CHAPTER 45: ANGRY ARIA

{Title ’Harbinger of Justice’ is in effect}

The serpent beast turned its gaze toward Aria—and instantly, its vertical pupils shrank.

The world around it darkened.

Sound faded.

Time itself seemed to pause.

Then it saw her.

Behind Aria stood a towering figure draped in a translucent white gown. A thin veil covered her eyes, and though half her face was hidden, the rest radiated an ethereal, almost divine beauty.

The figure raised a gleaming blade, and from beneath the veil, a searing golden light burst forth.

A violent gust of wind swept across the ground, and an overwhelming pressure descended upon the serpent beast. It was like standing before a god—one whose very presence stripped away all sense of power or pride.

{Your actions have been deemed evil in the eyes of the gods!}

{All your stats have been reduced by 50%}

The beast’s entire body trembled as the crushing force sank into its bones. Its strength plummeted, energy leaking from it like air from a punctured lung.

And then—everything snapped back to reality.

The vision vanished. Aria was already in motion.

She burst forward like a streak of wind, her sword flashing ahead of her.

"Die, you vile beast!" she shouted, her voice carrying a raw, furious edge.

Her blade sliced through the air with a howling surge of wind.

Clank!

The serpent whipped its scythe-like tail up just in time, the two strikes meeting in a burst of sparks.

But Aria didn’t stop.

She spun, her movements sharp and fluid—

Swiish!

The next slash came faster, aimed straight for the beast’s throat.

It barely managed to dodge, the blade grazing its scales by a hair’s breadth.

"Tsssss!" it hissed, its tail flicking wildly in agitation.

Aria didn’t give it a second to recover.

She pivoted, her leg cutting through the air—

BAM!

Her heel connected with its jaw, shattering bone. Fragments of its canines flew across the dirt as its head snapped back.

Before it could even fall, she caught its body with both hands and drove her knee into its gut.

BAM!

The sound echoed across the field, followed by a sharp, final kick—

BOOM!

The beast’s body flew backward, crashing into one of the wooden structures in the settlement. Dust and splinters erupted in all directions.

Aria didn’t stop to breathe.

In a blink, she was already there again, sword gleaming with a cold, relentless fury. Her strikes came in a blur—

one, two, three—too fast for the eye to follow.

Screams of steel filled the air.

By the time she stopped, the serpent beast was nothing but a shredded, motionless heap.

Aria stood over it, chest heaving, her eyes burning with anger.

"Death was too little for this bastard," she muttered.

She turned, her gaze falling on the bodies of the slain orcs scattered across the settlement.

A sharp pain tightened in her chest.

’If only I was faster...’

Her fingers clenched around her sword hilt. The rage was still there—alive, pulsing—but she knew it couldn’t change what had already been lost.

The surviving orcs peeked out from their tents, eyes wide with fear and awe.

And for a moment, the entire battlefield fell silent—except for Aria’s steady, trembling breath.

It took a while for the camp to calm down after Aria brought down the serpent beast.

Even she was still trying to process what had just happened. The skill had worked far better than she expected.

For a level fifty beast to lose half its strength—no wonder she’d managed to kill it. If it had been at full power, she doubted she could’ve even scratched it.

Clap. Clap. Clap.

Aria turned sharply at the sound behind her.

Old Grandma Gino stood there, her wrinkled hands coming together again in a slow clap. She glanced at the bodies scattered across the ground, then lifted her gaze back to Aria.

"Lady Ria," she began softly, "you’ve done so much for us already—and even now, you keep doing more. We thank you. I’m sure those who fell today would too. You gave them justice. They gave their lives so that the rest of us could live. They’ll be remembered as heroes... just like you. Please, don’t let grief dull your strength."

For a moment, Aria didn’t know what to say.

She looked around. The orcs were watching her—faces marked with exhaustion, eyes burning with gratitude and resolve.

Their faith in her reignited something inside.

"I’m glad you all understand," she said finally, her grip tightening around her sword hilt. "Keeping these beasts at bay isn’t easy. We’ve lost good people... but we’ll make sure no one else meets the same fate."

Her eyes flicked back to the mangled serpent corpse. Disdain flickered through her expression.

She’d earned plenty of rewards from the fight, but what mattered most was that the beast could no longer harm anyone.

Nestled in the center of its chest was a dimly glowing, dark red gem.

{Beast Core obtained!}

{Special item obtained from killing level 50 basic beast and above}

{Item can be used to craft powerful weapons. Power varies based on beast level and ability. Cores can also be traded in the system inventory.}

Aria crouched, slicing open the beast’s chest. The core rolled free, and she caught it in her palm.

She had just turned to head back toward the others when a loud whir filled the air.

Hoverboards streaked overhead, casting moving shadows over the camp. Figures in sleek armor rode them—humans.

Aria’s face tightened.

Without hesitation, she started toward the battlefield.

Nibo was mid-fight with a wounded beast when a massive spike of earth erupted beneath it, piercing its skull.

"Hey! That was my kill!" he shouted, spinning toward the source.

A man stood a short distance away, descending from his hoverboard with practiced ease. His robes rippled as he landed, his expression cold and faintly mocking.

"I helped you," the man said flatly. "And that’s the thanks I get? Seems you’ve forgotten your manners since turning into an orc."

"You—!" Nibo began, stomping forward furiously.

Before he could reach him, a strong gust swept between them, stirring up dust.

"Now, now," another human said, hovering down between them. His tone was smooth, but his eyes carried a dark edge. "Let’s not get too cocky. We’re supposed to be fighting the same enemy, aren’t we? Or do you plan on starting another war?"

The field fell quiet for a moment.

The orcs were seething. The humans had stolen their kills—every last one. Sure, it gave them a breather, but none of them had asked for help. They’d been holding their own just fine.

Aria arrived then, her gaze sharp and unreadable.

"Why are you here?" she asked the man who’d intervened.

He gave a careless shrug. "Isn’t it obvious? We’re here to help."

Aria’s eyes narrowed.

The humans had arrived, yes. But from the look of things... peace was the last thing on their minds.

{A/N: My apologies for keeping Chapters away for so long. Two bonus Chapters will be given as compensation! Please join the discord for Reader—Author interaction ʘ⁠‿⁠ʘ Thank you all for reading! 💖}