CHAPTER 42: CHAPTER 42 - HORDE OF SHADOW CREATURES

A wave of Mana pulsed outward from Ayu, raw energy crackling through the air as her Core stirred awake. The ground beneath her feet trembled, and faint arcs of light danced across her skin, brilliant and untamed.

"Shit! She’s about to awaken, Mon!" Melisa shouted, urgency sharp in her voice. "Cast a barrier, now! We need to protect her!"

Without hesitation, Moona raised her hands, chanting a quick incantation. A shimmering dome of energy surged into existence around Ayu, shielding her from the chaos erupting around them.

The Enchanted Gun in Melisa’s grip thrummed with power, responding to the rising tension. Its runes glowed faintly, sensing danger, ready to fire at the first sign of a threat.

The shadows surrounding them writhed violently, no longer passive. They surged forward like a living tide, their movements twisted and erratic, driven by one intent: to stop Ayu’s awakening.

Then, one by one, the Shadow Creatures began to emerge from the darkness, dozens at first, then hundreds, shambling and slithering from every direction.

Their movements were unnatural, as though something was dragging them forward, compelling them toward Ayu. It was clear, they would do anything to stop her awakening.

"...Lisa, this is getting dangerous," Mikail muttered, eyes scanning the encroaching horde. "It looks like all the Shadow Creatures inside the Zero Zone are converging on us"

Melisa clenched her jaw, her frustration boiling over. "Fuck! We tried to avoid going deeper, but it just keeps getting worse. Why now, of all times, do we have to meet an awakened one?"

"They’re getting closer!" Moona cried out, beads of sweat dripping down her face as she strained to keep the barrier stable. Mana sparked wildly at her fingertips, the barrier rippling under the pressure.

"Wait-" Melisa started, but Mikail stepped forward.

"Lisa, stay here and protect them. I’ll go face them myself," Mikail said firmly, already moving.

"What the hell are you saying?! This is not the time to act like some hero!" Melisa snapped, turning toward him. "You know they’re after you too!"

"That’s exactly why I need to do this." Mikail’s voice was calm, resolute. "I’m their main target, if I draw them away, Ayu has a chance to finish the Awakening"

"But Mikail, you’re-"

Moona tried to argue, her voice trembling, but Mikail cut her off gently. He turned to her with a quiet smile, the kind that hid both fear and determination.

"Believe in me. I can handle this. Just protect her until it’s over. I’ll be fine"

"Wa-"

*Swoosh!*

A sudden surge of radiant light burst from Mikail’s body, cutting through the suffocating darkness like a blade of hope. The energy spiraled upward, a brilliant pillar blazing against the night sky, a beacon that dwarfed even the awakening aura Ayu had released moments ago.

The ground trembled. The shadows recoiled.

In that instant, every single Shadow Creature froze, their grotesque heads snapping toward the source. The pull was irresistible. Mikail had claimed their full attention.

Without waiting for another word, Mikail turned on his heel and sprinted into the depths of the Zero Zone. The darkness seemed to swallow him, but the trail of light he left behind glimmered like a fading star.

"Mikail!" Melisa called out, her voice cracking, but he was already gone.

Surrounded by the chaos, Moona gritted her teeth, her hands glowing fiercely as she poured everything into keeping the barrier stable. Melisa stepped forward, face pale but eyes hard.

"...He bought us time. Let’s not waste it"

--------

I ran.

The distant echoes of Moona and Melisa’s voices were gone, swallowed by the thick, suffocating dark. All that remained was sound, the sick, guttural rasp of the Shadow Creatures behind me. It wasn’t just footsteps, it was the frenzied, animalistic scraping of claws against stone, the choked hisses, and the wet, hungry snap of jaws.

Like a pack of starved dogs.

And I was the meal.

From the corner of my eye, a flicker, my system interface snapped into view. Cold, clean text hovered in my vision. A timer ticked down.

[Soul Resonance: 4:59]

The countdown had started. I had five minutes before everything burned out and entered cooldown.

No hesitation.

"...System," I whispered, voice tight and breathless, "Upgrade all my combat-related skills to EX-Grade. Burn whatever points you need... Just do it"

A chime rang in my ears, calm, mechanical, almost serene in contrast to the chaos around me.

Then came the fire.

Power surged through my limbs like molten light, igniting every nerve, every breath, every heartbeat. My muscles tensed. My senses sharpened. The world slowed down, just enough to feel everything shift.

I couldn’t help it.

I grinned.

If they wanted a fight, I’d give them a war they’d never forget.

---

[DING!]

[Skill - Swordsmanship] has been upgraded to EX-Grade.

[Skill - Gun Art] has been upgraded to EX-Grade.

[Skill - Boxing] has been upgraded to EX-Grade.

[Skill - Close Combat Movement] has been upgraded to EX-Grade.

[Skill - Reflex Mastery] has been upgraded to EX-Grade.

[Skill - Combat Instinct] has been upgraded to EX-Grade.

[...] has been upgraded to EX-Grade.

[...] has been upgraded to EX-Grade.

... ...

... ...

... ...

[SP Used: 153,519,600]

[Remaining SP: 999,999,999+]

---

A faint glow pulsed from beneath my skin... Raw, weaponized potential thrumming with power just beneath the surface.

And when I felt the distance was enough, far from Moona, far from Melisa and Ayu... I stopped.

Not because I was giving up.

Far from it.

My breath steadied. The fire in my limbs surged, eager and wild.

Because my body wasn’t just ready to fight.

It wanted to.

--------

The first Shadow Creature lunged, jaws unhinged wide, claws slicing through the air like hooked daggers.

*Swoosh!*

Mikail was already moving, his body twisting to the side with inhuman grace. The ground cracked beneath his boots as he slid across the broken terrain. The moment he stopped, light surged from his right arm, spiraling and hardening.

*SHING!*

A luminous longsword now gripped tightly in his hand.

One step forward. A clean arc.

*SHLACK!*

The blade cut through the creature’s neck. Its eyes blinked once, and then its form scattered into black mist, disintegrating like ash in the wind.

But there was no time to breathe.

A low rumble rose as dozens more emerged from the shadows, crawling, sprinting, scrambling over one another in a frenzied rush.

Mikail turned, pushing off the ground with explosive force.

Dust exploded in his wake. The sword unraveled mid-motion, morphing into glowing threads that crawled up his arms and solidified into twin gauntlets, each etched with glowing lines of ancient script.

The next creature leapt, mouth agape, claws raised.

*CRACK!*

Mikail’s fist collided with its jaw midair. The impact echoed like a cannonshot. The creature’s head whipped sideways, its body flung like a ragdoll into the others behind it.

Mikail spun low beneath a follow-up strike, *Whoosh!* Then surged upward, both gauntlets transforming mid-spin into twin short blades.

He slashed in a crossing arc.

*SHLICK! SHLICK!*

Carving through the legs of another monster. It dropped, howling, its body erupting into mist as it hit the ground.

A sudden screech came from behind.

*BZZZZZT!*

He twisted and backflipped, feet skimming the air, blades vanishing into glowing particles that snapped into a sleek handgun. Its surface shimmered with glyphs that shifted like flowing circuitry.

Each shot sang like thunder. Bolts of compressed light burst from the barrel, punching through shadows like burning javelins. The creatures shrieked and collapsed, dissolving as smoke and flickering embers.

He hit the ground on one knee, exhaled sharply, and moved again.

A spear of light coiled in his hand, and he hurled it with pinpoint accuracy.

*THUNK!*

Three creatures exploded into dust as it skewered them in a line.

Another crept up from his blind spot.

Mikail’s hand whipped back, a whip of pure light burst into existence and lashed around its neck. With a harsh yank.

*KRAK!*

The creature’s head snapped sideways, its body crumbling into mist.

He didn’t stop.

Not even for a heartbeat.

His breath was steady. His movements are a dance of death, fluid and relentless. Every transformation of his weapon was instinctual, seamless. Light surged and shifted with his will.

*CLANG!*

His light took the shape of a massive hammer, he swung it in a brutal arc, sending a group flying.

*FWOOSH!*

The hammer faded into a scythe, which spun in his hands as he twirled, cleaving through a tide of black.

*SHHHK-CHNK!*

Twin pistols snapped into place, firing in alternating rhythm- left-right-left-right- as he dashed through a line of advancing enemies.

A glaive formed, and he swung it in a wide sweep.

The entire front line was mowed down like grass.

Mikail stood tall in the chaos, the battlefield illuminated by the ever-changing glow of his weapons.

Shadow Creatures slowed, not because of fear, but because the sheer weight of his presence made reality feel unstable.

His resonance pulsed like a war drum, shaking the air with raw power.

And yet he moved.

He moved like this was where he belonged.

In the eye of the storm.

Unbreakable. Unrelenting.

Unstoppable.

....

...

..

.