Chapter 15 A Little Stronger

Neraxis stood his ground, waiting patiently for the horde of Scrapfang to arrive. They were each a different color, and he could not tell their strength. However, he did know one thing: he was a little stronger than they were. The flat terrain and lack of cover were a bit troublesome, but it worked in his favor. He kicked the nearby corpse of the Scrapfang he had killed toward the incoming horde while preparing to attack. The corpse slid across the ground until finally impacted one of the seemingly mindless monsters, causing it to fall over and create a small crack in their straightforward formation. However, to Neraxis, that was enough. A single one fell, splitting the group—seven up front, while the rest trailed slowly behind. Seems doable, he thought to himself while glancing at another Scrapfang corpse under him. If push came to shove, he would use it to give himself an even bigger advantage.@@@@ But for now, it was enough. Neraxis began moving forward towards the incoming seven monsters while keeping low to the ground, giving himself the most room to dodge. There were two closest to him that had spread out from the rest of the group, and using the limited time window he had, Neraxis quickly sped up before cleanly cleaving the heads of the two Scrapfangs off. However, he had no room to breathe as the rest came swarming in. He pushed the two corpses aside just enough to create a scenario as though he was fighting in a tight alleyway. It worked wonders since these monsters were stupid. Instead of going around the two corpses, they went straight through the narrow gap he had prepared. This, in turn, gave Neraxis more leeway, which he took hold of instantly. A Scrapfang approached, and just before it bit him, he swung himself to the side while cutting off its legs, making it helplessly slide forward while he focused on the rest of them. God... this fucking sword is sharp. He couldn't help but express wonder as he watched the Scrapfang slightly push their fellow corpses to the side, giving them more leeway to attack. Two approached, and just like the rest, their heads were cleaved clean off. As all of this was happening, he could clearly feel himself growing stronger and faster. And he hadn't even used his skills yet. He was saving them for an emergency. Nonetheless, enough time had passed for the eight others to arrive, and with now ten in total, his chances of winning lessened greatly. However, he was prepared for this. He ran back to the Scrapfang whose legs he had cut off, using it as cover—live cover. They seemed hesitant to kill their own, and although the one below him was barely alive, it was still part of their pack. But still, that did not change the fact that a few came at him at full speed, to which he responded by dashing backward, making enough distance between himself and the incoming Scrapfang. But just as he thought everything was over, a voice blasted into his ears. [Idiot! Do I look like some kind of throwing knife!? Don't ever throw me again!] Evangeline shouted in an annoyed tone while playfully smacking him over the head with the hilt of the sword. Sorry about that. He apologized with a chuckle and looked forward. It seemed like backup had finally arrived. In the distance, he could see a few Awakened thinning down the ever-growing number of Scrapfangs. That meant it was his time to leave. However, just as he turned around and was prepared to head toward the academy, a certain monster caught his eye. It was standing just a few meters away from him, and it looked similar to the Scrapfangs he had killed just mere moments ago. The only difference was its size—it was at least four times bigger than them. That was to say, it was likely many times stronger than them too. ...E rank? Neraxis asked with a sour expression. The monster hadn't moved yet since he himself was still, but he never knew when it could strike. [Not quite. It looks like it's F+ ranked. Honestly, I'd suggest you make a run for it. While I've seen you do unbelievable things, like killing multiple F- ranked monsters as a G+ rank, this one is way out of your league,] Evangeline warned with concern. However, Neraxis was not exactly in a situation where he could just run away. The Awakened were far in front, while the backline was practically empty aside from him and some stupid civilians who were against evacuating. Lost in thought, Neraxis met eyes with the stronger Scrapfang. Moments later, it began growling and slowly moving toward him. Do you think I could kill it with that sideways slash I did earlier? Neraxis asked while entering his defensive sword stance. [You accidentally managed to perform it, so unless you do it once again and catch it off guard, then not very likely,] she answered patiently. Not a lot of options then, huh... He looked at the monster with a scowl. But it seemed like that had managed to irritate it as its pace quickened, and its eyes glistened with murderous intent. [Incoming.] Neraxis rolled his eyes at her teasing tone and waited for the Scrapfang to get within the range of his main skill. It was about time he went all out.