Chapter 117: Overdoing It

"What the fuck are these numbers?!"

Adam cursed as he danced through the chaotic horde of beasts, his flaming sword cutting through them like a hot knife through butter.

He moved at incredible speeds through the cavern, leaving afterimages and devastating shockwaves wherever he passed. With every swing of his sword, hordes of beasts were scorched and cut asunder.

Boom!

A part of the cavern walls exploded into stone rubble as a powerful flame arc detonated against it, killing several beasts in one strike while the rubble claimed a few more. But Adam was long gone from that spot, his eyes constantly reading the movements of the bloodthirsty beasts.

Boom!

Boom!

Boom!

Several more explosions resounded throughout the cavern, the space lighting up in orange flames, dust and smoke spreading out. Adam made sure to keep Aurelius in his line of sight at all times, lest he accidentally hurt him. And he dared not keep his perception away from the Deathstinger.

The scent of blood and waste was heavy in the air, the chorus of vicious snarls, growls and caws filling the air. Adam never stayed at one spot for long, constantly shifting and jumping off the cavern walls like a ping-pong ball.

He slid past a spider-like beast, cleanly cutting through its legs. He didn’t stop there. Appearing behind it, he raised his sword and viciously drove it into the creature’s exoskeleton.

The poor beast let out an ear-piercing screech as life got drained out of it. Adam’s gaze shifted once again, locking onto the next horde around him. From above, four birds of prey screeched and dove down with frightening speed, their talons and beaks aimed at him.

Adam executed a combination of sophisticated movements and sword techniques, creating several rings of blue flames around his body. The temperature spiked instantly. With a thought, he unleashed the flame rings, making them expand outward in a deadly and hot wave.

Boom!

The cavern shook once more, the agonising cries of birds and beasts resounding. Before they even fell to the ground, Adam was already gone, cleaving through another horde of beasts.

His eyes shifted again, momentarily reading Aurelius’ situation. The beast boy and his beast were holding their own. But the two were already panting, bleeding from several cuts and bite marks.

With no destructive abilities on hand, Aurelius found it a lot harder and bloodier than Adam did. Harrowing cuts and bite marks littered his clothes, blood all over his face and hands.

His combat skills and evasive manoeuvring were top-notch, but there were just too many beasts. And constantly moving at his top speed was quickly burning his stamina away.

The more he fought, the harder it got for him. His beast companion did its part, but it was bleeding heavily from the wounds it had accumulated. Aurelius clenched his teeth as he continued to fight, preparing to pull Ranger back.

As he cut through another set of beasts, two more came from the back, their claws tearing into his back and legs. Aurelius caught a glimpse of the incoming attack and managed to shift his stance at the last second, sparing his leg.

But his back was not as fortunate.

"Mm!"

The beast master groaned as blood sprayed from his lips. He gritted his teeth and pushed down the stinging pain, utilising the attack momentum to fly over the horde while cutting down some more.

"Ranger!"

The SilverIce Wolf howled as it charged through the beasts towards its master. There was a bit of limping in its run, but the beast was just as strong-willed as its master. When it got close enough, it leapt towards Aurelius.

At the same time, Aurelius spun and manoeuvred, jumping towards his beast companion. He reached out with his left hand and spun around with his beast. A shadow came out of nowhere and engulfed the wolf.

The bloodthirsty beasts did not relent nor give Aurelius the time to save his beasts. Several of them leapt after him, baring their fangs and claws. Executing a barrel roll manoeuvre, the beast master’s sword sang, exchanging a few more wounds for their lives.

He landed and swiftly broke out of the encirclement, not daring to be surrounded. He looked over to his partner and could not help but grit his teeth. Unlike him, Adam barely had a scratch on his body.

The wounds he had accumulated were slowing him down, his stamina on its last leg. Without a doubt, he would not last long.

As he laid waste to the latest horde, several blurs caught his attention in the direction of the Deathstinger Scorpion. Three beasts were approaching him as he was the closest, their speed beyond what he could properly follow.

’Oh no.’

The colour drained from his face as cold realisation hit home. Without hesitation, he called out to his partner, knowing he could not stand against those beasts while fighting off the others.

"Adam!"

Aurelius needn’t be told; those were peak Second Realm beasts!

Hearing his name over the chaos, Adam’s head snapped toward his companion, his eyes widening in horror. He inwardly cursed and swiftly called upon his two strengthening skills, his strength, speed and senses skyrocketing.

Blood Ignition

Skeletal Reinforcement

[Strength: 188 + (85 + 70)]

[Speed: 192 + (83 + 62)]

Even without Perception Overdrive and Vector Dominion, everything seemed to become slower in his perception; his strength and speed effortlessly overshot past the mid-stages of the Third Realm.

There was no way he could continue holding back when things had gotten to this point. Either he did something about it, or watch his mission partner and friend die gruesomely.

Adam made short work of the beasts he was fighting and appeared behind Aurelius in a flash, reaching the beast master just as the three peak Second Realm beasts were lunging at him.

There was one Razorback Wolf, another Deathstinger and a Thunderclaw Bear. Each was massive in their own right. The wolf had its jaws wide open, aiming to chomp on Aurelius’ head in one go.

From the Deathstinger Scorpion came its stinger dripping with venom capable of killing a person in seconds. The bear swung its right paw in a horizontal slash, aiming to gruesomely tear through Aurelius’ abdomen.

’I overdid it.’

Adam realised as he took in the unfolding scene like he had all the time in the world. He looked over to the Third Realm Deathstinger for a moment, and then at the surrounding beasts.

Returning his focus to the scene before his eyes, he acted.