Chapter 206: Meeting Vesperin (2)

Vesperin and his group were losing—badly. The Abyss Bear was relentless, its hulking form looming over them like a monstrous shadow. Its glowing red eyes burned with primal rage, and each strike they managed to land only seemed to be in vain.

The beast's wounds closed almost instantly, healing with the Abyss Mana that saturated the air around them. Every effort, every attack, was rendered useless in the face of its overwhelming power.

Vesperin's face twisted in frustration, his eyes narrowing into angry slits as he turned toward his companions. His voice dripped with contempt. "Useless! Every single one of you!" He spat, glaring at them one by one.

His tone was harsh, filled with the fury of a man too proud to admit he had made a mistake. "How can you be so weak? We're getting crushed by this thing, and you can't even land a proper blow!"

Khalon, the broad-shouldered tank of the group, barely managed to deflect the bear's next attack, his massive arms shaking under the force of the blow. His body, drenched in sweat, tensed with the strain of holding back the beast's claws.

"This thing's too powerful, Vesperin!" he shouted through gritted teeth, his breath labored. "We can't keep this up much longer!" His frustration mirrored Vesperin's but was laced with the awareness that they had overestimated their abilities.

Vesperin cursed under his breath, pacing angrily as he tried to think of a way out. "This shouldn't even be happening!" he snapped, his voice rising in panic.

"How did such a powerful Abyss Beast appear out of nowhere? This place is supposed to be weaker at these depths!" His tone was desperate, but he refused to admit that he had led them too far, too recklessly.

From the shadows, Hades watched silently, an amused smirk curling his lips. He stood still, arms crossed, his eyes glinting with satisfaction as he observed the scene unfolding before him. "How laughable," he thought. "Vesperin led them straight into this mess, and now he's blaming them for it."

The Abyss Bear let out a bone-chilling roar, shaking the ground beneath them. It slashed wildly, its claws glowing with Abyss Mana as it towered over the group, ready to tear them apart.

The air around the beast shimmered, dark energy swirling as it fed on the abyssal surroundings, becoming stronger with each passing moment.

Khalon, his muscles burning from the effort, managed to block another strike but staggered backward from the force. His blood-red aura, pulsing with the Crimson Blood Strengthening Technique, began to flicker, the strain clearly taking its toll.

"This thing is getting stronger every second! We can't outlast it!" Khalon's voice was hoarse, tinged with a mix of fear and fury.

Beside him, Lyros and Sarela shared grim looks, their expressions tight with frustration. They had followed Vesperin into the Abyss Hole without question, but now they were regretting it. The arrogance of Vesperin had pushed them too far, and now they were staring death in the face.

Lyros wiped the sweat from his brow, his curse-based energy swirling faintly around his hands as he prepared another futile attack. "This wasn't supposed to happen," he muttered under his breath, his voice laced with bitterness. "We should've turned back long ago."

Sarela, her eyes narrowed with a mix of anger and fear, whispered just loud enough for Khalon to hear. "We're here because Vesperin pushed us too deep. He's too stubborn to admit it."

Her hands glowed with a sickly green poison as she hurled her next attack toward the bear, but even that was barely slowing it down. The poison seeped into the bear's wounds but healed just as quickly as it was inflicted.

Despite their frustration, none of them dared openly challenge Vesperin. He was their leader, their connection to power, and they knew the consequences of defying him. But the truth hung heavy in the air—they were in this situation because of his reckless decisions.

The Abyss Bear, sensing their weakness, let out another roar and charged toward Vesperin, its glowing eyes locked onto him. The bear's massive paw came down with terrifying speed, intent on crushing him.

Vesperin's face twisted into a mask of horror as he realized the full extent of their dire situation. "No! I won't be killed by some beast!" he screamed, desperately sending his Nether Puppet forward in an attempt to block the strike.

But the puppet, a mere 4-star, was no match for the bear's strength. It was thrown aside with ease, crashing into the rocks as if it were nothing.

Vesperin cursed again, his arrogance melting into panic. "How is it so strong?" he muttered, backing up as the bear closed in on him.

Hades watched from the shadows, his smirk widening. He could see the desperation in their movements, the fear flickering in their eyes.

"Pathetic," he thought, his eyes gleaming with amusement. "They've brought this upon themselves. Venturing too deep without the strength to back it up—this is the price they pay."

The three companions of Vesperin glanced nervously at one another. They were outmatched, and the reality of their situation was sinking in fast. The bear was relentless, and their attacks were doing nothing but buying them time.

Lyros grunted as he barely dodged the bear's next swipe. "We're going to die here if this keeps up," he muttered, his voice low but filled with frustration.

Khalon's face was a mask of determination, but even he was starting to lose hope. "We need a plan, Vesperin! This thing won't go down with brute force!" His tone was strained, but there was a hint of accusation there—directed at the one who had led them into this mess.

Before Vesperin could respond, the Abyss Bear roared again, and for a brief moment, it seemed as though all hope was lost. The beast's claws were poised to strike the final blow.

But then, from the shadows, a figure emerged.

Hades stepped forward, his aura dark and commanding. With a flick of his hand, dark tendrils shot out from the ground, wrapping around the bear's limbs with an overwhelming force. The beast let out a deafening roar, struggling against the tendrils, but Hades' power was too much.

With a swift motion, Hades tightened the tendrils, crushing the Abyss Bear. Its body shuddered before collapsing to the ground, lifeless. The battlefield fell silent.

Vesperin and his group stood frozen, staring at Hades in shock and disbelief.

Hades smirked, his eyes glinting with amusement. "You all look like you could use some help."

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