CHAPTER 65: CHAPTER: 65 VEHEMOTH SUBJUGATION, PART: 1.

As they moved, not long after, they reached the place where the Vehemoth pair rested.

Vivian and Charlotte stopped about a hundred feet away.

Vivian’s gaze locked onto the two creatures.

The Vehemoth pair had already noticed their presence and slowly stood up, their muscles tensing, eyes glowing faintly red.

The air around them felt heavy, filled with a chilling sense of bloodlust that made even the ground seem to tremble slightly.

"Hmm? They do resemble how I wrote them," Vivian muttered under his breath, his lips curling into a faint smile as he studied the pair.

The male Vehemoth was slightly larger, its massive chest rising and falling like a bellows, while the female stood beside it, alert and ready to strike.

Their appearance was exactly what people imagined when they heard the word monster.

They had the heads of goats, with two long, twisted horns jutting out like black spears.

Their upper bodies were broad and shaped like a human’s, though covered in rough, dark fur.

Below the waist, their form shifted, the legs were like those of a goat, but their hooves were shaped more like a horse’s, sharp and metallic-looking.

The mix of features gave them an eerie, unnatural look, as if nature itself had been forced to create something it didn’t understand.

The male snorted, letting out a puff of hot air that steamed in the cold air.

While the female lowered its head slightly, watching Vivian and Charlotte with cold, animal focus.

Even from a distance, their presence pressed against Vivian’s nerves, like a warning that one wrong move could mean fatal.

Vivian revealed a faint smile and called out, "Black Shadows, come forward."

At his command, five figures appeared before him like drifting smoke, kneeling in perfect sync.

Their faces were hidden under dark hoods, but their eyes glimmered faintly with loyalty and respect.

The one in front, clearly their leader, bowed his head and spoke in a calm, respectful tone. "You called for us, young lord?"

"Yes," Vivian nodded, his gaze shifting toward the female Vehemoth. "Can you handle female?"

The air grew tense for a moment.

The Black Shadows were strong, but not all on equal footing, only their leader had reached five-star strength, while the others were at four and three.

None of them possessed intuition, and their true skill lay in assassination, not head-on battle.

Vivian’s eyes narrowed slightly, uncertain if it would be enough.

But the leader didn’t hesitate. "As you command, young lord."

His voice was steady, filled with quiet confidence, as he rose to his feet, ready to move at Vivian’s signal.

"And also, don’t kill her, no matter what. Just subdue her. Is that understood?" Vivian’s tone carried firm authority.

"Yes, young lord. As you command," the leader replied without hesitation, his voice steady and respectful.

After giving his orders, Vivian turned to Charlotte. "Are you ready?" he asked.

Charlotte crossed her arms, her lips curling into a confident smirk. "Yes. Let’s get this over with."

Vivian chuckled softly and nodded. "Alright, move out!"

The moment his words fell, the Black Shadows vanished from sight, blending into the surroundings as they circled toward the female Vehemoth.

At the same time, Charlotte and Vivian focused their attention on the male.

The ground trembled slightly under its heavy steps, its eyes burning with raw fury as it prepared to charge.

The Vehemoth clearly understood what the intruders were after.

It let out a deafening roar, shaking the nearby walls, and tried to rush toward the female.

But before it could take a step, Charlotte raised her staff and muttered,

"Ice Age!"

The ground cracked open as frost spread rapidly, forming a thick wall of ice that separated the pair.

The male slammed into it, snarling furiously, while the female was left surrounded by the Black Shadows.

Taking advantage of the opening, Vivian moved like lightning.

In a blink, he closed the distance, his figure blurring as he leapt into the air and swung his sword downward with full force.

The male Vehemoth hesitated for a split second, its eyes flicking toward the trapped female, but it was too late.

Vivian was already upon him.

"Roar!!"

Letting out an enraged, unwilling roar, the beast raised its massive, human-like fists and met the sword’s strike head-on.

Boom!

A thunderous crash split the air as steel met flesh.

Shockwaves rippled through the ground, kicking up dust and shards of ice.

Vivian was sent skidding backward, his boots digging trenches into the dirt before he managed to steady himself.

The Vehemoth, however, hadn’t moved an inch.

It stood rooted where it was, muscles bulging, steam rising from its body as its crimson eyes locked on Vivian with murderous intent.

"It might prove more difficult than expected," Vivian muttered, forcing his trembling hand to steady.

His knuckles ached from the earlier clash, but his eyes stayed sharp.

He glanced toward Charlotte and gave her a brief nod.

Charlotte immediately understood.

With a flick of her wrist, she rose into the air, her robes fluttering as she began to chant.

Her voice carried softly through the air, each word echoing with mana.

After a few moments, she raised her staff and spoke a single word,

"Wind."

At once, a powerful gust burst forth, sweeping across the battlefield.

The force caught Vivian like a wave, propelling him forward at blinding speed as he charged once more toward the Vehemoth.

But Charlotte didn’t stop there.

Her eyes glimmered with focus as she called out, "Hold it off for one minute!"

Vivian threw a quick glance her way, catching sight of her already closing her eyes again, her staff glowing faintly as another spell began to take shape.

He exhaled sharply, turned his attention back to the towering beast, and muttered under his breath, "one minute, huh?"

His grip tightened around the sword as he charged straight toward the Vehemoth, sparks of mana crackling around his body like lightning ready to strike.

The male Vehemoth snorted, twin streams of smoke rising from its nostrils as it drew in a deep, rumbling breath.

Then, with a furious roar, it opened its mouth wide and unleashed a torrent of concentrated fire.

The blazing stream tore through the air toward Vivian, the heat so intense it scorched the ground in its path.

But the attack didn’t end there.

Almost instantly, the Vehemoth moved again, its massive form shifting as it turned its gaze toward Charlotte, who was floating in the distance, chanting.

It was clear, its goal was to take down the mage before she could finish her spell.

Vivian’s eyes narrowed. "So that’s your plan," he muttered, a cold snort escaping his lips.

The roaring flames were nearly upon him, but there was not a hint of panic in his face.

His expression remained calm, like still water before a storm.

In one smooth motion, Vivian drew a dagger from his belt.

Mana surged into the blade, wrapping it in a faint blue mist that shimmered like smoke under the light of the flames.

He aimed carefully and threw the dagger toward the spot where the Vehemoth’s right eye would be a second later.

At the same time, he swung his sword, cutting straight through the stream of concentrated fire.

Sparks and embers scattered as he burst through the flames and charged forward.

Though it seemed like much had happened, all of it occurred within the blink of an eye.

The Vehemoth, sensing danger, halted its movement and twisted its body to dodge the dagger that whistled past its face.

But that moment of hesitation was all Vivian needed.

He reappeared behind the massive creature like a shadow and slashed across its back without mercy.

Chik!

The blade bit deep into flesh, and a spray of dark blood followed, hissing as it hit the scorched ground.

The Vehemoth let out a furious, echoing roar that shook the air, its massive form trembling with rage.

The Vehemoth staggered back a few steps, its muscles trembling with rage.

Roarrr!!!

It let out a furious roar that shook the air and lowered its head, ready to charge at Vivian with full force.

But before it could move, a cold, steady voice echoed through the battlefield, from about fifty feet behind him.

"Nebula."

The word carried power, sharp and clear, slicing through the chaos like a blade.

The Vehemoth froze.

A sudden chill of dread flashed through its crimson eyes as he turned his head, and what it saw made its pupils shrink in horror.

A massive ball of blazing fire filled its vision, growing larger with terrifying speed.

It tried to move, to dodge, but it was far too late.

Boom!

The explosion roared through the air as the fireball struck, engulfing the creature in a burst of heat and light.

The impact sent shockwaves rippling across the ground.

The Vehemoth stumbled backward, its body scorched and smoking.

It clutched its right arm tightly, half of it burned away, sacrificed to shield his vitals from being completely destroyed.

But before it could retreat any farther, a pair of glowing blue eyes appeared behind it, cold and merciless.

Chick!