Grrrrrr...
The Equidema crouched low, scanning its surroundings and ready to crush its targets the moment they moved.
Everyone held their breath, waiting for Ghislain's next command, their nerves stretched taut with foreboding.
In the midst of this tension, Piote's trembling voice broke the silence.
"I-I'll heal everyone!"
Ghislain shook his head.
"No, you don't need to heal us. Don't exert yourself."
"W-what? Why?"
Confused, Piote glanced at Alpoi, who stepped toward him with a mischievous smile.
"You don't like me, do you?"
"What? N-no, not at all!"
Piote hastily denied it. As a priest devoted to serving his goddess, harboring resentment was unthinkable.
Though he resented Alpoi's constant harassment, he prayed daily to forgive him, as was expected of a devout follower.
But Alpoi's grin widened as he leaned closer.
"It's fine if you do. Go ahead, hate me all you want."
"What… what are you talking about...?"
Before Piote could finish his sentence, Alpoi grabbed him by the collar.
"Wha—"
And without warning, Alpoi hurled Piote straight toward the Equidema.
"Aaaaaah!"
Thud!
Piote landed in a heap at the Equidema's feet, his scream echoing through the air. Even the monstrous beast flinched, startled by the sudden turn of events.
"H-huh? Why? Why me? Wha..."
Piote's voice trailed off as panic overtook him. Paralyzed by fear, he stared blankly as the Equidema's massive, menacing face loomed closer.
Grrrrr...
Its eyes, brimming with malice, locked onto Piote. He had never encountered such hatred or ominous energy in his life.
Squeezing his eyes shut, Piote felt tears welling up.
'They threw me as bait! Alpoi, that bastard! Why isn't anyone helping me?'
Bitterness and despair flooded his heart. Normally, Piote refused to blame others, but Alpoi's actions made him want to scream at the unfairness of it all.
His resentment toward Alpoi, distrust in humanity, fear of death, and desperation all swirled together in his mind.
But he couldn't dwell on blame for long.
"Kroooaarrr!"
The Equidema reared up, raising one massive paw high into the air.
"Do something, young master!" Belinda shouted in alarm.
Several others instinctively moved to intervene, but Ghislain stopped them.
"Stay put! Trust me, he'll be fine!"
Ghislain's calm confidence unnerved them, but they held their ground, eyes fixed on Piote and the Equidema.
No one came to Piote's aid. Left to face the beast alone, Piote clenched his eyes shut and cried out in desperation.
"Blessed Goddess, help me!"
RUMBLE!
Suddenly, dark clouds gathered overhead. At the same time, Piote's hair turned a radiant silver, and an overwhelming surge of holy power erupted from his body.
But the Equidema's enormous paw descended with terrifying force.
BOOOOM!
The ground shook violently as the impact reverberated.
Everyone froze. The Equidema's immense strength could easily pulverize a person in an instant.
Yet, an astonishing sight unfolded before their eyes.
KROOOOAR!
The Equidema recoiled in pain, letting out a guttural roar.
Ssssss!
Its massive paw smoldered, burning under the divine energy radiating from Piote.
While most Rift creatures were deeply vulnerable to holy power, the Equidema's immense power usually allowed it to shrug off lesser attacks.
However, the intensity of Piote's energy was such that even the Equidema couldn't withstand it without injury.
"Huh?"
Piote blinked in confusion, realizing he was unharmed.
He had fully expected to be crushed, yet there wasn't a single scratch on him.
Rumble...
The storm clouds overhead began to dissipate, the goddess's channeling faltering as Piote's desperation waned.
Ghislain clicked his tongue.
"Not quite there yet."
Had the channeling succeeded, the Equidema might have been immobilized, giving them a critical opening.
But it seemed Piote's faith and desperation hadn't reached the necessary threshold.
"Y-young master? How is this possible?"
Belinda stammered, still stunned by what she had just witnessed.
The Equidema's earlier attack had unleashed such force that even nearby Riftborn had been obliterated by the shockwave.
Yet Piote remained completely unscathed. It defied logic, even considering his growing strength as a priest.
Ghislain shrugged casually.
"He's wearing a relic."
"A relic?"
"Yeah, a real one."
Piote had been given a ring known as Juana's Blessing, a genuine relic that Ghislain had obtained from Forisco.
This relic provided an impenetrable shield for anyone possessing holy power, automatically activating in times of need.
Though Piote's divine energy was drained significantly with each attack, the relic absorbed the brunt of the impact with ease.
Kroooaar!
Enraged, the Equidema lashed out again, its massive paw crashing down on Piote.
BOOOM!
Piote cowered, covering his head, but once again, he was unharmed.
Smiling, Ghislain turned to the others.
"Let's move. While it's distracted, we attack. Priests, keep funneling holy power into Piote."
Before Piote's energy reserves were depleted, they needed to bring the Equidema down.
SWOOSH!
Ghislain charged forward, swinging his greatsword. The Equidema, mid-swing at Piote, failed to react in time as the blade slammed into its head.
BOOOOM!
"KROOOAAAR!"
The beast howled in rage, spinning to face Ghislain, but he had already retreated.
Seizing the opportunity, Tenant slashed at one of the Equidema's legs.
SPLASH!
Blue smoke and blood erupted from the wound, clouding the air.
WHOOOSH!
The beast lunged at Tenant, but a volley of daggers from Belinda pierced toward its eyes, forcing it to retreat momentarily.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
With its vision obscured, Gillian and Kaor took turns hacking into its flanks.
"KROOOAAAR!"
The Equidema roared in fury, its frustration mounting as these pesky attackers darted in and out of range, landing blows and retreating before it could retaliate.
Blinded by rage, it turned its focus back to Piote, who sat trembling but unharmed, radiating holy power that burned its flesh.
The Equidema's hatred swelled, obliterating all other thoughts.
With another enraged howl, it lashed out once more.
BOOOOM!
Though terrified, Piote remained steadfast, realizing his purpose.
'Even if I die, I must stay here.'
As long as he stayed put, the others could continue their attack. If he moved or fled, it would jeopardize everything.
Remarkably, even in the face of overwhelming fear, Piote resolved to make the ultimate sacrifice.
Unlike Alpoi, who acted purely out of self-preservation, Piote's heart was filled with selfless determination.
BOOOOM!
'My holy power…'
Piote felt his energy rapidly depleting. Though the other priests funneled their power into him, it was barely enough to sustain him.
Unbeknownst to him, his capacity for divine energy had grown immensely in a short time.
"KROOOOAR!"
The Equidema's massive frame was now covered in wounds, its blue blood soaking the ground.
No matter how much it attacked, Piote refused to budge, standing like an unyielding tree.
The creature couldn't understand the mechanics of holy relics, nor did it care. All it knew was that this small human was unkillable.
Meanwhile, the "bugs" swarming around it continued to carve into its flesh, their relentless attacks wearing it down.
Grrrr...
The Equidema, now drenched in its own blood, finally realized the truth.
It wasn't hunting them.
It was being hunted.
The bait emitting an unbearably hateful aura was right in front of it, and the Equidema couldn't resist its instincts. It kept attacking the bait as if it were its sole mission.
To escape this desperate situation, it had to eliminate the bait from its sight.
"Kaaaah!"
The Equidema opened its massive maw. Despite the instinctive thought that it shouldn't devour it, a stronger urge compelled it: if it didn't consume the bait, it would surely be hunted down.
As the Equidema approached to swallow Piote whole, the others deliberately moved further away, as if avoiding something.
Just as the massive jaws were about to close around Piote, a brilliant crimson light flashed from the rear of the group.
It was Vanessa's magic, unleashed after carefully gathering her mana and waiting for the perfect moment.
KABOOOM!
"Kyaaaaah!"
The fire beam from Vanessa struck directly inside the Equidema's mouth. Staggering, it reeled back in pain.
But the assault didn't end there.
Ziiing—! Ziiing—! Ziiing—!
Dozens of magic circles illuminated the sky.
Because of the allies nearby, wide-area spells couldn't be used. Vanessa had instead concentrated all her power into multiple single-target spells.
Soon, the magic circles radiated blinding light, unleashing spell after spell onto the Equidema's body.
Interspersed among them were the precise, if slightly less powerful, attacks from Alpoi's magic.
BANG! BOOM! CRASH!
Vanessa spared no effort, pouring her all into the barrage. She hoped to end it herself, ensuring the battle was concluded swiftly.
The series of spells cast by a 7th-circle mage relentlessly pummeled the beast, shaking the battlefield.
BOOOOOM! BOOOOOM! BOOOOM!
"Raaaaaagh!"
The Equidema's mouth and wounds exuded blue mist that filled the air, as the injuries sustained earlier were torn further open by the continuous bombardment.
Though Alpoi's contributions helped to exacerbate the wounds, their effect paled in comparison to the power Vanessa unleashed.
A monster as resilient as this, with strength nearing the level of a superhuman, could withstand nearly anything.
Everyone but Ghislain stared in disbelief at the Equidema.
"This is insane... It's still standing after taking all that?"
"It's seriously tough as hell."
"If it won't die, we just have to keep going until it does…"
Its incredible endurance and thick hide were undoubtedly the beast's greatest weapons. This was why Ghislain had aimed for its mind through its eyes in the past rather than relying on brute force.
Vanessa, clearly exhausted, watched the Equidema with a mix of shock and frustration. Her mana was nearly depleted after expending everything in a single burst.
Yet, even after all that, the beast remained alive. It was no wonder it was dubbed a harbinger of doom.
Still, the Equidema was far from unscathed.
Drip. Drip. Drip…
The beast's gaping maw, from which blue mist continued to seep, began to ooze an immense amount of blue blood.
The direct hit from the fire beam had inflicted a significant wound inside its throat.
"Grrrrr…"
The beast's growling grew fainter as a pool of its blood spread beneath its head.
Ghislain raised his greatsword, now cloaked in a dark red aura, and spoke.
"It's on its last legs. Let's finish this."
A deep, ominous growl rumbled from the beast.
The dark red mist enveloping Ghislain thickened, and his greatsword seemed almost alive with a savage energy.
The others, too, poured what remained of their strength into their weapons, their attacks infused with mana.
"Grrrrr…"
The Equidema, still standing firmly on all fours, glared with unrelenting hatred and murderous intent.
To this beast, fulfilling its mission was the sole purpose of existence. Failing that mission meant its life had no value.
Thus, it resolved to fight until death.
"Kaaaaaah!"
With a roar, the Equidema lunged at the closest target, radiating a rage that seemed to consume the air itself.
"Me again?!"
Piote curled up into a ball, bracing for impact. But this time, the blow never came.
BOOM!
Ghislain's massive aura blade cleaved into the Equidema's wounded side, sending the creature staggering sideways.
"Kyaaaah!"
Taking advantage of the opening, Tenant's aura blade slashed ruthlessly at its injured ankle.
CRASH!
Gillian and Kaor unleashed their mana-laden blades with devastating precision, cutting deep into the beast. Their attacks were so potent they could be mistaken for aura blades.
Thanks to consuming fragments of a dragon heart and undergoing rigorous training using advanced mana concentration circles, the two had become significantly stronger.
While they hadn't quite crossed the threshold, they were now just one step away.
The combined attacks of the two pushed the Equidema further off balance, leaving its defenses wide open.
"Move aside!"
Belinda unleashed a torrent of daggers from her robes.
She, too, had grown exponentially stronger after absorbing a dragon heart fragment and diligently honing her skills with mana circles.
Her barrage of dozens of daggers targeted the creature's gaping wounds, embedding themselves deeply within its flesh.
"Kyaaaaah!"
The beast howled in agony as the daggers locked it in place, like iron spikes pinning it to the ground.
CRUNCH!
The Equidema thrashed violently, trying to shake off the daggers, but Belinda severed the connecting threads before it could dislodge them.
The blades remained buried deep in its wounds, continuing to inflict pain.
"Grrr…"
The once-mighty beast now staggered.
It was clear it could no longer fend off these relentless hunters. Every attempt to strike back was met with swift and punishing retaliation.
Ghislain stepped forward, his voice calm and resolute.
"We're almost there. A few more hits, and it'll be over."
This strategy was one he'd used countless times in his past life: a small team of elites holding down a powerful monster while the rest dealt with weaker enemies. It was the most efficient way to minimize casualties.
"Grrrr…"
The Equidema, now cornered, retreated further. The endless stream of weaker creatures spilling from the rift provided no assistance, as the knights of Fenris quickly cut them down.
"Grrrr…"
Finally, the beast seemed to understand its fate.
It would die here, its mission unfulfilled.
Backed against the rift, the Equidema raised its head and let out a deafening, despairing roar.
"KAAAAAAH!"
It was a cry filled with rage, frustration, and perhaps even a plea for help.
Ghislain and the others closed in, ready to deliver the finishing blow. Just a few more strikes would end this.
But then, the unexpected happened.
RUMBLE!
The rift, now wide enough to swallow several Equidemas, trembled violently.
From its depths emerged a massive, pale hand, larger than anything anyone had ever seen.
That colossal hand slammed down, crushing the Equidema beneath its palm like a mere insect.
BOOOOOOOM!
[T/L: Please support me and read 385 extra chapters: https://ko-fi.com/revengerscans ]