With his remaining energy, Nox rushed at the brute. The wind brushed against his face as he approached the beast. A light green aura suddenly coated his body, protecting him from the air resistance.
'Elysia..'
The beast responded in full, smashing the ground apart as he charged at Nox. Its' arm bulged dangerously as the monster prepared a devastating attack. The distance between the two quickly closed as he quickly calculated a counter.
Right before the impact, Nox twisted his foot. Bending down, he narrowly dodged a massive fist. Then, he sliced down.
The sleek blue blade cut through the mutated flesh of the monster, severing its' achilles tendon. That was what Nox was aiming for.
Not realizing it had been cut, the brute turned around to face him, only for his knee to give in as it collapsed to the ground. Shaking the earth, the beast opened its massive jaw.
'Shit.'
A cone of flames erupted from its gaping maw, aiming to burn Nox to the ground. Unable to dodge, he concentrated on his heart.
A wooden boat manifested in front of him, protecting his body from the fire. The relentless flames mercilessly devoured the relic as Nox retreated.
[A relic has been destroyed.]
Through the smoke, he could see the brute getting back up. It was no ordinary monster, the severed achilles tendon already starting to regenerate.
'It's too strong… and I'm almost out of energy. Killing it with a sword would be almost impossible.'
His eyes widened with realization.
"Elysia! I'll distract the beast. I need you to use your most powerful attack."
Nox shouted into the distance. During his brief confrontation with the monster, the mage had recovered some of her energy.
While in the brute form, it was highly resistant to physical attacks, but vulnerable to magic.
Unfortunately, Opal could no longer carry on. His sword disintegrated into dust as he felt his familiar return to his consciousness.
'Rest well.'
Now, it was his turn.
He approached the beast, slowly circling it. His mind racked up scenarios where he confronted the monster, thinking of ways to survive.
This wasn't the first time he'd fought someone far stronger than him. It was the only way an orphan could survive in the outskirts, where criminals and monsters roamed freely.
The brute got up, fully recovered from its previous injuries.
It started slow, then broke into a sprint as it rushed at Nox. He tensed his entire body as he waited for the impact. Leaning backward, his face crumpled in pain as the monstrous fist dug into him.
A shockwave ripples through the air as Nox is sent crashing back across the field. His broken body rag-dolled into a nearby bush as he struggled to stay conscious.
His divinity finally activates.
'Struggle.'
Bones reconnected as Nox emerged from the bush in perfect condition.
He had taken a risk, and it paid off. If the timing had been off, he would've been killed by the first punch.
Not wasting any time, the monster descends on him once more, eager to kill him.
But this time, Nox was ready.
It was quite a comedic view, a huge purple fist clashing with a frail human one. The air around them rippled at the impact as Nox was sent hurtling through the air once more. His bones rattled at the collision.
Even with his divinity, it would seem that he couldn't contest the monster in pure strength.
Nox didn't give the creature any chance to rest. Before his bones had even healed, he rushed at the beast.
Landing a clean strike on the brutes' face, he frowned.
'It's like punching a wall.'
The monster didn't even budge as it slammed into him, throwing him into a tree. Coughing out blood, he narrowly dodged another punch. It wasn't smart to take too many of those blows head-on.
Moving out of the way, a nearby tree collapses during their scuffle; creating some distance between the two.
The beast opened his jaw, preparing for another wave of flames.
'It's all or nothing.'
As the flames ripped through the air, Nox ducked down. Then, using the broken tree as a ramp, delivered a kick that closed the maws of the monster.
The human leg had 4 times the amount of muscles than the arm. Combining that with the momentum from the jump, Nox was able to execute an attack that could momentarily stun the brute.
The torrent of flames exploded inside the beast's mouth, spurting green blood over the nearby scenery. It then collapsed onto the ground, squirming.
It could regenerate, but that was only if it survived the next attack.
"Right on time, Elysia."
Glaring at Nox one last time, it let off a roar as a massive blade of wind bisected its charred body.
[A wandering Constellation is impressed at your achievement!]
[You have been sponsored.]
[You have received 1 point.]
[Total points: 1]
——————————————————————-
"What a madman.."
Elysia whispered as she watched the fight from a distance.
Despite all odds, the frail guy he had just met was able to stand toe to toe with the hulking beast.
The ground trembled as the two wrestled each other into the forest. Although the boy was hanging on, it was clear that he was at a disadvantage.
The mage chased the duo into the forest.
'My energy reserves should be enough now.'
Earlier, she couldn't harm the monster due to its' anti-magic attribute, but now that it's converted to a more physical form…
"I'll have to thank him."
Elysia closed her eyes, gathering the air around her. The swaying leaves paused their movements as the ambient energy gathered in the palm of her hands. For a moment, the entire forest sat still.
Starting small, it quickly grew in size. Forming the wind into the form of a saw, she admired her creation. The projectile glimmered with sharpness as it sliced through the air.
[You have slain a Twisted Creature: Beast of the Shattered Plains.]
[You have defeated a Sentinel.]
[You have gained 2 points.]
[Total points: 2]
In the center of the island, a strange monument pulled itself out of the ground. With the symbol of a brute carved into it, the forest undergoes a silent transformation.