Chapter 110: A Determined Hunter!
Chapter 109
In another area, Jasmine was currently having her own struggles. She had been battling two opponents at once, but she was instantly saved by Jim, who looked like he was willing to risk his life to take down his foe. Jasmine, although liberated from having to face both at the same time, made the mistake of being distracted for even a second, and it cost her dearly.
CLANG!
The swords clashed and the force of it sent her tumbling away, blood trickling down her mouth in the process.
She finally came to a halt, coughing out another mouthful of blood, but before she could rise back up, the sword hunter appeared directly in front of her. His blade was raised high above his head, gleaming ominously, and the next second it was hurled down with immense speed, aiming to split her head open.
"Oh fuck!" she cursed as her grip on her sword tightened. She lifted it above her head just in time for his weapon to crash down against hers.
BANG!
CLANG!
CRACK!
The clash echoed out, and the raw power behind it sent a heavy vibration through her arms. Her knees buckled as the weight pressed her into the ground. A hairline crack formed along the edge of her blade, causing her heart to thump wildly in panic.
’No! It’s not yet time to fall into despair,’ she hyped herself up as she immediately rolled over, dodging the sword that finally completed its swing and dug deep into the earth.
The strike sliced clean through the ground, kicking up a storm of dust and debris. Not letting her exhausted state slow her down, Jasmine shot forward with full speed and drove her foot straight into the man’s gut, sending him skidding several feet backward.
Huff, Huff, Huff!
Her breathing grew ragged. Both hands rested on her knees as she tried to steady herself, but her eyes never left the hunter, who casually shrugged off her kick. He wiped the saliva staining his lips with a scowl.
"Are you really a C-ranked hunter? You feel too weak to be one." The man frowned at her, his tone filled with disdain.
Jasmine stopped panting and drew in a sharp, hoarse breath, forcing her trembling body to stand straighter. Her fingers wrapped tighter around her sword hilt as her eyes locked on him with defiance.
"Oh really?" she asked, tilting her weapon slightly in her grip as if taunting him. She pressed down on her feet, leaning forward with an almost invisible smirk tugging at her lips. "Then maybe we should go again."
Bang!
She exploded from where she stood, her body moving with immense speed and strength. In mere seconds, she was upon the sword hunter, her blade swinging upward from below at blistering speed.
"Shit!" the man cursed loudly as he leaped back, avoiding the strike by the skin of his teeth.
But Jasmine wasn’t done. She flipped her blade and shot forward once more, her sword thrusting like a spear aimed for his chest.
The man reacted quickly, angling the flat side of his blade in front of him just in time. Jasmine’s sword slammed into it with brutal force, the vibration rattling both of their arms.
Neither hunter wanted to give ground, and as they pushed against one another, the earth beneath their feet cracked and fractured. Dust and debris erupted around them, painting the battlefield with chaos.
With gritted teeth, Jasmine pulled her sword back, only to swing it again, this time toward the man’s neck. He tilted his head at the last possible moment, dodging narrowly as the edge of her blade grazed across his cheek.
A thin line of crimson trailed down his face. The sudden sting and sight of his own blood stunned him, his eyes widening in disbelief.
Jasmine didn’t waste the moment. She leaped back smoothly, her chest rising and falling heavily, her eyes sharp and unwavering as they glared at her wounded opponent.
’Huh? This is the first scratch I’m giving him since we started fighting? And I have already received a few myself. Sheesh! This is un...’
"How dare you?!" That was all Jasmine heard before the world blurred.
BAM!
BOOM!
The man appeared directly in front of Jasmine in the span of a heartbeat, his speed almost teleport-like. His sword came crashing down at her with devastating strength and speed, and though she managed to drag her own weapon in front of her, the moment it connected...
CRACK!
A horrifying boom shook the ground as her blade screamed under the pressure. The cracks running across Jasmine’s sword spread like spiderwebs until the weapon gave way entirely, shattering into a dozen glittering fragments that scattered into the air.
The impact didn’t stop at her weapon. Her arms went numb instantly, and her body was thrown several metres away, rolling violently across the ground.
She coughed blood mid-flight, crashing down like a ragdoll battered by an unseen giant’s hand. Pain shot through her bones, yet she clenched her teeth as the taste of iron flooded her mouth.
__
In the same battlefield, just a short distance away, Jim was locked in his own desperate struggle against the pole hunter.
Deep down, he knew there was no way an E ranked hunter like him could overcome a seasoned C ranked opponent, but that didn’t matter. What mattered was that he refused to give up. He gripped his dented metal bat tighter, knuckles whitening, his resolve burning brighter than his fear.
"Determination won’t save you in this fight. Only strength will!" the pole hunter sneered before roaring like a beast.
Without hesitation, he burst forward with explosive speed, closing the gap instantly.
SHWOOSH!
The pole struck like a spear. Jim had barely managed to lift his arms when the tip smashed straight into his abdomen with earth-shattering force.
"Gugh!"
His vision blurred, his eyes nearly rolling to the back of his head as blood gushed out of his mouth. The brutal blow hurled his body across the battlefield with insane momentum, the sound of his ribs straining echoing faintly.
BANG!
He tumbled across the ground, finally crashing down so hard that for a moment, it seemed like his broken body would skid all the way to where Max was lying.
’You crazy fool!’ Max wanted to roar out loud, but his throat betrayed him. Instead, more blood bubbled out of his lips, dripping onto the dirt. His eyes were bloodshot and streaming, his vision hazy, yet his fury was sharp. His hands clawed at the ground helplessly.
{-10 HP}
{HP: 65/100}
’Curses!’
"Ack..." Jim wheezed, coughing blood in ragged bursts as he forced himself up, wobbling on shaky legs.
His fingers clenched his bat even tighter as he staggered forward, determination etched on his battered face.
"Is... is that all you’ve got?" he rasped, forcing a mischievous smirk despite the pain threatening to drown him.
"You damn fool! Just die already!" the hunter bellowed furiously, before dashing forward with even greater speed.
Jim steadied himself, waiting. He baited his stance, shoulders drawn back, eyes fixed sharply on his opponent. The moment came.
SWOOSH!
In a blink, the hunter was in front of him. Jim, already anticipating it, swung his bat with every ounce of strength left in his trembling body, aiming straight for the man’s skull.
But his opponent was faster.
The hunter ducked low in a fluid motion, dodging the swing, and retaliated with a vicious upward strike.
CRACK!
The pole smashed into Jim’s jaw with terrifying force.
SMASH!
The sound of bone splitting echoed as Jim’s body was instantly lifted off the ground, his feet dangling midair. His eyes flickered desperately, the light within dimming as blood spattered.
’I... I failed. I wanted to protect Max— my saviour. But I’m too weak... too powerless. I... I’m sorry everyone. I let us down...’
His thoughts faded like whispers in the wind as his body finally collapsed. He rolled lifelessly across the dirt, coming to rest motionless, blood painting his lips.
"No..."
’NOOO! Please, stop!’ Max’s soul screamed within. His entire being roared with unbridled anger and unbearable pain as he struggled violently, desperately trying to force his broken body to move.
But his despair had only just begun.