Chapter 165: Don’t Hold Back!
Chapter 164
[Survival rate calculated!
Survival rate against threat; 0 percent.]
[Run now.]
"I’m your doom."
SWOOOSH!
The demon blurred forward.
__
BANG!
The Proto-Echelon’s sword streaked through the air with a loud bang. Its target? Lana, who was right out front!
"Crap!" Jake muttered, and without hesitation, he burst forward with such speed that he blurred directly in front of Lana. His bulging hands shot forth, grabbing hold of the sword.
BOOM!
A small shockwave blasted outward as Jake’s hands met the blade. The ground beneath their feet exploded, and the demon’s grin widened immensely at the hunter standing before him.
"No, no, no, no! Guys! We need to run now!" Max shouted aloud, his body trembling at the sight of the demon.
"Run? It’s just a human... I think," Jasmine mumbled in confusion.
"You fools! It’s not a human, it’s a fucking demon! We are no match for it, it’s a Proto-Echelon!" Max sounded the warning, making Jake gasp loudly.
His eyes widened in shock as he stared at what stood before him, his hands trembling uncontrollably.
’A... a... a demon?!’
BANG!
BAM!
The demon’s foot streaked forward, smashing into Jake’s abdomen with brutal force. The hunter was instantly blasted away, his body crashing into a waste bin off to the side, crushing it flat in seconds.
’No, no, no! We have no chance against it. I’m... we are too weak!’ Max gulped inwardly, his mind spiraling in panic. Before he could react, the demon blurred towards Lana at full speed.
"I don’t know what a demon is, but from the way you sound, it seems to be a bad deal — so I’ll go all out!" Lana thundered, and without wasting time, her wings shot toward the charging demon.
But with a slight smirk on its face, the being instantly pivoted aside. The wings screamed through the air, missing their target completely as the demon suddenly appeared right beside her.
Without hesitation, its fist smashed into her side with devastating force. Lana was lifted off her feet as blood sprayed from her mouth, her body hurling aside and slamming into the ground.
"Fuck! Even Lana?!" Jasmine roared in pure shock as she felt her insides trembling at the monstrous strength this being possessed.
"And you all are next!" the demon calmly spoke before blurring toward Jasmine in a sharp burst of speed, its sword streaking through the air toward her.
"Max! Move, god damn it! Yes, I advised you to run whenever you come across a Proto-Echelon, but right now, there’s no way you can run if you don’t fucking create an opening! Save her now!" Pix roared in the dragon’s mind, instantly snapping him out of his daze.
"You’re right." The dragon mumbled as he quickly activated a skill.
[Draconic Force Palm activated]
CLAP!
KA-BOOOM!
A violent shockwave tore through the air, smashing into the demon with so much power that it was sent skidding several meters away from Jasmine. She heaved a deep sigh of relief, her body shaking as she realized she had just watched her life flash before her eyes.
Tilting its head, the demon laid its sight on the one who had just dared to interrupt it, and its brows furrowed almost immediately.
’Why can’t I sense his aura? I can sense the others, but I can’t sense his. It’s like he’s using the same item I used to conceal my aura a while ago, but his concealment feels... different. How? Who exactly is he?’ the demon thought as it waved its sword through the air, then pointed it directly at Max.
"Why don’t you tell me, who the hell are you? Why can’t I sense your aura?"
"Probably because you’re weaker than I am. Who knows." Max chuckled casually as he shrugged.
"You moron! Is it wise for you to start taunting a Proto-Echelon? You aren’t strong enough to challenge it, and you want to taunt? Why can’t you just be wise for once!" Pix thundered in Max’s mind, feeling like facepalming herself at this point. "For real, I wonder what kind of silly decisions you would make without me."
"Do you think I’m such a mindless human that I won’t recognize a taunt when I see one?" the demon said, its eyes glinting as it glared fiercely at the hunter.
"Unfortunately for you, it worked... so die!" It thundered, and in the next instant, it suddenly bolted forward at an overwhelming burst of speed that left the dragon unable to react in time.
Max’s eyes widened in horror as his body twitched, trying to move, but the demon was too fast. In a split second, it appeared directly in front of him, sword slicing through the air, headed straight for the dragon’s neck.
"Get away from my brother!" a voice roared from above, causing both the demon and the others to glance up in shock, just in time to see an eight-armed gorilla hybrid crashing down from the sky.
All his arms were raised above his head, and in a split second, he was upon the demon, forcing the being to quickly leap backward at the last moment as the hunter smashed into the ground with full force.
A thick cloud of dust, huge chunks of debris, and a violent gust of wind blasted out in all directions. Within the dust, Jake stood tall, all his hands raised and aimed squarely at the demon.
"Ma... Max, are you really sure it’s a demon?" Jake asked, his voice low but tense, his gaze locked firmly on the dark being.
"Positive. And it’s a very strong one at that. Very, very strong." Max replied as he stood beside Jake, his expression grim.
"Then all we have to do is hold out till help arrives. I’m sure the Association must have gotten the demon alert by now, and a stronger hunter would be sent down," Jake said, his muscles bulging as energy pulsed through his body.
"At this point, since you say it’s strong, I don’t think it’s wise to hold back anymore. We’ll deal with whatever happens later on. For now, we just need to stay alive."
"He’s right, Max. You don’t have the option of holding back right now. Go full force if you have to, so you don’t die," Pix roared in Max’s mind.
"Okay then," Max sighed as his gaze hardened and he looked straight ahead.
[Draconic Form: Deactivated]
[Draconic Aura: Activated]