Chapter 38: Final Stand II
Emir slowed down time with his TDS ability, a rush of adrenaline coursing through his veins as he surveyed the chaotic scene unfolding before him.
The sea of monstrous creatures did little to deter his focus.
With a calculated calmness, he began to pick his targets carefully, his mind working at an accelerated pace.
He saw a group of four monsters heading towards him and quickly met them in a sprint, knife in hand, his muscles coiled like a predator ready to pounce.
Getting closer, he slowed down time even further, giving himself more time to react.
The monsters were slow-moving, but they were massive and had razor-sharp claws, their danger not diminished.
His aim was for their vulnerable spots, the eyes, and the back of the neck.
With a swift sidestep, he evaded the swiping claws of one creature, gracefully shifting his weight and spinning around it.
Seizing the opportunity, he lunged forward, driving his knife deep into the monster's exposed flank.
A gurgled growl escaped the creature's throat as Emir twisted the blade, ensuring a fatal wound.
Without missing a beat, Emir smoothly transitioned to his next target.
He deflected the slashing claws of another monster with his knife, using the momentum of the attack to redirect its trajectory.
With a swift strike, he thrust his knife upward, piercing through the soft tissue beneath the monster's jaw.
Blood spurted from the wound as the creature let out a howl of agony before collapsing to the ground.
His actions were seamless as he killed two D-rank monsters in seconds.
The other two of the pack turned their attention to him, rushing at him, fangs out.
Anticipating their movements, his body moved with agility as he dodged to the side avoiding their lunge, feeling the gust of wind as they missed him.
Pivoting on his heel, he struck back, his knife slicing through the air in a wide arc.
The blade connected with precision, cutting through the vulnerable neck of both monsters, as blood sprayed into the air, their severed heads flying away from their bodies in a gruesome display.
Looking up, Emir saw more monsters coming towards him, but he remained calm and focused.
He slowed down time once again and continued to pick off the monsters one by one.
The fight was intense, and his heart was racing, as he dodged and weaved while striking out at the same time.
He fought his way through wave after wave of monsters, relying solely on his knife.
Amidst the chaos of the battle, Emir remained focused on one goal, killing all that was around him.
The putrid scent of decay hung heavy in the air as the smell of blood filled his nostrils, many of the horde's dead lay around him, disrupting the arena of battle.
The creatures' shrieks and growls echoed as they rushed at him, never-ending, but he stayed true to his training, anticipating their movements, and reacting quickly to their attacks.
They seemed to be getting faster and more aggressive with each passing moment, but he refused to falter and kept on moving.
Killing all that surrounded him, another wave of the horde closed in on him, and he steeled himself for another round of combat.
They were even larger than the last, their massive frames shaking the ground as they approached.
Emir didn't even waste a single second and charged towards them, aiming for their weak spots as he took more of them down with each passing second, his kill count far exceeding a hundred.
The battle raged on, and he continued to fight, taking out monster after monster in a seemingly endless cycle.
Adjusting to the intensity of the battle, his knife skills improved, adapted, allowing him to swiftly kill monsters at an even faster rate, but that still didn't make any dent in the sea before them.
It only drew the attention of more monsters, three this time, but he deftly dodged their attacks and lunged forward, delivering a precise strike with his knife.
Emir felt the blade penetrate the monster's flesh and quickly pulled it out, pivoting to swiftly eliminate another two monsters with a fatal swing to the neck, severing their heads off.
'Shit,' he thought, caught off guard, as he was suddenly ambushed by a group of monsters from behind.
Reacting quickly, he jumped back, narrowly dodging their sharp claws.
One of the monsters overextended with its attack, allowing him to kick its head and hurl its body towards the others behind it.
Taking advantage of the opening, he dashed forward and delivered a powerful blow with his augmented strength, causing the monsters to crumple to the ground beneath his feet, dead.
It was a dance of death, his movements fluid and precise as he fought.
But there were more coming, and he had to keep moving.
He slowed down time again, giving him an edge in the next bout.
However, much to his detriment, he suddenly felt a massive headache, realizing that he was running out of mental energy.
"Damn it," Emir cursed under his breath, feeling a sense of desperation rising in his chest.
He looked around frantically, searching for a way out.
But there was no escape.
They were surrounded by monsters on all sides, and they were closing in fast.
With no other options left, he braced himself for the massacre.
Some more feline-like monsters charged towards him, their claws and teeth bared.
He lunged forward, his knife flashing in the sunlight as he struck out at them.
The remaining hunters around followed suit, melee weapons drawn, forming a formation with Emir as the lead, as they fought back against the monsters.
It was a bloody, chaotic battle, with bodies and blood flying everywhere.
The monsters were relentless, but they were even more determined.
They fought with all their might, their knives slashing and stabbing as they killed more and more monsters with each moment.
It was a fight for their very survival.
Not for the greater good, nor to defeat an evil entity, but simply to survive, as that was this world's denizens' most important wish.
And after what felt like an eternity, a single monster remained in Emir's vision.
He rushed forward, and stabbed it in the neck, holding his knife he kicked it back, severing its head in the process.
And with that, the last of the monsters fell to the ground.
The horde finally extinguished.
Gazing to his side, Emir looked at the remaining hunters, all panting and covered in blood.
But that didn't matter to them, they had survived.
He then looked down at his knife, now coated in the blood of countless monsters.
'A small victory, but a victory nonetheless,' he thought.
He fought with all his strength and came out on top.
'I'm getting a lot of money after this.'
Emir chuckled, as that thought crossed his mind, while he lay down on the blood-covered ground.
But without giving him any respite, the sound of distant gunshots shattered the eerie silence that had settled over the battlefield.