"Clang! Clang!"
Lucian reacted instantly. His legendary spear turned into a blur as it swept forwards in an arc.
Sparks flew as the poisoned tips scraped against the Mythic weapon. Suddenly, he felt a chill passing through his skin even at that brief contact.
[Poison check: Physique above 100, poison resisted!]
Lucian was sent staggering backwards from the resultant force when Silk Edge flowed forward like a phantom, his katana a silent blur.
[Skill Activated: Silk Edge - Crescent Moon Flash!]
The blade drew a luminous arc through the air, impossibly fast, aimed to sever Lucian's spear arm at the shoulder.
Lucian gritted his teeth. He couldn't dodge, couldn't block both Viper's follow-up and Silk Edge's strike. He immediately activated his armor skill.
[Active Skill Activated: Titan's Rampage!]
[All Physical Stats x2!] [Damage Taken -70%!] [HP Regen +10%/sec!] [Duration: 30 seconds]
Power surged through him again, the familiar titanic strength flooding his limbs. He ignored Viper's renewed assault, twisting his body and pouring mana into his spear, meeting Silk Edge's katana head-on.
"Clang!!!"
The sound was like a temple bell struck by lightning.
A visible shockwave erupted from the point of impact, blasting outwards with incredible force.
The luxurious furniture in the suite sofas, tables, decorative statues, disintegrated instantly, turning into flying splinters and dust.
The massive window wall behind Lucian exploded outwards in a shower of crystalline shards, exposing the suite to the night air and the city lights far below.
[-1200 HP (Reduced by 70%)] [Armor Durability Decreased: -250]
Lucian was thrown backward by the sheer force of the katana strike, even with Titan's Rampage active.
Silk Edge's technique was still far too powerful, it was as though he was battling another boss monster.
The difference in level was just too great for Lucian.
Lucian's body slammed into the shattered glass wall, as he was blasted outward into the city, eighteen stories above!
Wind roared past his ears as he fell. Below, the city lights stretched out into a blur . He could see people looking up, tiny dots pointing towards the commotion erupting from the Celestial Rest Hotel.
Just then, Silk Edge burst through the hotel right after him, seemingly unaffected by gravity, his katana already positioned for a follow-up strike. Gristle jumped, his heavy form crashing through the remaining wall like a cannonball, aiming to intercept Lucian's fall with his cleaver. Viper leaped like a cat, angling for a mid-air stab.
Lucian was incredibly angry.
"You're going too far!"
He twisted in mid-air, his regeneration working furiously under Titan's Rampage. He pointed his spear downwards.
"[Sovereign's Devastation]!"
"ROOOAR!"
Instead of firing straight, he angled the blast slightly, using the recoil like a thruster. The phantom dragon erupted downwards, slamming into the side of the Celestial Rest hotel several floors below.
"KA-BOOM!"
Marble and crystal exploded outwards. The recoil sent Lucian flying upwards and sideways, dodging Gristle's plummeting attack and creating distance from Silk Edge and Viper.
He landed heavily on the balcony of a suite two floors above his own, the impact shattering the railing. Alarms were blaring throughout the hotel now, adding to the chaos.
The three assassins adjusted instantly. Silk Edge ran up the side of the building, defying gravity, his katana leaving faint cuts in the marble. Gristle landed on a lower balcony, then leaped upwards with surprising agility for his size. Viper used short bursts of [Serpent's Dash] to scale the building in a zigzag pattern.
"Target's more powerful than stated," Silk Edge's calm voice echoed slightly in the night air. "Standard protocols insufficient."
"Then we stop holding back!" Gristle roared. He reached into a pouch and pulled out a vial filled with bubbling crimson liquid.
[Potion: Berserker's Fury Draught (Epic)] [+100% Strength, +50% Attack Speed, -30% Defense, Duration: 60 seconds]
Gristle downed the potion in one gulp. His already imposing form seemed to swell, muscles bulging massively, veins popping, his skin flushing a deep red. A wave of intense power pulsed off him like a wave.
Viper produced two vials – one swirling purple, one shimmering green.
[Potion: Serpent's Venom Elixir (Epic)] [+100% Poison Potency, Poisons bypass minor resistances, Duration: 90 seconds]
[Potion: Ghost Step Tincture (Epic)] [+100% Agility, +30% Evasion Chance, Duration: 60 seconds]
Viper drank both, their form becoming hazy, almost translucent, their speed increasing dramatically. The air around their stilettos shimmered with intensified toxic energy.
Silk Edge remained impassive, but drew a second, shorter blade glowing with the same dark energy as his katana. He held them both ready.
They were going all out!
"Th-This is bullying!"
Lucian felt the pressure intensify tenfold. Titan's Rampage still had about 15 seconds left, but even with it, facing three potion-buffed Level 70+ assassins was suicidal.
Lucian furiously shouted.
"Fine," Lucian snarled, raw power building within him. "Let's see if you're able to kill me today."
He stomped his foot on the balcony, shattering it completely.
"BOOM!"
He launched himself off the collapsing structure. He wasn't aiming at the assassins but diagonally across the face of the hotel. Dragon Soul Devourer blazed with crimson light, blasting a massive hole in the hotel wall several floors down, creating a cloud of debris and dust.
He plunged into the hole, using the explosion as cover. He burst through interior walls, ignoring the screams of terrified hotel guests, moving deeper into the building.
He crashed through another wall, emerging into one of the hotel's grand ballrooms which was empty at this hour. Crystal chandeliers hung from the high ceiling, reflecting dazzling light off the polished dance floor.
His legs dug deeply into the ground as skidded to a halt in the center of the room.
Silence reigned for a while as Lucian's eyes scanned his surroundings.
Then, three distinct sounds.
"Bang!"
Gristle smashed through the ceiling from above, landing like a meteor, the impact shattering the dance floor around him. His red eyes locked onto Lucian, pure fury radiating from him.
"Whoosh!"
Silk Edge flowed through the hole Lucian had made in the wall, appearing as if stepping out of a shadow, katana and blade held ready, scanning the room.
Viper materialized near the ballroom entrance, a near-invisible blur thanks to the Ghost Step.
They had him cornered again.
"Nowhere left to run, kid," Gristle bellowed, his voice thick with the Berserker potion's rage.
"Bang!"
The ground beneath his feet shattered as he exploded into a massive blur with his cleaver raised high.