Chapter 180 Wrathful Burn
Every part of my body was screaming at me to stop and just give up as I ran through the forest while my buffs kept me going at top speed, I needed to catch up to them as fast as possible and rescue my loved ones. Steam was escaping from my pores but it had a red tinte to it and I could smell the iron before realizing that my blood was evaporating because of the pure strain that I was forcing my already dying body to endure.
I stopped short of their campsite because right infront of me walked 3 of the Raptoids from behind some trees. They looked shocked but at the same time they had their weapons in hand and ready to fight.
"How are you still alive? Our Master planted you into the ground." One of the grey feathered creatures said while the other 2 slowly started to creep to surround me.
"I don't have time for this. Take me to the camp and give me back my wives and everyone of you can live. It wasn't my fault that your shaman or whatever tried to kill me but I defended myself. I'll leave the rest of you alone but only if you give me back my wives." I took a menacing step forward but all that did was signal the two on my left and right to lunge at me with their weapons. The one on the right had bone knuckles that covered it's fist and even extended out to create claws, kind of like a famous superhuman that could grow them alongside superhuman regeneration.....
Anyways the left one had a bone glaive and was in the middle of a horizontal slice. They were moving slowly as my adrenaline increased and I inhaled a huge amount of air and jumped up, Then I aimed below as their attacks missed me but still brought them to the spot directly under me. I concentrated a good amount of mana inside my mouth and then unleashed a huge Smoke Blast that upon impact knocked them down and covered them in a thick cloud of suffocating and deadly smoke.
I landed a little ways away but just as quickly I had to roll to the side as something zoomed by where my head had been just seconds ago. I looked at the last enemy and saw as it had a bow with an arrow already nocked and ready to go. Seeing that I unleashed a concentrated stream of smoke, both in the hopes of providing cover from it's line of sight while also causing some damage.
Fortune wasn't on my side at that moment as I saw it wave a hand and a sharp wind blew away all of the smoke that had gathered. Even the smoke that had covered the other two, While they were close to death from inhaling my attack, they were still able to get up and quickly approach the bow user, who then placed it's hands on the others and a green light enveloped their entire bodies. Before long they looked just as healthy as when the fight started moments ago.
"Healing magic eh? So your not just a warrior but you can use magic aswell? This will be harder than I expected but nevertheless you will let me pass. Either with your surrender.... Or your death."
While the two of the Raptoids were lunging to attack again the 3rd was aiming and firing an arrow, except this one felt more powerful, I could see as mana was being concentrated at the tip and swirls of wind were forming and covering the arrowhead. It all happened in the blink of an eye but when it fired the arrow was already within inches of my nose, While that did surprise me, All I had to do activate my Scales of the Void ability and the mana was instantly absorbed and what was left was just a simple arrow that barely left a scratch on me.
I felt a threat coming from behind me and I turned to see that the other two had combined their attacks while they also imbued magic into it. The one with the glaive had imbued theirs with fire while the other had theirs surrounded by a layer of stone. Again after impacting against my scales the magic was drained away and all I had to do was block the weapons themselves, But after blocking I grabbed the weapons and used my buffed strength to snap and break them. I also grabbed the Raptoids and started to drain their life away, I was already using Life Burn.... But what if instead of my own Vitality, I burned up what was left of my enemies?
The 3rd Raptoid stepped back in shock as the ones in my hands visibly started to shrink and the life was sucked out of their bodies while I felt a huge rush of energy enter my soul and body before being burned away by my ability and even more energy rushed through me. After the Raptoids were nothing but shriveled husks I immediately leapt towards the bow user and grabbed it by the head before it could even have the time to react and I started to drain its life with a huge smile on my face that showed every single one of my fangs. A sense of wildness started to take hold in my mind alongside a hunger that was rapidly becoming a threat that would turn me ravenous.
My vision was turning red and all I could see was the campsite and the creatures around it with the lifeforce that seemed to pulse from them. I saw my wives huddled together tied up around a tree and one of the creatures was near them while slinging its arm back and forth. I knew something was wrong and tried to focus my hearing and prayed that I wouldn't hear what I feared was going on.
WHACK! WHACK! WHACK! "AHHH WHEN MY HUSBAND GETS HERE YOU ARE GOING TO BE SOR...AHHH YOU PIECE OF SHIT!"
A deep black rage boiled up from within me as I heard my Kitsoma screaming in pain at the end of every crack of what I only know as the sound of a whip. A painful flex of my legs later and I was dashing towards that piece of shit insect who dares to harm what's mine! I felt nothing as I broke through trees and leaving a path of destruction behind me without care.
In moments I had my next meal in my hands and was already absorbing its life force and soul even before the others could even register what was going on, except for one. The only reason they reacted was because the horrendous scream that echoed throughout the forest that originated from my meals very depths. I did not make it pleasant as I absorbed everything, blood, soul, mana, everything. Nothing was left but a husk that was no bigger than my arm, even then I slashed it into pieces and devoured it.
"Mmmm, tastes like well seasoned jerky." I said as I licked my lips and turned to stare at the one Raptoid that sat there and watched me kill and devour its underling.... The Raptoid that had essentially killed me.
"I'm back for a rematch big boy. I've got a bone to pick with someone who thinks they can take what's mine and get away with it, oh and I'm a little offended at being made to take a dirt nap."
"VEXSUS!" "HONEY!" "DARLING!"
Kitsoma, Mara and Vannessa shouted with surprise when the saw me. Kitsoma was covered in cuts and open wounds along with Vannessa, they were breathing heavy and looked pale from the loss of blood. They were sitting infront of Lula and Alissa, but those two looked the worse and I could only gasp as I saw Lula with a huge cut that spanned from her shoulder down to her stomach. It looked grisly and oozing blood, but thankfully Alissa was helping it to slowly close thanks to some kind of plant that she was using to heal it. But I could see and feel that it was costing her to keep using that spell or ability.
*Kill them.*
A voice? I don't recognize it.
*Destroy them all. They hurt what's mine! Kill them, Kill them, KILLL Them, KILLL THEEEMMMM!!!!*
"RRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGHHHHHHHHH"
Something took over my senses as I felt nothing but the rage and I unleashed a roar that shook the air around us and made the earth tremble beneath my feet. He may have surprised me before but this time I will devour him and every other Raptoid I see.
"Sarah, Velona... run away as fast as you can and warn the others. The rest of us will stay here and buy you time." The Raptoid that almost finished me off finally spoke up and quickly I saw as 2 of the smaller female Raptoids ran off into the forest. He said something about warn the others? Good, I'm starving.
He disappears from sight and immediately I feel his clawed hand wrapped around my throat once again. He squeezed and drew blood but it only evaporated into a pink mist when it hit the open air.
"You would rather burn through your life force than to die peacefully? Just leave your women to me dragon, I promise I will be very good to them." He winked at me and licked his lips.
"Fuck....You..." Was all I could say as the rage building inside my head was making it harder to form words and coherent thoughts. The voice was screaming so loud that not even front row seats to a metal concert would've been able to drown it out.
He opened his mouth again but before he could speak I slashed his face with my Draconic Lightning slash, It had been a long time since I used the skills I learned back when I had the system but I was going to pull out everything if it meant ending this things life. My claws raked across his face and drew blood that I absorbed instantly to help fend off the damage I was recieving just by him choking me. Thankfully the attack I landed was enough to shake his grip and loosen just enough for me to escape.
I used Spatial blink that I learned so long ago but I usually easily killed everything I faced after using Wrath or a huge magic blast so I never had a need for back attacks like this. But appearing behind him like that seemed to confuse him long enough for me to spear my hand through his side just below his rib and I planted a Spatial Bomb inside his body. I could feel Life burn consuming my energy again and I was losing strength rapidly so I needed to end this fast and devour the other Raptoids nearby.
He screamed in pain as I ripped my hand out and lifted him and threw him into the woods. I didn't have enough strength to raise a barrier for the girls but I didn't need to worry as I saw barriers already in place, They saw what I had done and was prepared for it.
Smiling I raced towards one of the females that stayed behind but she was too shocked at the quick attack and launching of the male to realize that I had my hand over her head. It wasn't until her life force was draining that she finally started to scream in pain and her body started to shrink and crackled. When she was nothing more than bite sized I devoured the husk just like the last one. I felt the pain of Life burn recede but still I managed to perk up as a small wave of energy filled my sore, aching muscles with new life.
I knew this wouldn't last long so I quickly used Spatial Blink to appear behind all of the enemies and did the same thing to them all, There were only a handful to begin with but their lifeforce saved me from wasting anymore of my own. I was about to end the skill when I realized that I had not heard an explosion yet.... Looking over in the direction that I threw the male I went wide eyed as I witnessed that bastard walking towards me while using the trees as support and blood flowing down his side.
In his hand was a ball of purple energy that was my bomb, but covering it was a layer of thick black energy that kept it from exploding. This guy had reached into his own body, ripped out my attack and somehow stopped it from exploding using that weird black energy.
He looked around and saw as none of the females were left, he whipped his head to face me and he raised his arm and threw the bomb back at me.... I knew this was bad news, I know how powerful my Spatial bombs are but this one seemed like the destructive power was more concentrated but at the same time it seemed like double the power. I couldn't figure out how except that it was that black energies doing.
"I was given a mission from my lord and I refuse to die here without completing it. This... Is for my lord.....Pride."