Chapter 17: The Unstoppable Reaver

Chapter 17: The Unstoppable Reaver

CLANG!

Leon barely managed to block as the Hollow Blade Reaver's sword came down, a blur of black steel and violet energy. The impact sent a shockwave rippling through the dungeon. The ground beneath them cracked, dust and debris kicked into the air.

Leon gritted his teeth, his arms shaking under the sheer force. His feet slid back, carving lines into the stone floor.

Then—

A second attack.

The creature's blade extended, twisting mid-air, curving like a whip, lashing toward Leon's side.

Leon barely dodged, the black steel slicing past him, grazing his shoulder.

Arthur's hand shot forward— frost gathered at his fingertips. "Glacier Bind!"

A surge of ice erupted from the ground, sharp spikes racing toward the monster's legs.

But—

It broke apart.

The Hollow Blade Reaver's entire form shattered, dissolving into floating fragments just before the ice reached it. The frozen spikes crashed harmlessly against the dungeon floor.

Arthur's breath hitched. "What the—"

The pieces reassembled in an instant—behind Leon.

Leon's instincts screamed.

He turned just in time—raising his sword to parry another strike.

CLANG!

Another shockwave.

Mira gritted her teeth. "Damn it! We can't even get a clear shot—"

Leon's eyes sharpened. "Arthur, keep freezing the ground! Mira, wait for an opening!"

Arthur nodded, his trembling hands glowing pale blue as frost crept across the floor, trying to restrict the monster's movement.

But the Hollow Blade Reaver was toying with them.

It danced around the attacks, its fragmented body shifting, warping, slipping through openings that shouldn't have existed. Its movements were not natural—not even fast, but impossible to track.

It was watching them. Testing them.

Leon's sword met the creature's again. Sparks flew. The sound of steel clashing against steel filled the dungeon like a deafening storm.

CLANG!

SLASH!

CLANG!

Each impact sent a shockwave through Leon's arms. He could feel it. He was being pushed back.

The Hollow Blade Reaver wasn't even attacking with full force—it was adjusting, like a predator learning the best way to kill its prey.

Leon's breathing grew heavier. He wasn't gaining ground.

Arthur clenched his fists. "He's—he's struggling…"

Mira's flames crackled in her hands, her eyes darting between the two blurs of movement. "Damn it! We can't attack with magic—it's too fast! We'll hit Leon if we're not careful!"

Elara gripped her staff. "If we don't find a way soon, Leon will—"

Then—

The creature shifted.

A single movement—too fast.

Its blade expanded, stretching mid-air, becoming a massive greatsword in a single instant.

Leon's eyes widened.

Too fast—

SLASH!

Blood splattered across the dungeon floor.

Leon staggered back, sweat dripping down his face. His chest heaved, exhaustion creeping into his bones.

And yet—

The Hollow Blade Reaver stood, its twisted, fragmented form still shifting, reassembling, its violet eye burning with silent amusement.

Not a single scratch.

Arthur gritted his teeth. "Damn! This thing is so strong."

Elara was already moving, her hands glowing with golden light.

"Divine Blessing!"

A soft, warm energy surged into Leon's body, sealing the gash on his chest. His breathing steadied as the pain faded, but his grip on his sword tightened.

The moment Leon stepped back, Arthur and Mira moved forward.

There was no time to joke anymore. This monster wasn't just strong. It was beyond them.

Arthur's hands froze the air around them as he chanted, mana crackling through his veins.

"Dark Frost Chains!"

From the ground beneath the Reaver's feet, dark blue chains erupted—thicker, denser, infused with a chilling aura that made the air itself feel like midwinter. The moment they latched onto the Hollow Blade Reaver's legs, ice crawled up its body, locking its fragmented form in place.

But—

CRACK!

The creature twisted violently, shattering the chains in seconds.

Arthur's eyes widened. "Not even that—"

Before he could finish—

Mira raised her hands, her magic flaring like a storm.

"Tempest Thunder Spears!"

A hundred spears of pure lightning formed above her, swirling in an unstable, electric vortex. Then—

BOOM!

The moment she unleashed them, they crashed down like a meteor storm, striking the Hollow Blade Reaver with a force that sent the entire dungeon quaking. The impact illuminated the chamber in golden-white light, the crackle of electricity deafening.

The sheer voltage should've burned through anything.

And yet—

As the dust settled—

The Hollow Blade Reaver stood. Its body still intact.

Arthur took a step forward, clenching his fists. He poured every ounce of strength into his next attack, gathering magic into his blade until the air around him shimmered.

He launched forward.

"Phantom Glacier Slash!"

A flurry of thousands of ice-enhanced slashes tore through the air, so fast they left behind afterimages. Each strike landed with the force of a raging storm, cracking against the Hollow Blade Reaver's shifting body.

For the first time—

The monster twitched.

Arthur's eyes sharpened.

It was working.

He didn't stop. His blade danced through the air, each strike growing faster, the ice-infused edges biting deeper into the monster's form. The dungeon air grew colder, frost spreading with every slice.

Then—

BOOM!

A surge of fire erupted from behind.

Mira, her eyes blazing, shouted, "Infernal Stormburst!"

A pillar of fire erupted beneath the Hollow Blade Reaver, an explosion so massive that the heat alone forced Arthur to stumble back.

The creature was blasted into the air—its fragmented form twisting, struggling against the inferno.

Before it could recover—

Arthur slammed his hands into the ground.

"Absolute Freeze!"

Ice erupted around the creature, a towering formation of frozen spikes engulfing it in an instant.

Mira wasn't done either.

Her hands sparked.

"Storm Breaker!"

A thousand thunder spears rained down again, colliding into the frozen structure, sending a shockwave through the entire chamber. The impact was so powerful that the walls cracked.

A moment of silence.

Arthur exhaled sharply, his breath misting in the cold air.

Mira wiped sweat from her forehead. "Did… did we get it?"

Arthur stared at the frozen mound, heart pounding.

"It should've taken it down."

A stillness hung in the air.

Then—

A low hum.

Cracks spread across the frozen ice.

A violet glow flickered within.

And then—

BOOM.

The entire structure shattered. Fragments of ice and fire scattered like broken glass.

And from within—

The Hollow Blade Reaver rose.

Its body was damaged—jagged cracks ran along its form, its once-fluid movements now more erratic.

But—Its violet eye was glowing brighter. Not with rage. But amusement. Arthur's heart sank.

Mira took a step back. "No way…"

Leon stepped forward. He had been watching. Studying. And now—he had seen enough.

"Everyone." His voice was calm, but firm. "Step back."

The monster—no, the Reaver—stood across from them, its body wrapped in a dark green aura. Flesh that had been torn apart only moments ago was now stitching itself back together, sinew and muscle reknitting as if the wounds had never happened.

A sickening squelch echoed through the cavern as the Reaver's body regenerated at an unnatural speed.

Arthur narrowed his eyes. "What? It's healing way too fast." His voice was quiet, but the disbelief in his tone was undeniable.

"No," Kael corrected from the shadows. His voice carried a weight that sent a shiver down Arthur's spine. "It's not healing… it's reforming."

Mira's grip tightened around her staff. "If it can reform itself this fast, then… how the hell do we stop it? There's no way we can win."

"But—"

The words had barely left his mouth before the Reaver moved.

A blur. A flicker of green energy—

Then, it was gone.

Arthur's heart lurched. Too fast.

"Leon, move!"

A rush of wind. A shadow looming—

Leon turned just in time.

Clang!

Sparks erupted as steel met steel. The sheer force of the impact sent Leon skidding across the cavern floor, his boots struggling for purchase against the loose stone. The ground trembled beneath the power of the blow.

"Leon!" Mira screamed.

But the Reaver wasn't done.

Another flicker—this time, behind Mira.

Arthur barely had time to register it before the monster struck.

A silver arc cut through the air. Too quick to follow.

Blood sprayed into the air.

Mira's body twisted violently, crashing into the cold stone. A strangled gasp escaped her lips as pain contorted her face.

Arthur's stomach clenched. It's too fast. Too powerful.

This wasn't the same fight anymore.

The Reaver had been toying with them before.

Now, it was done playing.

Arthur staggered back, fingers trembling around his staff. No way. No way. We can't win this.

A sharp intake of breath—

"Elara, watch out!"

But even as the words left Arthur's lips, he knew it was already too late.

A flicker of movement.

A whisper of steel slicing through the air.

The Reaver appeared right in front of her.

Elara's eyes widened. She barely had time to react—

A monstrous blade, glinting with eerie light, came swinging toward her midsection.

A perfect kill stroke.

She had no time to dodge.

No time to block.

Arthur saw it all in slow motion—

Elara, frozen in place. The Reaver's blade, cutting toward her.

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(Chapter Ended)