Chapter 262: A Failed Ambush
A fierce battle cry tore from Varesa's lips. She dropped low, her body coiling like a spring compressed to its breaking point, knees bent in a perfect squat. The very ground beneath her, already tainted by the Abyss, spiderwebbed with cracks under the sheer force she was gathering.
An instant later, that stored power detonated.
A shallow crater formed where she had stood. Varesa became a blur of violet lightning, a bolt too swift for the naked eye to follow, rocketing with terrifying velocity toward the Abyss Earthshaker. The beast had just let out a furious roar after the destruction of the realm gate, its attention fixed on the empty space.
In the final moment of her charge, she ducked her head, aiming the pristine white horns that jutted from her forehead. Imbued with the full, surging might of her Electro-charged body, she slammed into the monster's chest like a living warhammer—a headbutt of raw, ferocious power.
But the Abyss Earthshaker's reaction was preternaturally fast.
Faced with the sudden, violent assault, a low, guttural growl rumbled from its chest as its pillar-like arms snapped across its torso in a defensive cross. The black carapace plating its arms flared with a deep, violet energy, forming a nigh-impenetrable barrier.
KRA-THOOM!
The sound was not a sharp crack, but a colossal, muffled thud that felt as if two mountains had collided head-on. The impact echoed through the entire valley, a sound so deep it vibrated in one's bones.
The moment Varesa's horns met the monster's armguard, a visible, ring-shaped shockwave erupted from the point of collision. A turbulent wave of purple lightning and dark Abyssal energy blasted outward like a tsunami, scouring the ground clean of loose stones and dust, carving a temporary, perfect circle in the dirt. The powerful gale even sent the few remaining Hilichurls in the distance tumbling away.
Varesa's devastating headbutt, concentrating all her strength and lightning, had been stopped cold by the Abyss Earthshaker's crossed arms. As the two remained locked in a contest of pure strength, the explosive air currents swirled around them, clearing the immediate area of all debris.
The dark purple energy flowing over the Abyss Earthshaker's arms flickered violently, a clear sign that it had not escaped the impact unscathed. Yet its massive foundation of strength remained as solid as a mountain, and it began to push back, attempting to throw Varesa off.
It was in this fleeting moment of stalemate that Hu Tao made her move.
She knew an opportunity like this was not to be missed. Her figure moved like a phantom, gliding silently in a wide arc to the monster's unguarded rear flank. The crimson shaft of the Staff of Homa in her hands seemed to awaken, its lead glowing and crackling like a true, living flame.
She stomped her foot, twisted at the waist, and her entire body became like a fully drawn bow, channeling every ounce of her strength and scorching Pyro energy into the tip of her spear.
"Take this!"
With a sharp cry, the Staff of Homa transformed into a streak of crimson fire. It tore through the air, aimed directly at the Abyss Earthshaker's back—a vulnerable point with far less carapace to protect it.
If this strike landed, the monster would undoubtedly suffer grievous damage, its astonishing defenses notwithstanding.
However, the Abyss Earthshaker's combat instincts were far beyond anyone's expectations.
It was as if it had eyes in the back of its head. Sensing the lethal heat and piercing sharpness closing in, it let out another muffled roar. Its arms, still locked with Varesa, erupted with terrifying force, shoving her back several steps despite her digging her heels in.
In the same fluid motion, it spun with a speed that defied its massive frame. Its right arm, still ringing from blocking Varesa's charge and covered in thick keratin, swung horizontally like a giant shield, narrowly intercepting the tip of the Staff of Homa.
Clang—Sssss!
The collision was not the clean ring of metal on armor. It was a harsh clang immediately followed by the horrifying sizzle of flame scorching flesh.
The secret arts passed down through generations of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor imbued Hu Tao's attacks with the purest and most potent Pyro energy, which held a natural, suppressive power over corrupting forces like the Abyss.
Though the spear tip failed to pierce the hardened keratin, the burst of high-temperature flames and the spectral butterflies that danced around Hu Tao instantly set the monster's arm ablaze. The dark purple armguard quickly charred to black under the crimson inferno, and thick, almost tangible black smoke billowed upward, carrying the foul stench of burning flesh.
The monster let out a guttural roar of pain, the two burning violet lights that served as its eyes flickering violently.
But its counterattack was immediate. Almost simultaneous with blocking the Staff of Homa, its left fist was already clenched. A terrifying amount of dark purple Abyss energy gathered like a vortex into its fist, and with enough force to shatter mountains, it swung mercilessly toward Hu Tao, whose momentum had been stalled by the blocked attack.
If that punch connected, even with Hu Tao's agility, she would be left with broken bones and torn tendons.
Just at that critical moment—
The Jade Shield that had been enveloping Hu Tao suddenly pulsed with a brilliant golden light. deep Geo elemental runes flowed rapidly across the shield's surface, radiating an indestructible and weighty aura.
BOOM!
The heavy Abyssal punch slammed into the Jade Shield, producing a dull roar like the striking of an ancient bell.
Dark purple and golden-yellow energies clashed violently, annihilating each other in a dazzling flash of light. The shield's surface rippled intensely, its form undulating like water, but it ultimately held firm against the blow that could cleave mountains.
However, the immense force of the impact still transferred through the shield. Hu Tao felt an irresistible surge of power slam into her, and her body flew backward uncontrollably. The tips of her shoes scraped two long furrows in the ground before she finally managed to regain her balance more than ten meters away, her spear-holding arm tingling with numbness.
'What immense strength!' Hu Tao thought, a flicker of shock in her eyes.
Varesa, who had been pushed back, had already found her footing. Seeing Hu Tao in danger, she didn't hesitate for a second. Unleashing her lightning once more, she charged head-down like an enraged young calf, slamming a powerful, heavy straight punch into the monster's side. The blow forcibly drew its attention, preventing it from continuing its pursuit of Hu Tao.
From the cliff above, Zhongli's calm voice drifted down at the opportune moment. "Director, when facing an enemy—especially a strong one whose power is unknown—you must not be greedy for a quick victory and act rashly."
"You should cooperate with your companions. Probe first. Understand its movements, the limits of its strength and speed. Seek out its weaknesses, and only then plan for a decisive strike. Impatience is a great taboo in warfare."
Hearing his words, a faint blush rose on Hu Tao's cheeks. She knew he was right; she had been overconfident. The ease with which she had cleared out the lesser monsters had led her to subconsciously underestimate the strength and combat intelligence of the creature summoned by the merged realm gate.
She took a deep breath, calming the somewhat chaotic flow of energy from the earlier collision. Her eyes, when she opened them again, were sharp and composed.
"I know, Consultant! I was too hasty," Hu Tao called back, her grip tightening on the Staff of Homa. "It won't happen again!"
With her mindset adjusted, Hu Tao brandished her spear and rejoined the fray.
This time, she no longer sought a single, decisive burst or a surprise attack. Instead, she consciously began to coordinate with Varesa. She used the long reach of her staff and the harassing nature of her flames to attack the monster's joints and blind spots from a medium range.
Varesa, meanwhile, relied on her terrifying close-quarters explosive power and Electro-enhanced speed to serve as the main attacker, drawing the monster's primary firepower in a head-on confrontation.
One fought from a distance, the other up close; one was agile, the other ferocious. Both were far smaller and more flexible than the lumbering Abyss Earthshaker.
Hu Tao's spectral fire butterflies would sometimes gather, sometimes disperse, constantly disrupting the monster's senses.
Varesa's thunderous punches and flying kicks fell like a violent storm, forcing the beast to constantly parry, its attention hopelessly divided between the two of them.
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