Might of Fallen Creature [3]

The battlefield was drenched in chaos. The wyvern let out a deafening roar, its abyssal black eyes locking onto the lone figure standing amidst the rubble. The Reaper stood tall, his hooded silhouette exuding an aura of unshakable calm.

 Reaper stood amidst the rubble, his sword resting against his shoulder. His sharp gaze locked onto the wyvern, its every motion calculated and assessed.

Chris, still frozen in place, clutched his recording crystal like a lifeline. His heart pounded as he watched the figure who had just saved them from certain death.

"Who is this guy?" Chris whispered to himself. Then, louder, "Wait, is that… the Reaper?!".

Nearby, Chris crouched low, clutching a recording crystal as though it were a lifeline. The young seeker Ascender could hardly process what he was seeing. The beast before him, the destruction surrounding him, and now, the arrival of the infamous Reaper—it was overwhelming.

"Hey, kid," the Reaper said, his voice calm despite the chaos. "Still alive?"

Chris blinked, stunned by the nonchalance in his tone. "Y-yeah… I mean, I think so?"

The Reaper smirked faintly. "Good. Then stop sitting there like a statue and do something useful." He tossed a small vial to Chris. The young Ascender fumbled but managed to catch it.

"Healing potion," the Reaper explained. "Drink it. Use the rest to stabilize the highmages. Get them out of here."

Chris hesitated, his eyes darting between the potion and the wyvern. "Wait, you want me to—"

"Yes, you," the Reaper interrupted, his tone brooking no argument. "Or are you planning to let them die while you busy running away?"

Flustered, Chris muttered something under his breath but followed the instructions. The warmth of the potion spread through his battered body, closing wounds and renewing his strength. He scrambled to the nearest highmage, hoisting the unconscious figure onto his back.

"Don't stop moving," the Reaper called out, his attention shifting back to the wyvern.

The beast roared again, its massive wings spreading wide. The sheer force of the gust knocked Chris off his feet. He barely managed to shield the highmage as debris rained down around them.

The Reaper stood firm, his cloak whipping in the wind. His sharp eyes narrowed as he analyzed the wyvern's movements. The beast was fast—unusually so for something its size—and its impenetrable scales shimmered like armor under the dim light. Every inch of its body was designed for destruction, from its barbed tail to its massive claws.

"Impressive," he muttered, gripping his sword tightly. "But there's always a weakness."

The wyvern lunged, its claws tearing through the ground as it charged toward him. Kain sidestepped at the last moment, narrowly avoiding the strike. He retaliated with a wind-infused slash, aiming for the creature's underbelly. The blade connected, but it barely left a scratch on the wyvern's scales.

"Tougher than it looks," Kain murmured, his mind racing. He jumped back as the wyvern's tail swept toward him, the force of the swing smashing through a nearby building. Dust and debris filled the air, but Kain remained focused.

He leapt onto a fallen pillar, using it as a springboard to launch himself higher. The wind spiraled around him, propelling him toward the wyvern's wing. If he could disable its ability to fly, he could limit its mobility. He slashed at the joint where the wing connected to the body, but the blade skidded off the reinforced scales.

The wyvern roared in anger, twisting mid-air to face him. Its massive jaws snapped shut just inches from Kain, who used a burst of wind to propel himself backward. He landed gracefully on the ground, his sword glowing faintly with compressed energy.

"Okay," he muttered to himself, assessing the situation. "The wings are too tough. The tail's dangerous. The underbelly's reinforced. So where's the soft spot?"

The wyvern roared again, its massive claws tearing through the ground as it charged once more. Kain darted to the side, narrowly avoiding another strike. He retaliated with a flurry of air slashes, aiming for the creature's joints and vulnerable areas. The attacks forced the beast to slow down, but they didn't deal significant damage.

Chris, now carrying his second highmage to safety, couldn't help but glance back at the fight. His heart raced as he watched the Reaper dodge and weave around the wyvern's attacks with uncanny precision. "How does he keep doing that?" Chris muttered under his breath.

The Reaper leapt onto a pile of rubble, his mind still racing. The wyvern's scales were nearly impervious to his wind-based attacks, and a direct confrontation was out of the question. He needed a way to penetrate its defenses—something more precise, more focused.

"Think, Kain," he muttered. "There's always a way."

The wyvern roared, its barbed tail whipping toward him once more. Kain ducked low, the tail passing just inches above his head. He used the momentum to close the distance, aiming a strike at the base of the tail. The blade connected, leaving a faint crack in the scales.

"There it is," he said, a smirk forming on his lips. "The joints. That's where the armor's weakest."

The wyvern turned sharply, its massive claws swiping at him. Kain dodged to the side, keeping his movements fluid and unpredictable. He launched another series of air slashes, each one aimed at the joints of the creature's legs and tail. The attacks forced the beast to slow down, its movements becoming more deliberate as it adjusted to the pain.

Chris, now on his fourth trip, paused to catch his breath. He turned back toward the battlefield, his eyes widening as he saw the Reaper leap onto the wyvern's back. Using bursts of wind, Kain maneuvered mid-air, landing near the base of the creature's wing.

The wyvern thrashed, trying to shake him off, but Kain held firm. He drove his sword into the joint, channeling wind energy into the blade. The concentrated attack caused the scales to crack further, a faint glow emanating from the wound.

The wyvern roared in pain, its wings faltering as it tried to stay airborne. Kain jumped off just as the beast crashed to the ground, sending a shockwave through the city.

Chris stared in awe, his breath catching. "He… he brought it down."

But the fight wasn't over. The wyvern, though grounded, was far from defeated. It let out another deafening roar, dark mana swirling around its body as it prepared for an attack.

Kain stood his ground, his sword glowing brighter as he gathered his energy. His breathing was steady, his gaze unflinching.

"All right, big guy," he said, his voice low but resolute. "Let's do this."