Chapter 293

Two blue moons hung high in the sky, casting an ethereal glow over the forest as slow, chilling winds rustled through the trees.

Rees and Leon trudged deeper into the woods, their weapons at the ready, senses sharpened against the encroaching shadows.

Rees gripped a long wand in his left hand, its tip humming faintly with one offensive pre-cast spell and one defensive barrier primed for instant activation.

Leon held Nyxter fully sheathed, invisible mana threads coiled around each blade like taut spider silk, ready to unleash the sword in a heartbeat.

"This area of the forest... it’s unnaturally silent," Rees murmured, channeling a scanning spell that pulsed outward, probing the surroundings for hidden threats.

"The crickets are still chirping, and those birds circling above suggest no predators are around," Leon replied in a hushed tone, his eyes locked on the winding path ahead, every muscle coiled for action.

"How deep are we going, Sir Leon?" Rees asked, his voice laced with hesitation.

"Deep enough so that no one can interrupt me," Leon answered flatly, pressing forward without breaking stride.

"Sir Leon... we’ve already delved farther than any adventurer has ever came," Rees pressed.

"I know. Now, stay quiet for a moment," Leon commanded.

’In case my bloodlust spirals out of control, I need a safeguard,’ Leon thought, his expression unchanging as he used the skill.

"Skill Crafter..."

"Calm Mind."

"As soon as the skill is used, it will stabilize the user’s mind and calm it down from any overwhelming emotions."

Leon’s eyes widened in bewilderment as the notification flashed before him.

"What the—" But before he could finish, an ominous shift gripped the air.

The crickets fell silent. The birds halted their flight, vanishing into the canopy. The forest plunged into an eerie, suffocating quiet.

"Mr. Leon..." Rees whispered, raising his wand and pivoting sharply.

"Get ready," Leon growled, his voice serious as he yanked Nyxter free in a fluid motion.

*Swish*

"But... I don’t sense anything. My skill shows nothing—"

"Hello."

The voice slithered from the left, cold and mocking.

Leon and Rees whipped around in unison, locking eyes on a figure emerging from the underbrush—a man in tattered rags, long black hair cascading to his knees, jagged nails glinting on his left hand. Blood smeared his lips and chin, a gruesome crimson mask.

*Step*

He stepped fully into view, and Leon’s blood ran cold. In his hidden right hand, he clutched two severed heads: one a hob-goblin’s, the other a crimson-skinned variant with twin horns jutting from its forehead.

Without wasting another second, Leon used his skill.

[Description: Mikael Malkovich was part of an experiment done by the Lopez household’s leader in order to fight demons, but after fighting the Demon general Gurua and eating her meat, Mikael unlocked hyper regeneration and gained immense powers in exchange for his sanity.

Mikael is neither a monster nor a human, he is something else. He still holds his grudge for the Lopez household and wants to slaughter them once again.]

’Fucking monster...’ Leon’s mind raced, adrenaline surging as he activated every combat skill in his arsenal.

Power flooded his veins in an instant. His aura erupted like a storm, encasing his body in pitch-black metallic armor that gleamed ominously under the moonlight. His eyes darkened to abyssal voids, every sense heightened to razor sharpness.

"Here I thought the Red Ogre would be my meal... but it seems I’ve got dessert too," Mikael sneered, dropping the heads with casual disdain.

*THUD-THUD*

*Swish*

In a blur, Mikael vanished, reappearing behind Leon like a phantom. "This armor won’t save you..." His nail pierced Leon’s shoulder, slicing through the Steelweb Armour as if it were parchment, drawing a hot spray of blood.

Pain lanced through Leon’s arm, but he spun with explosive speed, Nyxter whipping through the air in a deadly arc—only to cleave empty space. Mikael was already gone.

’His speed... it’s inhuman,’ Leon thought, gritting his teeth as sweat beaded on his brow.

*Swish*

Mikael materialized inches from Leon’s face, languidly licking the blood from his nail. *Lick* "Hmm... tastes off. You haven’t been eating well. Oh well... time to hunt you.

Why don’t you start running ?" Mikael’s grin widened, predatory and feral, as his nails elongated into razor-sharp metallic claws, glinting with lethal promise.

Leon didn’t flinch. He shifted his stance, Nyxter humming with restrained power, his breath steady despite the pounding of his heart.

"That’s new... No one’s ever stood their ground after realizing they’re just a bug to me," Mikael chuckled, his voice dripping with amusement. Then, in a heartbeat, he blurred out of sight.

’Fuc—’ Leon’s thought cut off as instinct screamed. He whirled, predicting the strike—but Mikael wasn’t behind him.

*Tang*

"Above you... Sir!" Rees bellowed, thrusting his wand forward. A shimmering barrier erupted around Leon, layers of hexagonal mana weaving into an impenetrable dome.

Leon glanced up just in time, Mikael hovered mid-air, claws descending like falling stars, slowly but inexorably piercing the shield with a grinding *crack* of fracturing energy.

"Fuck..." Leon cursed, diving right as the barrier shattered in a cascade of sparks.

*Thud*

Mikael slammed into the earth, craters forming under his feet. He inspected his claws with mild curiosity, then turned his gaze to Rees, a wicked smile curling his lips.

"Hah..." In a flash, he vanished again, reappearing behind Rees like death’s shadow, claws slashing towards his necro-heart.

*Swish*

But Leon was faster as he had already predicted his move. He pivoted with blinding precision, Nyxter singing through the air in a horizontal sweep that connected with Mikael’s wrist.

*Cut*

The hand severed clean, tumbling to the dirt in a spray of dark ichor.

*Thud*

Mikael didn’t scream or retreat. He stared at the stump, confusion flickering across his features as regeneration crawled at a snail’s pace, tendrils of flesh knitting far too slowly.

"What?" he muttered, eyes narrowing. The army that should’ve been repaired immediately is taking so much time just to stop the bleeding.

Leon seized the opening.

"LAST RISE: FULL MOON!"

His voice thundered as he channeled the skill, Nyxter whirling in a hypnotic circular motion. Moonlight seemed to amplify the blade’s edge, casting illusory foreshadows that danced like phantoms, drawing Mikael’s gaze into a trance.

The stance shattered. Nyxter exploded forward, a silver streak aimed at Mikael’s neck with velocity that warped the air.

Mikael’s instincts fired. His bare feet clamped the ground, toes and claws digging deep into soil like anchors. With a guttural snarl, he twisted his body at the last possible instant, the blade grazing his throat in a whisper of wind.

*SWISH*

*THUD-THUD-THUD-THUD-THUD*

Nyxter’s blades detached in a chaotic storm, hurtling outward like shrapnel. Trees splintered and toppled in rapid succession, bark exploding as the projectiles carved through the forest in devastating arcs.

*Haaaah*

Leon exhaled a steamy breath, sweat slicking his armor as he reset his stance, pointing Nyxter’s handle at Mikael.

"Nyxter..." he intoned, grip tightening. In a whirlwind rush, the blades reversed course, snapping back into place with metallic *clinks*.

Mikael’s casual demeanor shattered, replaced by a deadly glare. Carelessness evaporated; he now faced a true threat.

"I’ll hang your head in my lair..." he spoke, voice a low rumble of fury, claws flexing as tension crackled in the air between them.