Chapter 137

137 Insanity... (2)

As the final vestiges of daylight were swallowed by the horizon, the only sounds that could be heard were the deafening roar of swirling tornadoes and the eerie, piercing cackle that seemed to echo through the desert. The wind whipped wildly, kicking up plumes of red sand and debris as the massive funnel clouds danced and spun across the barren desert landscape. The ground shook underfoot, adding to the sense of otherworldly, apocalyptic destruction.

And yet, amidst all the noise and destruction, that eerie laughter persisted, sending shivers down the spine and raising the hair on the back of the neck. It was as if some malevolent force was enjoying the chaos and destruction, relishing in the power it held over the natural world.

[? ?G?~?o?~?o?ˉ~~?d?¨?_^ˉ°¨? ?`?¨?_?G?”?°?ˉ?_?o?ˉ?o?d?ˉ?ˉ′°¨_′?_? ?′~?]?

As the chaotic laughter filled the air, a few words stumbled out of Leo’s throat and were carried away by the wind. The tornadoes, as if in response, intensified, spinning faster and growing more violent.

Crack...

Leo’s body suddenly jolted forward as he pulled one arm free from the ground. He quickly moved his arm in a swift, jab-like motion, his gaze locked onto the looming tornado in front of him. The wind and sand flew as the tornado was hit, and with a puff, it collapsed, the winds and debris dissipating as the funnel cloud was punched out of existence.

Leo’s purple eyes, aglow with a visible hint of amusement, fixed onto the remaining red whirlwinds.

[?ˉ? ?M?~?~?o?`?r?”?ˉ?°?”?e?°?`ˉ′ˉ?_¨?°? ?ˉ?ˉ′?M?ˉ`?o?_r?_?e?^?_ˉ′?^ˉ? ?ˉ?F?_?i?g?^?h?t? ?ˉ?ˉ?¨?M?~?o?ˉ?r?`?e?”°°?ˉ?ˉ¨? ?]?°?

***

.....

Ava’s body was slowly coming back to her control. She could feel her previously depleted mana reserves start to replenish and with it, the ability to move her arms returned to her.

In a swift move, Ava reached for her inventory and chugged down an MP potion and a HP potion, which helped her regain her strength and vitality. Her body was now back to being in top shape. She quickly tried to halt Fenrir, who was frantically running away from the wall, but the wolf refused to listen to her commands.

Ava quickly realized that her attempts to stop the beast were futile. With every attempt she made to dismount from the wolf’s back, it skillfully circled around her, preventing her from getting closer to the wall.

Ava’s eyes were drawn to the top of the red tornadoes, which were swirling furiously above the wall. She could hear the distinct sound of air being torn apart, as if something was moving at an incredible speed and breaking the sound barrier. The noise was distant, but the destruction it was causing was clearly visible.

‘...’

Ava’s gaze fixed on the wolf, and in a sudden burst of Mana, her body began to sparkle with bright lighting particles. Without hesitation, she used her ‘Lightning Step’ to quickly appear behind Fenrir, attempting to reach the wall. But unfortunately, the wolf had quickly caught on to her plan and was able to catch up to her.

It positioned its giant paw on her abdomen, pinning her to the ground, preventing her from moving any further. Ava struggled against the beast’s grip, but it held her firmly in place, making it impossible for her to reach the wall.

Boom...

Ava’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion as she looked into the wolf’s eyes and saw its reluctance to release her. She understood that its actions were intentional and likely commanded by Leo. Though she wasn’t certain of the reason why he didn’t want her to be near the wall, she trusted that Leo’s judgment and knowledge was superior to her own. Ava complied with his wishes, even though she was reluctant to do so, and decided to give up on trying to reach the wall.

Ava reached out and gently patted the wolf’s fur, and as if in understanding, it released her from underneath his paw. The wolf nuzzled her with its wet nose, indicating for her to move away from the wall.

“Alright, alright...”

Ava said, with a small smile, as she began to move away. But as she started to walk, a blood-curdling scream shattered the silence. The sound was clearly not that of a human, but of a beast, something wild and terrifying.

‘What the hell was that?’

***

Leo stood before the four colossal tornadoes, each towering above him with immense power and ferocity. His purple eyes scanned the chaotic storm, scanning the swirling vortexes of wind and debris for any sign of his target. The roar of the tornadoes was deafening, but Leo didn’t even flinch, his eyes smiling as he searched for his prey.

[? ?F?′?_o?ˉ?”?u?¨?`?”?n?ˉ?ˉ?^ˉ?d?_? ?~?^?y?~?o?°¨?_?u?°′ˉ′?”? ?`?]?~ˉ?

Suddenly, Leo lifted his head and unleashed a deafening roar that shook the very air around him. The sound was like a thunderclap, echoing across the vast, red desert and piercing through the howling winds of the tornadoes. His voice was powerful, infused with raw energy.

“Ughrrr...”

Another voice joined him in between the winds and Leo’s head immediately snapped in its direction.

He started walking forward, his hands, adorned with sharp bones that extended from his elbows, swung with deadly precision. The bones acted as blades, cutting through the air and creating powerful gusts of wind that disrupted the tornadoes’ deadly vortexes. The tornadoes whirled wildly, their winds disoriented and their power diminished by the wind disturbances caused by Leo’s bone blades. With each step he took, Leo’s hands swung in deadly arcs, slicing through the air and weakening the tornadoes further.

Thump...

Finally, the winds died down, becoming calmer and calmer, until finally, the storm subsided entirely. In the aftermath of the tempest, a figure stood revealed, standing leisurely in the center of the once-chaotic landscape.

It was a towering silhouette, with two glowing green eyes that seemed to pierce the darkness. Its body was like a shifting shadow, constantly changing and adapting, taking on different forms and shapes. One moment, it was a lizard, with scales and razor-sharp claws, the next it was a giant spider, with multiple legs and venomous fangs. It seemed to have no consistent shape or form, constantly shifting its appearance into various creatures and monsters.

As Leo’s gaze fell upon the creature, it suddenly shifted its form once again. This time, it took on the shape of Leo himself, becoming a perfect clone of him down to the last detail. The only thing that remained of the creature’s true form were its piercing green eyes, which seemed to hold an intelligence and awareness far beyond that of any mere animal.

Their gazes collided and Leo’s smiling eyes, frowned upon feeling slight fear creeping up his stomach.

[? ?^?T?h?_?i?s? ?ˉˉ?°~?v?′?`?e?s?_?_?s?e?`?l?ˉ?”?_? ?_?i?¨?ˉ?s?^?¨′? ?p?_?a?`_?t?h?`?e?_?t?¨?`?`?i?°?c_~?_^? ?]?^?`¨?

A loud, grinding sound suddenly resounded behind the mask of Leo, making the creature before him frown. The sound was that of teeth being sharpened, and it was clear that Leo wasn’t happy. His eyes, previously filled with amusement, now filled with malice and disgust.

Crack...

The bones that extended from his elbows grew even longer, becoming elongated blades that glinted menacingly in the dim light. His horns, previously lying flat against his head, now extended backwards, growing longer and more pronounced. The tips of the horns began to glow with a soft, white light.

The Phantom tried to replicate Leo’s appearance and capabilities, but for some reason, it was not successful. As it grew its bones, they extended longer like Leo’s but they became dull, and lacked the deadly gleam that Leo’s blades possessed. Its horns grew to a similar size as Leo’s, but instead of shining with a white light like Leo’s, they glowed with an eerie green color. This further set the creature apart from Leo, making it clear that it was not a true replica, but a twisted imitation.

[? ?`?C?^^?°?l?′?ˉ?o?”?w?`?_?n?!?ˉ?_? ?]?^?

A low growl escaped from Leo’s throat as he initiated his attack.

Without warning, his body disappeared, blending into the environment and leaving behind nothing but a trail of debris lifted by his sudden movement. He dashed with lightning speed, bolting towards the Phantom.

Leo’s body reappeared in a blink of an eye, materializing right in front of his clone.

With a fluid motion, he swung his bone blades in a wide arc, aiming to pierce through the Phantom’s defenses.

Clank...

Unfortunately, the monster was well-prepared and effortlessly deflected Leo’s blades with a quick movement of its arm, extending its own blades menacingly in counterattack.

Leo’s body jolted backwards barely avoiding the attack, his purple eyes looking at his hands.

[?′? ?¨?′?_?_?T?ˉ?h?i?°°?s?¨? ?¨?°?K?°?i?d?ˉ? ?°¨?i?_s? ?ˉ?a?`? ?f?u?~?_?c?_?k?°`?“?i?~?°?n?`?”?¨?_?g?”? ?ˉ?m?¨_?a?`?g?~?ˉ?′?^?e?~?°?!?°°? ?°?_?]?ˉ?°?

Leo had gone into the fight with confidence, expecting that his blades would easily break through the Phantom’s and bring an end to the battle in one swift exchange. However, it quickly became clear that he himself was not as strong as he had initially believed. He discovered that his body was that of a worthless mage. It wasn’t even able to conjure powerful spells or enhance his powers.

Leo quickly realized that the only weapon he had at his disposal was a weak, white flame. This realization irritated him, as he wanted to fight with powerful weapons and abilities.

[?¨? ?T?¨?_?_?h?~?i?”°°ˉ?`?s?ˉ?ˉ?”? ?ˉ?i?`?s?¨? ?”′^?′?`?p?ˉ?”¨°?a?t?°?_?h?^?_e?¨”?t?i?c?”?”°°~~?_`?ˉ? ?]?”′¨?_?