CHAPTER 32: HUGE CRISIS (4)

Cassian staggered, his sword trembling slightly in his grip. Blood seeped from his lips as pain tore through his muscles.

He exhaled sharply, both hands swayed down as the muscles were torn apart.

’So this is the cost of the Seventh Move...’

Even with his body strengthened by countless battles and natural treasures, the backlash was still brutal. His muscles were torn, his mana channels burned.

Still, his golden eyes never lost their sharpness as he slowly straightened his body.

"Cassian, what are you waiting for?" Gareth shouted as he parried a claw attack from a Fire Wolf.

Cassian tilted his body and looked at Gareth for a moment before shaking his head. "We shouldn’t summon him unless it is the last resort. Besides, he would show up if he were not in a critical moment since he should’ve felt it by now."

Sigh!

"Then, are you going to use that and hold that beast as long as you can?" Gareth sighed and frowned deeply, his voice filled with worries.

Cassian only nodded his head in response, then used his skill (Sanctified Rebirth).

Golden light burst from within his chest—not from mana, but from his very life force. The glow spread through his veins, illuminating every torn muscle and seared nerve.

A faint bell sound echoed through the field as the divine energy coursed through him. Torn muscles on his body started to regenerate. Burnt skin turned smooth once more. Even the shattered flow of his mana realigned perfectly, surging back to its prime.

Within seconds, the Duke of Steelhearts stood tall again, his aura blazing brighter than before.

But it came with a price. A faint gray tinge appeared along his temples, his breath heavier than before. The divine light restored his body but it had devoured a piece of his vitality.

Cassian’s face that was once sharp and ageless, now bore the faint mark of years that shouldn’t have been there.

The Tyrant Crocodile’s eyes widened, clearly surprised by the fact that the human in front of itself immediately healed himself fully and came back to his peak. With a roar that shook the heavens, it lunged forward.

Boom!

Its massive tail smashed down, tearing the land apart. Lava and dust erupted as the crocodile charged, its scales igniting with molten veins.

Cassian raised his sword, light blazing once more as he met the blow head-on.

Clang!

The collision sent shockwaves rippling outward, tumbling nearby hills of molten stone. Cassian slid back as his boots dug trenches into the ground.

His expression was calm, yet his arms trembled slightly from the sheer force behind the strike.

The crocodile’s tail swung again, and this time its jaw opened wide and fire condensed into its throat as it used its skill [Solar Breath].

A brilliant beam of condensed solar fire erupted from its maw, scorching everything in its path.

Cassian used his (Flash Step) skill, vanishing from sight. He reappeared above the beam and slashed downward with his (Luminous Severance) skill.

A crescent wave of golden light split the attack in half, scattering it into harmless embers. But before he could land, the beast twisted its body mid-roar and slammed its flaming tail upward.

BOOM!

Cassian crossed his arms, blocking the strike with a radiant barrier. The impact sent him crashing into the ground, shattering the ground beneath his feet.

He gritted his teeth, blood dripping from his mouth. ’Its defense is getting stronger.’

The air shimmered red as the crocodile activated its skill [Crimson Scale Fortification].

Its body became a fortress of burning armor as every scale pulsed with fiery mana. Even a single graze left Cassian’s blade scorched and his hands blistered.

Still, Cassian refused to retreat as he pushed forward and used his 4th Move—Twin Lions Rend, his sword dancing in rapid arcs.

Two blinding slashes crossed the air, one following the other in perfect rhythm. The first cleaved through the crocodile’s flaming aura, and the second struck directly into its side. Sparks burst as the blade met scale, but only a shallow cut formed.

The beast bellowed in rage, snapping its jaw open again as this time it used [Infernal Maul] skill.

Cassian twisted aside just in time, but the passing heat still scorched his sleeve to ash. He countered instantly, swinging upward that sliced across the beast’s lower jaw and spilling some molten blood.

The crocodile didn’t retreat. Instead, the ground beneath them began to glow red as it unleashed (Magma Dominion) skill. cracks formed and rivers of magma spilling out from the beast’s power.

Lava erupted in fountains. The air turned suffocatingly hot and every breath Cassian took burned his lungs.

The entire battlefield had become a blazing wasteland, each step threatening to swallow him whole.

Yet even in that inferno, his golden aura did not falter. He charged forward again with a shimmering blade.

Each clash between him and the crocodile shook the land, their silhouettes vanishing and reappearing within the surroundings.

But despite his perfect precision, Cassian’s condition worsened. Each time he landed a hit, his skin blistered, and his sword trembled in his grip.

He slashed once more, piercing through another scale but the counterattack came instantly.

The beast’s claw struck his side, sending him flying. Blood splattered the molten ground as Cassian crashed and rolled, leaving a long crimson trail behind him.

Cough!

He coughed violently, forcing himself to stand. His vision blurred, and every bone screamed in agony.

The crocodile roared in contempt, opening its jaw wide for another [Solar Breath] skill. The fire gathering within its mouth was far brighter this time, enough to melt everything in sight.

Cassian’s golden aura flared wildly. His breathing grew rough as the second passed by. He tightened his grip on the hilt and murmured to himself, "There’s no other choice then..."

The ground cracked beneath him as he gathered the last of his mana, burning even his lifeforce to feed it. His entire body shone like a small sun.

A terrifying power that was as strong as the tyrant crocodile erupted from afar, as an old voice that carried the vicissitude of life echoed from the distance.

"Don’t!"