Chapter 371: To Redeem

Ned was surprised to see a Werelion was already standing beside him, holding his wrist, and with his hands dampen of blood. He might have traveled for a long time that the blood was near to dry on his claws.

"As much as I like you to kill that puppet," the Werelion said. Under the dimming light of the light, his eyes were shining golden as he stares at Ned. "Unfortunately for both of us, I wouldn't let you do it, kid."

The Werelion was tall. He was taller than Ned by the double. Ned looked up at him, trying to assess who the beast was. There were marking under his fur, like calluses that Ned was able to observe even under the thick fur.

The two stared at each other. And for a moment, Ned could see how the lion smirked as though impressed looking at him.

"You're one of them," Ned said after he turned his gaze to the drying blood on the beast's wrist.

Back at the group. Claurette was able to compose himself and went to help the team, he went to stand behind the mages together with archers. For some reason, it seemed that he knows them as he tried to interact with them casually.

But the team has its limits. The knights started to fall one-by-one that even the mage (their support) was having a hard time keeping up with them.

Taking the chance, the beast decided to bore itself on the ground. A move should have done a long time ago if not from one of the mages that conjures terra spell, disabling it and making a hole underground.

As time passes, the beast was gaining an upper hand after the mages lost the ability to replenish their Mana quickly.

After the beast went underground, everything just went quiet. The team decided to form a circle around the mages and archers, protecting them inside. One of the mages conjured a spell, the last of his mana, that creates a thick ground, protecting the team from the beast underground.

"Huh," the Werelion hissed. "The Tailor was right, you are indeed unique. Tell me, how did you defeat two of his puppet. Answer that, and I might let you go."

"And if I don't?" Ned answered uncaring of his attitude toward the beast. Logic tells him that the beast was almost, if not equal, the same strength as the Tailor was.

The Werelion strengthen his grasp on Ned's wrist that for a moment, the light coming from his wrists, where the Mark was engraved, seemed to dim. But it was only Ned that noticed it. He sighed, then went back to look at the Werelion. He was trying to hold his own from the Werelion's strength.

"Impressive for a mere human," the Werelion said that made the pair of his teeth outspoken his grin. "You know what, kid. I'm not even interested anymore."

The Werelion twisted Ned's wrist, and in that move, Ned heard a crackle of his bones from his wrist. Ned nearly screamed but before he does, the Werelion pulled him up and slam Ned to the ground. Momentarily dazing him. The ground around Ned made a tiny fissure.

Without the Silk Road, his whole body might be turned to smithereens by now. But the impact was enough for Ned to let go of the Krisalix. The chains on the other hand remain visible and still locked at the puppet's legs.

Seeing that Ned was stunned for a short time, the Wereman went to grab the Zephyr chains.

To his surprise, the chain was difficult for him to even move an inch. He looked at Ned with amazement and proceed to bent and put all of his strength into the chains. His eyes shook and his arms trembled. A moment later, the chains suffer a chip which was caused them to completely shatter to pieces before they disappeared on the ground like evaporation.

The Werelion's face was already hard for Ned to observe, but for a moment, Ned saw how he almost shrugged his shoulders after he broke the chains.

The puppet stood immediately and was about to ram a hand to Ned when the Wereman caught it and pulled him off away from Ned.

Ned rolled and focused to see the thread connected to the puppet's chest was lighting in blue, thick, and was pulsating of Mana. Blood from Ned's mouth leaked down to his neck.

Under his display was the 3d model of his body, half of it was red aside from his limbs. He dismissed the display in red and looked at the Krisalix just underneath the Werelion's furry boots.

"Don't," the Werelion said as if he knew what was Ned was thinking. "You won't make it, kid."

And Ned believed that. With his body lacking rest, and exhaustion overtaking it, he knew, he wouldn't make it to the sword. Instead, he turned his gaze to the beast towering him on his right.

"What do you want?" Ned said, wiping the blood leaking down his mouth.

The rumbles of fighting from the other side of the team made the Wereman turned to observe them. The abnormally evolved magical beast was now trying to circle the team with its body that stretches to almost 15 meters.

Fortunately for the team, their mages were good. On top of the terra magic that was conjured a while ago, one of the mages conjured a fire spell that acted as a barrier to the group. Forcing the worm to maintain the gap between the team and the fire barrier.

But as seconds passed, the fire barrier was thinning.

Looking at the team, Ned knew they won't last long if the barrier went off.

"I want you," the Werelion admitted as he looked down at Ned. He was grinning still, but Ned couldn't feel any killing intent from him. He rubbed the skin of his forehead after feeling pain on it. It was a bruise he obtained after he was slammed. "I'm tasked to kill all of you here. But I like you, kid. So how about this. To redeem yourselves, kill that stinking worm and I might let you all go."