Facing Euron (3)

Drakon, surrounded by his energy armor, took off faster than Odin expected as he reached the first layer of defense, the Ocumini, in an instant.

Calling them a layer of defense perhaps was too strong a word though as despite all four of them grouping up to stop him, as Drakon slammed into their frozen bodies, the arms broke clean off, closely followed by their bodies.

All four Elite Ocuminis were broken in half, Drakon not even slowing down as he reached Euron next. His shield, which had stood strong until now, failed to stop Drakon too as he ran straight through it, finally reaching Euron.

The poor Apostle of Izrath could do nothing but watch as the hulking Guardian slammed into him. He felt like a train had slammed into him as he was sent flying back, his chest caved in.

Euron, who had only survived Zed's kidney strike thanks to his higher level, died before even hitting the ground.

[Quest 'Dark Wizard' has been completed!]

[Return to Earl Eric for your reward.]

All three of Odin's companions had just received a notification about the success of their mission, but none of them let down their guard as the toughest of their enemy was still alive.

They watched the Chieftain land back on the ground after its high jump hopefully, but unfortunately, the Ocumini did not stop moving because its master had died. Nor did it go for Drakon, who had killed its master. Instead, it went directly for Odin, much faster than its size should allow it to.

Felix, who had also regained the ground, did not move aside as his companions thought he would, but instead moved straight towards the Ocumini, a Rune manifesting above him right as he was about to come into contact with the monster.

'Flashlight'

This was a variation of two Runes, Flash and Light, which created a momentary burst of light. The Ocumini, who was looking directly at it, found itself blinded as Felix arrived under it.

The monster clearly was smarter than its fellow monsters as it wildly threw its arms around, but Felix's training with Caleb paid off. Until now, he had mostly been using his magic to fight the monsters, but for once his pure skill in close combat showed.

The mighty arms of the Chieftain Ocumini whipped around wildly, smashing craters into the ground, yet Felix managed to dance around the attacks, his spear swirling like a snake around his body, chipping at the arms in reach and the monster's main body.

Even as it regained its sight, it was unable to catch the troublemaker. A few meters aside, Zed, Zara and Drakon looked at this in awe, but they did not stand there doing nothing as Drakon was once again preparing his Innate Skill, the worlds' Mana gathering around him.

As for Zed and Zara, the Cryomancer had both hands in front of her as a miniature blizzard started manifesting in her hands, while the Assassin was standing still, holding his daggers in front of him with both eyes closed.

Seeing this amidst the frenzied attacks of the Ocumini, Felix felt some frustration deep inside. He had taken the fight to close combat because he wanted to test himself against the monsters, and while he was holding on for now, what he was doing was very taxing.

What actually allowed him to not get it was not merely Stats or Skill. As a Level 20 Chieftain Rank Monster, the Ocumini vastly outclassed Felix in terms of Physical Stats. As for his skill, as good as Felix had gotten in these two weeks, relying only on it to do what he was doing was a little unrealistic.

No, instead, for the first time, Felix realized the gains brought by his magical training to his mind. He wasn't sure whether it came from his Intelligence or Spirit Stat being so high, or simply the training he had gone through, but Felix felt that reading the Ocumini's moves was easy.

While fast and moving like whips to the normal person, they looked telegraphed to Felix. Moreover, the adrenaline rush one would feel when fighting a superior opponent did not make the world go faster as it should, but Felix instead felt like the world moved slower in his vision.

But all this had a cost, as he felt his mind tire rapidly. Thanks to his training, he was still holding on for now, but he wouldn't be able to last for long. Moreover, moving away from the Ocumini was no longer possible, as if he did that the monster would shift its aggro to one of his allies, who couldn't move as they were activating their skills.

Maybe Felix's worries were unfounded though as the Ocumini's giant eye displayed a vivid emotion, a clear sign of intelligence compared to its fellow Abyss Dwellers killed here, as the rage in it was unmistakable.

As enraged as it was though, there was seemingly nothing it could do. It actually had several skills, but it couldn't use them against an enemy this close to it. Were it to manage to even grab Felix for an instant, it would be able to crush him to death, yet Felix continued slipping through his attacks.

Moreover, while each of Felix's attacks were nicking the Ocumini's skin at best, he dealt more than half a dozen attacks every second.

While the Ocumini's build was scary and looked very strong against a humanoid, Felix had managed to take full advantage of it. While it was true that putting himself right under it was the most dangerous position to be in, it also allowed him to hit the monster in several arms with every attack.

Moreover, only a few arms could attack him where he stood, those very arms blocking the others from reaching Felix, and also stopping the Ocumini from using any unusual attack.

Half a minute passed like that, and as Felix was starting to really feel the strain on his mind, Zara had finished her Spell. Between her hands was a circular bluish ball that looked harmless. However, contained within was a terrifying blizzard, which she unleashed three meters above the ground.

The Ocumini's height, which was supposed to be an advantage that would stop enemies from easily reaching its weak point, its eye, was now turned into a weakness as its full upper body was forced into a small blizzard.

Harsh, cold winds carried icicles that cut into the Ocumini's skin as it started getting slower, the cold nature of the attack eroding away its Agility. Moreover, its sight was completely covered by the blizzard, making Felix's task a little easier.

However, the Ocumini was mighty for even this was not enough to bring it down, as it still stood strong, trying to smash Felix blindly. Its random attacks became a little harder to read for Felix, but it balanced out with its Fear Gaze being blocked by the blizzard.

But the stalemate only lasted for ten seconds, as the blizzard disappeared, the full pressure returning to Felix. Zara, who had unleashed the attack, looked worn out, probably having put all of her Mana into that last attack.

As for Zed and Drakon, they still weren't moving. But Felix had truly reached his limit as he slipped up for the first time, and got grazed by one of the Ocumini's attacks.

[-42 HP!]

The simple graze had removed nearly a quarter of Felix's entire HP as he felt his left arm, which had been hit, turn numb.

The Ocumini, who was only left with a fraction of its HP from the countless attacks of Felix and the blizzard it had taken head on, also felt the attack connect ever so slightly as it started increasing the speed of its swings, its eye emitting even more pressure than before.

Its moves, which Felix was reading easily before, now seemed to escape Felix as he barely remained standing, his mind about to give out. Felix could barely feel anything at all as he was grazed one more time, his health dropping slightly above half.

41 seconds was all he had been able to endure. Despite ordering his body to continue moving, his mind seemingly no longer listened to him as he felt himself grow rigid. Two of the Ocumini's arms once again managed to connect, failing to grab Felix but grazing his ribs.

His mind was so tired Felix did not even manage to read the system prompts or see his health, but he could tell he wouldn't live past another blow.

Looking at things rationally, dying here wouldn't really harm him. Sure, he would lose his items as well as a Level, but regaining them wouldn't be that difficult.

Yet, Felix felt unwilling for a reason he could not explain. But willing or not, his body and mind did not seem to care, as both failed to move as several of the Ocumini's arms moved his way.

Felix sent a last glance at Drakon and Zed, but the Assassin was not even aware of the situation, and Drakon, while looking helpless, was not moving. He was alone here.

But as the last embers of his consciousness withered away, Felix did not fall. His exhaustion had already impaired his ability to properly reason, yet Felix's connection to his Mana suddenly strengthened.

Logic and reason having disappeared, all that was left in Felix were instincts. Yet, the simple and primal instructions moved Felix's Mana with an ease he had never experienced before.

Zara, who was watching the fight helplessly and thought this would be the end for Odin, suddenly felt a faint pressure pervading the surroundings.

As for Felix, who was standing immobile under the Chieftain Ocumini, started moving once again. Taking a closer look though, Zara was astonished to discover his eyes were closed.

Yet the Ocumini failed to reach him in the slightest. The way he did it was completely different from earlier too, as if he was dancing before, then now he had brought himself to utmost simplicity.

Not a single movement was wasted, while his spear cut deeper into the Ocumini than ever before. Even the monster seemed confused as one of its most heavily damaged arms was severed, its first deep injury since the start of the fight.

42 seconds.

43 seconds.

44 seconds.

45 seconds.

Disbelievingly, the monster looked almost helpless before the man as two more of its arms were severed, while it failed to inflict even a single injury onto Felix.

Thoughts begets emotion, and for the first time in its life, the Ocumini felt fear, and so it did something unbelievable for an Ocumini.

It stepped back.

It wasn't a conscious thought, it did not even want to retreat, yet its body moved as if by itself, stepping away from Felix.

Yet Felix did not follow, as he no longer moved. The Ocumini stared at Felix for a moment, when the pressure coming from Felix disappeared. His Mana, which had been driving his body, had finally run out, and he was forced to unconsciousness.

Whether the Ocumini understood this or simply reigned in its preservation instincts, it once again started moving towards Felix, whose body still stood despite being unconscious.

But as it was about to reach him, Drakon finally moved. The ethereal armor around him clearer than ever before, he moved like a rampaging rhinoceros as he crossed the courtyard in an instant, reaching the Ocumini before it could grab Felix.

The Ocumini, who had been high and mighty until now, was knocked over easily, the already injured arms it tried to use to defend itself getting crushed by Drakon.

The Ocumini, despite being flung back, was still in fighting shape though as it used the arms in its back to stop its fall. However, its weak point, its eye, was now less than two meters from the ground, within reach.

Zed, as if teleporting, suddenly appeared right in front of the Ocumini, and before it could defend itself, both of his now blood red daggers were driven into the eye, facing no resistance.

The Ocumini completely froze as Zed disappeared with his dagger, before its eye suddenly exploded in a gory mix of blood and darkness.