In a kneeling stance, Hex struggled to contain the blood flowing from his wounds, facing Alexn, who stood towering above him. With a malicious smirk, Alexn spoke, "You dare to challenge one of my caliber, a seasoned krigari?" His words laced with derision, mocking Hex's attempt to avenge Arnold's death.
With a sneer, Alexn continued, "Our strengths may be comparable, but your martial skills are truly lacking." His taunting tone aimed to belittle Hex, emphasizing why Hex found himself on his knees.
Hex, struggling to stand, uttered through gritted teeth, "You killed him." The accusation hung heavy in the air, pointing to Arnold's fate.
Alexn, unperturbed, scoffed at Arnold's sacrifices. "He perished because of your weakness," he jeered, an unsettling smirk on his face.
In the midst of their confrontation, Alexn's words cut through the air like sharpened blades, each one laced with a venomous intent. "He perished because of your weakness," he sneered, his voice laced with a vindictive tone that struck a nerve within Hex. The accusation hung in the air, a testament to the festering wound in Hex's soul.
"You accused me of killing him, yet you are the one gaining advantages from his death," Alexn continued, his mockery digging deeper into Hex's wounds, stoking the fires of rage that burned within him.
Each syllable was a calculated assault, deliberately crafted to provoke a reaction, to twist the knife already lodged in Hex's heart.
For Hex, the weight of Arnold's demise bore heavily upon him, a burden of guilt and sorrow that he carried every moment since. The accusations thrown at him, the insinuations of benefiting from tragedy, fueled an inner turmoil that threatened to consume him entirely.
The sheer audacity of Alexn's words fueled a storm within Hex, the tempest of emotions swirling within him, a tempest yearning to break free.
As Az watched the tense confrontation between Hex and Alexn escalate, he felt an urgent need to act. Unable to bear witness any longer, he dismissed the figure's warning and rushed forward, determined to intervene and save Hex from the looming threat of Alexn's aggression.
The air crackled with tension as Az propelled himself into the heart of the conflict, driven by a compelling instinct to shield his comrade from harm.
Suddenly, Az facing the ground, felt a force pressing him behind his back. Confused and disoriented, he tried to comprehend what had just happened.
When he looked behind, he saw the figure, the same one that issued the warning, effortlessly pinning him down.
"I warned you not to take another step," the voice emanated from the figure, its tone remaining unfazed. "What... "Az now held down, struggled to understand how the figure could move so swiftly and overpower him without a moment's notice.
Amidst the struggle between Az and the mysterious figure, Alexn and Hex turned their attention, noticing the commotion from the other side of the hall.
Alexn glimpsed the figure, his expression shifting slightly. "Cap..Captain Journ, what are you doing here?" he inquired, acknowledging the figure's authority.
The figure's calm demeanor seemed to contrast starkly with the chaos that surrounded them. Its voice, carrying an air of authority, resonated through the hall, causing a momentary hush in the ongoing battle.
"It took your men a while to handle these peasants, so I came to take a look," Journ calmly remarked, casting a discerning gaze over the scene.
Alexn, despite his brashness, acknowledged Journ's presence with a mixture of arrogance and respect. "I can handle this situation on my own," he retorted confidently, his words laced with a hint of disdain.
The encounter between these powerful figures elevated the tension in the room, leaving a sense of uncertainty hanging in the air.
In a swift move, Hex seized the opportune moment amid the chaos. Concealing his quickly healing injuries, he observed Az's struggle and grasped the chance to shift the battle's momentum.
Gathering his remaining strength, he clasped his hands together and drove a thunderous blow into the ground. The already weakened ground, remnants of the intense clash before Az and Beatrice arrived, succumbed to the force of Hex's strike.
The impact reverberated through the area and shattered the ground surroundings, catching Alexn off guard and destabilizing his stance. As debris scattered in all directions, Alexn's composure momentarily faltered.
Journ's grip on Az lessened amidst the ensuing turmoil, causing both of them to descend further into the wreckage.
Hex, aware of the fleeting seconds left before his skills would wane, channeled his remaining energy into a relentless assault. Each punch aimed at Alexn's face was an embodiment of pent-up fury and the weight of loss.
As Hex and Alexn plunged amidst the disintegrating debris, Hex's resolute scream pierced through the chaos, refusing to yield in his quest for retribution.
Their descent accelerated amid the chaos, with Hex's punches continuing unabated. The impact of each strike resonated in the tumultuous air, crushing Alexn's body onto the falling debris.
The sound of their fall and the ferocious strikes echoed through the hall, creating an ominous symphony in the midst of destruction.
As Hex plummeted alongside Alexn, a storm of emotions surged within Alexn's conscience. Regret laced his thoughts, remorse for his lack of attention that led to their dire predicament.
Meanwhile, Hex's perspective offered a fleeting glance of the ground rushing up to meet them. With unparalleled resolve, he drew back his fist, coiling his entire being into a single, decisive strike.
Gathering the last of his strength, Hex twisted his body, winding his punch with all the force he could muster. The intensity of his attack generated a shockwave that streaked through the air, visible like a spacecraft breaking the sound barrier.
The sheer power unleashed from Hex's strike seemed to carry with it the weight of his fury and the enormity of his loss, etching its path in the tumultuous landscape of their fall.
The once-turbulent area was now enveloped in a haze of dust, debris flying in every direction. Hex withdrew his strike from the ground, and the remnants of his skill's effect faded away.
Amidst the chaos, Hex's countdown timer reached 00:00:00, signifying the end of his skill.
Suddenly, the adrenaline that had kept him going throughout the fight started to ebb away, leaving him feeling drained.
The pain from his injuries intensified as the numbing effects wore off. His shoulder, previously injured, throbbed with an intensity that was barely bearable.
Despite the agony, Hex felt a sense of satisfaction. He believed he had avenged Arnold's death, and that realization momentarily outweighed the physical pain he was enduring.
As the dust settled and clarity returned to the scene, Hex's eyes scanned the surroundings, seeking Alexn's fallen form amidst the aftermath.
Yet, the impact site revealed no trace of his adversary. Frantic searches in every direction proved futile; Alexn was nowhere to be found.
Desperate for confirmation, Hex accessed his status tab, seeking solace in the tally of his conquests, only to find his skull points unchanged.
Frustration clawed at him, bubbling into a furious cry of "Cowarddd!" His attempt at vengeance had slipped through his grasp as Alexn, the elusive adversary, had fled beyond his reach.
The disorienting aftermath of Hex's powerful punches lingered in the air making Az's eyes flickered open. He found the figure standing nearby, addressed as "Captain Journ" by Alexn earlier, calmly observing his action.
Journ's voice carried an air of nonchalance as he spoke to Az. "We've fallen quite a distance, and yet, here you are, still alive. Humans are not immortal as of my information"
Az, regaining some composure, responded with a hint of playful sarcasm, "You know, a sprinkle of eternal elixir works wonders."
He scanned the area, noticing the stillness that had settled after the intense battle between Hex and Alexn.
The bodies of the fallen aliens lay strewn across the scene with their weapons glinted menacingly amidst the dust and debris, casting an unsettling shadow over the otherwise barren terrain, lending an eerie silence to the aftermath.
"Funny, aren't you," the alien figure regarded the tranquility with a sense of observation, noting, "Seems rather quiet now," alluding to the cessation of the tumultuous clash between Hex and Alexn.
Az reached into his pouch and retrieved something—a shattered colossal shield.
Name: Colossal Shield Knife
Description: A shard, once part of the Colossal Skin Shield, now joins with the hilt from a soldier's knife, forging an unlikely union of titanic strength and human craft.
STR | Strength: F
DEX | Dexterity: E
INT | Intelligence: -
ARC | Arcane: -
Passive: Dexterity increases for 3 seconds if dropped while in battle (Cooldown: 300 seconds)
Ingeniously, he combined it with a knife hilt, fashioning it into a makeshift knife. Holding it with a practiced stance, he glanced at the alien figure.
"Eager to save your friend, huh?" Journ remarked, observing Az's readiness for battle.
Az, with a confident smirk, responded, "Nah, just eager to face a strong opponent. That's all." He pointed his improvised knife toward the alien, the glint of determination in his eyes matching the confident curve of his smile.