The beast lunged, its crystalline claws cutting through the air like the edges of a guillotine. Northern forced his legs to move, each step like dragging chains through quicksand.
His Void wings flared, propelling him backward just enough to avoid the claws, which slammed into the ground with a deafening crack.
Shards of molten rock and crystal shot outward.
Northern hissed, gripping the Illusion Sword tighter. His breathing was shallow, his muscles burning with every twitch. But his grin didn't waver-it never did.
"Guess I'll just have to drag myself through this."
The beast didn't wait. Its crystalline body shimmered, light refracting in violent bursts that struck Northern like a thousand tiny needles in his eyes.
It charged again, each step leaving deep, molten craters in its wake. Northern's instincts screamed, and he twisted to the side, narrowly avoiding a swipe that would've bisected him. The wind from the claw's swing hit him like a wall, slamming him into the ground.
He rolled instinctively, dodging the follow-up strike that shattered the spot where he had landed.
The force sent molten debris spiraling skyward, and Northern used the momentum to push himself upright. His Void Tendrils lashed out blindly, striking the beast's flank and forcing it to recoil momentarily.
Northern seized the opening, even as his body screamed in protest. His wings propelled him forward, a streak of Black Flame trailing behind.
The Illusion Sword shimmered faintly, barely visible, but its hilt hummed in his grip-a deadly whisper waiting to be unleashed. He slashed low, aiming for the beast's legs.
The blade connected with a crystalline joint, the impact sending vibrations up his arm.
A jagged crack appeared, faint but growing as Northern poured his remaining strength into the strike. The beast roared, its molten core flaring brighter, and swung its tail in retaliation. Northern ducked, the tail passing inches above his head and smashing into a nearby outcrop. The resulting explosion of molten rock painted the battlefield in a fiery orange glow.
He didn't pause, driving the Illusion Sword deeper into the crack he'd created.
With a surge of Black Flames, the blade's unseen edge cut through the joint, severing one of the beast's legs.
The beast toppled momentarily, its balance disrupted, but it recovered with alarming speed. Its crystalline body twisted unnaturally, the remaining limbs compensating as it reared back. Northern barely had time to leap away before a massive claw slammed down where he'd been standing, the impact sending a shockwave that nearly threw him off his feet.
His breaths were ragged now, his vision swimming.
The molten battlefield felt like it was pulling him under, the heat sapping what little strength he had left.
But Northern's Chaos Eyes locked onto the beast's soul cores. They pulsed erratically, flickers of molten energy spilling through cracks in their crystalline shell. They were weakening-he could see it.
It was possible to kill the beast. He just needed one more opening.
The beast roared, its molten veins glowing brighter as it began to charge another attack.
The air around its core distorted, waves of heat warping reality itself.
Northern's instincts screamed at him to move, but his legs felt like lead. His Void wings fluttered weakly, struggling to lift him off the ground.
"Not yet," he muttered, forcing himself to stand straight.
The Illusion Sword flickered in his grip, almost mocking him with its faint presence.
"Not yet, you bastard."
The beast unleashed its attack-a concentrated beam of molten energy that tore through the battlefield like a blade of fire.
Northern threw himself to the side, the beam grazing the air on his side, as Void Force sturdily prevented it from harming him for one beat, although the heat could not be defended against and left a trail of smoke.
His polycoria Eyes all flared at that moment with an intense and cold light.
Using what little Void essence he had left, Northern pushed himself upright and launched forward with an overwhelming explosion of Black Flames.
The beast's beam followed him, carving molten trenches in its path.
The Void wings became more unstable, returning to their tendril forms and lashing out, striking the ground to propel him faster, each movement precise and desperate.
As the beam closed in, Northern twisted his body midair, the unstable Void Tendrils on his back snapping open like a bird in freefall.
The sudden maneuver carried him above the beam, and he dove straight toward the beast's
The Illusion Sword shimmered, its presence growing sharper, more lethal.
Northern gritted his teeth and swung the blade with every ounce of strength he had left.
The invisible edge carved through the beast's crystalline chest, striking the molten core directly.
And Northern muttered.
The battlefield froze for a heartbeat.
The beast let out a guttural roar, its core cracking open like a shattered gem.
Molten energy erupted outward in a blinding explosion, consuming everything in its path.
Northern barely had time to react as the blast flung him backward.
He hit the ground hard, sliding across the molten surface until he came to a stop. His body was battered, his armor scorched, but he was alive.
As the light of the explosion faded, Northern pushed himself up on trembling arms.
The beast was gone, its crystalline body reduced to fragments that glittered faintly in the dim light. The molten battlefield was eerily silent, save for the crackling of cooling rock.
Northern then looked down, just in time, as it was delivered onto him.
[You have slain a Catastrophic Behemoth, Molten Vein]
[You have gained 14 talent fragments]
Northern let out a shaky breath, a faint grin tugging at his lips.
"One hell of a fight," he muttered, his voice hoarse.
He staggered to his feet, the Illusion Sword fading from his grasp.
His legs felt like jelly, his body screaming in protest with every step. He staggered and
slumped to his butt before letting out a long and tired sigh.
Just then a new notification popped up before his eyes.
[Congratulations, you have received a new item]
Northern's eyes widened. 'No... No way, not twice in a row...'