Chapter 119: Summoner’s last stand

Chapter 119: Summoner’s last stand The explosion from the lightning struck with such devastating force that the earth trembled, the ground splitting open in jagged lines. Yet the most shocking part wasn’t the size of the explosion—it was the fact that it hadn’t struck Lloyd or Silver directly. No, someone had stepped in between them at the very last moment, absorbing the brunt of the attack. It was Fex. With both hands thrown forward, he intercepted the lightning blast. The energy surged upon impact, but instead of blasting him away or tearing through his body—it simply fizzled, dispersing into the air like smoke in the wind. It did nothing. This was his ability. The power to create flaws in another’s ability. Whether it was a weapon, a spell, or even an energy form—Fex could disrupt its structure, causing it to collapse, fail, or misfire entirely when in close proximity. But not always. When he had previously faced Goldrics, this ability had failed. Too close, too overwhelming. Fex had genuinely feared he wouldn’t be able to block it in time. And yet—he had. Lloyd exhaled, the breath ragged and heavy with exhaustion. His body was battered, his armor scorched and torn. He turned his head slightly and gave a breathless nod of gratitude. Silver, for once, didn’t argue or scoff. Her lips curled into a small, brief smile at the sight of the usually bumbling drunkard now standing as their unlikely savior. "He really beat you up in seconds," Fex muttered, his tone grim as his eyes traced the burns and gashes across Lloyd’s form. The wounds slowly closed up, regenerating bit by bit. "If this is what he did to you... how can I possibly do better," Fex whispered more to himself than anyone else. He didn’t move. He stayed crouched low behind a thick curtain of smoke that still veiled them from the battlefield. With any luck, Goldrics wouldn’t see past the swirling fog and might assume them dead. It was a hope shared by all three of them. But deep down, they knew it was foolish. No one escaped a High-Ranked Summoner like that. Suddenly, without warning, the smoke was pulled apart as if by unseen hands. It dispersed violently into the atmosphere, sucked into the sky by a force they couldn’t see. And then they felt it. That aura. That dense, choking presence of power that fell on their shoulders like a mountain. The three turned their heads in unison, instincts sharpened from years of war and battle. Goldrics stood just a few meters away, his expression calm, almost entertained. His white goatee twitched as he toyed with it idly, his eyes gleaming with cruel amusement. "Wow," he said with a smirk, "all three in one spot. Lucky me." Fex gulped hard and took a fighting stance. "Isn’t it heartless for us to fight without gear, old man?" he said with a forced chuckle. "After all, you don’t even need yours." "Core weapons?" Goldrics laughed, his shoulders shaking. "Hohohohoho! It’s three against one, after all." Fex gritted his teeth. ’This bastard...’ He turned his gaze to Lloyd, who was already pushing himself upright. His sword scraped against the stone floor as he drew it from its scabbard, holding it tight with both hands. His stance was steady despite the damage he had taken. Silver followed next. She rose without a word, folding her fists and taking a combat position beside them. Goldrics chuckled, impressed by their resilience. "The only person who could’ve helped turn this battle isn’t here anymore." Anyone else might have missed the meaning behind those words. But not them. Those words struck a chord—memories returning in fragments like shattered glass. They remembered that day, long ago, during the era of internal war when military factions hadn’t been unified. Back then, they had fought Goldrics once before—back when he was from a rival base, and the three of them still bled under a different flag. They had lost. Terribly. Until she came. The first shadow user recorded in history. Her arrival had turned the tide. With her aid, they had managed to hold their ground against Goldrics, to match him if only just. But she was gone now. "This isn’t like back then," Lloyd snarled, anger swelling in his chest. The others shared that sentiment deeply. Goldrics smiled and lifted his hand. Without a single word, he sent a colossal beam of lightning shooting toward them. The attack moved like a spear of pure destruction, cracking the air apart. But they moved faster. All three leaped aside in perfect synchronicity, the beam missing them by inches and striking the ground with a thunderous crash. The resulting explosion formed a massive crater—an ugly, scorched scar on the earth. None of them dared to be hit again. Lloyd was the first to counter. He charged straight at Goldrics, a blur of motion. His sword swung toward the older man’s throat, a deadly arc with fatal intent. Goldrics tilted his head back, dodging just in time. "Echo Walk!" Lloyd’s voice rang out. He vanished. In the next instant, he reappeared behind Goldrics and delivered a solid kick to the man’s lower back. The hit connected hard, sending Goldrics staggering forward, his footing lost. But he recovered quickly. He spun with speed and lashed out with his hand, aiming to slam Lloyd away. Yet his hand struck only air. ’Damn him and his Feral Arts!’ Goldrics cursed silently. But he wasn’t caught off guard—not entirely. He had planned contingencies. As Lloyd appeared behind him once more through Echo Walk, his sword aimed straight for the gut, Goldrics retaliated. Four massive arms—summoned extensions of his body—burst out from his cloak. They shot out like serpents, swinging for Lloyd’s torso with murderous speed. Lloyd had no room to retreat. He blocked two of the claws with his blade, but the remaining two sank into his side, drawing blood and pain as they flung him back several meters. He crashed to the ground, his body skidding across the broken terrain. Now it was Fex and Silver’s turn. Fex, wearing no armor, dove into the fray using sheer martial prowess. His fists flew, aiming at Goldrics’ center mass. Silver followed close, coating one of her arms in red, boiling flames that extended to her forearm, her aura flaring with heat. Fex struck first, but Goldrics dodged with ease. Silver struck next, targeting the crouched Goldrics, but he caught her flaming fist in one hand. With his free arm, he swung at Fex’s gut. Too predictable. Fex sidestepped smoothly, letting the strike pass, leaving Goldrics exposed. ’This opening... it’s too clean. It’s a trap...’ Fex didn’t move. He left the follow-up to Silver. Silver snarled and stamped her foot on the ground. With a shout, she threw her fist toward Goldrics—only for a new arm to burst forth directly from Goldrics’ eye socket. This one was different. It radiated white energy, sharp and violent. A sense of dread flooded Fex’s and Silver’s senses. Fex recognized it. So did Silver. A lightning explosion. They braced themselves, and just as expected—the arm detonated. The explosion rocked the battlefield, lightning and fire consuming everything within a forty-meter radius. It was like a bomb had gone off, ripping through the landscape with relentless fury. For a moment, there was silence. Then movement. The three emerged from the smoke, bruised, burned, and breathing hard. Lloyd was the worst off, his skin blistered and armor molten. His summon offered little protection against heat. "He’s got us this beaten up and the battle has barely started," Silver muttered angrily. No one disagreed. Lloyd’s jaw tightened. "He’s a bad match-up for me. I can’t take much lightning or heat damage due to my flaw. If we want to win this by even a fraction... we’ll need to use our highest form of integration." Those words made the other two tense. The highest form of integration. A technique that drew the deepest reserves of a summoner’s power—something that could leave them powerless for weeks. Or worse—dead. But against a monster like Goldrics... they had no choice. Fex gave a crooked smile. "So this is it," he said quietly. "Probably... our last stand."