Novel Full Chapter 1687: A Feral Savior (4)
Chapter 1687: A Feral Savior (4)
“Hrggh!”
Ethan swung his sword and deflected a black pillar.
His strength wasn’t his forte, but he managed to deflect it a few inches aside to save to soldiers.
“Stand up and go back to your group!” He roared, holding his sword before him tightly.
Both were startled as they expected to die, but the moment they heard Ethan’s words and realized that they were still breathing, the two soldiers nodded and sprinted away. As Rex warned them earlier, only a group of five could handle the pressure from the Desolate Zone.
And the moment they were separated, death almost picked them up.
Ethan didn’t watch them go.
Instead, he scanned the surroundings and took in the situation.
Fortunately, the Desolate Zone also pushed aside the Black Rift’s influence, so he could see every part of the dome without a problem. And it doesn’t look good at all, ’Most nobles on the outskirts are already rescued. Now, the soldiers are pushing in, but taking in space is harder the deeper they go. No… I should be thankful that we can even push deeper.’
On the deep end of the dome, Ethan saw Rex battling like a madman.
His aura pulled the Immortal Slugs’ attention so much that the pressure on the soldiers lessened.
What Rex was facing is still a lot more than what the entire legion was facing combined.
He was single-handedly stalling for time for the nobles.
’Just what can we do…? How can we reach the nobles faster?’ Ethan gritted his teeth.
Most of the nobles near the fissure were protected by the power of Law from those who wield it, but that’d not hold on for long. Soon enough, it would collapse, and the nobles would meet their demise. Although he was questioning that, the answer was already in his mind.
Ethan fixed his clutch on the sword’s handle, face darkening by the second.
’I need to rally then and lead the charge, but… what if I die?’ He thought, gritting his teeth hard.
Crash!
His eyes snapped up at the crashing sound.
Far ahead, Rex was caught by his ankle and slammed to the ground hard.
“Sir Rex…”
Ethan took a step forward but stopped; hesitation gripped his body hard, rendering him paralyzed.
He wanted to help.
Every fiber of his being urged him to help, but the fear of death was too much.
Despite being used to a battlefield, rallying the soldiers and leading the charge at this very moment was as good as courting death. Against the Immortal Slugs—this battle offered the lowest chance of survival he had ever faced as a soldier.
A terrifying entity that could even kill emperors.
If those people could die fighting against the Immortal Slugs, then what can he do?
He was nothing compared to those great people.
Crash!
Ethan clenched his teeth and closed his eyes at the sound.
He tried his hardest to hold himself back from being impulsive and ignore.
But every time the crashing sound resounded, he knew that Rex was in trouble, and he had to help.
’Just ignore it, Ethan…’ He thought to himself, standing his ground while the situation around him unfolded like a descending blade about to slice his neck in slow motion. ’Even if the nobles died here, it’s going to be fine. The White Mask is also going to die, so it’s fine…’
Seeing Rex try so hard to make sure this mission succeeded was a sight to behold.
And Ethan wouldn’t lie—it was extremely inspiring.
But he couldn’t throw his life away like that, as unlike Rex, he wasn’t one of the world’s favorites.
Rex had the protection of his powerful backing—and even Princess Davina, who was more than capable of saving him in a tight spot, would certainly intervene at the last second. But as for himself? He wasn’t anyone special. A person with an ordinary background who was fortunate enough to get to this position.
’Something big like this has no room for me to take a part in…’ He thought helplessly.
Just then, the thrashing stopped.
Or at least, the crashing sound coming from Rex’s direction stopped.
’Is it over?’
Ethan opened his eyes to peek.
He was hoping that it had all been too late, and that would save him from needing to act.
But reality has never aligned with his expectations.
A distance away near the border of the Desolate Zone, Rex stood like a robust shield, protecting Althea from several black pillars. Holes riddled his robust body, and blood seeped out of them. Each one of the black pillars couldn’t reach Althea, stopped by Rex’s dense muscles and bones.
Ethan’s eyes widened.
His blood boiled, and his heart pounded hard inside his chest.
’I managed to get so close to becoming a knight. I’ve served the empire as a respected soldier for years, and even swore to become a knight one day,’ Veins began to bulge across his arms, moving like snakes underneath his skin. ’And despite that—I shivered at the first sign of actual danger? How can I become a knight if I’m a wimp?!’
’A man without noble blood can only earn knighthood through achievements in battle—and this… this is my chance to claim it!’
Boom!
Ashamed for his actions, Ethan rushed forward with no more hesitation.
He dragged his sword along the ground, carving a thin trench in his wake.
At the same time, April, who had been helping the soldiers sustain the incoming attack with her black nodachi, looked around. Her voice cut through the air as she shouted, “Fall back to me! Now!! Retreat and gather to me!”
Upon hearing this, the soldiers immediately worked together to pull away.
But the other groups of soldiers that were too far from her were having a bad time getting to her.
And at that time, Ethan’s voice echoed.
“Follow me! We’re saving the nobles no matter what!!” He roared, rallying the other side.
Now, the scattered groups merged into two big groups.
One was led by April, while the other was led by Ethan—with no sight of Haxel.
As the two big groups gathered and pierced deeper into the Desolate Zone, aiming at the nobles who were in the middle section, the attacks came harder on them. The Immortal Slugs noticed them as potential threats and went into mayhem.
Swoosh!
Countless black pillars descended from the black canopy above.
It branched into dozens, if not a hundred of smaller black pillars that lashed out like sharp spikes.
However, under the lead of April and Ethan, the two big groups survived.
Fast soldiers separated from the formation to leave empty spots, while the strong soldiers leaped up and hacked the incoming black pillars, not to block them, but to parry the black pillars and let them land on the empty spots.
Once the volley was over, the soldiers regrouped again in unison.
Both groups did this repeatedly to underwhelm the Immortal Slugs’ attacks.
On the other hand, Althea stared at Rex’s back in shock.
She was stunned to see Rex throw his own body between her and the black pillars—shielding her when he could have left her to die. He had even told her earlier that she should’ve gone and died earlier, yet here he was, using his own body as a human shield.
It was illogical, and frankly, quite stupid.
Rex should’ve looked at the bigger picture and let her die, as the other nobles needed his strength.
He’s still needed in order for them to escape this perilous situation.
So, instead of trying to save Althea, he should’ve prioritized his safety since if he died here, there’s not a single person who could replace him in stalling the Immortal Slugs. Even Haxel, if he was even here to help, wouldn’t be able to replace Rex.
“We don’t share any experience before this mission, so why are you going this far?” She asked again.
Rex didn’t answer.
Grunting in pain, Althea crawled forward and reached Rex’s hand.
She pulled on him and asked again, “Why are you going this far to save me?”
But once again, Rex didn’t answer.
Althea lifted her gaze to Rex’s face—and the instant her eyes met his, her breath hitched in her throat.
His face was devoid of pain despite being riddled in holes, and he was glaring ahead at where the black pillars were coming from. On top of that, his lips were moving as if he was whispering something, but the background noise was too loud for Althea to decipher what he was saying.
Curious, she used Rex’s arm as support to stand back up and hear what he was saying.
“Never again…”
“Never again…”
“Just watch me, mom… Whoever tries to harm us. I’ll kill them. I’ll kill them all.”
Althea stepped away, realizing that Rex had lost it.
She could tell not only from what he was saying, but also from how his eyes dimmed into a blackness.
Nothing in his mind other than blood and malice.
As she took a few steps back, Althea’s eyes swept over Rex’s powerful, furred body that was emanating intense heat unlike she had ever seen. And at that moment, she realized, the vicious black pillars piercing him had missed every single vital spot. ’In that fraction of a second, he still managed to twist away from fatal blows? That’s… impossible. His instincts, his reflexes—they’re monstrous!’
Compared to anyone from the younger generation, Althea dares to say Rex has the strongest physique.
He was built to be a close-combat monster.
Not to mention, the shock didn’t even there as Althea soon realized the black pillars were trying to pull away—but Rex’s muscles held them fast. No matter how they strained—and writhed, they couldn’t tear themselves free.
“I’ll kill them all!!”
Slash!
Rex severed the black pillars with his claws and immediately blasted forward with lightning speed.
He didn’t forget to kick Althea out of the Desolate Zone in the process.
Grotesquely, he pulled the severed black pillars from his body as he sprinted.
Then, he shoved them into his mouth, munching on the black pillars as if they were snacks.
It was bitter and watery on his tongue, but there was a sharp tang that sprouted a new sensation. Like the first time tasting something spicy. Nevertheless, Rex swallowed it down—without hesitation. And the moment the black pillars slid down into his stomach, the holes across his body burned with searing heat, and in the next heartbeat, they sealed shut.
<Notice: the user has obtained a large amount of exp!>
<Accumulated Parasitic Reaver Echo (SSS) Fragment: 0,05%>
System, this sensation is insane!
<Notice: the user’s regeneration will spend stamina that would exhaust the user. As for healing through devouring, the user will use the energy contained within the flesh to heal rapidly, which sparks a new, pleasurable sensation that could spark addiction.>
Licking his lips, Rex’s speed went up another notch.
His form blurred as he headed straight to the nearest noble, but there was a new side mission in his mind.
Slash!
Rex hacked the main body of the Immortal Slugs, freeing the noble from its draining touch.
“Great work, Sir Rex.” The noble complimented, but Rex ignored him.
Instead, he opened his mouth and shoved the severed main body into his mouth.
And almost instantly, his body shivered in excitement as the taste burned his mouth, but it also brought a unique sensation that was addicting. So much so that Rex couldn’t help but lick his fingertips to savor every last bit of the main body.
<Notice: the user has obtained a large amount of exp!>
<Accumulated Parasitic Reaver Echo (SSS) Fragment: 0,25%>
“As expected, the main body tasted even better…” Rex muttered to himself.
Behind, the noble looked at Rex in confusion.
But before he could utter another word, Rex seized him by the armor at his nape.
“Eh? What are yo—WAAH!!”
Rex hurled him out of the Desolate Zone after lifting him up like a puppy—the force of the throw alone shattered the sound barrier, creating a thunderous boom that trailed behind as the rushing air slammed against the noble’s face before he could even brace himself.
<Save the nobles: 5 / 12>
Despite the sudden pop-up notification, Rex paid it no mind as his eyes were already fixed on the next target.