"Status," thorn commanded. A holographic board materialized in front of him, revealing his stats.
"Oh, there it is," Thorn said, scrolling down to the storage option. "Sending 45 million yen," a feminine voice intoned through the system.
"45 million yen!" Rylan almost screamed. Hold up a minute, just how much are we talking about here? He could buy a house, marry lots of beautiful women, pay Yui's hospital bill, and send Nana to college.
"The gods be damned," he muttered. He realized he might never become a hero candidate anymore with this much money.
"Hey, kid, accept," Kael's voice jolted him from his reverie.
"Err... Sure," Rylan replied, shaking off his daydreams.
"Status," he repeated, and his stats appeared before him. "Curses, can't you for once not come up," he muttered under his breath, quickly scrolling down to storage to avoid seeing his level 5 healing power.
An option to accept popped up, and he tapped it hurriedly.
"Cash received successfully," the system announced before vanishing.
Rylan stood there, stunned by the sudden windfall. He could feel the weight of the money in his hands, even though it was digital.
Thorn and the rest had agreed to scout the dungeon again tomorrow since it was late. They should get going for the night.
"Err, I'll see you guys tomorrow then. Goodnight," Rylan waved as he made his way out. Just as he placed his hand on the neon door handle, a lightning bolt streaked past him at an incredible speed. The lights flickered on and off for a moment before finally stabilizing.
"Ahhhhhhh!" Elara screamed in horror as Thorn's head rolled across the ground, his neck neatly sliced off as if by a hot knife through butter.
Rylan turned and stood in shock. "Huh... Th... Thorn..." His words failed him.
Upon seeing this, the patrons inside the shop ran out, screaming for help.
"Watch out!" Kael shouted as another bolt of lightning struck from above, reducing the shop to pieces. Kael was fast enough to cast a barrier spell, but it shattered under the assault, and the lightning struck him hard. The impact reduced him to ashes.
Two humanoid hollows appeared, their hands in their pockets and smirks on their faces. They looked almost human, but their eyes glowed an eerie blue, their skin had a faint, unnatural shimmer, and their fingers were tipped with sharp, claw-like nails.
"Well, well, what do we have here?" one of them taunted, his voice dripping with malice.
Rylan's heart pounded in his chest as he faced the hollows. The scene around him felt like something out of an anime, intense and surreal.
" thorn is an s rank adventurer does it mean we are all going to die?? , tsk.. What can I possibly do " Rylan uttered with tears pouring down his cheeks.
" mom... Huh thats right mom " Rylan stood on his feet, he couldn't just die yet , he has alot to accomplish.
"You bastards, you'll pay!" Rylan dashed forward, leaping high into the air and spinning mid-flight. His stats board appeared, and he drew out two twin daggers from it.
"Don't be careless, Rylan," Elara said, staggering to her feet. The impact of the lightning had injured her so badly that she could barely move. Seraphine had been roasted alive by the immense power of the lightning, her body now lifeless and charred.
"Ahhhh!" Rylan screamed as he aimed to land a hit on the hollow. His daggers glinted in the dim light, slicing through the air with lethal precision.
The hollow smirked, moving with inhuman speed. It effortlessly dodged Rylan's attack and countered with a swift kick that sent him flying. Rylan crashed against a moving train above, the impact shattering the glass and metal, leaving him dazed and bleeding.
"Rylan!" Elara cried out, her voice filled with despair.
The first hollow turned to her, its eyes glowing with sadistic delight. "Pathetic," it sneered, raising its hand. A bolt of dark energy shot out, striking Elara in the chest. She screamed in agony as her body was lifted off the ground and slammed into a wall, where she collapsed, motionless.
Rylan, struggling to his feet, watched in horror as his friends were effortlessly taken down. His heart pounded in his chest, and rage bubbled up inside him. He couldn't let this happen. He couldn't lose everyone.
The second hollow approached him, its smirk widening. "You're out of your league, boy," it taunted.
Rylan gritted his teeth, his emerald eyes blazing with fury. He summoned every ounce of strength he had left and charged at the hollow, his daggers ready. The hollow moved to intercept him, but Rylan was faster this time. He ducked under its outstretched arm and drove his daggers into its side.
The hollow howled in pain, but the victory was short-lived. With a flick of its wrist, it sent Rylan flying again, this time crashing through the remnants of the shop.
As Rylan lay amidst the rubble, struggling to breathe, the first hollow loomed over him. "You can't win," it said, its voice a chilling whisper. "You were never meant to."
The first hollow grabbed Rylan by his neck, lifting him off the ground. Rylan struggled to breathe, his vision darkening as the hollow's grip tightened.
"Why would Shoji choose a pathetic brat as his vessel?" the hollow sneered, sniffing Rylan. "You're coming with us, brat. The Lord will feed on you to replenish his strength."
Rylan's vision swam, and he could barely hear the hollow's words over the rushing sound of his own blood. He kicked and struggled, but his strength was no match for the hollow's overwhelming power.
Above the city skyscrapers, Elana and Aaron moved with supersonic speed, their forms blurring as they leaped from one building to another. They landed on a moving train, their eyes locked on the scene below.
"We have to get to him now," Elana said, her voice filled with urgency.
Aaron nodded, his expression grim.
They sprinted along the top of the train, their movements precise and synchronized. The cityscape blurred around them as they raced towards the shop where Rylan was being held.
The second hollow joined the first, its eyes gleaming with amusement as it watched Rylan struggle. "Hurry up and finish him," it said, its voice dripping with disdain. "We don't have all night."
Jumping from the sky, Aaron swiftly performed a series of intricate ninjutsu hand signs. His eyes narrowed with fierce determination as smoke billowed from his clenched teeth.
"Serpent Haven, First Form!" he shouted.
A massive python erupted from the ground beneath the first hollow, its scales glistening in the dim light. The serpent's jaws snapped shut around the hollow, swallowing it whole. The second hollow, however, moved with blinding speed, narrowly evading the attack.
Rylan fell to the ground, gasping for air and feeling weak. His vision blurred as he tried to process the chaos around him.
Elana, moving with superhuman speed, dashed to his side. She scooped him up effortlessly and carried him to a safer spot away from the fray. As she gently laid him down, her eyes locked onto his, and a wave of shock and recognition washed over her.
"Rylan...?" she whispered, her voice trembling. It had been eight years since they had last seen each other, and the weight of those years hung between them.
Rylan's vision cleared enough to see Elana's face. "Elana... it's you," he murmured, his voice weak but filled with relief and astonishment.
The second hollow snarled, its eyes glowing with fury as it charged at them. Aaron intercepted it, his katana clashing against the hollow's claws in a flurry of sparks and steel.
"Elana, get him out of here!" Aaron shouted, his voice strained as he fought to hold the hollow at bay.
Elana nodded, her expression resolute. "I'll come back for you," she promised, her eyes lingering on Rylan for a moment longer before she turned to Aaron. "Be careful."
Rylan struggled to stay conscious, his body battered and bruised. "Elana... I..."
"Save your strength," she said softly, placing a hand on his cheek. "We're not done yet."
With a burst of speed, Elana carried Rylan away from the immediate danger, finding a secure spot where he could recover. She laid him down gently, her eyes never leaving his.