Chapter 137: One—Handed summoner

Chapter 137: One—Handed summoner Kairos and Kaela stood before the life-threatening situation, neither uttering a word. Yet, their expressions betrayed a storm of calculations and internal conflict. From their body language alone, it was clear—they were measuring their odds. And from how things looked... they weren’t very good. Kairos knew his martial prowess was great—enough to face a single Abyssal-ranked beast thanks to the new skills he had mastered after the Expenditure. But this wasn’t a one-on-one. This was two against nine. Despite the abyssal ranked beasts not being at the level of the beast they fought on planet Pascoloid. Ny’kara. But power didn’t matter as much right now, after all; They were outclassed. Outmatched. Outnumbered. ’Think, Kairos. Think!’ he yelled internally, his hands slightly trembling. His dragon summon could annihilate everything in its path—yes—but it was a double-edged sword. That creature only responded to his deepest, darkest emotions, and if released again after the Titan battle... He feared it might go too far. And right now, with his emotions fraying and his thoughts spinning, that was a real risk. His instincts screamed at him with every heartbeat. Run. Run. Run! Kairos’s gaze locked with the Monarch-ranked beast. It hadn’t even moved, yet it’s presence alone made his skin crawl. His breath hitched. His muscles stiffened. The primal part of his mind shrieked in fear. But then—movement. A sudden blur. One of the Abyssal beasts lunged forward. Its form was grotesque—its long, serpentine body slithered along the ground like a snake, but its face... was worse. Its head resembled a gaping maw, large enough to swallow a boulder whole, with rows upon rows of jagged teeth spiraling inward like a nightmarish staircase. And it was fast. It rushed toward them recklessly—but something was off. Too reckless. It was baiting them. Kairos saw it instantly. The feigned recklessness, the slight twitch in its jaw—it was setting a trap. A calculated ambush disguised as a frenzied charge. He wasn’t going to fall for it. Not after the countless hours of fighting he’d endured that night. Not with the experience earned or those hours. But Kaela... She moved differently. Her instincts didn’t mirror his. She stepped forward, lowering her stance. Her eyes narrowed, and her arms readied to strike. ’Is she insane?’ Kairos cursed under his breath. There was no time to explain. He threw out a hand, intending to grab her shoulder and dissolve both of them into shadow—an escape tactic. But the moment his hand touched her skin... Ding! [Dark entity sensed... Similarities to shadow detected... Your summon’s starvation will now be fed.] The system notification flashed before his eyes. Kairos’s heart skipped a beat. Then—pain. A sharp sting erupted in his palm. He yanked his hand back immediately, staggering a few steps in haste to avoid taking her summon. The system had triggered the summon devouring process. A second longer, and Kaela’s summon would have been forcibly extracted—ripped from her body—and both of them would’ve been frozen in place, helpless while their enemies attacked. But even that brief contact had consequences. Kaela staggered. A look of confusion and disorientation washed over her. Her footing was unsure. And in that instant... The teeth-worm reached her. Too fast. Too brutal. The beast struck. A geyser of blood sprayed into the air, painting the battlefield in a crimson mist. The impact was loud—a thunderous, grotesque thud—as a body hit the ground, twisted unnaturally. Kairos gasped. But Kaela didn’t fall. She only fell to her knees, her eyes wide in shock and disbelief. And in front of her, like a phantom emerging from shadow, stood her savior. A tall figure clad in a dark coat. His right sleeve flapped in the wind—empty. He was one-handed. Kairos stared, eyes widening in disbelief. Of all the people he expected to see at such a moment—he was not one of them. And yet... Relief. Gratitude. A grin crept across Kairos’s face. "Thank you... Rivet." --- Ashen’s eyes grew wide in awe—borderline disbelief—as he stared at the remnants of the battlefield. His hands trembled. He had been following Kairos. Stalking him. Waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike and claim vengeance. But what he had seen... had stopped him cold. Initially, he noticed the men in white—ominous, threatening, organized. Then came the battle. Kairos vs. the Titan. A spectacle that shook buildings and split the ground. Ashen was forced to take cover several blocks away. And yet, even from that distance... he felt it. The energy. The devastation. The monstrous scale battle. It was overwhelming. He didn’t know the details of how it ended—but the pressure alone told him one thing. Kairos was no longer the same boy he had fought months ago. No... He might even be stronger than Ashen now. The realization settled heavily in his chest. Doubt clouded his mind, but the anger... The anger still burned. ’He’s got to be weak now. After that fight... now’s the time. I can end him. I’ll take revenge... and deal with his friends next.’ The grimace on Ashen’s face deepened, his brows furrowed with fury. He gripped the hilts of his twin daggers, his core weapons, and stepped onto the silent battlefield. Step— A cold shiver ran down his spine. He froze. Someone was behind him. He turned, fast—blade drawn, aimed cleanly at the throat of whoever dared sneak up on him. But the figure behind him... Wasn’t an enemy. At least, not as he recalled. Rivet. Ashen blinked, surprised. Another man who had reason to despise Kairos. This could work. Ashen loosened his grip. "Great to see you are here," he said cautiously. "We came just for you," Rivet replied, his voice calm, yet holding weight. Ashen’s eyes narrowed. "’We’?" His gaze darted around, scanning. Then he saw her. A woman leaning against the nearby building wall, arms crossed, a faint smirk playing on her lips. He hadn’t sensed her. Not at all. That unsettled him. He tensed, backing a few paces, hands instinctively returning to his hilts. "What do you want?" Rivet sighed deeply, almost as if what he was about to say pained him. "I want to strike a deal with you. One that could save you from your current doom." Ashen raised a brow, uncertain but intrigued. His expression remained blank, refusing to show interest. "I know you plan to attack Kairos," Rivet continued, glancing down at the hem of his cloak, concealing the stump where his arm once was. "But I advise you not to." "Why?" Ashen asked flatly. "Because Kairos isn’t the problem right now. Something more dangerous is here. A threat not just to him—but to the entire academy." Ashen stayed silent, letting Rivet talk. "And I need your help. Your tactics. Your experience. We can’t win without it." Rayla said nothing, watching from her place by the wall. She knew of the Thorne family well—summoners capable of glimpsing the future as a side benefit to their integration. If Rivet had led them to come here, it was likely due to some foresight. ’Should have seen the future when he lost his damn arm.’ Rayla mused. Still, she respected the ability. It came at a cost. Every time they used it, they lost a year of their life. It was never used lightly. Ashen’s voice finally returned. "And what do I gain from this? You want me to risk my life fighting something worse than that Titan? You think I’m blind? I saw it." Rivet understood his fear. Anyone would hesitate. Still, he had to press on. "If you help us in this fight, I’ll have your death warrant with the Veyna family annulled. And I’ll take you under my family’s protection—personally." Ashen went silent again. That... That was tempting. "It’s a better deal than dying," Rayla called out, her voice light, but her words cutting like blades. Rivet waited. Patient. Silent. He thought of his brother—his visit to the infirmary. His desire to change. To stop being the arrogant bully who flaunted shallow power. To be something more. To inspire people, just like Kairos. To have true companions—those who stood beside him not for his strength... but for who he was. ’I won’t ever lose to Kairos again.’ ***Author’s note*** Thank you for the support up to this point, please continue to support this book, with votes, Gifts especially super gifts. And recommend this book to expand the reader views. Thank you for reading everyday, and keep reading.