Chapter 34
"I'm not okay and I'm definitely not doing well! Yawn!" Ryker shouted mid-yawn when he immediately saw the beast's claw streaking toward his head at full speed.
"Crap." He muttered as he leapt back and immediately thrust his sword forward, causing his essence to flare and unleash a bull thrust toward the beast.
Unfortunately, the beast managed to avoid it. The invisible strike ripped through the cavern instead, slamming into a wall and tearing a gaping hole through the stone. Pebbles and dust rained down in a deafening echo.
Ryker landed, his knees buckling slightly, his breathing ragged. Blood trickled down his forehead, sliding over his nose and mouth until half his face was painted in crimson streaks.
'Just one more thrust and my essence will be completely depleted. Damn it! Why didn't I invest in another skill aside from this one? Having a second technique right now could have made all the difference.' His thoughts raced even as the wraith lunged again. Its claw cut the air in a murderous arc aimed for his throat.
Ryker growled, snapping his sword up in front of him. Steel met claw with a shriek as sparks scattered and the impact sent him skidding several feet back, boots scraping against the cavern floor.
"Come on!" he roared, shoving the wraith's claw down into the ground. With a twist of his body, he spun and lashed out with a roundhouse kick that slammed into the beast's neck.
The force lifted its grotesque frame off the ground and hurled it across the cavern, its body smashing through loose stone.
"Rina! How is Zarin?!" Ryker called, panting, as he spared a quick glance behind him.
Rina's hands glowed faintly white as she hovered over the unconscious swordsman. Her face was pale but determined. "I can close his wounds, but I don't think he's waking up anytime soon."
"Tch! Useless," Aria muttered coldly. She yanked back her bowstring and loosed two arrows in quick succession toward the recovering wraith.
"I…I guess," Ryker stammered, another yawn slipping out despite the chaos around him. He tightened his grip on the sword, knuckles whitening. "I swear, after this quest, I'm demanding a full week of sleep as my reward."
"First kill the beast, then talk about sleep!" Aria snapped, already pulling another arrow from her quiver. She released it with deadly precision.
The shaft whistled through the air and buried itself in the beast's shoulder, making it stagger slightly.
"She says I should kill the beast. As if I've been playing catch with it all day!" Ryker shouted back, furious, as he charged forward with his sword trailing behind him like a storm waiting to break.
"To me it does look like a game of catch," Aria replied dryly, her eyes narrowing as she reached for another arrow. That was when her hand paused.
'Damn it! Only three left. This is bad, really bad.'
"ARGHH!" Ryker bellowed as he narrowly sidestepped the beast's claw, which whistled past his cheek close enough to cut a thin line of blood. He retaliated with a wide horizontal slash aimed at the creature's midsection.
The wraith reacted instantly, leaping back a full metre. Ryker's swing cut only air, and his forward momentum threw him off balance.
He stumbled and nearly slammed face-first into the floor but twisted into a desperate flip, landing on his knees with a grunt of pain.
"Curses…" he muttered, his voice strained.
The beast seized the opening. Its claw whistled down at his exposed form. With reflex sharpened by countless battles, Ryker bent backward, his body arching until his back nearly touched his calves. The claw passed harmlessly over his head, slicing nothing but air.
In one desperate burst, he tried to counter with a thrust. But before the strike could land, a monstrous kick from the beast crashed into his face, the impact so brutal it echoed through the cavern.
His body was hurled back violently, tumbling and bouncing across the stone floor like a broken doll.
"Shit!" Aria hissed. She nocked another arrow and fired, her shot slicing through the air with deadly intent. But the wraith sensed it and twisted, avoiding the projectile with a mocking ease.
"I'm not done with you yet!" she roared, sending another arrow flying. This time the beast contemptuously swiped it aside with its claw, the shaft splintering midair.
Aria's jaw clenched. "Damn. Down to my last arrow." Her voice trembled between fury and dread. Her gaze locked on the monster, which was now turning its milky eyes toward Ryker.
The Reaver was struggling to rise, swaying as blood dripped steadily, his vision blurred from the devastating kick.
The wraith began its advance, each step deliberate, like a predator savoring its helpless prey.
"For fuck's sake, where the hell is Zen?!" Aria shouted into the cavern air, her voice sharp with fury.
"Right here." A voice answered from behind, startling her. She spun around to see Zen stumbling forward, a heavy backpack dragging against his back.
His breathing was ragged, sweat dripping down his face, but determination burned in his eyes as he reached the cavern's entrance beside her.
"What took you so long?" Aria snapped.
"Not my fault that my weak little body can't mine crystals like a monster." Zen shot back, his voice tight with frustration. He turned to look down at the battlefield, and his eyes widened in horror.
'Damn it! Zarin's out cold. The beast is creeping toward Ryker, who looks like he can barely stay upright. Aria's down to her last arrow, and that thing… Inspect skill!'
{Inspect Skill Activated!}
{Name: Wraith Gorger}
{Rank: C}
{Essence: None}
{Health: Critically low}
'It's almost dead. Just one more attack… but Ryker's not himself, Aria won't be able to reach in time, and me—I'm useless. Totally useless.' Zen's chest tightened, sweat running down the side of his temple. Each second felt like eternity as the beast closed in on Ryker, now only two metres away.
'Damn it! I don't have combat skills. What can I do? Think… Skills! System, open skill tab.'
{Skill Tab}
{Skills available: 3}
{Inspect Skill: Allows the user to scan a living creature within range and view basic information.}
{Inventory: This skill allows the host to store any object of choice and summon it with a thought. Living beings cannot be stored.}
{Soft Touch: Objects touched by the user lose all weight, force, and sound temporarily. When the effect ends, the object regains its full properties at once.}
_
'All these are freaking useless… what should I do? Damn it! I don't have much time or any option but to test this damn skill. I hope it at least distracts the damn beast long enough for Ryker to finish it off.' Zen thought as the beast was now a metre away from Ryker.
"Fuck! I need to do something now." Aria muttered under her breath, her bow trembling as she nocked her final arrow.
Zen's heart hammered. He activated Soft Touch, and at once the pickaxe in his grip became weightless, like clutching air. His arms, used to the heft, jerked slightly at the sudden change.
"I hope this works," he whispered, planting one foot behind the other. He drew back his arm, aiming at the beast.
"Ryker!" Aria screamed.
The wraith loomed over the battered Reaver. Ryker, swaying, forced himself onto one knee. His blurry vision caught the claw slicing down toward his neck.
"Crap," he hissed, baring his teeth in defiance.
At that instant, Aria released her arrow. It tore through the air with a sharp whistle, the sound slicing across the cavern. Simultaneously, Zen hurled the weightless pickaxe. It glided silently, a ghost of motion following the arrow.
The beast's head snapped toward the whistling arrow. It ducked, the shaft grazing past its ear. A sneer twisted its face—until the pickaxe closed in.
Five inches from its skull, weight slammed back into the tool. The air cracked as the restored force tripled its momentum, driving the weapon like a meteor into the beast's temple. The sound of impact echoed like thunder.
Seizing the moment, Ryker surged forward with a guttural roar, summoning every ounce of strength left in his trembling arms. His blade swept across with brutal force, cleaving through the beast's neck in one decisive stroke.
The wraith collapsed with a heavy thud, its severed head rolling across the cavern floor.
Tring.
{Congratulations Host! C-ranked beast killed by you.}
'The fuck?! That skill is broken!' Zen screamed inside his mind, ignoring the glowing notification before him. His wide eyes remained locked on the fallen monster, his chest heaving as reality sank in.