NOVEL WEB Chapter 57: Immense Pressure
Robin shouted, "Windblade Swordsmanship Style, Third Form: Shred!"
A golden aura exploded around him, swirling like a storm. The air trembled as he prepared to strike.
He pointed his blade and said, "Come at me, boy!"
Gabby stood firm, calm and steady.
"I've been suppressing my power," he thought. "And overtime it grew vast."
He unleashed his green aura once again. This time, it was far more vast than earlier.
The air around him shimmered as the pressure spread outward.
The aura was so intense that it reached Robin and made him falter.
Robin gritted his teeth, struggling to stay in his stance. His body trembled slightly under the weight of Gabby's power.
Gabby stepped forward, and commanded, "Kneel, pitiful monster."
Robin held his ground, resisting towards Gabby's aura.
Robin's thoughts raced, his eyes narrowing in disbelief, "Why does this human have such a massive aura? It's unreal, even stronger than mine."
Gabby said, "Your pathetic attempt to copy Robin's sword style is laughable. And your aura? It's like holding a candle against a hurricane—it doesn't even flicker before it's snuffed out."
Robin blinked. "What?"
Robin thought to himself, "His green aura is both terrifying and beautiful. It looks like a dragon, roaring straight at me. Then it wrapped around my golden aura, tightening like a serpent. I could feel it crushing me, squeezing the strength out of my soul. My aura flickered, cracked... and slowly broke apart under the weight of his overwhelming aura."
Gabby thought, "My aura was stronger. So powerful it disrupted his sword techniques. There could be a few reasons why.
First, maybe he's mentally shaken, doubting his own strength. That kind of fear can throw off his ability to channel his sword style.
Second, maybe it's aura interference. His sword style runs on aura, and when ours clashed, mine overwhelmed his. That might've messed up his form too.
Whatever the cause, I can't afford to drop my guard yet."
Robin thought to himself, "I need to run. This human is dangerous."
He turned to flee, but Gabby suddenly appeared in front of him, grabbed his head, and slammed him into the ground with such force that the earth cracked beneath him.
Gabby said coldly, "You're so weak, I don't even need to draw my daggers."
Without hesitation, Gabby hurled Robin into a nearby tree. The impact shattered the tree, leaving Robin bleeding from the back of his head and body.
Robin groaned and thought to himself, "This human is insanely strong. I can't win against him. There's no choice—I have to escape."
At that moment, the Memory Fiend stopped copying Robin's form and shape shifted back into its original form.
It stood tall, nearly three meters in height, hunched slightly as if coiled for attack. Its obsidian skin rippled with faint red pulses, like veins glowing under stone. Where its face should have been, there was only a gaping void, ringed with twitching tendrils that pulsed with unnatural life.
Its limbs stretched long and jagged, ending in claws that dripped black ichor.
The Memory Fiend ran fast—unnaturally fast—but to his surprise, Gabby didn't pursue him.
He simply watched, silent and still, his gaze cold and calculating.
Of course, the Memory Fiend thought. He has to deal with the incoming Thrixells.
Three of the creatures charged toward Gabby, their forms twitching and snarling. But Gabby was unfazed.
"There's no way that thing will survive now." he thought, eyes narrowing on the fleeing fiend.
Cradling the Marshbear cub with one arm, Gabby drew a single dagger with the other. His tone was calm, almost too calm.
"Secret Sword Art... Heavenly Swordstyle. First Form: Godspeed."
Gabby poured his green aura around his body, flowing into his blade, feet, and hand.
And then—He vanished.
There was no blur, no streak of movement. Only the soft rustle of wind and leaves in his wake.
A heartbeat later, the Thrixells' heads were sent flying, one by one, cleanly severed from their bodies. The strikes were swift, precise, and absolute.
In barely a second, Gabby had crossed fifty meters without a trace.
As the Memory Fiend tried to flee deeper into the hill, something shifted.
It felt an ominous pressure, heavy and unnatural.
Then came a sharp snap.
A blade, swift and precise, sliced through the air and struck its body before it could even react.
The Memory Fiend froze for a moment, stunned and then looked down.
Its body was split in half.
"What… happened?" it whispered, the shock preventing it from processing the pain.
And then, it saw.
Another terrifying figure stood ahead. Massive. Regal. Monstrous.
It was the King of Thrixells, the ruler of the dungeon portal and apex of the monster hierarchy.
The Memory Fiend made a desperate attempt to escape, shifting its form to resemble one of the King of Thrixell's kin.
But the King wasn't fooled.
Without hesitation, the monstrous ruler lunged forward and devoured the Fiend whole, ending its illusion and its life in one brutal instant.
From a distance, Gabby watched with narrowed eyes as he thought to himself:
"The battle between Von and the King of Thrixell is over, he thought. Von was killed but not without leaving a mark.
Von had managed to severely wound the King before falling, yet the creature remained terrifyingly powerful. Ruthless. Unforgiving. It never spared anyone who owed a debt.
And the Memory Fiend was guilty.
It had consumed the priest, the one the King had been hunting.
Now, the King's target had shifted. The Memory Fiend became prey. And its frantic sprint through the forest had only made it easier to catch.
If I dared to move, that terrifying King would target me next.
I wanted to fight the monster, but it was too dangerous. I wasn't in good shape, this cold sickness had weakened me.
Gabby looked at Maya, still unconscious, lying quietly in the distance, he thought:
"The Academy is going to get interesting A beast tamer hero. I've never seen someone awaken outside the rites of the Four Gods. I've never even heard of that kind of subclass before.
That's why I made my choice, I have to save her."