Chapter 47: Summoner’s Hunt for Cores 2

Chapter 47: Summoner’s Hunt for Cores 2 The fight between Carlos and the Tusks was nothing short of a one-sided massacre. He outclassed them in every conceivable way—speed, precision, awareness. It was almost like he could predict their movements before they even happened, like some uncanny foresight guided his every step. Carlos raised his dagger just in time to intercept the charging tusk. Steel clashed against bone as he blocked the beast’s assault and retaliated with a forceful swing, pushing it backward. His body spun mid-air as he leapt back, narrowly dodging a second Tusk that skidded just past him, missing its target by inches. His eyes darted around the battlefield, scanning rapidly in every direction. His gaze was sharp, calculating—he counted their numbers with a predator’s focus. ’Just five more left... they’re desperate now.’ The remaining Tusks had begun to charge at full speed, driven more by primal fear than coordinated effort. "In that case, I’ll end it here," Carlos muttered, his tone cold and final. He landed gracefully on his feet and raised both daggers skyward. With an almost theatrical flair, he swung them down into the air, seemingly at nothing. But what followed was anything but ordinary. From the edge of both blades, brilliant blue streaks of lightning erupted with a crackling scream. The energy tore through the air like guided missiles, each bolt finding its mark with terrifying precision. One after another, the lightning bolts struck the oncoming Tusks squarely on their heads. Their skulls shattered instantly—blood, bone, and brain matter splattered across the field like a grotesque rain. "I’m done," Carlos exhaled, calmly placing his daggers back into their scabbards. He slid his hands into his pockets, striking an effortless pose as he stared into the distance, like a warrior unbothered by the carnage he’d just caused. Kairos stood a short distance away, eyes wide in disbelief. The final move had taken him by surprise. ’Was that... his summon integration? Or the Core weapon’s ability?’ He couldn’t tell. It was hard to say. But whatever it was, it was powerful—far beyond anything he’d expected. ’Carlos is truly... a prodigy.’ "Don’t just stand there, you two! Let’s extract the cores before more beasts come crawling in!" Carlos called out. He unsheathed one of his daggers and crouched beside a fallen Tusk. With a quick jab, he plunged the blade into its carcass, slicing open the flesh to retrieve the glowing core. The urgency in his voice got the others moving. Kairos rushed toward another body, ready to do the same. Still, a part of his mind lingered, wondering how the girls were doing. As he readied his gauntlets and aimed his claws into the belly of the beast, something changed. Beneath him, a shadow unfurled. It moved silently, almost like a liquid, and wrapped itself around the Tusk’s body. His breath caught in his throat. ’This shadow... no. No, no, no—’ It was the same shadow that had killed Mike. The same chilling darkness that acted without his command and froze him in place until it finished its grisly work. This time was no different. The shadow fully consumed the beast, draining it until all that remained were bones and dry, shriveled flesh. Not even the core remained. ’Fuck! It consumed the core again!’ Panic rose like bile in his chest. ’If Darnell sees this, I’m finished...’ "What the hell, Kairos?!" That voice. It felt like a hammer to his soul. His throat went dry as he turned his head ever so slowly. And there stood Darnell, clutching a handful of cores in one hand, his blade in the other. But the question was—how much had he seen? ’Did he see the dark smoke? Shit... I’m cooked. The Shadow Wolf has doomed me—’ "You’re slacking off! How could you be kneeling beside a corpse without even retrieving a single core?!" Darnell scowled, shaking his head in disappointment. Relief crashed into Kairos like a wave. His shoulders slumped just slightly, but enough to betray the storm that had raged within him. "Sorry, I won’t be lazy anymore," he said quickly, forcing a smile and moving to the next carcass. ’Thank god Darnell isn’t the sharpest. If he had caught me just then... I don’t know what I would have done.’ A darker thought surfaced. One he had buried deep. ’Would I have had to kill him?’ He didn’t think he could bring himself to do it. But Carlos? Carlos wouldn’t hesitate. He was efficient, ruthless—he cared little for anyone standing in his way. Kairos crouched by the next Tusk, hesitating. ’What tells me it won’t happen again? What if the Shadow Wolf consumes this one too? Darnell will definitely notice sooner or later...’ He clenched his teeth, weighing his options. Desperate, he reached out with his thoughts. ’System, is there a way to stop the Shadow Wolf from taking the cores and the beasts?’ No answer. As expected. Instead, it was the Shadow Wolf who responded. [Cores are needed for me to get stronger. I must consume as many as I can.] Kairos inhaled sharply. He had to think fast. He recalled something from the system’s teachings—the concept of "bad cores." "Don’t take these low-grade scums," he whispered under his breath. "They’ll do nothing but ruin your diet. We’ll get stronger beasts soon, better grades. When I extract the cores—then you can feed on the remains. But no more cores. Ever." The shadow wolf whimpered, almost like a wounded puppy. [I’m sorry.] Kairos exhaled, shoulders sagging in relief. He’d managed to take control of the situation, at least for now. ’That worked... thank god I remembered that about bad cores from the system, thanks to it I can manipulate the Wolf for now.’ Now, all that remained was to clear out the weaker beasts. When the stronger ones came, he would have to be quick—extract the cores before feeding the body to the Shadow Wolf without either Darnell or Carlos noticing. It wouldn’t be easy. But for the sake of power? It was worth it. Meanwhile... Other groups had taken vastly different tactics. While most were battling the lesser beasts to harvest their cores, a select few had chosen to venture into the most dangerous parts of the map—the dark, uncharted Caves. They were drawn by the lure of stronger beasts, more valuable cores, and the hope of rising above their peers. At first, the risk had paid off. Within the cave, they encountered formidable enemies—Apex beasts. Creatures that required teamwork, strategy, and brute strength to take down. But with two Summoners per group, they managed. They fought tactically, harvesting high-level cores with minimal casualties. Success bred overconfidence. Morty, one of the group leaders, had led his team deeper into the Caves with boldness. His strategies were sharp, and his decisions clear. Under his leadership, his team downed several Apex beasts. With each victory, he felt closer to clearing the cave ahead of everyone else. But his confidence had been misplaced. Now he lay on the blood-soaked floor of the cave, sobbing and whimpering like a child as he cradled the stump where his right arm used to be. His eyes scanned the cave in frantic, broken movements. All around him were the mangled remains of his team—their heads smashed in, their bones twisted, their summons torn apart like paper. Not just his team. Other groups too. No one had survived. "Ahhhh! He—Help! HELP ME! SOMEBODY! HELP ME!!!" His scream echoed through the hollow corridors, hopeless and hysterical. But even he knew... no help was coming. A heavy footstep pounded the ground beside him. Morty turned, vision blurring with tears and terror, and saw it—the towering, humanoid beast that had destroyed everything. Its form was dark and imposing, a living nightmare. Its gaze locked onto him, and then it smiled. A wicked grin stretched across its monstrous face, revealing rows of jagged, unnatural teeth. In one swift motion, it lunged forward and bit Morty’s head clean off. There was no struggle. No final scream. Just silence. Morty’s last thought, as the life drained from his severed mind, was filled with regret. If only I had run... when my phone sent me that warning... But it was too late. That regret died with him. And his final thought was a chilling realization: ’So this... this is the strength of an Abyssal Ranked Beast.’