Chapter 265: Taste Freedom

Ned's crystal Core shook violently, then black clouds started to ooze out of it.

"You idiot." a voice claimed the silence in Ned's mind. "Now, tell me. Do you accept my powers?"

"No," Ned replied in earnest. "But I'm going to use you, Rassus."

"Ha!" Rassus shouted. Ned's mind shook with his voice. "I, Rassus the Devourer going to be used by you? You, who was not even a full-blown human? Let's see who's going to be used."

Ned confronted the pain coursing his body with a smile. Black clouds started to leak from his body, enveloping him.

Then these black clouds vanished. Ned's display went back on to normal and ICE's voice resounded through Ned's mind once again.

[Ned.]

[What happened?]

It was then followed by the worst feeling of pain Ned had felt so far. After the Overclocking, Ned's body was caught by the recoil. He knelt with the sweat dripping her forehead down to his cheeks.

"Damn you, Rassus," Ned said. Veins popping on his forehead and jaws.

"Ned!" Katolin cried below him. Ned looked down from the body of the Evolved Kruthik and saw that Katolin was being floundered by two smaller Kruthiks.

Ned rushed to her side only to be caught by one of the Kruthiks spikes. His back felt a force that threw him. He rolled and hit the wall, a good far distance from Katolin.

Katolin had to conjure a spell to kill one of the Kruthiks. Off guard, Katolin was stabbed by the spike of the other Kruthik. Her shoulder leaked blood from the stab.

"No!" Ned cried. He flipped and rushed to Katolin only to be hit by another spike to his left side.

There were no blood, nor bruises from the hit of the spikes. Ned bent with his two hands on the ground. Then on his wrist was the Mark of the Knight shining in white. Ned checked his body only to learn that the Mark defended him from the attacks of the smaller Kruthiks.

Growls trailed behind Ned.

The skill Defender activated as Ned was hit by the spikes. This means that the smaller Kruthiks were ranked between E and D. That must be the reason why the Mark activated to defend its bearer from attacks not stronger than D.

Ned rolled and ran toward Katolin.

"Shit!" He cursed and slid after evading the attack from above. Rocks and dust scattered behind him as the spike hits nothing but the wall.

"Damn you, Rassus!" Ned said. "Let's see how long will you last."

Ned had assumed that Rassus's powers would come to his aid if he was out of both energy and mana. He wanted to experiment with Rassus's powers. Which he was right. Rassus could only interfere with Ned if he has lost his powers to fight. Giving Rassus the chance to invade Ned's body since it was weakened.

But what Ned didn't realize was Rassus"s pride. He was, after all, a sentient being with knowledge and powers that others feared. Surely, he wouldn't surrender himself to someone else. Especially to Ned, since he was the one that defeated him.

Ned leaped, and slid and cut the Kruthiks spike that stabbed Katolin's shoulder.

Katolin fell with the spikes lodged on her shoulder and legs.

"Y-you…" she said with eyes unable to sway away from Ned. "N-need, to leave me, Ned. Please."

"No," Ned replied. "Not anymore I'm leaving anyone."

Ned stood and received another blow from the spike of the Kruthik. The broken Butterfly vibrated from the block.

With energy and mana rapidly decreasing, the green energy that extends and coils around the broken Butterfly was dimming.

Ned tsked seeing that there was no end to the beasts. They kept on piling around the body of the unconscious Evolved Kruthik. So much, that they don't die anymore from almost a hundred-meter fall.

Ned's mana was at the lowest while he used his energy constantly from both Overclock and the Vanishing Stance's fourth form.

But Ned won't stop just because he was losing his fuel to fight. Katolin needed him, his Master needed him, the people he wanted to see. Ned wanted to see them once more, thus, he vanished.

And appeared with his body steaming hot behind the closest Kruthik. With a thwack from the Butterfly, the Kruthik died with its head rolling. Ned then grabbed the dead Kruthik's spike and cut it with the Butterfly. Ned spun just in time for the Overclock to stop working its miracles. Ned fell on his knees, he was unable to move, but he must do so.

Gritting his teeth, he stood with veins popping his forehead, his body shaking as if devoid of all the energy, and his vision blurring. But he must fight on.

Ned wheeled his arms to block three of the spikes from the Kruthiks. He then raised his right hand to block another while the spikes, he held on his left, deflected the attack.

Ned then pushed the three Kruthik and jumped backward while he threw the spike, hitting one of the Kruthik in the eye, and it fell dead.

All these with his vision blurring.

His jump led him beside Katolin.

Katolin laid motionless against the wall. Her eyes had the will to help Ned. But her body won't. Her hands were balled of anger. Ned was fighting and she was there, being saved once again, doing nothing.

Katolin won't take it. What would be the use of Ned's blood if she won't use it to its fullest. Gritting her teeth she stood. Blood leaked from her mouth, her shoulder, and leg. But she was determined. Do or die. She wanted to do it. If they can't leave this place alive, then she better take down more of them before falling.

Katolin pulled the spikes in his shoulder and legs accompanied by a scream. With her last remaining mana, she enveloped her body with her armor. Leaving only her head. Her armor was thin, and some parts were having cracks. An indication that she was at her limit.

Unable to conjure spells anymore, she pushed her back to open to at least use one of her limbs as a weapon.

"I'm ready," she said after she got up beside Ned. "Where do you want me to?"

Ned saw that the armor covered her body momentarily stopped the leaking of her blood. But for how long?

"We need to get on the other side," Ned said, pointing the broken Butterfly to the iron door across them. "Past these beasts."

There were more than hundreds of these beasts now. Some of them stepped over the body of the lying Evolved Kruthik.

"So," Katolin said, stepping in front of Ned. "We'll have to pass through these beasts."

"That's the pla—down!"

Katolin crouched. Evading the massive spike that almost pierced her.

But another spike went past through Ned's vision. He jumped backward evading it, and another spike went straight to Katolin on their right, a click resounded.

Three spikes under the dust and smokes. Ned and Katolin nowhere to be seen.

The Evolved Kruthik was already on its limbs standing with three of its spikes extended toward the invaders. While it was being surrounded by hundreds of the smaller Kruthiks.

"Tsk," a voice echoed inside Ned's mind. "You're overly smart for an idiot. How long will you play hero?"

Under the clouds of smoke and dust. Ned smiled with the broken Butterfly blocking the massive spike. Both Ned and the spike shaking from their force along with sparks from the spikes.

"Shut up, Rassus," Ned said.

Ned had to grit his teeth to push the spike. The Evolved Kruthik growled sensing that its attack was blocked and overpowered.

"What do you think will happen to you if I die?" Ned asked in his mind. His voice toward Rassus. "So I heard you love to Devour?"

"Now we're talking," Rassus's deep and guttural voice echoed in Ned's head. "So, you're accepting me?"

"I'll say it once more," Ned said. He raised his hand with the black clouds enveloping his body. These black clouds then moved to coil his arms and legs as though snakes trying to get a hold of him. "No. But—"

With black energy coiling his hands, Ned pushed the massive spike with ease. Successfully throwing it. With black energy let loose, the broken Butterfly absorbs it as well, turning the sword to black with extended energy.

"I'll borrow them for a while," Ned said. "In return. You'll get to taste freedom by Devouring them."