Chapter 39

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The rune shackles binding the Great Withering Snake pulsed ominously, their glow flickering like dying embers as the colossal beast thrashed against them. Though the fine strands of magic seemed fragile, like spider silk against the monstrous creature's flesh, they held firm, forcing the serpent's massive body to convulse and writhe helplessly on the cavern floor. (Image)

Jackson did not waste a second.

"Hurry, charge!" he bellowed, his massive sword's blade vibrating with sheer destructive force.

Beside him, the grey-robed figure threw back his hood, revealing the twisted visage of a Half-Beast Man. His lips curled back in a bestial snarl as he chanted in an ancient tongue, his guttural incantation thick with power.

The Half-Beast Man's chant reached its climax, his voice carrying an eerie resonance as ancient power surged through him. His fingers, elongated and tipped with thick claws, barely brushed against Jackson's massive sword. (image)

SSSII!

An unnatural frost erupted from the point of contact, crawling along the blade's surface like a living thing. Ice cracked and reformed in jagged veins, swelling the sword to twice its original size. The air around the weapon turned frigid, mist curling in lazy tendrils from the blade's deadly edge.

Jackson's fingers tightened around the transformed weapon. His breath came in ragged bursts, misting in the icy aura of the sword. With a savage grin, he lifted the frost-encrusted greatsword high.

Just as Saeed was about to join him, Leylin raised his hand, his eyes glowed with keen interest as he observed the process. 'So, this beast-kin warrior possesses an innate ability to forge enhancements? Interesting.'

Jackson has obviously fought alongside the Half-Beast Man before. Their coordination was almost instinctual. As the last slivers of enchantment settled, he surged forward, muscles tensed like coiled steel. His heavy boots thundered against the frozen ground, sending shards of ice and snake blood spraying with each step.

HAAAAGH! Jackson bellowed, swinging the frost greatsword with all his might.

The enchanted blade struck the Mankestre snake's neck. The impact was deafening—like a glacier shattering under its own weight.

PU-CHI!

The snake's thick scales, as strong as tempered iron, split apart under the monstrous blow. The freezing power of the sword rushed through the wound, forcing frost to spread into the serpent's exposed flesh, crystallizing blood vessels mid-flow. A jagged gash, nearly half a meter deep, laid open its throat. Pale bones, slick with icy blood, peeked through shredded muscle.

The Mankestre snake let out a bloodcurdling screech, a shriek so piercing that it rattled the rune shackles binding it. Thick, steaming blood gushed from the wound, spilling onto the frozen ground like a crimson flood. It writhed in agony, its massive coils smashing against the earth, sending debris flying in all directions.

Then, with blinding speed, it retaliated.

The snake's head lunged forward like a battering ram, its pupils dilated in sheer fury.

BANG!

Jackson's world exploded into pain. The impact hit him square in the chest, sending him flying like a ragdoll. The sheer force crumpled his breastplate inward, the metal screaming as it bent against his ribs. A sickening crack echoed as his body slammed against the cold earth, skidding through blood and ice. He coughed violently, flecks of red spilling from his lips.

His greatsword, now wedged into the ground beside him, quivered from the force of impact. The freezing enchantment flickered, struggling to hold against the raw power of the serpent's blood.

Ping! Ping! Ping!

Cracks spiderwebbed across the ice-encased blade. For a moment, it trembled—then the entire sword shattered.

Steel and frost exploded into countless jagged shards, some slicing into Jackson's exposed skin, drawing thin rivulets of blood. His weapon, his strongest strike—all reduced to dust.

Leylin's gaze remained sharp, unmoved. The beast still lives.

Roar!

The snake's remaining spawn sensed their mother's plight, and with mindless, suicidal ferocity, they surged toward Leylin's group in a frenzied charge. Their monstrous limbs tore across the cavern, claws raking the stone, eyes blazing with unholy devotion.

Leylin barely moved. He didn't need to.

"Do it." His voice was barely a whisper, but Saeed heard it clearly.

With a flash of firelight, the runes engraved upon Saeed's alchemical hand roared to life. His entire left arm pulsed with violent energy as spiritual force flooded the artifact, awakening the dormant power within.

Boom!

Flames erupted from Saeed's bandaged, oversized limb. His muscles bulged unnaturally, his veins throbbing with excess energy as his speed and strength spiked to unnatural levels. His footsteps cracked the cavern floor as he lunged forward, his burning fist swinging in a devastating arc. (Image)

The first wave of creatures never even got close.

Saeed's blazing hand punched through them like a comet colliding with flesh. The moment his fist connected, an explosion tore through their ranks, reducing several beasts to charred husks in a single strike. He pivoted mid-motion, his alchemical hand leaving a flaming afterimage, and delivered a second blow that ignited the air itself. The creatures disintegrated into fine black ash, their forms melting under the sheer heat of his attacks.

"To the Mankestre Snake, the eyes are its Achilles' heel. They are even more vulnerable than the heart," Leylin remarked coldly, watching the battlefield unfold. With a flick of his wrist, he tossed a small, black-bladed dagger toward Saeed.

Saeed caught it without looking. The moment his fingers closed around the handle, the magical artifact activated.

A low hum filled the air, and the blade shimmered with an unnatural light. The dagger's edge blurred, vibrating so violently that its form seemed to shift between existence and nothingness. A hastening rune, designed to allow for instantaneous strikes, ran along the blade's length, glowing with a ghostly shimmer.

Leylin took inspiration from the hastening runes of his magical ring, the only magic artifact he possessed which was repaired by Dorotte as a gift.

At the same time, the energy in Saeed's alchemical hand intensified. The unstable runes flared wildly, crackling with violent power, causing his entire arm to vibrate erratically. His fingers twitched uncontrollably, shifting between solid form and a molten, semi-liquid state as if the hand were barely holding itself together. A continuous crackling sound echoed from it, the sound of raw magic consuming flesh.

His form flickered—one moment a blur, the next, gone entirely.

Then, he moved.

Saeed became a phantom.

One moment, he was on the ground. The next, he was airborne, his body twisting through the air like a streak of fire and shadow. His alchemical hand crackled as he punched forward with all the strength left in him, the unstable energy surging to its peak. The dagger in his right hand vanished from sight, moving so fast that it tore through the air in an unseen strike.

Pu!

The dagger pierced through the left eye of the Mankestre Snake.

Saeed's burning fist slammed into the right.

SSSIIIIII!

A deafening, agonized screech erupted from the monstrous serpent. It convulsed violently, its entire body lashing against the cavern walls, sending rocks and debris raining from the ceiling. The rune shackles on its body letting off dark red smoke, straining under the intensity of its thrashing.

Murphy, sweat pouring down his face, roared desperately. "Hurry! I can't hold this for much longer!" His hands trembled as he fought to maintain the spell, the arcane shackles flickering under the strain.

Saeed did not relent.

He slammed his alchemical hand into the snake's skull again. Then again. Each strike sent splinters of blood and flesh flying. The dagger in his other hand moved faster than the eye could follow, slicing repeatedly into the soft flesh of the creature's ruptured socket.

The monster writhed in absolute agony, its tail lashing out blindly, crushing stone and sending shockwaves through the cavern. The force of its movements sent Saeed flying backward, slamming him against the cavern floor. He barely had time to scream as his left arm dissolved.

The alchemical hand had reached its limit.

The runes flickered one last time before the entire limb melted away, turning into a bubbling, metallic puddle mixed with blood.

Saeed collapsed to his knees, panting violently. His face had gone deathly pale, his body trembling from exhaustion and blood loss. The dagger in his hand crumbled into dust, its magic spent. But his attack had done its job.

The Great Withering Snake recoiled, its massive form shuddering. It convulsed violently, curling inward, desperately shielding its ruined eyes.

Leylin observed, his gaze sharp. "It's still not dead?"

He wasted no time.

His right hand tightened around the hilt of his sword, the runes engraved on the blade activating instantly. A crimson glow pulsed from the metal, radiating an ominous, bloodthirsty aura.

Leylin took a single step forward.

The muscles in his right arm bulged unnaturally as he hurled the sword like a javelin.

Bang!

The enchanted weapon buried itself deep into the Mankestre Snake's skull. A split second later, the explosive runes detonated.

A deafening explosion rocked the cavern.

Flames erupted from the snake's body, spreading rapidly, engulfing the massive creature in an inferno of arcane fire. The beast howled, its body twisting violently, its flesh charring under the intense heat. (Image)

The rune shackles around it let off one last creak before shattering completely, but it was too late.

The Great Withering Snake thrashed blindly, its massive, burning form flailing wildly. The cavern filled with the scent of burning flesh, the monstrous serpent's body now little more than a grotesque, writhing torch. Its death throes sent tremors through the ground, before, finally—

With a final, violent convulsion—the snake collapsed.

Dead.

Saeed coughed violently, struggling to stay conscious. His vision blurred as blood loss took its toll.

Leylin stood over him, expression unreadable.

"Jackson and Grandknight's earlier attack broke through most of its defense. The sword did the rest." His mind was eerily calm, as if analyzing an experiment's results.

Saeed's remaining hand trembled. His body was weak.

Murphy panted, wiping sweat from his forehead. "That was… insane."

Then he collapsed onto one knee, exhausted from maintaining the spell.

The cavern was silent—except for the crackling flames devouring the corpse of the Great Withering Snake. The only one left standing was Leylin, who hasn't suffered a single scratch in the whole ordeal.

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