Chapter 47
"I've had enough of you filthy beasts!" Grey roared, his entire body erupting in flames that blazed fiercely around him.
Boosting himself with wind magic, Grey shot forward, a few feet away from the level 4 beast. He hurled a fireball at it, quickly repositioning and throwing another fireball. But to his surprise, the attack had little effect—just a mild scorch—before the beast surged forward, the level 3 beast following close behind.
The level 3 beast reached him first, its claws swiping with deadly precision. Grey used his wind magic to propel himself away, narrowly avoiding the claw's strike.
With a quick thrust of his hand, he released a gust of wind that sent the level 3 beast flying back. But the level 4 beast was already leaping through the air, plummeting toward him with tremendous speed.
"Shit!" Grey cursed, quickly raising his hands. An earth wall shot up in front of him, blocking the beast's descent as it crashed into the barrier, shattering it. Grey, a mere two feet away, barely had time to react before the sound of more footsteps reached his ears.
Turning around, he saw the level 3 beast charging toward him once again.
"You still don't learn," Grey muttered under his breath, raising his hand once more.
"Earth magic! Sink!" The ground beneath the beast's feet turned to soft mud, quickly pulling it down as it struggled to break free.
But then, a roar echoed behind him. Grey reacted swiftly.
"Earth magic! Earth trap!" Massive rocks erupted from the ground, binding the beast's legs, restricting its movements.
'This should hold it for a moment,' Grey thought, turning his attention back to the level 3 beast, now sinking deeper into the earth.
With wind swirling around him, he raised his hands again. "Wind magic!" he shouted, the winds surrounding him fiercely.
'Using high-level magic this long will drain my mana faster, but I have no choice. If I don't give it everything, I'll die.'
"Wind blades!" he commanded, and three invisible blades of wind appeared, shooting toward the level 3 beast, slicing through its neck. The creature's body slumped lifelessly into the earth.
"Earth magic! Harden!" Grey called out, and the ground around the beast turned solid, slicing the corpse in two.
"A job well done..." Grey muttered, before a sudden blow sent him flying. He crashed into a row of buildings, coming to a painful halt.
"Grey!!!" Clara's voice rang out in distress, her tears streaming as she was consoled by the little girl she had saved.
Amid the rubble, a massive rock was tossed aside. Out of the debris, a figure emerged—red hair matted with blood, body bruised and battered, but eyes still fierce.
"It's not over yet!" Grey shouted, raising his hands, his glare fixed on the beast.
This will drain all my mana, but I don't care. I'll kill this beast, even if it's the last thing I do.
"Earth magic!" Grey cried out, summoning a massive mound of rock that rose above his head. He shaped it into the form of a massive arrow. Fire erupted around the arrow, causing it to burn brightly. The beast charged toward him with renewed fury.
"For the final touch, wind magic! Aerius Ultra!" Grey shouted, sending the flaming arrow toward the Talonus at neck-breaking speed.
It crashed into the beast, sending a shockwave through the air. Grey collapsed to his knees, panting hard, his chest aching as he struggled to catch his breath.
"That should have done it... if that doesn't kill it, I'm dead." He whispered, his eyes glued to the dissipating smoke.
When the smoke finally cleared, Grey's heart sank. The Talonus was still standing, its body scorched, one of its hands blown off. Part of its face was burned, but it was still alive, still coming for him.
"This is it," Grey muttered in defeat, his eyes turning toward his mother, tears streaming down her face as she clutched the little girl.
He smiled weakly, feeling a surge of gratitude that he had been able to see her one last time.
"So pathetic," a voice echoed in his mind, sharp and scornful. "You gave up too soon. Do you want to die and leave your mother to be slaughtered by these beasts?"
Suddenly, a dark mist swirled from Grey's palm, and a figure began to take shape. The Talonus halted in its tracks, sensing something amiss.
A small wolf, with a single horn and red fur, emerged from the mist. Its glowing eyes glared fiercely at the Talonus.
"Noir?" Grey said weakly, recognizing his familiar.
"Although you have potential," Noir growled, his form swelling as he spoke, "You give up quickly and that's what I dislike about you. If you had given up already, and you died, then what next? What will happen to your mum? She will also be killed by the beasts.
Is that what you wanted? You always feel satisfied with where you are now instead of striving for the best by pushing yourself to the limit. If this is how you will be, then I think I will have to break our bond!" Noir said as his size grew exponentially, until he was as tall as a small house.
He lunged toward the Talonus, snapping at its throat. The beast blocked with its remaining paw and retaliated with a powerful kick, sending Noir flying a few feet back.
"AWHOOOO!" Noir roared, charging again, dodging another swipe before landing a devastating blow to the Talonus' jaw, sending it flying through the air.
Grey, still kneeling and bloodied, watched as Noir toyed with the level 4 beast. Noir could end it at any moment, using either his laser beams or fire magic, but he didn't.
'Noir is right. I give up too easily. I've always been satisfied with the bare minimum, never pushing myself until the very end. That's what makes me weaker than everyone else.' Grey thought as he clenched his fists in frustration. 'But no more. I won't give up. I will fight until my last breath to protect my family!'
His body screamed in pain as he stood, breath ragged. The sound of destruction filled his ears, but as he gazed at his mother's tear-streaked face, a new fire ignited within him.
"No! I will protect them!" he shouted, his fury giving him strength. He gripped the pendant around his neck.
In an instant, boots appeared on his feet, and a sword materialized in his hands.
'The boots! Randin made these from the core of that beast. And now, it gets to serve its purpose.' Grey smirked, determination surging through him as Noir was knocked away once again by the Talonus.
"Time to get to work!" Grey yelled, dashing forward, his movements swift, almost like the wind. The boots enhanced his speed, propelling him toward the Talonus.
Grey was in front of the beast in the blink of an eye. His sword clashed against its claws with a shockwave that reverberated through the air. His hand nearly exploded from the force, but he gritted his teeth, pushing forward.
The beast's strength was overwhelming, and a powerful kick sent Grey tumbling across the ground. But he stood again, determination burning in his eyes.
Before he could charge, Noir intervened, leaping into the fray once more, striking the Talonus and sending it crashing into a building.
"Now's my chance!" Grey said, and with a surge of energy, he sprinted toward the fallen beast. The sword struck with precision, breaking off one of the Talonus' horns. A swift thrust sent it skidding across the ground.
Grey was relentless, charging again, sword drawn, but the Talonus blocked the blow with its claws, sending him flying once more.
This time, the Talonus didn't hesitate. It lunged at Grey, leaping high into the air, ready to crush him beneath its weight.
But before it could land, Noir shot forward, slamming into the Talonus, sending it crashing to the ground a few feet from Grey.
The wolf leapt back to Grey's side, standing tall, as Grey slowly rose, wiping the blood from his mouth and glaring at the beast. It was still standing, shaking off the debris.
"Ready for another round?" Noir asked.
Grey tightened his grip on his sword. "Always ready."
The two prepared for battle, but then, a sharp sound echoed through the air, followed by an unnatural chill that swept over the town.
Everyone froze. Even the Talonus stopped in its tracks, and a crackling sound filled the air. It sounded as if something was being burned, but no—everyone's eyes turned toward the center of the town where Grey and Noir had been fighting.
A distortion in reality itself appeared before them. A portal began to open, and something massive emerged, crashing into the Talonus Grey had been fighting, killing it instantly.
A calm voice followed, seemingly indifferent to the chaos around him.
"I can't believe a town this small attracted the attention of level 4 beasts. And here, I find a mage barely holding on."
The man stepped through the portal, his gaze sweeping across the battlefield. His expression was unreadable, though an amused undertone lingered in his voice.
"Two level 4 beasts, a crumbling town, and a mage who's barely holding on. How fascinating."
Grey watched him, stunned by the coldness in his tone. Noir, trembling beside him, muttered in fear, "I can't be seen here."
For the first time since when he got the familiar, Grey saw an expression, a feeling he thought the familiar incapable of---- fear!
"Why? What's going on?" Grey demanded, but Noir remained silent, his body dissolving into mist and retreating into Grey's own.
Grey stared, confused. "Noir? What's happening?"
The man's gaze shifted to Grey, curiosity sparking in his eyes. "You… You've managed to catch my attention. Interesting."
Grey's heart pounded as he stared at the man, a sense of dread creeping over him.
"Who… or what… is that?" he whispered.