Chapter 550: Ray’s Evolution!
Chapter 550
Huff, Huff, Huff!
"Up above!" Finral shouted as he swung his sword upward from below, aiming for a beast’s jaw. The creature immediately jerked its head back, narrowly avoiding the slash.
But right there, Liam came crashing down from the sky. With his sword raised high above him, he let out a fierce roar before bringing it down in a brutal strike that split the beast’s skull in two. The carcass toppled over as Liam landed heavily on the ground, knees buckling, chest heaving.
Beads of sweat streamed down his face, his breathing was ragged, and his arms trembled as he clutched at his burning chest.
"H...ho...how many have we killed?" Liam asked in a hoarse voice, his breath hitching painfully. His cheek was slashed, blood trickling down, and another gash marred the side of his head. He remained on his knees, struggling to hold himself steady while Finral stood upright, sword glinting faintly in his grip.
"About twenty in total," Finral replied, his own breaths sharp and uneven.
"So just ten more to go, huh?" Liam muttered bitterly as he tried to catch his breath.
"Where even is R..." Finral began, but his words were cut short by a thunderous bang.
Something massive was hurled toward them like a ragdoll. It spun violently through the air before landing hard on its knees right in front of them, coughing and gasping. Blood spilled from its mouth in a wet spray as his chest heaved, the air scorching inside his lungs as if fire was devouring him from within.
It was Ray. His body shook, drained of strength, his once-controlled aura now flickering wildly. From the shadows, four towering beasts emerged, their eyes glowing faintly in the dark, teeth glinting with hunger.
"I guess six more to go then," Finral muttered grimly, adjusting his grip on his sword though his hands quivered.
"That is... if we even manage to take down these four first," Liam scoffed weakly, forcing himself to stand. He gripped his cracked blade with trembling fingers, legs threatening to collapse beneath him.
GROWL!
The beasts wasted no time, charging forward with savage speed. Despite the unbearable pain coursing through his body, Ray grit his teeth and pushed himself into motion. He bolted forward to meet them head-on.
A claw came screaming for his throat, but he leaned back just in time, letting it carve through the air above his nose. In retaliation, he drove his fist upward with brutal strength, smashing it into the beast’s jaw and sending the creature staggering several metres back.
’Damn it! I’m definitely getting stronger and faster by the second. My body is changing... it’s only a matter of time before I evolve. But will it happen now? No, I need us to survive this first!’ Ray thought in a mix of panic and determination. He spun sharply on one foot, narrowly avoiding a vicious double swipe aimed at his ribs.
Now, two beasts closed in on him, while the remaining two dashed toward Finral and Liam.
One lunged at Liam with a kick, but he gathered what little Ki he had left, swirling it desperately into his feet. He leaped into the air, landing on the beast’s extended leg. His eyes narrowed as he summoned every last drop of strength. With an explosive blur of motion, he launched himself forward.
The next second, the beast’s head was rolling on the ground with a dull thud, its massive body collapsing lifelessly beside it. But Liam couldn’t celebrate. His body gave out instantly. He dropped to the ground, coughing up mouthful after mouthful of blood, his chest searing in agony.
’My... my Ki is completely gone. Fuck me!’ Liam cursed inwardly, his blurred vision barely holding focus. He looked up through bloodied lashes to see Finral weaving desperately around a flurry of claw strikes, avoiding each one by nothing but luck and instinct.
’Damn it! How the hell am I supposed to help now? We... we still have six more beasts to kill.’
"Argh!" Finral roared as he blocked a slash aimed at his face. The force rattled through his entire body, sending him skidding backward several feet across the dirt. His arms shook violently as the beast lunged again, blindingly fast, claws only inches from shredding his face.
With one desperate burst of speed, Finral managed to leap back, the claws slicing just short of his skin. Without even glancing behind him, he flung his sword to the side, refusing to let it slow him down.
Another slash came from the right. He darted aside, though the claw grazed his cheek, opening a bloody line down his face.
The beast lunged past, and Finral knew this was his only chance. He gathered every remaining trace of Ki, evenly distributing it between his legs and arms. His aura flared faintly, desperate and weak, but still alive.
Then, with one final, sharp burst, he shot forward like a bullet. His fist connected directly with the beast’s chest in a gut-wrenching blow, the impact reverberating like a thunderclap. Bone shattered, flesh caved in, and the beast’s eyes rolled back into its skull as its massive body was flung away like a broken doll.
Finral collapsed onto one knee, huffing and panting, his vision swimming. His knuckles dripped with the beast’s blood, his breath harsh, but he refused to fall just yet.
"Ah, fuck! I’m spent." He groaned aloud as his knees smashed into the ground beneath him, specks of blood trickling down his mouth in a steady, thin stream. His vision blurred for a moment, his chest heaving violently as exhaustion tried to pin him down completely.
BANG!
A heavy punch came flying toward Ray’s face like a meteor crashing through the skies. His instincts screamed in alarm and in that split second, he instantly shot himself into the air.
While airborne, his body twisted sharply and he unleashed a devastating roundhouse kick. His heel collided against the beast’s neck with brutal force, causing it to twist at an unnatural angle, bones cracking with a grotesque sound that echoed across the battlefield.
But he had no time to celebrate. Before he could leap away from the air, the second beast appeared in a blur. With terrifying speed, it slashed its claws toward his face. Ray barely had time to react.
He brought his arms up in a desperate block, bracing himself for impact, but the sheer force of the strike was overwhelming. His entire body was hurled out of the air as if swatted by a giant hand.
Specks of blood sprayed from his lips as his body twisted uncontrollably. Refusing to crash helplessly, he spun midair, slammed his palm into the ground, and forced his body into a skidding halt. Dirt and dust sprayed everywhere as his heels dragged lines across the earth.
Without hesitation, he channeled every bit of Ki left into his legs, compressing it into an explosive force beneath his feet. A deafening gunshot-like bang rang out as his figure vanished and then reappeared directly in front of the beast, moving faster than its eyes could follow.
His hands shot forward, grabbing its massive tusks with every ounce of strength he had left. The veins along his arms bulged, sweat and blood mixing across his skin. Swirling his final drops of Ki into his hands, he sacrificed all defenses, leaving his body vulnerable. With a roar of defiance, he pulled with savage force, trying to rip the tusks straight from the beast’s skull.
GROWL!
The beast howled in agony, its claws immediately lashing out in retaliation. With a sickening crunch, its claws smashed into Ray’s abdomen.
His body shook violently as blood gushed out of the deep wounds, staining the earth beneath him. Pain exploded through his torso, but Ray’s grip did not falter. His teeth clenched, his eyes wild and burning.
"ARGHHHH!" His roar shook the battlefield as, with one final surge, he ripped the tusks free from the beast’s head. The creature staggered back, thrashing violently, blinded by its own agony.
Ray did not give it a chance to recover. Summoning his last shred of strength, he dashed forward like a predator on the hunt. In one smooth motion, he jammed the sharp tusks back into the beast’s body—one piercing deep into its eye, the other ramming straight through its throat.
Black blood gushed out like a waterfall, splattering across the ground as the beast let out a final, strangled cry before collapsing with a thunderous thud.
"Huff, huff, huff..."
Ray’s chest rose and fell in a ragged, uneven rhythm as he fought desperately to catch his breath. His body trembled, sweat mixing with his blood as his vision darkened. He dropped to his knees, his arms dangling weakly by his sides. The next second, a terrifying realization struck him.
’Crap! My breaking point. I... I’m about to evolve!’
"ARGHHHHHHH!"
A blood-curdling scream tore from Ray’s throat, piercing the skies above. Blood flooded from his mouth instantly, staining his chin and dripping onto the ground. His body convulsed violently as power surged chaotically within him.
On seeing this, both Finral and Liam’s eyes widened in panic. Despite their battered bodies, they forced themselves up, stumbling forward with every bit of strength they could muster.
Their legs felt like lead, their chests burning, but they still darted toward Ray without hesitation, worry etched into their faces as his screams echoed like a dying beast heralding rebirth.