The familiar eyes of the monster landed on John. No sign of agitation permeated from that languid gaze. The hand slowly rose, then pointed toward him.
The orbs, which had been rotating around the knight until then, stopped.
And then they shot toward their target.
Zack
Zack
Zack
Zack
Zack
Each of the spheres crackled with an ominous energy, tearing through the air with lethal precision. John had no time to react—only an instant separated him from certain death.
But Noah was faster.
Focusing his mana into the very tips of his feet, Noah unleashed a burst of speed that tore through the limits of what should have been possible. His body flickered, becoming nothing but a blur. For a brief moment, his entire field of vision turned white, then, as quickly as it came, the world returned to clarity. He was now in a different part of the room, positioned directly between the orbs and John.
His scythe moved like lightning, spinning in his grip as he lashed out at the approaching spheres. Each swing was precise, cleaving through the microscopic orbs with such force that they exploded upon impact.
The room filled with deafening pops as the spheres detonated, sending waves of mana rippling outward. Noah stood firm, his expression hard.
"Snap out of it, damn it!" Noah bellowed, his voice sharp with anger.
A shock coursed through John's body.
His legs quivered for a brief moment before he finally managed to steady himself. His gaze sharpened, the fear and hesitation melting away as he found his footing once more.
Concentrating his mana, John gathered his energy, prepared to unleash a devastating attack.
He focused deeply, drawing on the immense reserves of mana within him. The air in the room shifted, growing cold and heavy. A bitter wind whipped through the chamber, sending shivers down the spines of everyone present. The temperature dropped rapidly, causing small snowflakes to form in the air, drifting lazily to the ground. The walls of the room began to frost over, thin layers of ice slowly spreading across the stone like a creeping vine.
The cold was more than just a temperature change—it was suffocating, as if every breath became harder to take, every movement slowed by the oppressive chill.
Noah felt the freezing energy permeating his bones, his breath visible in the air as he exhaled.
So, his control extends that far?
Noah's mind raced, unable to suppress his surprise. This wasn't a simple spell. No, this was something far more advanced. Most Hunters relied on the System to activate their skills, depending on preset triggers and predefined outcomes. What John was doing, however, was entirely different—he was manipulating mana on an elemental level, absorbing all the warmth from the air itself to lower the temperature and move the cold particles at will.
John raised his arm slowly, commanding the freezing energy swirling around him. Dozens of enormous ice spears began to materialize in the air above him, each one sharp enough to tear through steel.
With a swift motion, his arm dropped.
BOOOOM!
The ice spears descended, cutting through the air like arrows from a siege. The room shook as they crashed down toward the knight, who stood directly in their path.
Invidere watched the attack come, and for the first time, its calm expression shifted. The knight's body moved, fluid and quick, dodging the spears with inhuman agility. It sidestepped the first one, ducked under the second, and twisted away from the third. One after another, the ice javelins rained down, each one striking with deadly force. The knight continued to dance between them, his movements eerily similar to Noah's.
He's copying me, Noah realized, narrowing his eyes.
However, as more spears rained down, it found itself on the defensive, unable to dodge them all.
One of the ice spears grazed its side, cutting into the black armor that had formed over its skin. A sharp grunt escaped its mouth as the cold bit deep into its flesh, but it didn't stop.
Shoom
Instead, it surged forward, using the momentum of its dodge to close the distance between itself and John.
No you don't!" Noah shouted, appearing in front of Invidere in an instant, his scythe already in motion. He swung with full force, aiming for the creature's neck.
But Invidere was ready.
With an almost lazy motion, the creature raised its arm, catching the blade of the scythe with its bare hand. Sparks flew as the steel bit into the monster's flesh, but it didn't seem to care. Invidere's mouth twisted into a grotesque grin as it pushed back against Noah's weapon, forcing him to retreat a few steps.
"Dammit, it's strong," Noah growled, digging his heels into the ground as he fought to regain control.
Invidere didn't give him the chance. With a sharp twist, it threw Noah off balance and lashed out with a powerful kick. The blow connected with Noah's midsection, sending him flying across the room like a ragdoll.
Noah's body crashed into the wall with a sickening thud, but he pushed himself up almost immediately, blood dripping from the corner of his mouth.
Utilizing Noah's intervention, John had finally regained control over his mana. The cold intensified once more, and this time, the entire floor of the chamber was covered in a thick layer of ice. John extended his hand toward Invidere, his eyes burning with determination.
"Let's see how you deal with this," he said, his voice low.
With a sharp crack, the ice beneath Invidere exploded upward, forming jagged spikes that shot toward the creature from below.
Cling!
Invidere's eyes widened in surprise as the ice spears pierced through its armor, sending chunks of black metal flying in all directions. The monster howled in pain, its voice echoing through the chamber.
But it didn't fall. Instead, it turned its gaze toward John, fury burning in its eyes.
"Looks like I've got your attention now," John muttered.
Invidere lunged toward him, its movements a blur as it closed the gap between them in seconds. John barely had time to raise his arms in defense before the creature's fist connected with his chest, sending him sprawling across the icy floor.
"John!" Noah shouted, rushing to his side.
John coughed, blood splattering onto the cold ground as he struggled to get back on his feet. The impact had knocked the wind out of him, and pain radiated through his chest with every breath. But he wasn't done yet.
Not by a long shot.
Noah skidded to a stop beside him, his eyes wide with concern.
"You okay?"
John coughed again, wiping blood from his mouth. "I've had worse," he rasped, though his body screamed otherwise.
He glanced at Invidere, which was already preparing its next attack. "That thing… it's faster than I thought."
"Yeah, no kidding," Noah muttered, eyeing the creature warily. "But we can still beat it. We've hurt it. We just need to—"
In mid-sentence, Invidere's body shimmered, and without warning, it dashed toward them again. The speed was even more incredible than before, the monster moving in a blur as it closed the distance in an instant.
Noah reacted on instinct. His scythe swung upward, aiming to intercept the creature before it could land a blow, but Invidere was faster.
Swish
It ducked low, slipping under the arc of the blade, and lashed out with a brutal backhand. The hit caught Noah across the jaw, sending him spinning to the ground.
Before Noah could recover, Invidere's foot came crashing down on his chest, pinning him to the icy floor. The weight of the creature was immense, like a mountain pressing down on him, and he could feel his ribs groaning under the pressure.
"Get off!" Noah snarled, struggling to free himself, but Invidere's foot didn't budge.
John, seeing Noah trapped, forced himself to his feet, ignoring the pain coursing through his body.
His mana flared once more, this time more violently, as icy tendrils snaked along the ground toward Invidere. The cold surged through the air, latching onto the monster's legs, creeping up its form in an attempt to freeze it in place.
But Invidere was no fool. It sensed the danger and reacted swiftly. With a powerful swing of its arm, it shattered the growing ice, sending shards flying through the room.
John didn't relent. He raised both hands, and the air around him crackled as more ice formed in the blink of an eye.
Massive pillars of ice erupted from the ground, shooting toward Invidere like missiles.
Clack!
One of the pillars caught the creature square in the chest, knocking it off Noah and slamming it against the far wall with a resounding crash.
Noah gasped for breath, rolling to his side to regain his bearings. "Nice shot…" he wheezed, pushing himself up with shaky arms.
John nodded but didn't allow himself to relax. "It's not over yet."
Sure enough, the dust from the impact had barely settled when Invidere rose once again. Its armor was cracked, its body bleeding dark ichor from several wounds, but the fire in its eyes had only intensified.
"This thing just doesn't quit," Noah muttered, gripping his scythe tightly. "We need to finish it, fast."
John agreed. He could feel his mana reserves depleting, the strain of maintaining such intense spells beginning to wear on him. But there was no turning back now. If they didn't end this here and now, they might not get another chance.
"Alright," John said, his voice steady despite the fatigue in his limbs. "One last push."
Noah's eyes gleamed, the fire in them matching his determination.
"Right. Let's give it everything we've got."
The two of them charged simultaneously, their movements perfectly synchronized.
Noah's scythe burned with black flames, the blade slicing through the air in wide arcs as he moved in for a direct assault. John, on the other hand, stayed back, channeling his remaining mana into a final, massive spell.
The room grew colder, the temperature dropping so rapidly that frost began to form on the walls. John's hands glowed with icy blue light, and the air around him shimmered as he summoned the full extent of his power.
Invidere, seeing the impending attack, let out a furious roar and charged forward to meet them head-on.
Noah struck first, his scythe carving through the air with blinding speed. Invidere ducked, narrowly avoiding the strike, and retaliated with a savage punch aimed at Noah's midsection. But this time, Noah was ready. He twisted his body at the last second, dodging the blow and countering with a devastating kick to the side of Invidere's knee.
The creature stumbled, momentarily losing its balance.
"Now, John!" Noah shouted.
John didn't hesitate. He thrust his hands forward, and the room exploded with light as dozens of massive ice lances formed in the air around him. With a single, commanding gesture, he sent them hurtling toward Invidere.
The creature barely had time to react. The ice lances struck with incredible force, piercing through its armor and pinning it to the wall behind it. Invidere let out a blood-curdling scream as the ice encased its body, freezing it from the inside out.
Noah, seeing the opportunity, leaped into the air, his scythe raised high above his head. The black flames surrounding the blade roared to life, growing hotter and more intense with each passing second.
"Death Flame!" Noah roared, swinging the scythe down with all his might.
The blade connected with Invidere's chest, and the black flames erupted, consuming the creature in an inferno of dark fire. The room shook as the flames spread, burning through the frozen air with unrelenting fury.
Invidere's screams echoed through the chamber, but they were quickly drowned out by the roar of the fire. The creature thrashed violently, its body writhing in agony as the flames tore it apart, piece by piece.
And then, with one final, desperate howl, Invidere collapsed.
Noah landed softly on the ground, his scythe still smoldering with residual flames. He looked at the charred remains of Invidere, now nothing more than a smoking heap of ash and ice.
John staggered forward, his body barely able to stand. "Is it… over?" he asked, his voice hoarse.
Noah nodded, wiping sweat from his brow.
"Yeah… it's over."
A silence settled over the room, the only sound being the faint crackling of the dying flames.
Then, a familiar chime echoed in their ears, followed by a string of notifications:
________
CONGRATULATIONS! YOU HAVE DEFEATED INVIDERE, THE PRIMORDIAL SIN OF ENVY!
CONGRATULATIONS! YOU HAVE EARNED THE TITLE: 'SIN SLAYER (1)'
CONGRATULATIONS! YOU HAVE RECEIVED 10,000 EXPERIENCE POINTS!
CONGRATULATIONS! YOU HAVE RECEIVED 10,000 COINS!
__________
John let out a breathless laugh, his legs finally giving out as he collapsed to the ground.
"We actually did it…"
Noah, still catching his breath, sheathed his scythe and looked down at his comrade with a grin.
"Yeah. We did."