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Blood swirled around my body and flowed along the edge of my sword. Ten blood tentacles unfurled from my back, each tipped with barbed, razor-sharp crystallized blood.

I took a deep breath and entered my Triquetra state.

A burst of energy surged through me as my blood accelerated, providing more oxygen and nutrients to every part of my body.

A cool sensation settled over my skin as a layer of ardor spread, reinforcing and strengthening my body.

Time slowed around me, and my senses sharpened as I activated Transcendence.

I could see every ripple on Asphodel's body, hear the minute pulsing of the revolting roots, feel the particles of snow, and the disgusting energy the creature exuded.

The air trembled, and the frozen ground cracked as I released part of my aura.

Despite wanting to obliterate Asphodel, I knew I couldn't defeat it.

The rooty son of a bitch was a Master S-ranked being, while I was only a Master A-ranked warlock.

Only an S rank can defeat another S rank. But that didn't mean I couldn't inflict a major wound.

My chances of winning were none. I just wanted to wipe that fucking grin off its faceless face.

Speaking of Asphodel... The daemon stood there, its featureless head grinning at me as if waiting for me to make the first move.

Its grin widened further when it noticed my gaze and beckoned me to attack.

My eye twitched. Oh, the fucking audacity!

I also noticed that there were no signs of other survivors on the battlefield, which included the more experienced and high-ranking Deathwalkers.

Asphodel had killed them all.

Rage welled within me.

The Abnormal daemon could kill me anytime it wanted.

It didn't have to engage in that short fight and wait for me to power up.

The rooty son of a bitch was playing with me.

I gritted my teeth, and my aura shook the ground.

How dare you mock me?

"Fine. I'll play with you," I whispered and shot forward, obliterating the ground beneath my feet.

In the blink of an eye, I was in front of Asphodel, the barbed tips of my appendages aimed at various parts of its body, and my sword aimed at its heart.

Suddenly, black roots erupted from the daemon's body, deflecting my appendages.

One root shot toward my eye. I quickly shifted my head and held out my left hand. Scarlet runes swirled around my arm as I activated a familiar code.

{Haema: Blood Grenade}

The crimson explosion blew me away from Asphodel. Using my appendages, I straightened my body and landed on my feet.

I clicked my tongue. My Blood Grenade had pushed back the daemon and staggered it, but it didn't inflict even a single scratch.

Asphodel looked at me, and a black fist appeared in my vision.

Crap.

Just as it seemed that Asphodel would knock my head off, I instinctively ducked and swung horizontally at its legs.

The daemon jumped and shot a black root at me. Even in transcendence, I barely moved out of the way as the root drilled into the ground, spraying snow, dust, and rock fragments.

Another flash of black, and I blocked multiple roots with my sword, slicing them off.

Huh. That was easy. I expected some resistance to cutting the roots. Suddenly, a shadow appeared before me.

Ah, shit.

Asphodel came into my vision, and I immediately rolled away just as its fist slammed into the ground, shattering it and launching me into the air.

I twisted midair to block another massive root aimed at my chest. Smaller roots erupted from the bigger ones and stabbed into my body.

I winced in pain and slashed them away with my tentacles.

{Haema: Shredding Gyroscopes}

Multiple orbs of spinning rings composed of blood surrounded me as Asphodel approached. The daemon jumped back to avoid the orbs and skirted to my blind spot.

That's not going to work, you freak!

I summoned numerous Vortex Bloodlances and launched them.

Asphodel's arms turned into multiple roots that swept away the bloodlances and went to shred the gyroscopes. A grin formed on my lips as its roots touched the orbs.

You wish.

I snapped my fingers. "Detonate."

The gyroscopes exploded, creating multiple shockwaves and surprising Asphodel.

Triquetra Overdrive.

Blood surged inside my vessels, threatening to burst them.

A musical hum filled my ears as the flow of ardor accelerated and reinforced my body.

Time slowed to an almost still as I passed through the crimson clouds and reached Asphodel.

My eyes locked on its hideous grin, and I readied my sword.

Then it tilted its head toward me as if time had never slowed down, and its chest rippled.

Shit.

I unleashed a storm of sword slashes, deflecting and slicing the roots erupting from its chest.

It felt like fighting a man with a hundred arms, each arm powerful enough to obliterate me.

Powerful gusts of wind ripped through the air, and the ground shattered beneath our feet as I desperately deflected, blocked, and sliced at the roots.

Even with Transcendence, I could barely see the paths of the roots. I had to predict most of them and act accordingly.

Numerous wounds opened all over my body as we clashed viciously. For a hundred slashes I unleashed in a minute, just as many cuts appeared on my body, and only a single scratch reached Asphodel.

I gritted my teeth. He's too fast!

With a furious yell, I unleashed my full aura, managing to inflict another scratch on the daemon's body.

Suddenly, Asphodel's movements seized.

My lips curled into a smile.

The twenty-five percent chance of paralysis!

It doesn't matter if you are an S ranker; the paralysis of a Basilisk Emerald will get you.

However, a being like Asphodel will only experience paralysis for a few seconds.

But even a second is enough for me.

A musical hum accompanied the flowing of blood as I combined ardor with my strand and slashed diagonally at the Abnormal's chest.

The attack connected, but a hand suddenly shot forward, grabbing my neck in the next split second.

I struggled, my feet kicking the air as Asphodel lifted me into the air, its iron grip around my neck tightening.

I noticed a gash on its chest oozing thick black liquid.

Asphodel tilted its head down at its chest. Right before my eyes, the gash quickly closed up as if my attack had never touched it.

It tilted its head up, its grin widening.

My rage blazed hotter at the revolting sight.

This entire time, the rooty bastard was playing with me. No matter how powerful my attacks, they wouldn't matter to the Abnormal.

Despite the dire situation and the rage burning in me, I couldn't help but smile at the daemon.

Then how about this?

My tentacles unfurled behind me, and before Asphodel could react, they struck.

The daemon's body shuddered as three barbed tips pierced its black rooty neck.

After fighting daemons for four years, I noticed a curious thing about them.

Daemons have tough outer skin that just a weapon can't pierce; one has to use ardor or strands.

But there is one area on a daemon's body where this tough layer thins out: the neck, specifically the area where the Adam's apple is in humans.

Most daemons have shadowy armor that protects this small weak spot.

Most daemons except the weird ones.

And Asphodel is definitely a batshit weird one.

But it's a weird one with that same weakness.

And the only way to counter its ungodly reaction speed is to use some drastic and bloody measures.

Blood flowed from my mouth and my body, pooling on the ground as I retracted the tentacles I drove through myself to get to Asphodel.

The grip on my neck loosened, and I gasped for air. I held out my hand, scarlet runes encircling it.

{Haema: Crimson Nova}

A huge amount of blood swirled around us, coalescing into a growing sphere that surrounded us like a blood barrier.

The sphere pulsed with power before condensing into a tiny marble in my palm.

"Try tanking this," I taunted before the marble exploded, engulfing me and the Abnormal in a massive crimson explosion.

I felt the wind rushing past me as I flew through the air, blown away by the explosion.

My entire body felt like it was on fire, and the three gaping holes definitely weren't helping.

Merging my tentacles into massive wings, I stopped midair and surveyed the battlefield.

A crimson mist hung over the huge area I just nuked with my most explosive code. Crimson and black flames burned fiercely, consuming the blood on the ground.

My eyes narrowed at the black silhouette emerging from the mist and flames, completely unfazed by the destruction I unleashed.

I clicked my tongue and dropped to the ground, using my strands to temporarily close the holes in my body.

Taking deep breaths to control the pain, I took out a recovery potion and emptied its contents into my mouth. My mind cleared, and my healing sped up.

I stood up, transforming my sword into the Fangs, and crossed them in front of me, ready for the next round.

I would really appreciate reinforcements right now, specifically a Master S-ranked Knight of the Round named Kay.

I entered my Triquetra state, and a second later, Asphodel stood before me, its terrifying grin unchanged.

Instinctively, I jumped back, but Asphodel's roots shot toward me, filling my vision.

Damnit! They're too fast! I can't counter them!

Just as they touched my face, the roots suddenly retracted. A crackling filled my ears, and red sparks surrounded me.

Something wrapped around my waist and yanked me away just as a massive barrage of crimson lightning enveloped Asphodel, obliterating the surrounding area.

Pieces of obliterated rock and a rain of crimson-melted snow rained down on me as someone caught me from behind.

"You're bloody amazing, Mordred!" Vanis Hectus remarked, her heterochromatic eyes gleaming with admiration. "You lasted ten minutes on your own against that freak. That could be a new record!"

I blinked in surprise. Ten minutes?

Wow. It felt shorter than that!

"You guys took your sweet time," I grumbled as she helped me up.

Deathwalkers popped into the battlefield in green flashes while Carlo continued to bombard Asphodel with lightning strikes powerful enough to shake the earth.

Vanis shrugged. "We needed time to prepare."

I narrowed my eyes. "If you guys are here, then I presume the Commander is not home?"

Her expression turned grave as she nodded. "Indeed. He has gone to Camelot."

I sighed. "Great."

Standing straight, I gripped my daggers and looked ahead at the Deathwalkers, specifically Unit Captains and other powerful ones gathering to take on Asphodel.

"Never imagined we would have to resort to Artemis's insane plan," I remarked with a nervous chuckle.

Vanis stood beside me and took out her sword. "The idea of the Hunters was something we all had in our minds. However, it was your vice-captain who was able to bring it to life," she said.

My earpiece crackled, and I heard Artemis's voice addressing everyone.

"Greetings Hunters. This is Artemis Fray."