Chapter 332: Toe-to-toe

Before Napond could continue to speak, Ned redirected the Guulvorg away from Napond.

Napond was a Gold Rank Hunter, bald just like his wits; he doesn't have the proper muscles to smile. He was somewhat bulky with his armor. Shining bluish armor, he might be from a fortunate House. But now, he was lying on the ground. Conscious he may be, but he was looking like his soul left him with his skin paling.

Ned dashed to his left, leaving Windlance in his wake, and hit the head of the Guulvorg with nothing but a smirk it shows Ned.

What have you given it, Thirteen? Ned thought to the man long gone.

Under his display were digits under the beast's furry belly and chest, and neck, all pointing at its glowing red eyes.

"Tss!" Ned said. Its movements were not supposed to be that quick judging from its size. It was like a giant, but faster and agile.

Ned's Mana was dwindling at less than 400. Fighting and conserving he must.

But why would he?

Ned jumped, nearly hit by the beast's fangs. He produced Mana stone, and in a blink he absorbed it. Adding ten to his current Mana. This process goes on for almost a minute, while also luring the Guulvorg away from Napond, and the rest.

In this minute, Gogmurch managed to cut three, out of the four, limbs of the beast. Eventually, killing it. In return of him incapacitated for the moment. Green sticky blood dripping under the cut of his left eyes, an inch cut on his chest. His white hair standing in excitement. But he must rest. "Damn this human." He wheezed after Ned passed by him. "Damn this beast also."

Gogmurch was ignored, the once strong goblin general was ignored by the Guulvorg. Knowing he could not give the beast a proper fight.

While the two hunters were showered by their own blood. Newter was having a good and hard time defeating the bipedal beast. Even though she was a wyvern, she was a baby, to say the least. It was already surprising that she could equal her foe.

She couldn't fly just yet, so most of the time she fought on her paws. Leaving three scratches on the bipedal's body.

The two Silver Rank Hunters were the ones supporting Newter. It was already a surprise that the two managed to be her lacky. Guess it must be due to Napond's training them well. The hunter with a mace, fought valiantly as though his superior was watching him. The other one was a lady, she got a helmet that covers most of her face. But now that it was thrown off, shoving dark and rough hair. Freckles and dark circles under her eyes, looking like a swamp without an added white spots. But her body delicately moved with the daggers she held on both her hands. Attacking only when Newter does nothing but rest. For now, they were managing a passive battle. They were enlivened after they saw Napond got back on his knees. But they could not leave the beast just yet. Leaving would result in Newter being defeated.

Another minute had passed, Ned made his Mana reached 803. It was more than enough to perform spells. But spells were not enough to defeat the beast.

Ned slid while he used his left hand to change his course, he pivoted and faced the trailing beast. He conjured Windball and flicked his wrist to threw to spell precisely to the Guulvorg's glowing red eyes. Blowing wind spell that momentarily blinded the beast. But even though it was blind, the beast continues to mercilessly scratch anyone it deemed an enemy.

An idea Ned had when he saw Gogmurch sitting idly and resting over a fallen tree. There, he noticed the white patches over his left wrist.

With a thought, Ned conjured Zephyr. Ned's eyes gleamed silver from an idea. With his left hand, he precisely projected the magic-created chains to the Guulvorg's bones jutting behind his back.

Ned forcefully tagged the pair of chains that hurled him midair.

He swung and hovered midair with the chains latching to the bones. He carefully landed behind the beast's back and slashes the bones wildly, just in time for the clouds to vanish. Giving the beast its vision back.

Ned hurriedly cut the remaining bones until he reached the bottom. Ned struck the sword, further down its hilt. He smirked and with a thought, he pulled the Butterfly and conjured Egneous. His Mana of 803 siphoned down to 200 in a flash. In return, the Guulvorg's back exploded.

Ned landed next to Gogmurch. Followed by a wind so strong the trees bent, pieces of equipment clattering on the ground, away from the explosion. Dead bodies overturned, clearing a wide area from the blast.

Black, brown, and Grey clouds loomed above the base of the explosion.

Gogmurch's jaw dropped with his arm covering his eyes from the dust.

Newter paused on her spot, black fur stood shivering. The two hunters stopped seeing how the bipedal beast stopped its attack. All eyes, and eye from the bipedal, turned toward the explosion.

Triple rings of cloud circling the base of the hill up toward the sky.

With this, pretty sure the rest of the people of Bogblot was signaled. They sure to come to the place.

A loud thud against the ground was heard by anyone present.

The Guulvorg's body was devastated to half. Deep brown blood discharging from the mound of two bodies. Bones and entrails falling and slithering away from this former glory long with the hunters and Ghostbloods bodies. Its head jerked to Ned, and the last they saw was its red glowing eyes deeming until blank.

Ned's shoulders shuddered, steam leaving the gaps under the mask and around the edges. He recalled the Butterfly back to his Ring and threw himself on the ground next to Gogmurch.

"Satisfied?" Gogmurch mumbled. For an old Goblin, he was somewhat compassionate for others. Not to humans, but to other beasts. Sas Koron was good at choosing her underlings.

Ned did not bother to answer.

Am I? Ned thought. Am I really? Guess helping someone was indeed satisfying.

Gogmurch stood and dashed, uncaring whether blood leaking his wounds.

He then stopped between the hunters and the bipedal beast, towering over all of them. With a grunt and a roar, he hacked the weakened beast. Killing it instantly.

The two hunters fell on their butts, staring with their minds wondering if they were one to die next.

Gogmurch spun and glared at the two hunters, and Ned. He shook his head and threw the ax before them. Beside them was Napond crawling for his life toward his pair of companions.

Gogmurch walked toward the crest of the hill, overlooking the trees, or what remained of it.

At that moment, a slithering sound growing from the dead body of the Guulvorg resounded. It was chaos, and it wasn't dead yet. Inside half of its body, where its head was attached, a lump of meat was thumping, it was the same meat the one that Thirteen had given. It beat violently that a dab-dab sound was overheard by everyone.

The last of the dab-dab sound heard and the bodies, cut to half, jerked. Veins thick as ropes, or thin as thread slithered trying to connect the two bodies.

Ned hurriedly stood, gritted his teeth, biting his lips at the same time, and dashed towards the recovering body of the Guulvorg. He conjured Egneous, which he should not have as per his aching body's request, but he had to. He had to and he did, and threw the Egneous—

But he was thrown instead by a purple energy rippling like waves.