There were a dozen mini-bosses in sight, and from that earlier strike it was obvious these creatures were no joke.
The scaled mutant spearheading its group pounced forward, arced claws streaking through the wind with brutal promise.
Seth reacted instantly, his sword soaring to meet the rabid strike.
Clang! Sparks flew on collision as horrendous force traveled through the weapon, sinking into Seth's arm. He winced as arteries ruptured under the pressure.
"Careful, guys! These things are no joke!" he warned the rest behind him.
Fwooom! Using his flames to catapult himself forward, Brandon whizzed through the air toward one of the monstrosities.
This one was several times bigger than the wolf-like corrupted they had fought earlier. It stood twice their size, its hide a deep black glinting with oily iridescence.
Its maw bared jagged teeth, drool streaming hungrily.
Suddenly, its huge claws dug into the ground, forcing an abrupt halt. Its gaze flashed menacingly as it turned toward Brandon.
It let out a guttural roar, foul wind rippling from its throat.
But Brandon wasn't fazed. Laughing hysterically, flames flared from his fists with scalding intensity. They streaked downward like asteroids, plowing into the creature before it could react.
Boom!!!
The wind whipped violently, shockwaves sweeping forth from the explosion.
Brandon stood in a molten pit of his own making, voice ringing out. "The stronger the cow, the fatter the meat!"
Unfortunately, he celebrated too soon. From the burning rubble beneath him, a paw struck forth, claws digging into his hip. The force sent him flying.
The creature clawed its way out of the flames. Apart from a few burnt patches of fur, it was unscathed.
It shook dust and dirt off its hide, then stared at Brandon with burning rage.
It bolted forward, atmosphere warping around its figure as it rushed to finish its prey.
---
Meanwhile, Seth clashed repeatedly with the scaled mutant, each time sustaining damage.
Blood trickled from his arms as cracks spread across his bones. He frowned. If he could help it, he didn't want to resort to equipping the Grim Executioner Set.
It was his ace, meant for the Defiled. He needed to save as much essence as possible.
Though he had shards, they took too long to absorb. And time wasn't on their side. His intuition screamed: the longer they delayed, the stronger the seed and its protectors would become.
The mutant blurred, its frame pulsing with deadly green cadence.
Its claw swept forth from an odd angle. For anyone else, parrying from such a blind spot would be impossible.
But Seth managed — at the cost of his balance. In battles like this, balance meant survival.
The claw and sword collided, sheer force sending him staggering backward.
The mutant pressed its advantage. Its scaled leg whipped forward, aiming to cripple his knee. At the same time, its claws tightened into a fist, pulsing green light undulating.
Its stomp landed — but the crunch of bone never came. Flesh didn't crumble. Instead, its foot dug into the ground, cracks running through the path.
Seth had avoided the stomp. He pressed forward just enough that the heavy strike missed.
The wind from the attack rippled his silver hair and skin. Even evaded, the strike made his hair stand on end.
This attack was countless times heavier than its previous ones.
Enlightenment dawned. Its skill increases weight, adding lethality to strikes while keeping speed intact.
Seth's expression grew solemn. His sword swept upward anyway, though he knew it would do little.
Sparks sprayed as his blade scraped against its scaled abdomen, leaving only a fading white streak.
---
A heavy wind swept forth. The sound of wings beating reached Seth's ears.
A shadow cast over him, surroundings darkening. A shiver ran down his spine.
He abandoned all thoughts of entangling with the mutant and leapt away.
An obsidian talon raced down through the air.
Boom!!!
The spot Seth had just vacated crumbled, dust and debris rising.
Creeeeeeeee!!!
A horrifying screech tore through the air, almost rupturing eardrums.
Seth grabbed his head in vain, trying to block the piercing sound. He staggered uncontrollably.
The crow mutant whipped its skull-like head toward him. Its beak closed, hollow sockets flaming crimson.
It flapped its wings, soaring upward in a blur before diving down. Its bone beak whizzed through the air like a homing spear.
The scaled mutant didn't relent either. Green light poured in waves as it streaked forth, leaving crater-like footprints.
Barely recovering from the sound attack, Seth gripped his sword tight. His eyes glinted stubbornly.
He would chop these beasts down with nothing but this sword.
If he had to equip the Royal-grade set just to defeat mini-bosses, what chance would he have against true bosses?
A cold rush ran through his veins. For the first time — maybe because death loomed so close — he sensed his own essence.
Previously, wielding essence had been subconscious, like a heart pumping blood.
But now, he felt the ethereal energy rushing through pathways, fueling Weapon Resonance.
Suddenly, an epiphany struck. Can essence be used like this?
He willed his essence into the blade, and it poured through the cold metallic structure of the sword.
For the first time, he felt a connection with the sword — not as a tool, but as an extension of himself.
His essence served as a gateway, channeling his senses through the weapon. A whole new realm of control was opened to him.
He could feel through the cold edge of the sword, every chip, every blunt, down to every particle.
Death loomed closer. The crow's beak pierced the wind with red-hot intensity. The scaled mutant's claws swung down.
Seth's gaze flashed with understanding, "I see…" he whispered to himself.
Golden system prompts flashed before his eyes.
[Congratulations! Your comprehension shines across the Origin!!!]
[You have comprehended essence trait: Oscillation]
[Description: When filled with your essence, all blade-like weapons oscillate with deadly intensity, making their edges 12x sharper.]
The glinting edge of Seth's sword flowed through the wind, leaving a glistening trail of blood in its path.