The clash of steel echoed through the night as Liam and his team fought desperately against the elite guards. The cultivators moved with fluid grace, their attacks imbued with the power of Qi, striking with devastating precision. Liam's team fought back with everything they had, but they were outmatched and outnumbered.
"We can't keep this up!" Rin shouted, her voice strained as she parried a blow that nearly sent her sprawling. Her sword arm trembled from the effort, her breath coming in ragged gasps.
"Fall back!" Liam yelled, his voice filled with desperation. But there was nowhere to fall back to. They were surrounded, and the guards were pressing in from all sides, with their cold, glowing eyes locked onto their prey.
Kai grunted as he took a glancing blow to the shoulder, the force of it sending him stumbling back. Joon Ho stepped in, his sword a blur as he deflected the follow-up strike, but the guard's relentless assault never faltered. Mi-Na darted in, her sword flashing as she tried to create an opening, but the guards' formation was flawless, and their movements were perfectly coordinated.
Joon Soek was acting as Liam's back up, covering him after every strike.
Soo-Min hung back, her dagger clutched tightly in her hand, but her eyes were wide with terror. She tried to move, to help, but her fear rooted her to the spot, her body shaking uncontrollably.
Liam's mind raced as he fought, his dagger cutting through the air with deadly precision. He knew they couldn't win this fight, not like this. The guards were too strong, and their techniques were too advanced. He needed to do something, anything, to turn the tide.
"Liam, we can't hold them off!" Joon Soek shouted, his voice filled with desperation as he barely managed to block an incoming strike.
'What should I do?! Should I use Celestial Ascendence? But I will pass out after using it, and I don't think they will be able to carry me. What if they run into another group of guards? That leaves me with only one choice.'
Liam gritted his teeth, his heart pounding in his chest. He knew what he had to do. Activating Iron Skin was risky, the Qi fatigue afterward would leave him vulnerable, but they had no other choice.
[Iron Skin Activated. Duration- 10 seconds.]
With a roar that echoed through the night, Liam activated Iron Skin. His body hardened, and a shimmering aura of energy enveloped him as he became invulnerable to all but the most devastating attacks. He became a whirlwind of destruction, his dagger cutting through the guards with brutal efficiency. The team rallied behind him, their weapons flashing as they fought with renewed vigor.
The guards fell before them, their bodies crumpling to the ground as the team fought with the ferocity of warriors born and bred for battle. But even as they fought, Liam knew they were running out of time. The Qi fatigue from Iron Skin was setting in, his movements slowing, his body growing heavy and sluggish.
[2 seconds left.]
"Liam, you can't keep this up!" Rin shouted, her voice filled with concern as she fought beside him.
Liam grunted in response, his breath coming in ragged gasps. "I… have to…"
With a final, desperate strike, the last of the guards fell, their bodies crumpling to the ground as the team stood panting, their weapons dripping with blood, and their faces flushed with exertion and triumph.
"Is everyone okay?" Liam asked.
The team nodded, their faces filled with relief and exhaustion. They had won, but the cost had been high, their energy and stamina drained by the intense struggle.
"We need to keep moving," Liam said. "We are almost… there…"
But before they could catch their breath, a haunting melody cut through the night air. A flute sound echoed around them, its notes piercing and eerie. The team froze, their eyes wide with confusion and fear.
"What is that?" Soo-Min whispered, her voice trembling.
[Quest details have been updated!
New objective - Save your team.
Members saved- 0/6]
Liam's heart sank as realization dawned on him. "Cover your ears!" he shouted, but it was too late.
The flute's melody intensified, its notes wrapping around them like tendrils of darkness. One by one, the team crumpled to the ground, their bodies convulsing as they struggled to move, to breathe. The sound was relentless, its pitch rising and falling in a sickening rhythm.
Liam fought against it as his mind screamed in defiance, but his body refused to respond. He could feel the shadow worm writhing inside him, that was activated by the flute's melody, and its venom was coursing through his veins, paralyzing him.
"Lee!" Rin's voice was a choked gasp, her eyes wide with terror as she lay on the ground, her body trembling, just a few feet away from Liam.
The others were in the same state, their faces contorted in pain and fear, their breaths coming in ragged, desperate gasps. Soo-Min let out a whimper, her eyes filled with tears as she struggled to move, to fight back against the unseen force that held them captive.
And then, through the haze of pain and desperation, Liam saw them—three commanders, their forms towering and imposing as they stepped into view.
Iron Fang, his armor gleaming like liquid metal in the moonlight. Stone Ox, his massive frame like a mountain, his eyes cold and unyielding. And Thunder Palm, his hands crackling with energy, his gaze filled with malice.
The commanders stood over them, their expressions triumphant, their voices cold and mocking as they looked down at the helpless team.
"Well, well, well," Iron Fang said, his voice like the hiss of a blade being drawn. "Look what we have here."
Stone Ox let out a low, rumbling laugh. "Pathetic. They thought they could escape."
Thunder Palm's eyes narrowed, his voice filled with disdain. "They're nothing but worms, squirming in the dirt."
Liam's heart pounded in his chest, his mind racing as he fought against the paralysis that held him captive. He couldn't move, couldn't speak, couldn't do anything but lie there, helpless, as the commanders loomed over them, their shadows casting a dark and ominous pall over the team.