NOVEL WEB CHAPTER 289: SHADOW VARIANT
Obliterated!
Completely defeated, Brian collapsed, his strength sapped by the relentless assault. He struggled to rise, muscles screaming in protest, but his body refused to obey. His fate mirrored that of the others—bodies riddled with small, precise holes, seeping crimson.
A shadow variant loomed before them, its form cloaked in swirling, inky mist that seemed to devour the light. Two bat-like wings, jagged and leathery, sprouted from its back, twitching with menacing intent. Marquis Alexander, once a proud vampire noble, now a twisted shadow slave, stood resolute beside Emperor Augustus. Their combined might had crushed the perfect team, leaving only chaos in their wake.
**Earlier...**
"Stay sharp, everyone. This shadow slave is different—more dangerous than the rest. We can't afford to let our guard down," Aaron muttered, his voice tight with tension as cold sweat beaded on his brow, glistening under the dim, flickering light of the battlefield.
"What do your eyes see, Birdy?" Will asked, his tone heavy with the question weighing on everyone's mind. His hands fidgeted, betraying his unease.
Aaron's gaze narrowed, his enhanced vision piercing through the mist. "We're in deep trouble if we slip up, even for a second," he announced grimly. "The core's in its chest—its heart, literally. But its flesh is like iron, nearly impossible to pierce. And its skill, Blood Bullet, is deadly. One wrong move, and we're done." His words hung in the air, chilling the team.
"We still have to take it down and move on to the next fight. Red Witch, cover me!" Brian declared, his resolve unshaken. He gripped his sword tightly, its blade glinting with a faint, steely promise as he charged forward, boots pounding against the cracked earth.
"Dodge!" Aaron's shout tore through the air, but it was too late. A blood bullet, a crimson streak moving faster than sound, pierced Brian's right thigh before Aaron's warning could reach him. Brian stumbled, a sharp cry escaping his lips as he fell, blood pooling beneath him, staining the ground a dark, ominous red.
"What happened?" Will demanded, his voice trembling as he struggled to process the blur of violence.
"That was Blood Bullet," Aaron said, fear creeping into his tone for the first time. "It moved faster than I could form the words to warn him." His admission sent a ripple of dread through the team, their confidence fraying like a worn rope.
Brian, gritting his teeth against the searing pain in his thigh, forced himself to stand. Each movement was agony, but something worse accompanied the wound—a system notification flashing in his mind's eye:
[The corrupt blood of a shadow slave vampire is in your system, attacking you from within…]
[Find a healer to expel the blood as soon as possible to avoid losing more HP over time…
[-1 HP]
[-1 HP]
[-1 HP]
Every five seconds, another drop of his life force drained away, a relentless tick of a deadly clock. "I need to end this fast," Brian muttered, his voice hoarse as he tightened his grip on his sword, determination burning in his eyes despite the pain.
With a burst of speed, he moved in a blur toward the variant. "Annihilation Strike!" he roared, unleashing a destructive ray of energy that crackled through the air, its blinding light aimed at the variant's heart.
But the variant was unfazed. A dark, reddish wall of blood materialized before it, shimmering with an eerie, viscous glow. The wall absorbed Brian's attack completely, swallowing the energy like a hungry void. Undeterred, Jessica, the Red Witch, acted swiftly. "Fire Lance!" she shouted, hurling a blazing spear of flame toward the blood wall, its heat warping the air. The spell gave Brian a fleeting window to maneuver.
Brian darted to the variant's side, his sword angled for a precise strike at its heart. He moved with the stealth of a predator, his blade gleaming with deadly intent. But the variant was faster. Two blood bullets shot toward him, moving at an incomprehensible 370 meters per second. At a mere meter's distance, the bullets crossed the gap in 0.027 seconds—too fast for Brian's premonition to react.
"Urgh!" Brian groaned as one bullet grazed his arm, tearing through his sleeve and leaving a burning trail of corrupted blood. By sheer instinct and a twist of luck, he'd shifted just enough to avoid a direct hit. But the graze was enough—the corrupt blood seeped into his system, intensifying the damage over time.
The variant's clawed hand reached for the off-balance Brian, its wings twitching with anticipation. "Got you!" Chris shouted, appearing in a flash of teleportation. He grabbed Brian, yanking him back just as the variant's claws swiped through empty air. In an instant, Chris teleported them to the healer's side.
"Thanks," Brian rasped, his face pale from blood loss.
"It's fine, but you need healing. Odin says the blood causes damage over time," Chris said, handing Brian to the healer, whose hands already glowed with restorative magic.
"It does," Brian admitted, wincing. "But who's keeping that thing busy if I'm out?"
Chris smirked, his confidence a small spark of hope. "Aaron's got a new plan. Dual Blade and I will take vanguard with Abyss watching Augustus, ready to intercept. Lilith's summon will support us from a safe position, ready to back Abyss if Augustus moves. Will and Aaron will guard the backline. Get healed and join us—we need everyone against those two." With that, Chris teleported back to Dual Blade's side.
Dual Blade stood ready, his body transformed by his talent. Two extra arms sprouted from his abdomen, sinewy and strong, each gripping a sword. "Perfect timing for extra arms," Chris quipped, eyeing the grotesque yet impressive sight. "But seriously, are you gonna keep growing them like a millipede? That'd be gross." Dual Blade ignored the jab, his focus razor-sharp.
With six swords, Dual Blade's attack power surged, each strike amplified by a multiplier of 32. His talent allowed him to wield all six arms as naturally as his legs, a seamless dance of blades. He lunged at the blood wall, his swords slicing through the air with a metallic hum. The resilient barrier, unyielding against Jessica's flames, shattered under Dual Blade's onslaught, fragments of blood scattering like dark rain.
Two of his arms remained poised for defense, while the other four attacked with relentless precision. The variant, caught off guard, stepped back—the first time it had retreated since the battle began. Dual Blade's swords slashed in a cross pattern, forcing the variant to dodge, its wings flapping to propel it backward.
"No you don't!" Chris shouted, teleporting behind the variant in a flicker of motion. His sword arced toward the creature's exposed back, aiming for its heart, the blade glinting with deadly promise as it closed in.