Chapter 331: Tough

The once enemies now stood side by side. Ned held the Butterfly on his right while Gogmurch wad readying the jade ax.

Although surprised by the beast's massive recovery, Ned had seen much faster. With this kind of enemy, he knew what to do: incinerate them. The problem was: the magical beast was immune to fire from the outside. And its healing rate was fast enough that Ned had to use Overclock to conjure a spell through the wound.

"Well..." Gogmurch said, shivering his shoulder. "We can't go back now."

It has been decided the moment Ned went back to save the Hunters. They either defeat the Guulvorg—or die. Unless someone sent support, which was highly unlikely it would happen since the Hunters were transporting Gogmurch and the rest with utmost secrecy.

The enraged Guulvorg stomped its forelimbs, generating purple electricity that went raving to the two cages with the two bipedal beasts.

The Array that keeping the cage locked from magical interference cracked and then pulverized. Freeing the two beasts.

But they didn't leave just yet. The two bipedal beasts lowered their head. Its massive eye did not dare to look at the Guulvorg.

The Guulvorg growled in a guttural manner. Speaking to the two beasts.

Ned looked over Gogmurch. The Goblin general knew what Ned was thinking. He shook, cause even he doesn't know what the enraged beast was saying.

The bipedal beasts shook their body, a moment of pretentious growl turned their body into what seemed to be a human with four limbs on either of their sides. Their massive head with a single eye turned red. The cages bent and burst open as it was unable to support the ever-growing body of the two beasts.

One of the beasts leaped and cut off the path of the hunters that were trying to escape. Ned hissed as he saw that they were almost at the edge of the forest. The beast swept the three with its four limbs, throwing the two, and leaving Napond on the ground.

The remaining bipedal leaped off the cage and hurled itself to Gogmurch. Separating him from Ned.

"You want to solo with me?" Ned muttered. Before he could brandish the Butterfly, the Guulvorg's tail came sweeping to Ned.

Ned was thrown, Kurashinpi almost leaving his face. His left shoulder was stung by the pain from both the thunderbolt and its massive tail.

Ned rolled, scrambled, swept the ground, twisted his body until his back boomed against a tree. The tree snapped, leaving traces of falling leaves, and splinters of woods.

Ned's vision blurred, he could hear muffled voices, and muffled noises. A high-pitched noise ringing his ear. Yet, Ned smiled, he can't believe he was still moving, and conscious—no. Ned can't believe he was still alive.

The Silk Road tore. Ned's skin was visible under the ripped magical clothing he has. His back, and chest, and waist, were all visible.

Ned stood, checking the Mana he had left: 500 and dwindling. He had to, the Silk Road needed his Mana to repair itself. His mask shows cracks but was slower to recover. It seemed that the two were coordinating who needed the Mana most.

Thanks to the magical items, Ned only has a scratch rather than a cut.

But Ned being alive was a challenge to the Guulvorg. If only they left earlier they would not be in this current state. But this was Ned's decision. He must at least save the remaining hunter. Luckily, he's got an unlikely ally as Gogmurch was having a toe-to-toe with the bipedal beast, while Newter was, to Ned's surprise, actually helping the two hunters battle the other bipedal.

For now, Ned could focus on battling the Guulvorg—for now.

Fireball, Ned tried it won't work. And he bet any other fire spells he has won't work to the beast. Egneous aside. But he's got 500 Mana left, which means two times he could conjure Egneous. And after that, if the beast was still alive, then Ned's adventure might end.

Ned exhibited the grandness of the Butterfly. Showing how fine he was before the stampeding Guulvorg.

The ground shook, and the trees bent, and the wind howled, and the Guulvorg surged high up. Above was impending doom.

Ned conjured Windlance. He threw the lance and leaped to his right.

The lance bounced off its tough pelt. The beast's reached the ground with its paw discharging thunderbolt. This thunderbolt crept away from the bottom of its paw and trailed Ned.

"Fuck." Ned used Overclock to overcome the speed of the trailing thunderbolt. Ned jumped and reached almost a dozen meters away from the Guulvorg, the thunderbolt faded. Ned spun around and a pair of massive fangs shadowing his figure.

Ned raised the Butterfly and as soon as he does, sparks generated from the fang and flesh scattered under its jaw.

Although bleeding, its healing ability kicked in and healed it instantly, it then raised its paw to claw Ned who was jumping behind. Its paw was as big as Ned, and Ned had to make sure he won't hit by it again. And so he mans up and Boosted himself with Overclock. Ned evaded the claw an inch on his face then spun around and ran in a circle at the bottom of the hill.

Ned had to cut the Guulvorg big enough for the Egneous to do its job. Under its belly, around its neck, perhaps through his eyes once again.

At the bottom of the hill, where the afternoon sun was happily throwing its light, where trees danced amidst the chaos, a fight of both human and beast startled the silence. And the two hunters were the witness of these all.

Not far from the two hunters, and Newter fighting the bipedal beast was Napond lying over the grasses. His finger twitched, and opened his eyes.

And Ned stopped and stood beside him, clad in a black tattered cloak, where edges jiggled like ribbons. Holding a sword once in his life he has never seen.

"B-Baron?" Napond muttered weakly. Across the grasses and the bloodied bodies was the Guulvorg charging forward.