22. An Unknown Entity

A resounding silence filled the room as the door slammed shut, Hiakam strolled in and took a seat in solitary, distancing himself from the others. Despite sharing a common goal as teammates, their diverse characters set them apart. Hiakam's disruptive and aggressive lifestyle, though cautioned by his comrades, didn't faze him. "I was busy, Halo," Hiakam groaned, reclining in the chair.

"I don't care," Halo swiftly retorted, gesturing dismissively.

"You don't usually gather us all for a meeting," Hiakam began, glaring at the party's leader. "So, how deep is the hole you dug?"

"Hiakam," Halo interjected, but Hiakam persisted.

"You're right," Loki, the party leader, admitted, rising. "There's no need to deceive ourselves. We don't get along well. The only reason we're united is due to our skill level."

The other team members, as usual, lounged around, paying little attention to the ongoing exchange between Hiakam and Loki until specific missions were assigned.

"So, what's the real reason for this meeting?" Halo inquired, cuddling a dog in her lap.

"It's about an Unknown," Loki revealed, capturing the team's full attention.

"No way, right?" Micah, the second leader, exclaimed. "Has the faction found out about it yet?"

"It's in the Fledplains, near the old mine shaft. Some surveyors stumbled upon the spawn area. They weren't killed but reportedly took their own lives days later."

"We have to get to it now!" Micah stood up, but the others remained seated.

"Wanna commit suicide? Go ahead," Hiakam smirked. "Hell, be my guest."

"Don't you guys care about impeding what the faction's doing? What are we all fighting for then?" Micah attempted to provoke them, but his efforts proved futile. "The faction has been hunting down Unknowns, they're two down already, and we still don't know why they're doing so."

"He's right. This is our only chance to stay ahead of the faction. We might not get another opportunity like this," Loki stated.

"I don't suppose you're gonna tag along this time?" Sven inquired.

"Unfortunately not," Loki began moving, with Micah following behind him. "There's been an Azure sighting in Silverholm."

"Of course," Sven muttered, rolling his eyes.

"Hiakam, Sven, Halo, take down the Unknown in Fledplains. I've contacted the guards there, the town should be closed off. Hurry there, trigger it, kill it, and come back with its core. New Order will be here soon," Loki said, walking out, with Micah following suit.

"New Order?" Halo sighed, leaning her head back on the chair. "There goes my week."

"Let's get this over with," Sven walked out, his sword dangling at his side.

"Get off your ass, Harlot," Hiakam said, kicking Halo's chair.

"Fuck you, Virgin," Halo clapped back, getting up and leaving the room alongside them.

Even though they all left the room, the ambient silence lingered, and someone raised his head, looking around. It was Emirus, their narcoleptic magician. "Meeting over?"

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The ice quivered in response to Silver Fang's presence, and curiously, the snow seemed to avoid falling on him, almost as if even a non-sentient phenomenon feared him.

Harvey could only lie in wait as his life hung in the balance. He was outmatched in every way, and as he had observed earlier, Silver Fang had suppressed all his stats, reducing them to a mere 10. Not only that, but the beast had also boosted its own stats, doubling its overall capabilities.

"You know, two people came for me earlier. I wanted to play with them, so I showed them my true self. But hey, there was no way I'd know my fear-inducing effect would hit them that hard," Silver Fang chuckled. "All my toys break so fast."

"Boo-hoo," Harvey mocked him, struggling to gather the strength to stand up.

"They screamed, shouted, threw up, just like your friend over there," Silver Fang turned toward Erra, now advancing toward her.

"No," Harvey said, exerting every ounce of his strength to stand up.

Erra glanced to her side, and in mere moments, she had been slammed in the gut. Blood escaped every orifice in her body as she rolled onto the ice, seemingly lifeless.

Harvey witnessed the unfolding tragedy, his mind going numb as he stared at Erra's lifeless body. His vision oscillated between a crimson outline repeatedly. "Erra." Harvey repeatedly struck his head on the ice until his skull burst open, his blood mingling with his tears.

Silver Fang swiftly lunged at Harvey, delivering a forceful kick that sent him airborne. In a daring mid-air maneuver, the beast punched Harvey down into the icy surface. Under normal circumstances, this brutal assault would have been lethal, especially with Harvey's suppressed toughness.

"Erra," Harvey uttered once more, gazing at her motionless form lying on the frigid ground. Despite his attempts to crawl toward her, both his hand and right leg had been broken. With heightened hearing, he desperately hoped to catch any sign of life, but his plea remained unanswered. She was gone.

"The ability to negate damage?" Silver Fang mused as he approached the now incapacitated Harvey. "Using your technique to prolong your death would only make it more painful."

"I'll kill you," Harvey spoke, but his words emerged as a mere whisper.

"Hm?" Silver Fang observed as Harvey lost consciousness, his eyes rolling to the back of his head. "Well, I guess you'll never get the chance to," Silver Fang remarked as he walked away from the scene of carnage.

"Invading a nearby city should be fun," Silver Fang contemplated while sitting on Zachary's lifeless form. "But still, the ability to negate damage. If only he was stronger."

Subtly yearning for a formidable opponent who could unleash his full potential, Silver Fang found no one able to meet that criterion, not even Hajun, the world's greatest gamer who had succumbed to him... or so it seemed.

Harvey's finger twitched ever so subtly, too little for anyone to notice. Even if Silver Fang had caught a glimpse, it could be dismissed as a mere muscle spasm. As the Unknown pondered on the ice, Harvey lay within a dark room, staring at Death.

Sinking deeper into the abyss of death, Harvey's mind pondered about his life. Reflecting on all his choices leading up to this point, every person he had encountered, he sank deeper, approaching the nadir of oblivion. He glimpsed at Death seated on his throne, yet the Grim Reaper appeared oblivious to his presence. Then, suddenly, his eyes snapped open. It wasn't his time yet.

"Hm?"

Harvey's head twitched, followed by a sudden movement in his leg, and then his voice resounded, "I'm still kicking, bitch."

Silver Fang turned his attention toward Harvey, visibly puzzled. Tanking such an attack should have been impossible, yet here Harvey stood, defying expectations. "For an Unknown, you don't hit for shit!" Harvey immediately retorted, prompting Silver Fang to strike him forcefully, sending him to the opposite side of the ice rink, where mountains stood.

However, Harvey emerged once more, limping but with an immense smile on his face. Perhaps his near-death experience had driven him to madness, but at this moment, he felt a profound understanding of everything—every atom, every molecule. "Now I understand it, it's actually easy," Harvey laughed, further irritating his opponent.

Silver Fang sprinted across the ice, charging mana in his fist, determined to end this persistent human once and for all. Yet, as he closed in, something felt amiss. The look in Harvey's eyes wasn't that of a dead man; it was the gaze of someone prepared for a fight. Yet, Silver Fang pressed on, striking Harvey.

"Do you know what a Manifest is?" Harvey nullified the attack, now standing behind the beast's fist. "I've never understood it until now."

"What are you talking about?"

"A manifest is the peak of an ability, its absolute pinnacle. It can only be unlocked at the brink of death." Harvey extended his hand, focusing his mana. "I've been there many times but maybe I wasn't truly, props to you."

Silver Fang turned around faster than he could think, while it didn't understand the concept of a manifest its instinct had told it to run, but it was a moment too late as Harvey already activated his ability.

"Manifest: Causma Nexus."

Silver Fang found himself back in the same position as before, witnessing Harvey's self-healing. Every cut and bruise he endured was undone, his arms regenerated, and his stats reverted to their state at the beginning of the battle before being suppressed by Silver Fang's technique.

"What is this?" Silver Fang swore he had attempted to escape, but each time, he found himself back in the same location. Even trying to throw punches resulted in his arms remaining motionless.

"My manifest perfects my ability to negate cause and effect, even elevating it." Harvey continued to speak, having a conversation with himself. "I can infinitely negate everything within this zone, even reverting it. Does this work for all my attacks?"

"Lightning Magic: ThunderFall Max."

Lightning bolts struck the ice, damaging Silver Fang who stood still within the manifest zone. Yet, once the attack stopped, Harvey reverted the cause, and the spell repeated, inflicting damage on Silver Fang again.

"Hmm, I can do that to spells too." Harvey examined his regenerated arm before materializing his dagger into it. Slowly, he walked toward Silver Fang, stabbing the blade into the beast's heart. Swiftly, Harvey struck the creature so hard in its gut that it was sent flying into the opposite mountain.

Silver Fang emerged from the mountain, nonchalantly popping his neck back into place. "I've always loved you humans," He said as he drew two daggers resting on his waist. "You're always so interesting!"

"Even piercing your heart won't end you." Harvey chuckled. "Guess I'll have to atomize you then."

Silver Fang dashed toward Harvey, who didn't flinch. His manifest was active, rendering him impervious to external effects. Harvey raised his hand, attempting to nullify the damage and counterattack, but Silver Fang's strike passed through, slashing across Harvey's chest.

Harvey fell to the ground, slowly reverting the effect of the slash. He couldn't stop the attack, as if it had been predetermined to strike him. Getting back up, Harvey dashed toward Silver Fang, aiming to finish him before the manifest ended.

Swinging his dagger, Harvey found the beast neatly deflecting it before delivering a slash that even though he deflected, still hurt him. "Confused, right?" Silver Fang glanced toward Harvey, quickly severing his legs.

"My blades can't be blocked, they follow the thread of fate. Attempting to block them only inflicts damage internally. A perfect counter to your ability, right?" Silver Fang laughed. "And then, I noticed. You're hurrying, almost as if you're on a time limit."

"Tch." Harvey sighed as he reverted his cause and effect simultaneously, regenerating his limbs.

"Form 1: Malignant Cloud." Silver Fang rushed toward him, swinging his dagger once more however as Harvey tried blocking, his vision was darkened and in that same moment he felt himself get poisoned, his body should've been impervious to poison but still, he was affected.

Swiftly nullifying both effects, he attempted to fend off Silver Fang, who was already within striking distance. Hastily raising his daggers in defense, aiming to protect his chest, yet his adversary swiftly descended, knocking him off balance, and in an instant, Harvey found himself airborne as Silver Fang severed his head. "Weak." It muttered.