Chapter 40 - Behemoth Ghoul

Rynold was thrown to the ground with the others not faring as well, either.

The group was thrown off guard when the ground suddenly shook, violently than anything else.

'Was this the threat?' Rynold thought as he tried to stand back up. The shocks from the ground were in a consistent rhythm as if they were caused by someone or something.

It was uncanny. The rhythm of the shocks, that is. It was as if something was walking their way that they had no chance to fight against. Considering the violent shakes of the ground, it was possible that the threat was big, humongous even.

'What the hell is going on?' Rynold continued to wonder as he struggled to stand up. Looking around, the rest of the group wasn't in any better condition. X was the only one standing at this point, its sword fixed on the ground.

It wasn't very long that a shadow appeared over the group. One word only came to mind when it loomed over their heads — huge.

'Damn it.'

The ground finally stopped shaking now that the monster stopped a few inches away from them. Mustering the strength to stand back up, Rynold looked at the monster before them, thinking this was the threat that caused so much carnage.

"Oh, shit," Rynold's words were heard throughout the soon-to-be battlefield as the silence from the rest of the group was filled with awe and speechlessness.

The creature before them wasn't ordinary, to say the least. It was a terrifying ghoul that was a few more meters tall than that of the Mech Knight with them.

How could they have missed a creature as big as this one?

Despite continuously scouting from a vantage point that Jack was currently stationed in, the smoke coming from the city blocked most of his view. What's more, was that the ghoul this time was a ghoul that had finally evolved to the next level.

Its aura was menacing and the pressure that it gave off was not a joke. This could mean Rynold's doom, his instincts continuously telling him to run. Every single fiber in his body showed signs that this creature was not something they could trifle with. Regardless, Rynold mustered the strength to fight.

'Scan.'

Immediately after recovering from his near breakdown, he used the spell that reliably had helped him before.

[Behemoth Ghoul Lvl ???]

A ghoul that had successfully evolved to the next phase. The Behemoth Ghoul uses its massive body to mow down anything in its way, only stopping to soothe its unending hunger.

Reading the description, Rynold's eyes widened. The Behemoth Ghoul was looking at them like they were food.

"Over my dead body!"

With a determined gaze, Rynold launched himself up and prepared to attack. Although huge, the Behemoth Ghoul must be something astonishingly slow. However, its defenses were no joke.

Landing on its shoulder which has enough space for one person, Rynold punched with all his might. Strength-form out while being empowered by Mana Infusion and simultaneously casting Charging Fist to deliver the ultimate blow.

Well, that was what he thought would happen anyway.

The blow managed to connect, pretty easily in fact, but the effect of the hit was undesirable, to say the least. Rynold immediately prepared for another attack but the blow managed to annoy the Behemoth and prompted it to swat its hand on the fly that's on its shoulder.

'Crap,' Rynold reacted and jumped off the Behemoth Ghoul.

Propelling to the ground while using the grapple to slow his descent, he had no other way to beat the Behemoth before them. He doubted that they could win as a group but what more could he do alone?

Landing on the ground, Rynold clicked his tongue in disapproval. "You guys need to leave," he said solemnly, "I'll take care of this thing while you guys get to somewhere safe."

Oliver was one of the first to react and swiftly attacked the Behemoth from below while Rynold was attacking from its shoulder. After his ineffective slashes, he was forced to retreat. That was when he heard what Rynold had said and decidedly picked up a fight.

"Like hell, I would!" Oliver yelled out with a surprising amount of threat.

Despite the years that they've known each other, Oliver tended to be a rather secluded person even if his demeanor didn't show it. Oftentimes, he would spend his time alone when he had the option to. But to leave someone alone to their deaths? That was something he could never live with.

"Now's not the fucking time to do this!" Rynold shouted back before calming back down. "Look, we don't have the means to kill something like this and the best chance is for me to slow it down while you guys get somewhere safe."

Oliver's anger didn't subside any more than it was before and Shyft was even more upset. With an expression filled with responsibility, Shyft said, "Kid, I'm not gonna let you do -"

"You and I both know that I'm the only one who can slow it down," Rynold interrupted his uncle. "Besides, I need you to keep guard of these guys and find my parents. I'm not joking when I say this, but I really am the only one who can slow that thing down. Don't worry, I'll be fine."

Suddenly, the Behemoth Ghoul's claws swung down to where they were standing. On instinct, Rynold pushed them to the side, yelling at them to go.

The claw threw Rynold to the side of the pavement. Oliver saw what had happened and started sizing up the Behemoth, his body roaring to take it down. It was then that Skye managed to grab ahold of Oliver's arm. Oliver looked back at his girlfriend who was looking at him with a sorrowful expression.

Clicking his tongue, he had no choice but to leave. There wasn't going to be a future when they decided to risk it all right now. Oliver had to take this chance that Rynold painstakingly gave to leave. Running away, he looked back once more, only to clench his teeth and keep running.

Rynold was knocked unconscious by the hit that managed to graze him but the impact was no laughing matter. Despite the terror field environment that surrounded him, he was unaware of what was happening.

Unaware that his friends had gone on to find someplace safe per his instructions. Unaware that he could die at this moment. Unaware that the only thing that was standing the way of the Behemoth and his unmoving body was the lonely Mech Knight that struggled to block the creature's hits.

Inside his unconscious mind, Rynold was floating adrift in the endless, dark space. It was then a bright light that stirred him from his quiet dream.

The figure before him was filled with light. It was like a silhouette, only this one had some sort of domineering aura around it. An aura that was familiar to Rynold, but he couldn't put his finger on it.

"You...," the figure suddenly spoke in a deep voice. It felt like deja vu to Rynold since he really couldn't figure out what the hell is going on.

"You...," the voice continued, "are really stupid, you know that?"

'Eh?' Rynold was confused. This guy that he seemed to have met before was suddenly calling him stupid.

"I swear, the last time I came to you was telling you that you had decent potential. And know you're just screwing yourself over?! It's not even the real Behemoth, you idiot!"

The voice that called out to Rynold was angry, furious even. Now he remembered where he met this guy before. It was the dream before they had left Ark City. He remembered him being godly and all-powerful but abundantly arrogant like his strength was on par with his arrogance.

Rynold shook his head before saying, "calm down. It's not my fault that the ghoul was this strong."

The voice was even more annoyed because of Rynold's response. "Tough guy, huh? Just cause you beat a lot of different things doesn't mean that you can beat me. Not that you even know how to properly fight, dumbass. I knew I shouldn't have given you the ability to speak before the almighty ME!" he said with somehow more pride in his voice.

"Leave me alone, then. I'm going to die here anyway," Rynold was indifferent to the god that was before him.

"Tsk, tsk," the god clicked his tongue, disappointingly. "You're not dead yet, you piece of garbage. But I can't help you when you give up now, can I?" The tone suddenly shifted from disappointed to mocking, "such a waste, you're already stronger than most of the people in this world anyway."

"Help me? I thought you gods can't interfere with the people directly?" Rynold asked with a hint of sarcasm in his question.

"You looking down on me, punk?! Even if we can't interfere directly, we could still help the ones we've chosen. Well, ish, anyway," the god spoke with a sort of reverence like a god should have. Too bad the doubt in the last remark totally blew the whole sentiment away.

Then the god suddenly smiled, or at least that was what Rynold thought.

"Can't let the one I chose to die in just a few weeks now, can I?"