An Old Enemy 2

Jesse whose location had been compromised jumped down, landing with a loud thud as he had jumped from a pretty high place.

The place where they stood in the middle of the forest, devoid of trees and a canopy; the slightly diverted sun rays shone down on both of them.

"It really is you, Jesse, I almost couldn't tell," Billy snickered and Jesse scoffed in response.

"I'm not surprised, you've always had a hard time understanding things."

"Ha! Seems you've forgotten who I am-"

"I remember, and it disgusts me to know that the likes of you have a place in my memories."

Jesse replied to every of Billy's words unrelentlessly.

"How do you get the ceteorin you sell?" Jesse asked.

"Why? Want some?" Billy chuckled, but then he paused as if suddenly realising something, "How did you know it was ceteorin?"

Jesse's lips curved into a similar smirk, "Why? Are you scared your disgusting deeds would be brought to light?"

Jesse knew nothing of Billy's business. However, he knew that whatever Billy did to get his hands on the ceteorin was not a pure deed.

"Or as always, maybe you're still a lackey," He taunted further, his lips stretching into an even more annoying smirk.

"You!" Billy huffed. His nails elongated as his eyes turned bloodshot in anger.

Billy's eyes burned a deep crimson, and with a guttural snarl, his elongated nails gleamed under the broken sunlight.

He lunged at Jesse, claws slashing through the air with deadly speed.

"Claw." Jesse reacted swiftly, his own claws extending, sharp as blades. He sidestepped just in time, Billy's momentum carried him forward as he crashed into a tree with a deafening crack, splintering it in half.

"You're still so predictable, Billy," Jesse continued his taunting, his voice cold and disdainful. Billy roared, losing more of what little control he had left. His movements became wild and erratic. He swiped again, this time landing a brutal strike across Jesse's chest.

[HP - 282/300]

Jesse winced, feeling the sharp sting of Billy's claws, but he kept his balance. With a swift kick, he sent Billy staggering backward. The force sent another tree crashing to the ground.

Billy, consumed by rage, growled and lunged again, faster and more vicious. His claws aimed at Jesse's throat, but Jesse parried with his own, the sharp sound of clashing claws filling the air.

Jesse retaliated with a precise strike to Billy's side, drawing blood. Billy howled in fury but didn't stop. He charged again, this time with his fangs bared, chomping at the air as his mind succumbed to pure, unbridled bloodlust. His wild attacks tore into the trees, sending branches and splinters flying."You've lost control," Jesse muttered, sidestepping another reckless attack.

Billy's wild chomps narrowly missed him, but each miss left deep gashes in the surrounding trees, reducing them to splinters. Billy, unfazed by the destruction, launched himself at Jesse once more. His claws caught Jesse's arm, drawing more blood. Jesse hissed in pain but countered quickly, slashing Billy across the midsection with his claws, the force of his attack knocking Billy back.

[HP - 271/300]

The first ranker roared, staggering from the blow, but he didn't stop. He charged again, ripping through trees and anything in his path. His movements were completely feral now, driven only by rage and instinct. The clearing around them was quickly becoming a wasteland, trees caved in as the two continued their vicious dance.

Jesse, panting and bleeding, watched as Billy's attacks grew sloppier, his breath ragged and uneven. Blood dripped from both of them, staining the ground."You've never had control, Billy. You've always been the real loser," Jesse said, stepping back slightly. "And that's why you'll lose...this time again."

Billy let out one final, furious roar, preparing to charge again, but it was clear his body was failing him. His reckless fury had left him drained, while Jesse, despite his own injuries, stood ready for whatever came next.

Jesse moved swiftly, using Billy's moment of weakness to his advantage. With a growl, he leapt forward, pinning Billy to the ground. His claws dug into Billy's chest, piercing flesh as blood spilled from the wound. Billy screamed, a monstrous sound that echoed through the shattered clearing.

"Stay down!" Jesse snarled, pushing harder, his claws sinking deeper.

But something shifted in Billy. His limbs twitched, and then came a sickening crack as his bones twisted unnaturally. His eyes, now fully red, burned with pure, unrestrained fury. His fangs grew even longer, dripping with bloodlust as a terrifying roar escaped his throat. With an explosive surge of strength, Billy wrenched free from Jesse's grip, sending him flying backward.

[Your opponent has evolved.]

[Your opponent has evolved.]

[Your opponent has evolved.]

[Your opponent has attained temporarily beast hood]

[You have received a new quest.]

[Defeat Billy O'Malley.]

The system that only assigned quests when he was in the worst situations came up again.

Jesse barely had time to process the sudden burst of power before Billy was on him again. His speed was unimaginable, a blur of crimson eyes and claws tearing through the air. Jesse's instincts kicked in, but he was too slow this time. Billy's claws raked across his torso, leaving deep, bloody gashes.

[HP - 240/300]

His health points fell greatly with every slash of Billy's claws.

Jesse stumbled, his mind racing. He hadn't anticipated this level of raw power. Before he could regain his footing, Billy was on him again, this time moving with even more terrifying precision. A flurry of blows landed on Jesse, each one more brutal than the last. Blood painted the ground red as Billy's claws slashed mercilessly, his fangs snapping dangerously close to Jesse's throat.

[HP - 200/300]

Jesse tried to block, tried to counter, but Billy's speed was overwhelming. Each time Jesse raised his claws to defend, Billy was already moving, tearing through him from another angle. His strength was monstrous, his strikes vicious, and for the first time, Jesse felt the crushing weight of Billy's full power.

A brutal hit sent Jesse crashing into a nearby tree, the impact shaking the forest floor.

[HP - 150/300]

Billy stood there, heaving, his blood-red eyes locked on Jesse, who struggled to stand. His chest heaved with bloodlust, and his fury hadn't waned. His fangs gleamed in the fading sunlight, dripping with anticipation. Jesse, breathing heavily, felt the weight of his injuries bearing down on him. He wiped the blood from his mouth and glared at Billy, but deep down, he knew the odds were turning against him.

Billy growled, his voice distorted by the monstrous rage within him. He lunged once again, faster than ever.

Before Jesse could react, Billy's claws tore through his defenses, and a heavy punch to sent him to his knees, gasping for air.

[HP - 90/300]

The more his injuries tried to heal themselves, the more exertion he felt. His stamina and strength was seeping out of his body at light speed.

[Your opponent's temporary beast hood has waned.]

The red in Billy's eyes dimmed and his sharp long fangs slowly retracted.

Jesse stood to his feet. His eyes flickered with determination as he saw the red in Billy's eyes begin to fade. The raw, terrifying power that had fueled Billy's rampage was ebbing away, leaving him open. Jesse had been pushed to the brink, but now, with a new window of opportunity, he wasn't going to let it slip away.

"Inspect." Jesse murmured. And in understanding, the system quickly marked out Billy's weak points.

Jesse quickly identified Billy's weak points—the gaping wound on his chest, the torn muscle on his shoulder, and the strained tendons from his overexertion. Without hesitation, Jesse lunged forward, claws extended, and struck Billy in his already injured side.

Billy howled in agony, staggering backward. Jesse didn't give him a moment to recover.

Using the Jab skill this time, he struck again and again, each blow landing with deadly accuracy on Billy's vulnerable spots. His claws sliced through Billy's defenses, piercing deep into flesh and muscle.

[Jab skill → Your speed has been increased by 10% for 2 seconds]

Jesse with a quickened momentum, jabbed Billy continuously for two seconds that felt like eternity for the other infected.

Billy swung wildly, in an attempt to retaliate, but Jesse was faster now, ducking under his frenzied attacks with ease. He stepped in close and drove his claws into Billy's ribs with another jab feeling them crack under the force of his strike.

Billy grunted, his body beginning to falter. He tried to swipe at Jesse again, but the speed he had before was gone. His claws missed by a mile, and Jesse dodged effortlessly, coming up behind him. With precise movements, Jesse delivered another series of rapid strikes to Billy's back and legs, each one hitting a weak point.

Billy let out a low growl, his breathing ragged, blood dripping from his wounds. He tried one last desperate lunge, his fangs bared, but Jesse was ready. He sidestepped the attack and, with a swift movement, slammed his claws into Billy's chest, directly over his heart.

"Consume!" Jesse dug his claws further into Billy's chest and the first ranker shrieked.

With what strength was left in him, Billy dug his own claws into Jesse's chest.

Jesse winced in pain as he felt the claws elongate further, piercing through his aorta.

"Urgh!" Jesse groaned as the pain shot up to his brain.

[HP - 50/300]

[You have sustained a critical injury.]

[You will continue to lose health points until your injury is treated.]

Blood splurted out of his mouth as Billy pushed him away and ran into the woods.

Jesse laid on the floor, his blood soaking the dried leaves as he watched his health points dwindle.

A curse slipped from his lips when he failed to pull his body up.