CHAPTER 61: FORCED COOPERATION (1)

Deklan’s expression fell flat.

He thought he was good-looking enough to pull off Abigail’s move, but he wasn’t.

Although he was in a new body, he was certain that his look was still way above average and could pull off Abigail’s trick, but it seemed he got overconfident. It wouldn’t work on a stranger—especially when the stranger was still wary of him.

Life and death are way above appeal, and trying this out was a mistake on his part.

However, if he was being truthful right now, the fact that he couldn’t pull it off bothered him more than Kaelyn suspecting him of working with Ghosts. Tch, am I really not handsome enough? I heard—being so good-looking can get away with many things.

Swish!

Deklan leaned back in time.

He avoided a sharp slash that was aimed at his neck by an inch.

Even though she didn’t know the real answer, she didn’t even strike him with the intent to kill.

"Hey, hey! Calm the fuck down!" Deklan summoned the Albino Spear and raised it up, ready to defend himself in case Kaelyn wanted to continue. "You didn’t even know what my condition was, and yet you already decided to kill me?"

"Anyone who sided with the Ghosts isn’t allowed to live," Kaelyn said coldly. "Die..."

Clang!

Deklan blocked her advance again.

Her movement was extremely quick; perhaps quicker than him—even with his dash.

Giving no time for him to say anything, Kaelyn parried the spear and pivoted her body expertly.

She landed a perfect spinning kick to Deklan’s stomach, forcing a grunt out of his mouth.

Holy shit, she’s good! Where did she learn those? Is it martial arts?

Deklan raised his gaze and saw Kaelyn already spinning down below on her knees, moving like a snake as she cuts the distance between them. Each spin was accompanied by her katana slicing through the air, forcing Deklan to recoil back.

He could tell that one hit from those spinning slashes would sever his leg without question.

Gritting his teeth, Deklan leaped backward.

"It’s a misunderstanding!" He yelped, encouraging her to stop. "It’s not what you think at all!"

"You’re either a Ghost, or a Dark Cultist," She said, still in her airtight battle stance. "Either way, I can’t let you live!"’

She dashed again.

But this time, Deklan had already focused the air currents around her, making her move slower than before. He then raised his spear and swung down hard, aiming to hit her hard enough to stop her from continuing this.

Instead of wasting strength here, they should be fighting the other Alpha Ghost instead.

To his surprise, Kaelyn ate that vertical heavy swing.

She dropped low, steel whispering deafeningly as she angled her katana just right—perfectly catching the spearhead and letting it slide off her blade before it smashed into the dirt. In the same breath, Kaelyn vaulted upward, twisting her body into a whirling cyclone.

Her katana carved the air in rapid, merciless strokes.

Deklan’s pupils blew wide as she descended on him like a falling star.

He caught the blade on instinct, but the sheer force of her spin overpowered him.

Slash!

"Grrgh..." Deklan grunted as the katana hacked down onto his shoulder, drawing blood.

Both of them paused after that exchange.

Deklan was panting heavily; eyes fixated on the ground as he regulated his breaths—trying to suppress the anger that was bubbling up from within. He has no intention of fighting, so he could not let himself lose control.

It wouldn’t only be bad for him, but it would also be bad for Kaelyn.

Seeing the twitch on his face, Kaelyn pushed the handle of her katana harder, adding her weight to it.

"Show me your true self," She whispered. "It’ll be better for me if you show me who you really are."

"I told you," Deklan raised his heavy eyes. "It’s a misunderstanding. Stop this, and I’ll explain."

"No, I don’t deal with Ghosts!" Kaelyn pulled the katana, slicing Deklan’s shoulder, and raised it again for another strike.

But at that moment, she suddenly felt scorching heat against the right side of her body.

Boom!

A loud explosion resounded.

Kaelyn was hurled back by the blast, tumbling across the ground. She planted a palm against the earth, shoved off with practiced precision, and flipped to her feet in one smooth motion. Pain could be seen etched across her face, yet she endured it.

But the sight that greeted her paused her breath.

Deklan stood a short distance away, steady on his feet—but his clothes were scorched to rags.

And his body was engulfed in flames.

However, that wasn’t what stunned her most.

Just beyond him, a big flaming hound prowled into view.

Its ember-lit form snarling through the heat-warped air stuck out against the backdrop of the night.

Kaelyn then snapped her gaze upward, hearing several growls coming from above, only to be greeted by more flaming hounds that landed on the roofs and trees. All of them were growling at them—clearly hostile like rabid dogs.

"Can we pause or battle now?" Deklan chimed as he distinguished the flames on his body. "In case you haven’t noticed yet, these things are all bronze-rank Ghosts. We really could die here if you don’t try to at least be civil about what was between us."

Hearing this, Kaelyn clicked her tongue in displeasure.

Regardless of what she thinks about him, be it a Ghost or a Dark Cultist, the situation made the choice obviously clear for her. It was either keep trying to kill Deklan, who might be an enemy, or attack these flaming hounds that are certainly enemies.

In a swift motion, she moved and stood behind Deklan, back against each other.

"Fine," She said—raising her katana again. "If you did not stab me in the back after this, I’ll give you a chance to explain. Just know that if you tried to backstab me, I’ll make sure to drag you down with me, no matter what.’

"Don’t threaten me with something I like," Deklan smirked. "Dying right next to a beauty is a fantasy for many, you know? Unfortunately, though dying with you is tempting, I’m not planning to die yet."

"Neither do I. Minus finding dying with you tempting." Kaelyn rolled her eyes.

Four flaming hounds surrounded them.

And the biggest and strongest lurched at the far end of the street—its silhouette framed by drifting ash, while the other three stalking along the rooftops above, crawling on scorched tiles as they peered down at the duo.

All of them watched, choosing which meal to devour.

None bear any sign to pounce, but it would only be a matter of seconds before a battle started.

Deklan glanced at the biggest flaming hound.

That blast earlier punched straight through my Fire Skin trait, and it’s an attack from that one.

Even though the Fire Skin trait gave him higher fire resistance, the explosion still hurt him a little bit, which means that had he not devoured the Fire Skin trait, he might be out of the count by now. Either way, he needs to be wary of that particular flaming hound.

"Pick one! I’ll lead!" Deklan roared as he threw the Albino Spear at one of the flaming hounds above.

Reacting as quickly, Kaelyn chose the one at the left.

She sprinted up the building in a blur, using windowsills and ledges as footholds to reach the rooftops in a few seconds. Her movement was precise, trained, and sharp. Even the flaming hound recoiled in surprise.

In a moment, she was already upon it with her katana raised overhead.

Kaelyn hacked and slashed, overwhelming the flaming hound with a barrage of strikes.

It was able to avoid a few, but the delicate but fast swordplay was too hard for a beast to predict.

"Spell: Crimson Lash!"

Decisively, Kaelyn leaped and charged her katana with reddish mana.

With a cleaving stroke, the katana fired a dozen cleaving arcs of energy straight at the flaming hound.

A painful growl resounded as the rooftop collapsed, and the flaming hound fell.

On the other hand, Deklan was pleasantly surprised to see that Kaelyn was able to take down a bronze-rank Ghost alone. Normally, due to the difference in physical strength, it would need a few bronze-rank Exorcists to take down a bronze-rank Ghost.

But she was able to handle her own.

Must be because she was similar to Marsha.

Roar!!

Another flaming hound leaped across the rooftops, charging at Kaelyn.

Deklan saw it in time and made a huge leap, using the Breeze Affinity to intercept the flaming hound.

He put back the Albino Spear into his inventory and summoned it in his hand again.

"Raargh!"

Clang!

Deklan swung the spear hard, striking the flaming hound’s side with inhuman strength.

And with his free hand, he used the Ghost Conqueror skill, creating steely chains and wrapping them around the flaming hound’s neck. He intended to thrash the beast into the ground, but he did not get the chance to do that.

Out of nowhere, the flaming hound’s entire body exploded into roaring flames.

It was fire.

Despite having the Fire Skin trait in his arsenal, allowing him to shrug off flames of this caliber, his old human instincts that are honed over the years still prevailed. His hand flinched—before his mind could stop it, pulling his hand away, and forced him to release the chains as he dropped to the ground.

A sharp click of his tongue followed—irritation cutting through him.

Since he had only gotten the trait barely an hour ago, he’s still not accustomed to it.

Crash!

Deklan wasn’t given any time to breathe.

Another flaming hound burst through a house behind him, blasting wooden fragments everywhere.

He turned around only to find the flaming hound was charging directly at him, eyes blazing with anger.

On its chest, Deklan could see a bleeding stab wound.

Not deep, but shallow—barely five inches deep.

It was the flaming hound he threw his spear at earlier.

Considering that most bronze-rank Ghosts died instantly from his spear throw, he assumed the same.

But this one didn’t die.

Damn it, the Null Zone must’ve made them stronger than normal. I have been battling Ghosts outside their Null Zone, and that made me underestimate the ones here.

Roar!

Deklan raised his spear and put it in between the flaming hound’s maw.

He was pushed back, overpowered by the force of its charge, but he caught himself with a harsh grunt and wrenched his spear sideways strongly. The maneuver smashed the flaming hound’s head into the ground hard.

Before it could rise, he drove his knee onto its neck and leaned his full weight into the spear.

Following another explosion from above, Kaelyn dropped down and landed right beside him.

"Any more bright ideas?!"

"I got one, but you’ve got to trust me on this."

"Great... Now I have to trust my life to a dark cultist."

"Do you have a better idea?"

"Fine, do what you need to do."