Chapter 506:Distraction.

Chapter 506: 506:Distraction.

The next twenty minutes were the longest of Silver’s life.

Beasts continued pouring through the ruined streets, their numbers seemingly endless as the surviving defenders struggled to maintain a narrow corridor toward the southern highway. He moved constantly, using Phantom Draw to eliminate smaller threats and his sword whenever creatures approached too closely, while Ravenna concentrated her flames into narrow, controlled attacks that prevented the beasts from entering the evacuation route.

[Phantom Draw Lv4 Activated.]

[Advanced Firearm Proficiency Activated.]

[Spatial Sense Lv3 Activated.]

He fired three times and three smaller beasts collapsed.

He turned as a Tier Three predator leaped from a damaged rooftop.

[Short-Step Lv3 Activated.]

He disappeared and reappeared beside the creature.

[Advanced Swordsmanship Lv3 Activated.]

His sword came down and the predator crashed into the pavement dead. Another beast charged toward the barricade.

He extended his hand.

[Spatial Distortion Lv2 Activated.]

A transparent barrier formed.

The creature struck it, the impact shaking the surrounding road. He redirected its momentum toward a collapsed building. Caleb immediately followed with his hammer and the beast fell.

"Nice!" Caleb shouted.

He nodded.

"Keep moving!"

Ravenna stood several meters away, her sword burning with crimson flames.

Flame Edge

Burning Arc

She swung.

A controlled wave of fire swept across the road, forcing several approaching beasts to retreat from the evacuation corridor.

Silver could feel her energy circulation through Twin Soul Resonance. It was stable, focused and determined.

He smiled faintly.

At that moment, the ground shook.

Mina, who had been monitoring the approaching beasts, suddenly raised her head, her face pale.

"Silver!" She called.

He turned to her.

"What?"

"That thing!"

His expression changed.

"Which thing?"

"The one from the central district!"

He froze as a deep, distorted roar echoed through the southern streets. Several nearby beasts immediately changed direction.

The ground trembled again before the abnormal creature emerged from behind a collapsed warehouse.

His expression hardened.

The enormous beast was wounded.

Blood streamed from several gaps in its black armor, and one of the bone protrusions along its spine had broken during its earlier confrontation with Peter. But it was still moving, and the malformed limb protruding from its shoulder continued twitching independently as though the creature possessed several competing nervous systems.

Its bloodshot eyes swept across the defensive line, then settled on the civilians.

Silver felt a chill.

It wasn’t simply running anymore, it was clearly looking at them.

"Everyone, fall back!" Helena shouted.

The creature roared and charged.

Silver moved before anyone else.

[Short-Step Lv3 Activated.]

He appeared in front of the creature.

[Spatial Distortion Lv2 Activated.]

A barrier formed before him.

The beast struck, the impact sending cracks across the transparent surface.

Silver gritted his teeth.

His newly repaired spatial pathways remained stable, but the force was enormous.

"Ravenna!"

She moved immediately.

Flame Edge

Her sword struck the creature’s exposed shoulder, flames erupting across the damaged flesh.

The beast screamed, then swung its malformed limb.

Silver activated Short-Step and disappeared with Ravenna. The limb smashed into the pavement where they’d been standing,concrete exploding.

He reappeared several meters away. Ravenna staggered before regaining her footing.

"That thing is insane!" She said above the noise.

Silver nodded.

"Agreed."

The creature turned toward the evacuation corridor.

His expression changed.

"No."

He extended his hand.

[Spatial Displacement Lv1 Activated.]

For a brief moment, the space surrounding the creature distorted. Its enormous body shifted sideways for only a meter but it was enough to disrupt its charge.

The beast stumbled.

Silver felt a sharp drain on his soul energy.

[Spatial Displacement Lv1 Proficiency Increased.]

[Warning: High Energy Consumption.]

He exhaled.

"Still expensive."

Ravenna looked toward him.

"Can you do it again?"

He studied the creature.

"Maybe," he said with an unsure tone.

She frowned.

"Maybe?"

He smiled faintly.

"Let’s find out."

The beast charged again.

He raised his hand again.

[Spatial Displacement Lv1 Activated.]

Space folded and the creature shifted sideways, its enormous body crashing into a reinforced transport container. The impact crushed the metal structure.

Silver staggered as pain flickered behind his eyes. He gritted his teeth through it.

Ravenna immediately stepped forward.

Burning Arc

Her flames struck the creature’s exposed neck, it screamed, but instead of retreating, it turned toward her.

Silver felt the change through Twin Soul Resonance; immediate danger.

[Short-Step Lv3 Activated.]

His figure disappeared and reappeared beside Ravenna just as the creature’s enormous jaws snapped toward her.

He raised his sword.

[Primal Strength Lv3 Activated.]

[Iron Bones Lv3 Activated.]

He struck, the blade colliding with the creature’s jaw. The impact nearly tore the weapon from his hands.

Silver’s arms trembled.

Ravenna stepped backward.

The creature roared, then slammed its head forward. He was thrown across the street until his body struck a concrete barricade. The structure shattered from the imoact.

For a moment, he couldn’t breathe.

[Physical Damage Detected.]

[Iron Bones Lv3 Defensive Capacity Exceeded.]

[Minor Internal Injury Detected.]

Silver coughed and blood appeared on his lips. He stared at it, then laughed bitterly.

"Already?"

He’d spent thousands of points healing himself, and now he was injured again. The realization would’ve been funny if the situation weren’t so terrifying.

He slowly stood.

The creature was still approaching, completely enraged.

Behind him, hundreds of civilians were attempting to escape. He could hear children crying, soldiers shouting, vehicles starting, and somewhere farther north, the continuous roar of the beast tide.

He tightened his grip on his sword before a thought occurred to him. He had been fighting this creature as though he needed to defeat it,but did he?

He looked toward the southern highway where the evacuation convoy was almost ready.

The creature didn’t need to die, it only needed to be delayed.

His expression changed.

I’ve been thinking about this all wrong.

He wasn’t here to win a duel or prove he was stronger than a Tier Five beast, he was here to keep people alive.

Silver activated his communicator.

"Helena!"

Her voice answered.

"Silver?"

"How long until the final convoy leaves?"

"Eight minutes!"

He nodded.

"Then we only need eight minutes."

Helena hesitated.

"What?"

"Forget killing it. We just need to keep it away from the road." He looked toward the surrounding buildings. "Caleb, Rowan, I need you to prepare the eastern industrial passage. Reinforce the walls and clear anything that could block the entrance."

Caleb answered immediately.

"Understood!"

"Ravenna, create a fire barrier along the western side of the road. Keep it narrow. I want the creature moving east."

She nodded.

"Got it."

"Mina, monitor its movements. Tell me whenever it changes direction."

"Understood!"

Silver looked toward the creature, then smiled faintly.

"All right." He raised his handgun. "Come on, you ugly bastard."

At first, the plan worked.

Ravenna’s controlled flames forced the creature away from the western road, while Silver repeatedly used Spatial Distortion to interfere with its movements whenever it attempted to turn toward the civilians. Caleb and Rowan reinforced the entrance to the eastern industrial passage, creating a narrow route that led toward an abandoned storage yard surrounded by heavy concrete structures.

The creature followed there plans while roaring, bleeding and destroying everything in its path. On the other hand, Silver moved backward, firing whenever exposed flesh appeared between its armor plates.

[Phantom Draw Lv4 Activated.]

[Advanced Firearm Proficiency Activated.]

His bullets weren’t enough to kill it but they were enough to keep its attention.