Savage Awakening 443. The Second Challenge (IV)

When Zane stood, his aura pierced the skies.

“Eh?!” shouted Brom.

Zane slammed a fist right through the Chief’s shattered face. The meaty squelch burst through the yard.

Then what bones the Chief had left broke in a thousand different places.

Even Zane’s fists carried the full weight of a Red Giant.

The sheer force rippled up the Chief’s head, snapped that great jaw all the way back, crushing its teeth in—

But Zane wasn’t done.

He slammed again and again.

The Hobgoblin Chief, to its credit, didn’t give in. Fist after fist rained against Zane’s chest and did their damage.

But for every bone the Chief managed to break, Zane shattered five.

Each fist the Chief landed hit like a wrecking ball. But Zane’s fists fell with reality-crushing force; each landed with explosive power. And they only grew more and more furious.

This was no contest.

***

They all watched as Zane broke that Monster boss with his bare hands. Fist by fist.

“That’s that, it looks like,” said Tyler cheerfully.

“Looks like he’s done it again!” said Becca, nodding.

Brom just stared. He was so taken aback his mustache was slightly askew.

Then—“Yes!” he said. “Yes—that is what a one-of-one talent looks like! You go, Zane Walker!”

He started scribbling furiously.

By the end of it—

Warning!

Health under 50%

Skill Evolved!

Solar Flare Punch [Legendary (P)] -> Red Giant Punch [Mythic+ (P)]

Level up!

Level up!

Level up!

Essence Level 530 -> 533

***

Zane wiped the blood off his mouth and grinned.

He might have been able to keep his Health over 50% if he had played that a little more safe.

But he wanted to get himself warmed up.

That’d done it. He stretched a little, felt the heat pumping through his limbs.

Suddenly he looked up. His eyes narrowed.

There, in the heart of that volcano, he felt something stir.

That aura…

It dwarfed the Chief’s. A mountain looming over a hill.

It had a much greater chunk of Creation, too. Much stronger than the Chief’s.

The moment passed—like a giant turning over in its sleep.

“I’ll get to you.”

For now…

He cracked his neck and made his way back toward the sands, in good spirits. Making toward the second fort.

He was quite eager to see what he’d find there. He was raring for another good scrap.

He frowned, blinked; he heard a sound somewhere between a caw and a wail.

He knew a bird when he heard one.

Then he felt something that froze him right in his tracks. A very familiar life signature. Sprawled out on the beach, unmoving—he’d recognize it anywhere.

“…Reina?”

And all around it—closing in—

A horde of True Gods.

Already he was bursting across the sands in a mad sprint—he rounded a bend and saw them.

Ghostly skeletal frames, each as big as barns, cruising on tattered fleshy tattered wings.

Six of them in all.

And every one, a Tier 7 True God.

Wraithcrow (Monster Prince)

Essence Level 632

Wraithvulture (Monster Prince)

Essence Level 638

They had a hideous, mocking laugh as they descended on her prone body.

Zane roared. He stomped with such force he trembled the island; he shot out like a rocket—too slow. The crows were dive-bombing.

He hurled with all he had.

His Axe, laden with the weight of the Red Giant, should’ve been too slow.

But in that moment he put so much force through that strike pain lit up his arms; he felt muscle fibers tear—

That slash struck like the crack of a whip.

A very heavy, very angry whip. It was one of the hardest blows he’d ever thrown.

And it carved through those Tier-7 Gods like they were made of common clay.

Then he was standing over her, back against the horde, as the explosions ripped across the skies…

It would’ve caught the other birds—but then something strange happened.

Their Monstrous Bones shimmered. Their bodies went translucent, ghostly.

For three seconds, their health dipped at the same time—like they’d given themselves some kind of curse.

They shot away. His blast didn’t touch them. They’d gone invulnerable somehow, turned to ghosts even as they howled.

They gave him one last glance and retreated, cawing that grating laugh as they did.

He watched them go with narrowed eyes.

What a birdlike trick. And a birdlike thing to do, running like that.

But Reina was safe. He knelt, brow furrowed, and put a finger to her neck.

She was alive. But her body was very hot—in turmoil.

He realized with a start that she was still making her breakthrough.

She must’ve been on the verge of finishing up when the Challenge pulled her through.

A massive wellspring of energy was running through her right now—her aura flickered between Ascendant and Minor God…

And in her chest, flickering there, was a faint spark of Creation—growing stronger. Her expression was a little worried but her breathing was calm.

The tightness in his chest relaxed a little. She’d be fine.

Then he stood and frowned at the distant horizon. At the shadows trailing off toward the cliff…

Those birds came from that distant cliff fort. He saw the faint outline of it—nestled on high jagged peaks. Shadows swirled around it constantly, a dark cloak.

“This isn’t over,” he said.

You didn’t go after Reina and expect him to let it go. He would pay them a visit soon enough.

But it seemed the birds weren’t done with him either.

More wings were unfurling from atop those ugly spires…

Monsters streamed out, one by one.

A fifth Tier 7 True God. A sixth, a seventh….

Eight of the Monsters took to the skies, bristling with Tier 7 Law.

And wheeled around.

They shot toward him at shocking speed. Clearing hundreds of miles in a heartbeat.

They’d be here in just seconds.

It looked like it was time for round two—faster than he’d expected. Only…

He grimaced. He chanced a glance behind him.

It wasn’t just him. Reina was right there… he’d have to block everything. Take them for the two of them.

He couldn’t go after them easily either—that meant he’d have to leave her.

…This could be tricky.

He lit his Axes with heavy Red Giant fire and sent two slashes right at the swarm—an angry X carved into the distance. A warning.

The birds laughed at his warning. They shimmered into ghost-form, passed right by.

And kept coming.

He gritted his teeth.

The closest four were falling in V-formation. Ghostly shadows hardened on the edges of their wings; shards; like icicles of hardened ectoplasm.

They rained down on him. A stabbing hail.

Zane slashed the bulk of them right out of the sky.

The rest he was forced to take on the chest. He could take them without much issue—they drew blood, hacked away 4% of his Health. But he had blood to give.

Reina was safe. Though she was breathing a little faster now—brow furrowed.

The Monsters were swarming around now, trying to flank him.

They seemed to realize she was easy prey—and they were growing greedier.

That cawing grew louder… he got the inkling feeling they knew he was determined to protect her.

Then it was open season.

Eight pairs of wings slashed, slashed again—and every time they did, he broke the bulk of the waves with his Axes. But he’d still have to take some of those blows. Cover every angle.

When he got close with his Axes—within burning range—they would turn on that strange ghost-mode, go translucent, flicker away…

Birds.

They were more an irritation than anything. He could feel how massive the power differential was between them. And they couldn’t hurt him much either.

But it looked like they’d invested all their powers into running.

Worse—they were starting to get more and more brazen. They flew lower, closer; they knew he couldn’t go far to chase. They were slashing more wildly.

He blocked again—felt a few big ones catch him right around the knee, slashing at his tendons.

“Damned birds.”

If he had to, he would grab Reina and make a break for it. Go into forest terrain, where there were trees to break their line of sight. Then hunt them down when he was sure he could keep her safe. Or at least force a showdown there, where it’d be hard for them to run.

He was just about to go for it when he felt a fluctuation right behind him.

It was Reina—her body was floating in a halo of emerald green; Creation streaks rippled through it. For a moment, she shone brilliantly.

Creation sparked inside her chest. He felt the breakthrough.

The aura flickered out. She collapsed to the ground, coughing—awake. She looked around, bewildered—“Zane?”

Then she saw what was going on—the birds, him bleeding—he saw her eyes; she grasped the situation instantly. She was on her feet in an instant.

More ghost-spears blasted them—and again he blocked the bulk of them. He was just readying himself to take the rest when she raised her hands, concentrating.

A shield streaked thick with Creation blossomed mid-air and took the blow.

She staggered, gasping—her shield cracked.

But she stopped the blows.

She seemed surprised; she blinked at her hands.

“Are you alright?” said Zane.

She nodded.

They locked eyes, and that was enough for them to understand each other. Nothing more needed to be said.

She would be fine holding her own.

He could focus on his enemy.

He did, with a fury.

Three hard slashes sent the birds fleeing to the stratosphere, feathers torched.

But still—he was annoyed to see they’d run too far. Before the bulk of his strikes would land—there was that strange invulnerability again. Three seconds was enough to get them out of harm’s way.

He’d need to hold them still. Pull them in.

Red Giant Storm might be the only way.

It’d burn a lot more essence than he’d like—especially on a few dumb birds. There was still a whole fort left to conquer.

But if they wanted to test him… he’d show them what he could do.

Then he caught Reina whispering, brow furrowed—she seemed to be counting down.

He knew that look.

She’d come up with something.

“Can you slash just above the treeline?” she said urgently. “And make it go half as fast? I’ll tell you when.”

He nodded.

The shot made no sense. It was thousands of feet beneath where the birds were soaring. And once they felt him charging up, they’d go invulnerable, like they’d done before. By the time it landed, they’d be hundreds of miles off.

But he trusted Reina.

She held up her staff. Its crest shone black… Her eyes were focused on the flock.

“Now!” she cried.

Zane poured in a hell of a slash and let his Axes loose.

And sure enough, the birds reacted instantly. They shimmered, going ghostly—

But a split second before, Creation shimmered over a wing.

Ice. Heavy ice. Not both wings, just one—stacking it heavy. Just enough to pull them way off balance; they screeched, flapping into tailspins.

Then eight True Gods were falling out of orbit. Struggling to right themselves.

Reina let out a cry—it was clear she couldn’t hold it long.

The ice was breaking, even as they fell…

Eight dots, falling toward a searing red line. A calculated trajectory.

They were on a deadly collision course.

He heard Reina’s voice, whispering through gritted teeth—“Three, two, one—”

On that count of three, three things happened at once.

The birds broke free of Reina’s ice.

That ghost form wore off.

And eight birds ate two of Zane’s all-out Red Giant Slashes—straight to the face.