Chapter 42: Battle of the 1st Echelon Ranks (2)
At the side, three veteran shields unlocked and charged right as two fire tigers collided with them. The blow threw one man back, ribs cracking.
Heal!
A white-gold filament protruded from Kai’s palm, weaving across the surroundings like a thrown ribbon. Fractured bones knitted whole before the tank hit the dirt. He then rolled, came up cursing, and re-engaged.
He shot leftward to an Awakener with a pair of twin daggers fighting against a magma panther (Level 29). A quick step brought him into the panther’s blind spot.
He then reverse-grips his blade and spins without slashing.
Instead, he slammed the flat of the blade against the beast’s spine, injecting the Azure Slash skill into its flesh.
Compressed water-attribute mana detonated under the skin. The cat’s torso bulged, ripped apart from within like an over-inflated balloon, spraying blood everywhere.
[Ding! You have killed the 1st Echelon Panther, acquiring +2 str, +4 agi, +2 phy, +2 sense, +1 magic.]
"Two down! Go help the others!"
Hearing Kai’s order, he then sprinted to reinforce the others.
Ahead, a Fire-Lion (Level 32) traded blows with the Goblin Commander. The undead goblin’s bone breastplate splintered under a flaming paw. One more hit would finish his undead Goblin Commander.
Kai wouldn’t tolerate that.
He blurred forward, but instead of facing directly, he tunneled under.
He dropped, slid between the lion’s legs on his back, hooked Azure Sword’s guard on the beast’s chest, and using momentum, he catapulted himself upright behind it—ripping a long belly gash as he went. Intestines poured like fiery chains.
The lion shrieked, whirled straight into the goblin commander’s upswinging cleaver, which severed the lion’s jaw. Kill confirmed with it.
[Ding! You have killed the 1st Echelon Fire Lion, acquiring +4 str, +3 agi, +3 phy, +2 sense]
The goblin commander gave a stiff salute with its free hand. Kai smirked. ’That one’s learning.’
Nearby, a crossbowman was overwhelmed by a lightning jaguar (Level 28). Kai dashed, but instead of cooperating normally, he shouted.
"DROP!"
Both archers dropped to the ground without thinking.
Kai vaulted off, turning upside down overhead, and in mid-flip he used his [Azure Slash] skill—albeit a shallow one.
The crescent attack flew parallel to the ground, severing off the jaguar’s four legs at knee height. It toppled soundlessly.
By the time it hit, Kai landed and stabbed through the neck. Third beast he’d helped finish.
[Ding! You have killed the 1st Echelon lightning jaguar, acquiring +2 str, +3 agi, +2 phy, +1 sense.]
He healed a bruised archer and a few others on the way out—mana dipping again, but he still had two-thirds of his mana.
A trio of Fire Lions (Levels 27-30) pressed a spear-wall of townsmen. Each lion was slowed, but their base stats were still significantly higher than those of humans. One spear snapped, and a man screamed.
Kai threw himself into the fight like a falling star.
The first lion swept its tail at hip height. Kai stepped on the tail mid-swing, pinning it. With leverage he vaulted, and he stomped the lion’s spine with both legs—a sickening crunch could be heard as the lion collapsed. Mid-fall he extended a palm as he used his healing skill.
The spearman’s shattered elbow bone fused, letting him jab forward and finish the crippled lion.
The second lion pounced, forcing Kai to roll beneath before rising in a kneel and plunging Azure Sword into its crotch, then firing Azure Slash upward into the body crotch, bisecting the torso through the spine.
[Ding! You have killed the 1st Echelon Fire Lion, acquiring +3 str, +2 agi, +2 phy.]
The third lion was smart enough to withdraw, but the Goblin Commander and two Awakeners rushed in. Kai pretended to overreach, drawing the beast’s eyes.
When it pounced at him, a war hammer struck its temple from behind.
A faraway horn blast indicated that two wizards had successfully killed a crystal cheetah (Level 31).
Kai exhaled softly. Blood soaked his coat—mostly from beasts.
Kai wiped blood from his cheek and noticed that his mana was at 40%.
’Healing a lot of people in a short time really could bottom out his mana quickly, even though the cost was really small. If the cost was high, he might not be able to afford it for so long.’
A sudden bark from the right flank as the two-headed cheetah charged toward the mage line, ignoring its debuffs.
Kai sprinted.
"Goblin Commander, Intercept!"
The bone giant collided with two skulls; claws shredded ribs beyond repair, but the undead grappled, trading its life for a hold.
Kai closed in, slid under flailing tails, and poked both heads’ underjaws with two-handed thrusts. Blue mana shot up, blasting through the skulls. The cheetah slumped as the Goblin Commander crumbled—permanently dead.
[Ding! You have killed the 1st Echelon two-headed cheetah, acquiring +2 str, +3 agi, +1 phy.]
Kai’s chest tightened. ’The first heavy loss of his undead subordinates.’
But with the cheetah gone, the mages were safe.
’It’s worth it.’ Kai consoled himself with the fact that it was worth the sacrifice.
Now that 10 beasts were killed in a short time, the 2nd Echelon fire lion frowned and looked around for a few seconds before glancing at the human awakeners, especially Kai.
’Already couldn’t help yourself to make a move now?’ Kai noticed that he was being stared at by the big guy.
"Prepare yourself." Kai reminded Elias through their connection.
Looking at the town awakeners around, Kai shouted. "Now!"
As Kai shouted, he summoned Elias out and used his [Resurrection of the Dead] skill on the dead beasts.
At Kai’s order, everyone immediately became full offensive since they couldn’t afford for Elias to hold on his own for too long.
Especially the town chief, even though he was fighting against two beasts on his own, he didn’t care much about his injury, as he knew that Kai’s healing ability was amazing, and as long as he could endure the pain, injury was just a mere pain that he needed to endure.
The resurrected beasts also moved toward the nearest battle and helped the Awakeners to kill their kin.