Chapter 642 Life Sapper

The Orcs and the Hobgoblins froze as they watched the black laser slowly be eaten away by Manny's green energy. Manny huffed as his body was engraved in green lines. They swirled, went down and turned in random directions as Manny pushed the energy forward.

"Argh!" The Orc Magician screamed. Three goblin mages fired out firebolts at Manny. Evan gasped as soon as he realized what was going on.

"Dammit, I'm not going to make it!" Evan shouted. He slammed his shield into the ground, a colorful array of lights shimmered in a straight line in front of Manny as Evan pulled upwards. "Kinetic Wall!" A large colorful wall popped out, cutting the black laser and firebolts away. Manny gasped as he fell onto his butt.

"Manny!" Liz shouted, dropping to the ground and running at him as Olivia, Evan and Ritsuka released the breath they were holding. "Are you okay?" Liz hovered over Manny as the green tattoo-like energy burned Manny's body.

"Argh!" Manny screamed. The ground around him was slowly deteriorating away as Liz reached for him. Manny grabbed her, pulling her in. Purple energy flew out and Liz began to scream in pain.

"Liz!" Ritsuka shouted. He ignored the pierced holes on his arms and side. He pushed forward, reaching for Manny and Liz.

"M-move!" Manny pushed Liz away. The purple energy flew into him, engraving purple lines into his skin as he continued to scream. Liz was deathly pale as sounds of scurrying were heard. Six hobgoblins jumped over the wall, screeching. "Argh!" Manny's body lurched forward, sapping two hobgoblins in an instant. Evan jumped out of the way, summoning another shield as a sword slammed down onto the shield.

Evan shoved the sword away, taking the opening of the hobgoblin with a shield rush. The hobgoblin slammed against the kinetic wall, reverberating as kinetic energy fired out of the hobgoblin's back, staining the wall in blood. Another hobgoblin swung at Evan as he turned to block. The hobgoblin froze in its spot.

Evan quickly slammed the hobgoblin backwards as he pierced the hobgoblin's head off with his shield, sending the head rolling away.

"Thanks." Evan told Olivia a bit out of breath. Hobgoblins and Orcs screeched as they peeked over the wall.

"No problem! There's more coming!" Olivia shouted, freezing the rest of the hobgoblins that had landed into the area. Manny screamed in pain as a blast of green energy fired out, killing the rest of the hobgoblins. Ritsuka lifted his hand to block it and watched as his energy began to sap.

"Manny!" Ritsuka shouted. He moved backwards as Liz groaned. "You gotta stop it!"

"I… Don't… Know… How!" A pillar of green energy fired out of Manny, his scream growing into a full crescendo.

"What the fu—" Olivia and the rest shielded their eyes. A sea of green washed over the walls, instantly dropping Hobgoblins and Orcs onto their allies. The Orc Magician's eyes widened as he turned away.

"What is this?" The Orc Magician asked. "Can humans be this powerful?"

Olivia's eyes scanned, noticing the silver light pulsing cocoon to her left. The few stragglers that managed to not get hit by Manny's sudden burst of energy, were rushing straight for it.

"What's that?!?" Olivia pointed. Orcs and Hobgoblins swung down on it, swords going straight through it. The silver cocoon faded into light, disappearing. The Orcs and Hobgoblins looked around, confused as the green pillar of light continued to grow.

'The latest_epi_sodes are on_the Nov elB i n website.',

"Get away from it!" Evan shouted.

"Liz is over there still!" Ritsuka pointed, sliding backwards. Manny continued to scream as his body lifted into the air.

"What's going on with him?!?" Evan asked. "Is he having some sort of breakthrough?"

"I-I doubt it! A healer doing this much damage?!?" Ritsuka answered. "I don't think it's possibl—Ahhh!" Ritsuka and Evan went flying in opposite directions. Evan slammed against the wall, noticing Orcs and Hobgoblins were backing away. The Orc Magician turned to look at him, smiling.

"Die!" The Orc Magician screamed. A black beam fired out of his hand. The energy from Manny was holding Evan's arms from moving. Evan began to scream, shutting his eyes tight.

BOOM!

Orcs and Hobgoblins screeched as smoke billowed twenty feet away. Evan opened his eyes to notice someone was standing in front of him. A silver-haired Fox Spirit with six billowing tails hovered in front of Evan as the Orc Magician shuddered.

"W-what is that…?" The Orc Magician asked. "Kill it! Kill it you idiots! Kill—"

[Sixth Tail Unlocked!]

[All skills have Evolved to match your new profound power!]

[Class Advancement! Energy Trickster has evolved into Runic Howler! 3 New Skills have appeared!]

A tail wrapped around Evan as the familiar Silver-haired person set them down on to the ground.

"K-Keng?" Ritsuka muttered first. "Is that… you?" Manny's screams interrupted them. Keng lifted his left hand up. A large Fox rune appeared followed by smaller runes. Keng turned his arm and pointed at Manny.

"Expel." Keng chanted. The runes shimmered and Manny's energy suddenly faded. Manny dropped to the ground, green lines pulsing as Evan and the others watched. "Are you guys, okay?"

"Uh… Yeah." Evan answered. Keng smiled and turned to look at his allies. His own allies wore the same shocked face as their enemies. They were in complete shock at what just occurred.

[Runic Howler: The basics of Energy Trickster markings have grown ingrained into your body. The studying of runes has triggered an evolution causing the User to bend complex runes within their own magic to keep Balance.]

'A new class advancement… And already so soon… Why?' Keng wondered, looking at his hand. He had been heavily injured in the battle with the Runic Hivemind and thought he would be a goner. Evolution had come at the nick of time, healing him back to his best. 'I didn't kill that monster, though… Why did I—'

[Because each Rune was a collective part of the Hivemind. The Monster bent living runes to its will, thus giving you enough souls to progress your evolution to six tails.]

'Huh.' Keng nodded. He bundled his fist and looked up at his enemies. 'The more you know.'

'ᴛʜɪs ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɪs ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ʙʏ N ovelBi(n)',

[You can weave more complex spells now with your Cosmos and Light abilities. This should cause a significant boost in battle… And because you might ask, Resonance will make this become even more empowered.]

"Good." Keng answered the AI aloud. "I guess it's time to get rid of the fodder." He moved his left fist out to the group of monsters. An unfamiliar rune appeared as the feeling of energy rushed towards his hands. "Cosmos? Gravity? Is this the rune for it?" The rune grew bright as Keng nodded. "Alright, let's test this baby out!" Six more runes appeared around the large Cosmos rune. Keng released the runes, watching as seven cosmic blasts fired out into the Orcs and Hobgoblins. The cave shook as Keng pulled his hand in.

"Woah, it's good." Keng thought aloud. "Doesn't use too much DM, either." Manny's coughing fit pulled him out of his thoughts. Liz lifted herself up, reaching for Manny as Olivia, Evan and Ritsuka made their way over. Keng floated over to Liz and landed.

"M-Manny…" Liz weakly called out. "Get… me to Manny."

"Heal." Keng chanted. A rune appeared, popping as silver light shimmered down onto Liz. The pale young woman instantly grew back to normal. Her shaking arms didn't shake as she lifted herself off the ground.

"Manny!" Liz shouted. She ran to him as Olivia and Evan hovered around Manny. The lines burned Manny as he continued to cough. "Manny, are you okay? W-what happened?"

Ritsuka's face squeezed together for a moment as he stopped moving. He had taken the brunt of the Imprisonment spell and now was feeling it. Keng wandered over to him and lifted his hands. The same healing rune appeared and popped, raining silver light down onto Ritsuka.

Ritsuka could feel his energy grow back. The piercings closed as Ritsuka's scrunched face loosened.

"How did you…" Ritsuka's voice trailed off. He waved his arms and checked his side. "They're all gone! Y-you can heal me like that now?!?"

"Dunno." Keng shrugged. He stared at his hand. He could feel his power had grown but it shifted into something else entirely. "What is this power…?"

"Keng! Heal him!" Liz shouted. Keng and Ritsuka turned their attention onto Liz and the others. Keng jogged over, circling to the foot of Manny as he coughed up blood. "He's been coughing blood ever since he beamed himself in light! Y-you can heal him, right?!?" The desperation and panic in Liz was apparent. She had never acted this way, ever and now was struggling to decide if she wanted to cradle Manny in her arms or not.

"Please—" Liz began to beg when Keng knelt. He lifted his hand up.

"Heal." Keng chanted a third time. The rune shattered into silver light and rained down onto Manny. Manny continued to cough blood as if the healing spell hadn't worked.

"Why isn't it working?" Liz asked.

"Heal." Keng chanted, again.

Nothing.

"Heal."

Nothing.

"W-why isn't anything happening?!?" Liz hysterically sobbed. She grabbed Keng and pulled his attention onto her. She shook his arm as she continued. "Why isn't it working? Didn't you heal me just fine? What's wrong with him?"