart.Even if it meant its own death.
Meanwhile, at another side, the Bloodhowl Alpha roared, its deep bellow shaking the earth, and with that guttural cry, the surviving wolves surged forward like a black tide—a wall of snarling maws and glinting fangs, all racing toward Ethan.
But Ethan's gaze had already sharpened,
his sword trembling in his grasp as mana flooded into it once again.
His breathing was rough, his body battered from the relentless assault so far— but his spirit… it refused to break.
"I need to keep fighting… to survive…" he muttered under his breath, his eyes locking on the incoming wave.
Mana surged. His sword hummed. The glow along its blade flared even brighter— dangerously unstable, like it could shatter the air itself.
'Mana Slash!'
Swoooosh—!!!!
The blue arc exploded outward—
fast. Blindingly fast.
It tore through the air like a blade of pure destruction, cleaving through the first line of wolves as though they were made of paper.
Flesh was split apart. Bones shattered like twigs. Dozens of Bloodhowl wolves were sliced cleanly in half before they even realized death had reached them.
The ground was painted in fresh blood,
the force of the slash so potent that it didn't stop at just the front line— it kept going,
carving through the ranks behind them like a hot knife through butter.
Even a Rank 2 Bloodhowl, larger and tougher than the rest, had tried to brace itself against the incoming arc. But the moment it touched the blue energy— its flesh split, blood spraying out as it was flung aside with a broken, agonized yelp.
****
A/N;
This is substitute name for the different ranks of beasts:
Rank 1: Feral Beasts
Rank 2: Savage Beasts
Rank 3: Dire Beasts
Rank 4: Dread Beasts
Rank 5: Terror Beasts
Rank 6: Nightmare Beasts
Rank 7: Calamity Beasts
Rank 8: Cataclysm Beasts
Rank 9: Apocalypse Beasts
Rank 10: Extinction Beasts
This is for Awakened Humans;
Rank 1: Awakened
Rank 2: Fervent
Rank 3: Ascended
Rank 4: Exalted
Rank 5: Transcendent
Rank 6: Mythic
Rank 7: Sovereign
Rank 8: Paragon
Rank 9: Primordial
Rank 10: Godforged