Vincent sucked in everything around him like a black hole. The awakeners tried to restrain themselves from being swept away by the strong gravitational force.
"Aarrgghh! Someone do something!" Joanna screamed amidst the chaos.
The enemy was an S-Class, after all. One who had abundant combat experience and extraordinary talent. There was nothing they could do but hold on to each other so as not to be sucked in by Vincent's power.
What they most feared was not Vincent but the monster behind him.
"I'm going to distract it! You guys hang on!"
Hugo stepped forward, letting himself be pulled by the gravity force. Dashing at high speed, Hugo attacked Vincent with his staff relentlessly.
A clang echoed as Hugo and Vincent clashed.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Hugo went full force with his attacks, while Vincent simply dodged them. Of course, the wyrm perched on the pillar didn't just stand still. It struck Hugo without hitting Vincent.
"Wow, that is amazing!" Joanna was excited as she saw the battle before her eyes
"Hey! Focus Joanna! We're in a battle!" Olivia admonished the blonde-haired girl.
Actually, it was not only Joanna who was flabbergasted but also the other awakeners. They could not help but drop their jaws, witnessing how Hugo was single-handedly able to face the combined power of Vincent and the wyrm.
Those two were the leaders of the strongest master guilds in the US after all. It was rare for them to witness such a high-class battle. What's more, this was an uneven battle.
"Interesting too."
While watching Hugo and Vincent fight, Klaus tried to analyze their strength. The thing that interested Klaus was how Hugo could still move freely in Vincent's gravity field.
When the other awakeners were trying hard to keep their ground, Hugo jumped here and there, dodging incoming attacks at the same time, despite being affected by gravitational force.
It was enough to make Klaus curious.
"Laplace, can you tell me their talents?"
<Yes, my liege.>
Then, an information screen appeared in his presence.
<Profile Information>
[Name: Vincent Thomsen]
[Age: 42]
[Role: All-Rounder]
[Talent: Gravity Manipulation]
[Elemental Affinity: Earth (Very Strong) & Fire (Strong)]
[Battle Power: 985,580]
[Rank: S-Class]
[Status: Certified]
<Profile Information>
[Name: Hugo Musgrove]
[Age: 29]
[Role: Fighter]
[Talent: Neutralization]
[Elemental Affinity: None]
[Battle Power: 927,070]
[Rank: S-Class]
[Status: Certified]
[Wyrm - battle power - 850,985]
"No wonder he can move like that."
As the name suggests, [Neutralization] is a talent that is able to counteract or neutralize any kind of phenomenon caused by mana. In other words, Hugo was immune to all kinds of magic.
Klaus sighed. "Let's see how far he goes."
Bam Bam Bam!
Hugo continued to deliver a series of stick blows. He patiently weakened Vincent's defense, waiting for the opponent to lower his guard.
"Is this all you've got, Vincent? Loser!"
Bam! Bam! Bam! The stick quickly poked Vincent.
Vincent gritted his teeth. Hugo's relentless attack proved to be overwhelming. Then, his eyes glowed red.
"Aaaarrrgghhh!" Vincent screamed. His rage echoed throughout the room.
Naturally, Hugo sensed danger.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Suddenly, Vincent's movements became unnatural. The man parried every stick thrust that came his way and counterattacked his opponent. Every blow was powerful and deadly.
"Aarrgghh!"
Now, it was Hugo's turn to gnash his teeth.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Hugo was slowly beaten back, his attacks beginning to seem futile. When Hugo was about to twist Vincent's spear, a wyrm struck from above.
Bam!
"Aaaarrrgghhh!"
Hugo managed to dodge in time but his body was still grazed by the wyrm's head, throwing him far back and slamming hard on the wall of the room.
At the same time, Klaus and the other men managed to break free from the gravity field. It seemed Vincent had reduced the power of the gravity field so he could focus on fighting Hugo.
Realizing their hero had lost, fear began to engulf the awakeners. But before that happened, Klaus took control.
"Gavin! Keep them busy, we'll plan while you—"
Before Klaus could finish his words, Gavin darted with the lightning that enveloped his body toward Vincent.I think you should take a look at
However, Vincent immediately used his powers and created a gravitational field that impeded Gavin's movement. He floated in the air, trapped in an undeniable force. Although he fought back, he felt weaker and weaker as the gravitation pressed down on him.
"Sloppy," Klaus muttered with a shake of his head.
"Cousin! This isn't what we planned before. Everything is fucked up!"
Beside him was Noah whining as the situation became precarious. He was talking about the plan they had discussed at the camp a few days ago. However, with the situation out of control, Noah felt that their plan would fail. It was clear on the man's face that he wanted to leave this place immediately and save himself.
Of course, Klaus was still able to remain calm. "Relax. Our plan continues. We can win this battle."
"Fuck! Don't you see? We're fighting an alpha and an S-Class awakener. We're doomed!"
Klaus sighed. He couldn't believe his cousin had turned this pessimistic. It was quite sad for Klaus, but at the same time, he was relieved that his cousin could finally think a little.
Klaus held Noah in the shoulders. "Calm down. As long as I'm here, we'll make the raid a success. But for that to happen, I need your power."
"What? I want me to jump in there? Are you crazy."
Klaus snorted. "No, I'm not. I want me to take over as party leader during this battle, so that I can freely organize the attack. Do you agree?"
"This is not the time—"
Klaus gripped Noah's shoulders. His cousin was surprised when Klaus did that. Then, Klaus gave him a sharp look. "If you give me control, I'll guarantee we get out of here alive, and with the trophy. Are you willing?"
The two locked eyes for a moment.
Not long after, Noah sighed. "Alright, you can take over my position for a while. But you have to win, or I'll leave."
A grin bloomed on Klaus' face. "Yeah. You can leave if you want."
With that, Klaus officially took over the party. He turned around and looked at his men, seeing him with a twisted face.
"From now on I'm in charge. Follow my instructions whatever happens if you want to survive. Understood?"
They nodded, but their faces showed doubts. Only the Rays of Hope members answered his questions with the former.
"Okay! All fighters, tankers, all-rounders! Anyone B-Class and above, attack!"
His call loudly echoed throughout the room. They were still standing there despite Klaus giving the order. Only when Akio darted forward did the others follow suit.
Caster and Support still stayed behind. And the real battle was just beginning.
"Five people help Gavin, the rest focus the attack on the wyrm!" Klaus exclaimed.
Akio and several other awakeners launched their attacks with extraordinary courage and skill. They jumped and dodged the wyrm's attacks, while Akio utilized the power within himself to counter Vincent's pulling force, helping Gavin who was trapped in the gravity field.
At the same time, Klaus ordered the casters to manipulate lightning elements, surprising the wyrm with deadly electricity attacks.
Olivia moved with agility and precision, cutting and landing her attacks on the wyrm's massive body, while Michael helped her distract it. Sylvia wielded her iron gauntlet with powerful blows, sending a shock through the wyrm's body.
KRIIIEEEEEKKKK.
However, the wyrm would not give up so easily. It wriggled and tried to get rid of the awakener group members with a swipe of its tail.
"Arrrrgggg!"
The snake monster proved to be a real threat. Dozens of awakeners were sent flying in various directions in just one strike.
In the heat of the moment, Olivia focused her sword power and launched a fatal blow. She jumped with incredible skill, aiming her sword right at the monster's head. However, before the blade could reach its target, the wyrm shield flailed with its massive body, blocking her attack.
"Kyaaaa!"
Olivia was startled and staggered back. The wyrm counterattacked with a deadly twisting stroke. Olivia felt its power break through her plate armor, choking her with overwhelming force. She felt her bones almost crumble under the inevitable pressure.
Seeing one of his men screw up, Klaus yelled for another order.
"Stupid Olivia! Stop swinging your sword! Use your [Psychokinesis]!"
"Aaaargh!"
Klaus and the casters behind watched in panic as Olivia struggled against the monster's coils. They realized that they had to act fast if they wanted to save their friend who was in danger.
Then, Justin sent out dozens of sharp crystals, slamming into the monster's eyes.
Splash! Splash! Splash!
"Kriiiiaaaakkkk!"
The tail wrapped around her body loosened, Olivia immediately used the power of [Psychokinesis] to fly her body.
As she landed behind, Joanna quickly used her healing power to treat Olivia's severe injuries. She gathered healing energy and sent it through Olivia's body, restoring her strength and vitality.
Klaus approached Olivia and helped her up.
"Can you still fight?" Klaus asked.
Olivia whimpered in pain. "I'm okay. I can still fight 20 more rounds."
"Good. Now I have a plan for you."
The busty girl raised one eyebrow in curiosity. After telling her the details, Klaus turned his attention to the fighting awakeners.
"Everyone! Ignore Vincent! Focus on the wyrm!"
As the shout echoed, Akio without a second thought changed his target. Several other awakeners followed suit. Gavin included. This man followed his instincts.
Of course, Vincent wasn't going to let them get away with it. He used the gravity power to bring them down. However, another great force appeared in the hall.
There was a huge force resisting the gravitational field. And the person who unleashed that powerful force was Olivia
"Arrrrrgggghh!"
Olivia screamed at the top of her lungs, pouring out all the mana in her body. She used [Psychokinesis] to resist the gravity field created by Vincent.
"Good job, Olivia. Keep it up!" Klaus exclaimed.
Gavin, Akio, Michael, and Sylvia launched simultaneous attacks on the wyrm. Gavin used his lightning sword ability, creating a lightning storm that hit the wyrm. Akio moved with lightning speed, tricking the wyrm with his precise sword movements. Michael and Sylvia teamed up, sending powerful attacks with their incredible physical strength.
The attacks successfully distracted the wyrm. At that moment, Justin and the casters created a giant ice spike in the air. When it was fully formed, Justin shouted with all his might.
"Fire!"
The giant ice slid towards the wyrm's body, piercing its thick scales and pinning it to the floor. With a resounding scream, the wyrm struggled and spun around in the darkness.
"We did it! We did it! We won!"
Victory cheers filled the air. It was the Wyrm that caused Vincent to go berserk and made this man unable to distinguish between opponents. If the snake monster was killed, then its hypnotic influence would vanish.
That was what they thought.
However, the battle was still not over. The wyrm's death only made Vincent's eyes glitter with anger.
