CHAPTER 259: OPERATION WOLF SLAYER. (PART 48)

’Six’

Dante gritted his teeth as the number appeared in his mind, briefly pushing against the agony assaulting it. The world around him stood still as he moved through it, giving the illusion that time had stopped.

In this static world, only one other entity was able to move freely. The blood soaked beast refused to let him be, somehow keeping up with his movements and reacting to his actions as if it was nothing abnormal. Dante knew how absurd it was because of the armor he was currently wearing, but no matter what her does, it refused to let up, catching up with him just in time to get in the way of his attacks.

[His physical attribute are approaching the threshold of a Level 5.] Volcan said. [Even with the illusory domain removed, he keeps on getting stronger.]

The foggy woods that took over the thirty seventh floor were a part of the beast’s abilities, created through instinctive Aether manipulation of all things. As if being a high level Genome wasn’t enough, the furry bastard turned out to be a natural Sorcerer as well, able to boost his own attributes by altering the terrain to what suits him the most.

Things only got worse once he started coating his claws in the mystical energy, and as if to say abandon hope, the furry bastard started coating his entire body with it, shielding himself from attacks any attacks directed at him.

The longer their fight stretched the less hope Dante had of claiming victory. That wasn’t because he believed the furry bastard was stronger. In his current condition, Dante felt like he was on the verge of collapsing. He had used Volcan’s armors for far longer than he should, and with the strain building up, it was obvious that his body was going to shut down before he could deal a final blow to the furry bastard.

Type 5-1 was nothing compared to its Level 4 sibling. With higher stats and a combination of related abilities, Type 5-4 allowed Dante to move so fast that time seemed to stop around him.

Of course, such incredible powers were bound to have some drawbacks. The default strain caused by the armor aside, moving at such a speed was like shaking a drink inside a cup. The human body simply wasn’t made for something this insane, and even though the armor had various two abilities to resolve that, with one supposedly negating the side effects, Dante was still subjected to torturous pain every time he made a sharp turn.

’Fucking... Eidolon... scum...’

Dante was aware that this whole mess was his fault, and even though his chances of survival kept decreasing, he stubbornly refused to put an end to it, still trying to finish the hunt.

Four heroes remained, then there was the rich bastard and his bodyguards. At this moment, Dante wanted nothing more than to rip them apart, but the longer this went on, the more it appeared like he was ripping his body instead. Even then, Dante still refused to end it like this.

’C’mon... C’MON!’

The blades lining 5-4’s arms were capable of slashed through humans with the ease of cutting a paper. Coupled with the speed from the enhanced Instant Acceleration, as well as Velocity Retention, which allows the armor to maintain its top speed under all condition, the jet black armor should have been capable of slicing through anything in its way.

That didn’t apply to the furry hero, however, making Dante regret not going with a higher Level and ending things in an instant as he did with the the first hero to cross him after obtaining Volcan.

’Fucking... bastard!’

As they continued to exchange and parry each other’s blows, another one of the armor’s drawbacks began showing itself. In the corner of his field of view, Dante watched as a counter kept decreasing at a rapid pace.

Moving at several times the speed of sound required the constant activation of several abilities, and doing so consumed an exorbitant amount of energy. It has only been a few seconds yet it seemed like the lusterless black armor would soon lose its effectiveness, forcing him to change into a new one or risk being destroyed by the furry bastard.

Dante wanted to finish him off before that, but everything he tried ended up in failure, and blood soaked beast didn’t let up, not giving him a moment of reprieve.

As his anger burned stronger than ever, Dante dodged the beast’s swiping claws and went for a diagonal slash of his own, aiming for its flank. Suddenly, a sharp jolt rose from the foot his weight was pressed on and his body stiffened, momentarily killing the motion.

It only lasted for a fraction of a second, but that was all it took for the furry bastard to move out of his range and go for a counter, slashing with both of his hands at the same time. Evading by a hair’s breadth, Dante went for a counter of his own, but the sharp pain returned, granting the furry bastard the opening he needed to evade.

[Dante, at this rate-]

’Shut up!!!’

It wasn’t over yet. He was going to finish it no matter what, and he wouldn’t retreat until he did so. Dante refused to let them win, and even if it killed him, he refused to run and grant them victory. As he moved to chase after the blood soaked beast, another jolt of pain coursed through his nerves, and as it reached his brain, it sparked an idea in mind, one so powerful it cleared the chaotic storm clouding his thoughts.

A short distance away, the furry hero let out a demented howl as he kicked the ground, charging for another attack. Dante did the same, repeating a scene that had occurred several times in the past few seconds alone. As the distance between them vanished, another clash seemed inevitable. The furry hero snarled as he swung his claws while Dante slashed with the blades on his arms, but then-

...

The loud impact that followed each clash never arrived. Dirt scattered in the air, basted by the force from the furry hero’s powerful swing. He remained motionless for a whole second, then shifted his body, his demented eyes falling on seemingly empty air.

The next instant, a dark blade manifested through a gap in space. Its sharp tip was dripping with crimson blood, the source of which seemingly nonexistent. As the first drop fell to the floor, an illusive veil broke down and the form hidden behind it revealed itself. It was one of the blue demons the heroes had been fighting, and going by the design of his armor, the identity of its owner wasn’t hard to guess.