[A/N: So, like, I kinda imagined the stoneblade to be like a semi-great sword so yeah.]
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Asher raised his blade, aiming at he scavenger in front of him. He had nothing but his sword and himself.
The creature lunged, its massive claws tearing through the air with terrifying speed, closing the distance in a heartbeat.
Asher staggered back, barely evading the first strike. He swung his sword in a wide arc, aiming for the scavenger's chitinous shell. The beast, driven by instinct alone, charged again, a claw sweeping toward his head.
Asher met the attack head-on.
His blade collided with the scavenger's left claw—and shattered it completely. Fragments of chitin flew in every direction, few cuts appearing on Asher's face.
It was only natural. The stoneblade's enchantment allowed it to deal explosive damage despite its dullness, and Asher's augmentation doubled its already terrifying power.
The scavenger was but a beast and lacked the intelligence to dodge and its only focus was to attack.
[You have slain an awakened beast, Carapace scavenger.]
"Huh?" Asher blinked, caught off guard by the familiar voice of the spell. Then he realized—his echo had finished off the injured one.
But the distraction was fatal.
A searing pain exploded in Asher's side.
—CRACK!
His vision blurred as the scavenger's right claw struck him with brutal force, launching him through the air. He smashed into a jagged coral outcrop, which shattered on impact. His armor absorbed most of the blow, but it couldn't stop his ribs from fracturing.
A cloud of dust rose from the crash site.
Across the battlefield, Sunny and Nephis paused mid-clash with a third scavenger, finished with the second one.
Another scavenger burst in from the side—tackling their opponent to the ground.
Nephis clenched her jaw, eyes narrowing as she stared at the settling dust.
"Sunny. Go," she said curtly. "I'll handle this one with Asher's echo."
A beat passed.
"Asher might be strong, but he still lacks clarity in battle. Plus-" Nephis hesitated as she paused.
"Plus, C-Cassie might be too much of a burden for him to protect."
Sunny nodded and sprinted towards the commotion.
Asher coughed up blood, each breath a struggle. "Fuck. I definitely broke a rib," he wheezed, summoning an azure blade into his left hand. His stoneblade lay 20 meters away, battered and useless for the moment.
"If it wasn't for my armour, I'd be dead," he muttered, coughing up more blood. He glanced at the scavenger, its right arm a mangled mess, and saw it moving dangerously close to Cassie,
She stood paralyzed, her blind gaze fixed on the approaching footsteps.
A fresh wave of fear surged through him.
"I was naive," Asher admitted bitterly.
Then he raised his voice. "Hey, dumbass! I'm right here!"
The scavenger froze. Its head snapped toward him.
With a piercing roar, it charged.
Asher steadied his breathing, forcing down the panic clawing at his throat.
"It's now or never," he whispered.
He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. HIs foot played along the ground.
His hands trembled—but his feet moved, showing a path.
A stance.
The first form of the Immortal Flame Sword Style.
It was complex. Demanding. Lethal.
But it was all he had.
Asher surged forward. His blade became a blur of motion, striking with precision. Each movement was deliberate—controlled. His weapon found the gaps in the scavenger's armor, slicing into its joints and soft spots. {1}
A claw raked across his cheek, leaving a searing cut. He gritted his teeth, tasting blood.
But he didn't stop.
He saw his opening—and drove his blade straight into a narrow seam in the scavenger's chest. The monster shrieked, thrashing violently.
Asher leaned into the thrust, pouring gravity into the strike.
The blade sliced deeper.
With a final push, the scavenger's body gushed a lake of azure blood.
The beast collapsed with a loud crash.
Asher stood over it, swaying on his feet. His breaths came in ragged bursts.
Then, finally, he dropped to his knees, staring up at the sky.
A breathless laugh escaped him.
[You have slain an Awakened Beast: Carapace Scavenger.]
"I did it," he whispered.
Then louder, voice shaking with disbelief
"I DID IT!"
This was his first real battle, fought head on.
It was hard, brutally so.
[You have slain an awakened beast, Carapace Scavenger.]
"Looks like my Echo is done as well."
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Sunny was sprinting toward the dust cloud when something caught his eye—a petite girl with blonde hair, drenched in azure blood, stumbling through the battlefield. Her pale skin was mottled with bruises, and her hands trembled as they reached into the empty air.
"Cassie? Are you alright?"
Her head snapped toward the sound of his voice, tear-filled eyes wide. "Sunny? Sunny, is that you?" she gasped, reaching out blindly.
Sunny didn't hesitate. He closed the distance in a second and gently grasped her shoulders.
"I was so scared… hic I thought I was going to die!" she sobbed.
He frowned, his hands steady as he held her. For a moment, his shadow sense stretched outward, brushing against something faint in the distance. He hesitated—then stood.
"Give me a minute," he said quietly.
Cassie nodded, still trembling, as he stepped away and moved toward the faint signal.
Not far off, sprawled in a bed of shattered coral and bloodstained sand, lay a boy.
His navy-blue armor was warped slightly around his side—bulging as if something had swollen beneath it. His white hair was streaked with red and azure, plastered to his forehead. Yet when Sunny approached, the boy looked up and smiled weakly.
"Took you long enough, bastard," Asher croaked.
He winced, raising one shaking hand. In it, he clutched a soul shard. With effort, he crushed it between his fingers, letting the essence flow into him.
[Your soul grows stronger.]
Asher sighed, leaning back against the broken coral.
"This is my substitute for copium, I swear,"
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[A/N: The remake surpassed the original in collections😭😭! This is the extra chapter for hitting 250 PS. I'll publish the daily chapter later!]
{1}: Those who are wondering how Asher, a regular guy, learnt the immortal flame style so quick. Its cuz of nimble intellect. I mentioned this in the explaining chapter. Since his brain processes information so quick. He learns faster as well. The issue being the imbalance between mind and body., so no muscle memory.