CHAPTER 180: INFERNO

I looked up just in time to see Mavrik—the poison user—leaping down from a low branch, his eyes glowing a sickly green.

His body pulsed faintly as veins along his neck bulged and darkened, the air around him warping with a toxic shimmer.

His jaw unhinged slightly, wider than it should’ve been, and I saw the buildup of energy within his throat.

Then he spat out a thick stream of corrosive toxin, the liquid hissing midair as it streaked straight toward me.

Yeah, no. I wasn’t taking that head-on. The thought of that poison getting anywhere near me—let alone touching my barrier—was revolting.

Instead, I activated [Mana Shield], and a faint shimmer of blue light snapped to life around me just as the toxin struck.

Ssshhh!

The sound was immediate and violent—the venom splattering against the barrier, eating away at it like acid on glass. The shield hissed and crackled, the surface warping under the corrosive pressure, but it held long enough.

I clenched my fist and drove it downward, my knuckles slamming into the ground with a sharp crack. The impact rippled through the soil, shattering the hands of earth that had been gripping my ankles. Dirt and stone erupted around me as I pulled free.

The instant I broke loose, a whistling sound cut through the air. I twisted instinctively—an arrow sliced past my shoulder, close enough to singe the edge of my cloak. I tracked its trajectory back to Gork, the archer perched above, his next shot already drawn.

I dashed forward, cutting toward Mavrik, who was still reeling from his failed attack. But before I could close the distance, a sudden force slammed into me from the side.

The impact was heavy enough to throw me off balance. I staggered back a few steps, boots grinding against the scorched dirt. The hit had come from Threl—the stone-skinned brute—his shoulder blow solid as a battering ram.

"Oof," I exhaled, rubbing my shoulder as I straightened. "That was... heavy."

He growled but didn’t advance.

Fine.

I drew in a deep breath, feeling mana gather in my chest before I released it in a roar—

[Sonic Howl].

The shockwave tore through the clearing, invisible but brutal.

It hit the trees with a deep thrum and forced Gork, the archer above, to falter mid-draw. His arrow flew off-course, detonating harmlessly in the distance as he leapt back to avoid the pressure.

I didn’t stop. The moment the first echo faded, I drew in another breath and released it again, this time directing the full force of [Sonic Howl] toward Threl.

The shockwave slammed into Threl head-on, the sheer force tearing through the air like a cannon blast.

He flew backward, limbs flailing helplessly, before crashing into a nearby tree. The impact was brutal—loud enough to echo through the clearing. The trunk cracked down the middle, splintering under the weight of his armored body before he slumped to the ground.

"Threl!"

Druk’s voice cut through the smoke, sharp and furious.

His body tensed as the bones covering his frame began to shift and twist, reshaping themselves into something thicker, denser.

In seconds, he was fully encased in a knight’s armor made entirely of bone—rib plates locking into position, vertebrae aligning along his spine like a white carapace.

He roared, the sound deep and guttural, and charged at me.

As he closed in, his right arm extended, bones snapping and reforging into a massive sword that gleamed with a pale, unnatural light.

He swung downward with both hands, the blade cutting the air with a whistle.

I leapt back just as it struck, the impact splitting the earth where I’d been standing. Dirt and debris shot upward, the shockwave rattling the trees.

Before I could counter, Druk’s left hand flicked forward, releasing two small bone fragments aimed straight for my face. They spun through the air, fast and silent, before detonating mid-flight.

BOOM!

Shrapnel burst outward, shards of bone flying in every direction. But the fragments clattered harmlessly against the faint distortion surrounding me—the transparent veil of [Fractured Existence].

The barrier shimmered for a brief second, the impact echoing like a dull ripple before fading completely.

I surged forward, closing the distance in a blur.

My hand clamped down on Druk’s shoulder before he could react, the impact sending a deep crack through the bone plating beneath my palm. His head jerked from the force, and I followed with a sharp punch to his gut. The blow landed hard enough to splinter part of his armor and send a shockwave through his chest.

He staggered, a muffled grunt escaping him, and I pulled my arm back to strike again, but the hiss of arrows cutting through air stopped me.

I glanced up just in time to see a volley descending from above, the tips burning red-hot. I didn’t even think. Instead of activating [Fractured Existence], I picked Druk up and raised him in front of me like a shield.

"Sorry, buddy," I muttered.

And the arrows struck.

BOOM!

BOOM!

BOOM!

Each one exploded on impact, the bursts of flame and pressure shaking the clearing. The shockwave tore through the dirt, throwing up clouds of ash and splinters.

Even behind the improvised shield, the force was enough to push me back several steps, boots dragging deep into the scorched ground.

When the smoke began to clear, Druk’s armor was shattered and blackened, chunks of bone falling from his frame like broken glass.

The shield had done its job.

Now I just needed to finish what was left of him—but something in the air shifted.

A flicker of instinct made my skin crawl, a sudden spike of killing intent from my blind spot.

I didn’t hesitate.

I grabbed Druk’s limp body by the chest and hurled it toward the source of the threat.

But the body struck nothing.

It landed with a dull thud against the dirt, rolling once before coming to a stop.

I frowned, scratching my chin.

I was sure I sensed something there.

But then, a violent wave of heat washed over my back as a torrent of flames erupted from behind.

I turned just in time to see Hissra, his eyes burning like coals, one arm outstretched as he unleashed a continuous stream of fire that turned the air molten.

"Was this the danger?" I muttered with a head tilt, and raised my hand, bracing myself.

The flames crashed against me like a living tide, but instead of burning through, they split cleanly down the middle. The barrier shimmered faintly—[Fractured Existence] bending the attack in two streams that roared harmlessly past my sides.

The heat rolled away, carving twin trenches into the ground behind me. I didn’t wait for the smoke to settle.

"Inferno Lance," I whispered.

Flames coalesced instantly in my palm, compressing into a sharp, swirling mass before I hurled it back at him.

The burning projectile tore through the air with a screech, lighting up the space between us, forcing Hissra to react.

He twisted his body at the last second, the lance grazing his shoulder before exploding behind him, the shockwave scattering debris and flame.

He didn’t slow down.

Both of his hands came...