Ex rank talent Awakening: 100% Dodge rate

"Tch, that was close," Chris muttered, his breath shaky. The wings of the shadow variant moved at the last moment, swiping across with unnatural fluidity to deflect his dual stab. Crimson blood shifted and reshaped from the variant's skin like molten wax, forming into sharp, wicked spikes that launched toward Chris without delay.

Chris didn't even blink. With a practiced motion born of countless battles, he teleported away, reappearing behind Dual Blade just in time to avoid being skewered. The air where he had stood split apart with a sharp hiss, and the spikes buried themselves in the ground, steaming with corrosive residue.

The variant turned its attention sharply toward Chris, its obsidian eyes narrowing as blood swirled at its fingertips, forming the beginning of a blood bullet. But before it could act, it paused. Dual Blade's unrelenting onslaught forced its hand. The raw power behind each of his attacks left no room for distraction. Unlike others, Dual Blade's strikes were capable of tearing through the blood wall — a threat the variant couldn't afford to ignore.

"Fire Arrows!" Jessica's voice rang out as she unleashed a concentrated volley of flaming bolts. Each arrow shimmered with enchantments, all aimed precisely at the variant's chest.

Normally, Rebecca and Will would have supported with their large-area attacks, but the nature of shadow slaves made that difficult. Any misstep, any overpowered spell, and the cores hidden within the slaves' bodies could be destroyed — turning victory into failure. It was a dangerous limitation that shackled the team's full firepower.

Despite the flames closing in from behind, Dual Blade didn't falter. His form was fluid, a whirlwind of slashes that kept the variant fully engaged. Every movement, every parry, felt calculated. The variant couldn't break away.

At the final second before the fire arrows could hit them both, Chris reappeared, grabbed Dual Blade, and teleported them to safety, vanishing in a flash of light.

A moment later, the fire arrows pierced into the variant's chest, flames exploding in a satisfying burst.

"A success," Chris muttered, watching with a satisfied smirk as smoke wafted from the variant's now-burning chest.

"No... we were baited," Odin corrected grimly, his voice low, eyes wide with realization.

"You... it seems your golden eyes hold special abilities," Augustus spoke from a distance, observing calmly with his hands behind his back. He stood like a detached god, presiding over mortals struggling in the dust.

Augustus had known they would hesitate. He had counted on it. He had watched with amusement as they refused to unleash their full might against the variant, afraid of damaging its core. Their hesitation had been a miscalculation, born from ignorance.

Variants, unlike ordinary shadow slaves, retained everything: their instincts, their battle experience, their cunning. And Marquis Alexander, a noble vampire in his past life, was one of the most dangerous minds Augustus could weaponize. That was why Augustus had no plans of interfering — not even for a second.

"What do you mean he baited us?" Brian asked, now fully healed, standing beside Aaron.

"He didn't attack on purpose. He was waiting," Aaron answered, eyes narrowed. "He baited Jessica's strike."

"So what? We still got him — those arrows hit his heart, right? He should be dying," Will added with a shrug.

"He won't die," Aaron replied grimly. "He formed a blood shield around his heart the moment Jessica's arrows approached. Her attack didn't finish him — which means..."

Everyone understood the rest.

The variant's chest opened like a grotesque flower of flesh. Behind it, a pulsating heart was now completely protected by a crystalline blood cocoon. The flames had hit, yes, but never pierced deep enough.

"Look out!" Odin shouted. From behind the variant, fire spears emerged — the very ones Jessica had fired at him, now twisted and reshaped.

But the horror didn't end there.

The spears broke apart midair into dozens of smaller pieces, their heat merging into bubbling crimson orbs. They weren't just fire anymore — they were fire-blood hybrids. The result was horrifyingly brilliant.

"We can't let him fire!" Dual Blade roared, charging at full speed. He didn't need Aaron's analysis to know just how deadly those boiling blood bullets would be. His instincts screamed louder than words.

He closed the gap fast — faster than ever before — and just a meter away, he froze.

He saw it. The variant grinned.

It had been waiting for this.

The hybrid bullets launched the moment Dual Blade was in range. The boiling blood struck like meteorites, slamming into his lower half. He screamed as his legs were mangled, both burned and punctured by corrosive heat and impact.

More blood bullets formed instantly, hovering like demonic stars around the variant.

Chris teleported in immediately. He reached for Dual Blade, ready to extract him from the battlefield. But the variant was prepared.

"Urgh!" Chris gasped, suddenly riddled with holes. Blood bullets had already been fired at the exact location and time he would teleport — as if the variant had predicted it perfectly.

Chris's mind reeled in pain, but he gritted his teeth and held tight to Dual Blade.

"Almost... got you..." he muttered, trying to teleport again.

But it didn't work. A hand clamped around his throat.

The variant had caught him.

Chris froze. He knew if he teleported now, the variant would simply come along — and worse, would appear right beside their healer. He couldn't risk it.

"Chris!" Brian yelled, his voice raw with panic.

The sight of his friend, bruised, bleeding, and held by the neck like a broken doll, set something off inside him. Rage flared.

Without hesitation, Brian sprinted forward, every step fueled by a surge of fury and desperation.

Cain gritted his teeth and sent his undead forward too, abandoning the careful strategy they had set earlier.

They could no longer treat this like a coordinated raid. This was a massacre in progress — and if they didn't act now, they might all be wiped out.

This was no mere shadow slave. This was a monster that thought, plotted, baited, and struck with clinical cruelty.

A predator with a noble past and no mercy.

And they were the prey.