Kael's heartbeat thundered in his ears, each pulse seeming to shake his entire body. The battle had already descended into complete chaos.
Mira and Sera were holding their ground against the water mage, but the pyromancer's power was proving too overwhelming for them to handle alone. His flames commanded too much space, forced too many defensive reactions.
And then there was Garth. The werewolf's raw physical strength was crushing, and his regeneration presented a problem Kael hadn't yet found a way to fully counter. Every wound closed almost as quickly as it opened.
Kael exhaled slowly, his grip tightening on his dagger until his knuckles went white. He'd considered a risky strategy earlier, but now he committed to it fully. 'Time to push my limits. Use this battle to grow stronger.'
He opened his status window mentally, focusing on the Blood Points he'd accumulated.
"Allocate 4 BP to Strength, 2 BP to Dexterity, and 2 BP to Constitution."
The system acknowledged his command instantly.
---
[Blood Points Consumed: 8]
[Strength: 16 → 20]
[Dexterity: 19 → 21]
[Constitution: 10 → 12]
[Remaining BP: 1]
---
Raw power flooded through his body like liquid fire. His movements felt lighter, more responsive. His perception sharpened dramatically, he could track the smallest details of his opponents' movements now. Muscles that had been strained moments ago now coiled with renewed strength.
Kael's voice cut through the chaos with absolute authority. "Sera! Join Mira! Both of you handle the water mage together. I'll take these two."
Sera hesitated for half a heartbeat, her eyes widening. "Are you insane?"
"Don't die," she finally said.
Mira's lips curved into a slight smirk despite the danger. "Don't hold back then."
Kael had no intention of doing so.
The firewall separating them flickered, revealing a narrow gap. Sera didn't waste the opportunity, she dashed through, wind already gathering around her fingers in visible currents. The water mage turned to react, but Sera was faster than before.
"Wind-Guided Arrow!"
A powerful gust curved Sera's arrow mid-flight, the projectile accelerating to speeds that made it nearly invisible. The shaft struck the water mage's hastily raised shield with explosive force, the impact sending her staggering backward several steps.
Kael's smirk returned. Now it was just him against the real threats.
Garth's face twisted with undisguised contempt, his lip curling back to expose elongated fangs. "You really think you can take us both? Stupid human."
Kael rolled his shoulders, joints popping audibly as he loosened up. "I don't think. I know."
The pyromancer chuckled, though the sound carried a dangerous edge now. "Cocky little thing, aren't you?"
Flames erupted from directly beneath Kael's feet without warning. He launched himself backward just as Garth blurred forward, a whirlwind of raw power and extended claws.
Kael twisted mid-air, barely dodging the werewolf's strike. The wind pressure from the missed attack alone tore apart the ground where he'd been standing, sending chunks of earth flying.
The instant Garth's momentum carried him past, Kael counterattacked. He surged forward, dagger flashing toward the werewolf's exposed flank.
The blade bit deep this time, far deeper than before.
"AAARRRGGGHH!" Garth staggered, snarling in genuine pain as blood sprayed from the wound.
Kael's enhanced strength had made the difference. The dagger penetrated muscle and scraped against bone. But even as he watched, he saw flesh beginning to knit back together. Still not enough to permanently stop the regeneration.
BOOM!
A fireball exploded against Kael's side without warning, the impact sending him tumbling across the dirt in a shower of embers.
Heat seared his skin even through his clothing. He rolled desperately, barely recovering in time to avoid another blazing projectile that scorched the ground where he'd been.
The pyromancer stood calmly twenty paces away, flames coiling around his fingers like living serpents. "You should learn to focus, boy. Tunnel vision will get you killed."
Kael's jaw clenched against the pain radiating from his burned side. 'Damn it.'
Their coordination was devastatingly effective. He couldn't just react to attacks as they came, he needed to seize control of the battle's pace.
Garth lunged again, claws extended. But this time, Kael didn't dodge.
He stepped directly into the werewolf's attack.
Garth's claws raked across Kael's chest, tearing through cloth and skin. Blood welled immediately. But instead of retreating, Kael grabbed the werewolf's wrist with his free hand, holding on with iron strength.
Then he activated Abyssal Pulse.
Dark energy erupted from his core, the shockwave slamming into Garth at point-blank range.
The werewolf snarled, his entire body convulsing as the abyssal power disrupted his natural regeneration for crucial seconds.
That opening was all Kael needed.
His dagger flashed upward in a precise arc, slicing cleanly across Garth's throat. Blood sprayed like a crimson fountain, painting Kael's face and chest.
Garth stumbled backward, hands clutching at the wound. His regeneration kicked in immediately, but something was different this time around.
The cut wasn't closing as quickly as before. The flesh knitted together sluggishly, fighting against some unseen resistance.
Kael's smirk widened as understanding dawned. 'The Abyssal Fang Dagger is adapting. Growing stronger. Learning to suppress regeneration.'
The pyromancer's eyes narrowed as he noticed the same thing. "Tch. This is becoming problematic."
He raised both hands high, and the temperature spiked dramatically. Kael felt heat gathering in the air above them, concentrating into something massive. The very atmosphere seemed to warp from the intensity.
A firestorm was forming directly overhead.
Kael's body tensed. 'I can't dodge this one. The attack range is too wide and building up fast.'
His instincts screamed at him to move anyway, but rational analysis told him there was no escape. The firestorm covered too much area, descended too quickly.
The pyromancer watched Kael's hesitation with growing satisfaction. "Let's see if you're still so arrogant when you're reduced to ash and bone."
The firestorm descended, a roaring column of destruction that seemed to swallow all sound.
Death seemed inevitable.
But suddenly, the battlefield erupted with a tremendous gust of wind. A barrier of compressed air pushed upward against the descending flames, causing the firestorm to split unnaturally. Fire twisted and writhed as it fought against the wind, neither element willing to yield.
Sera appeared in front of Kael, hands raised high, wind visibly swirling around her in violent currents. "Get moving!" she screamed over the roar of competing elements.
Kael didn't hesitate. He shot forward, diving through the narrow opening in the flames just as Sera's barrier began to crack under the immense pressure.
The pyromancer's eyes widened, genuine shock replacing his earlier confidence. He hadn't expected Kael to survive. That moment of surprise was his final mistake.
Kael closed the distance in a heartbeat. His dagger flashed forward, piercing deep into the old man's stomach. Then, with brutal efficiency, he dragged the blade horizontally across the abdomen in a savage slash.
The pyromancer's intestines spilled out in a grotesque cascade, loops of viscera tumbling free like wet ropes. His mouth opened in a silent scream as his brain struggled to process what had happened.
Blood poured from his lips as he tried to speak. His spell collapsed, flames winking out of existence.
Kael wasn't finished. His face twisted into something inhuman, lips curling into a deranged smile.
He reversed his grip and drove the blade upward into the pyromancer's chest cavity, twisting continuously as if trying to hollow out the man from the inside.
The sheer brutality made even battle-hardened warriors flinch. Mira and Sera both turned away, hands going to their mouths. Even the water mage stopped her attack, her face going pale as she witnessed the carnage.
Uncontrolled flames burst from the pyromancer's hands in a final reflexive spasm. His body convulsed violently. His legs buckled, and he collapsed like a puppet with cut strings, life draining from his eyes.
Kael kicked the corpse away with contempt, ripping his dagger free. Blood and worse things dripped from the blade.
The battlefield grew noticeably dimmer as the ambient flames created by the pyromancer's magic guttered out.
"One down," Kael muttered, his voice flat and emotionless.
Kael turned just in time to see the werewolf recovering, his eyes still closed as his body fought to heal the accumulated damage. He'd missed the spectacular butchery of his companion.
The werewolf's claws dug furrows into the ground. His entire body shook with barely contained rage. The wounds from earlier, suppressed by the Abyssal Fang Dagger weren't healing properly, leaving him weakened and bleeding.
Garth's eyes snapped open, blazing yellow with fury. "You filthy little—"
Mira's lightning bolt struck him mid-sentence. Electricity tore through his body, muscles spasming and locking up involuntarily.
Sera followed immediately, loosing an arrow enhanced by wind magic. The projectile punched straight through Garth's shoulder with devastating force, pinning his arm uselessly to his side.
The werewolf growled through the pain, but he wasn't finished. Despite being injured and partially paralyzed, he lunged forward on pure instinct and fury.
Kael didn't move. He waited, perfectly still, tracking the werewolf's approach with cold precision.
Garth swung his good arm in a desperate strike. At the last possible moment, Kael sidestepped smoothly, allowing the werewolf's momentum to carry him past.
Then Kael's dagger flashed one final time. A single, clean cut across the throat, severing everything vital.
This time, the wound didn't heal at all.
Garth gurgled wetly, stumbling forward several steps before his legs gave out. His eyes were wide with disbelief as he clutched uselessly at his throat, blood pouring between his fingers in pulsing gouts.
His gaze drifted sideways, seeking his companions. He saw Elder Magnus lying in a pool of his own intestines. He saw Elder Raine fleeing into the darkness, abandoning him completely.
Kael watched impassively as the werewolf finally collapsed face-first into the dirt.
---
[SYSTEM REWARDS]
[You have acquired primal energy of Half-Step Primal Adept: Elder Magnus (Pyromancer)]
[You have acquired primal energy of Level 9 Primal Warrior: Garth (Werewolf)]
[Total Essence Absorbed: +20 EXP]
[Total Blood Points: +5]
[Experience Points: 54/100 EXP]
[Level-up Progress: 54%]
[Breakthrough: Level 5 → Level 6 Primal Warrior]
---
Kael rolled his shoulders, feeling new power settle into his body as the breakthrough completed. His wounds began healing faster, bones and muscle reinforcing themselves.
He let out a slow breath. His body ached everywhere, but victory always felt good.
Sera and Mira approached cautiously, eyeing him with a mixture of respect and wariness.