"ZOL!" Mason shouted, his heart pounding in his chest as dread gripped him. He was sure his senses were honed in on the monster, yet that didn't seem to be the case.
One moment, he was aiding Zol in eliminating the A-tier monsters, their teamwork swift and precise. But then, in an instant, the beast vanished, only to instantly reappear behind Zol.
Without delay, he deployed his barrier magic to create a shield to intercept the beast's attack. But deep down he knew it would be too late.
'Damnit! I won't make it!' His thoughts raced as every second felt like a countdown to disaster.
Mason did the only thing he could do at that moment. He utilized over 90 per cent of his mana reserves as he took his Manastorm state and felt the raw energy of mana coursing through him like rushing winds.
Driven by anxiety and a fierce determination to save his friend, Mason surged forward.
In an instant that seemed like he teleported, Mason crossed hundreds of thousands of kilometres, appearing directly in front of the creature.
His left hand reached for the beast's head while his right hand, burning with his surging mana, clenched into a fist.
For a moment that seemed to have been stretched infinitely, Mason's flaming fist closed in on the creature's face. The creature's claws, crackling with void energy were inches from Zol and poised to deliver a fatal blow.
The beast's cold eyes turned to Mason, staring at him like some insignificant worm. It didn't even flinch at the incoming attack, merely casting a glance at it. But it had to admit, it didn't think the human could move that fast.
Two distinct attacks connected, each with a devastating result of unprecedented proportions.
Mason's blow, filled with everything he had, struck with cataclysmic force, shattering the creature's head into a grotesque rain of black blood and mangled flesh.
The resulting shockwave ripped through the void at speeds faster than light, obliterating everything in its path—void creatures and planetary debris alike were reduced to nothingness.
Even so, the goal was far from achieved. Despite losing its head, the void creature's attack connected.
The claw, charged with void energy capable of forcefully ripping through spacetime couldn't be stopped, especially when the target had no ability affinity with void energy.
It sliced through Zol effortlessly. Armour, flesh, and bones offered no resistance. The monstrous claw cut cleanly through his stomach, waist, and thighs, severing him in one horrifying motion. Through his body were the visible cuts in spacetime, appearing as if he was fused with spacetime itself.
"No…" Mason whimpered, shock evident in his voice. He didn't bother casting a glance at the void creature. Instead, he conjured an enclosure around Zol's body and his fragments and bolted out of there.
"Vincent! Prepare to leave, now!" Mason commanded his ship's captain. "Inform Zol's men to do the same!"
Behind me, the headless void creature's body shook momentarily before his head began regenerating at speeds visible to the eye. Within seconds, the creature was as good as new.
It turned around and looked in the direction Mason and Zol went but didn't give chase. It looked around its surroundings, noticing all the minions were gone.
There was practically nothing left—the star was also displaced in the chaos and sent to who knows where.
Thus, a star system that was just minutes ago thriving was now reduced to an empty space—a real void with visible cracks in spacetime.
For a couple of minutes, the void creature just stayed there looking in a particular direction. Suddenly, the void beast's figure flickered as it disappeared in the direction it was looking.
Mason reached his spaceship just as it was prepared for a hyperjump. The moment he stepped aboard, the ship vanished into the swirling hyperspace tunnel.
"Get me the healers!" he barked, his voice tight with urgency as he raced toward the medical ward.
Anxiety weighed heavily on his every move. His hands trembled, sweat beaded on his brow, and his breaths were uneven.
In the ward, Mason did his best to piece Zol's body together while waiting for the healers to arrive.
Zol was in a dire state—his body convulsed intermittently, blood trickling from his mouth and pooling from his severed regions.
"Oh god, oh god," Mason muttered under his breath, his voice cracking as panic overtook him. He was a mess of shaky nerves, his dread palpable.
Despite not being physically tired, his breathing was strenuous. "Where are the fucking healers?!" he shouted, his eyes darting to the entrance.
As if in response, the medical team burst in, their movements swift and practised.
"Please step aside, Lord Mason," the head healer said with calm authority, gesturing for him to give them space.
Reluctantly, Mason took a step back, his gaze lingering on his friend's broken body before he was ushered out.
Once outside, Mason clutched his head in his hands, pacing back and forth at the entrance.
His mind raced with the event past and helplessness overwhelmed him. Each second that passed felt like an eternity.
'We were no match at all.' Mason thought with a shudder. Even at his best, a state he hadn't taken since acquiring the Manastorm form, it wasn't enough to slow down the damn creature, much less kill it.
'It's nothing like what we faced that time!' The realization made him question their assumptions.
'Was that thing they faced before a Class S to begin with?' That void creature and the one they just faced were leagues apart.
He and the other hunters were stronger than they were years ago. Mason was sure that if they faced that creature again, they would emerge without a single scratch on their bodies.
'No, it was already worn out from its fight; just like the woman herself!' Having put the pieces together moved with purpose as he headed for the bridge.
'I have to let the others understand what we're facing. If more of its type are out there, then humanity might be doomed!'