Merina was in a state of shock and awe as she witnessed her Master defeating all these werewolves who were way stronger than him. She felt overwhelmed by the sheer frightening power of his abilities.
The sight of the corpses cowering before him and the sound of their whimpers she had heard before still echoed in her mind.
She now felt as if she was standing on the edge of a precipice, unsure of what the future held, and she couldn't predict how the entire realm was going to change because of his existence.
"Ugh.."
She suddenly came out of her daze when she saw his dark green flames die out as his flesh and skin began to grow back on his body rapidly.
But what shook her heart was the sight of him coughing blood and his legs becoming weak. She was surprised to see his body riddled with injuries and blood dripping down. She thought he had healed because of how he was on his feet before.
"Master!" She cried out in worry as she forced herself to support him from behind despite how injured she was as well.
"Ungh…I am spent…" Asher mumbled as he gulped down a health potion while resting his back against Merina.
Merina wondered if he was suffering like this because of the price he paid to use so much power in his mysterious skeleton form.
But she had no idea what really happened was far from that.
When Dreven first struck him, Asher was bleeding to death and transformed into Hellbringer form right when his HP went below 350.
Because of his 'Vengeful Lifestealer' Talent, he was able to increase his HP from 350 to 402 by killing those werewolves.
But Asher knew that just because he transformed into Hellbringer form didn't mean his mortal body would be healed to full health magically. The injuries he suffered earlier would return the moment he transformed back.
And so he had 402 HP left after transforming back to his night elf form. However, his health began to worsen right away since he was still bleeding from severe internal and external injuries.
He gulped down a level 10 healing potion with Merina's help which increased his HP to 800, but it started decreasing gradually rightaway.
As expected, a healing potion can heal minor to even moderate-level injuries, but when serious injuries were involved, one needs more than just a simple potion to heal.
So even if it temporarily restored a lot of health, he knew he would bleed to death after a while if he didn't get serious treatment.
He also confirmed the theory that even if his ring can give him power by feeding on the dark emotions of his enemies, the ring will consume his MP faster the more he becomes stronger.
If he had to guess, Dreven was around level 13 or 14, while the rest of the werewolves were close to his level. He felt that even if the price was high, it was worth it to defeat so many people who were way stronger than him. Anyone else with the same stats as him wouldn't even last two strikes from someone as strong as Dreven. It was such a close call in the end.
"Oh no, your injuries…They are…" Merina was a maid who had some experience in discerning how bad the injuries of a person were. So she could easily tell that even if her Master was still breathing, he might bleed to death soon.
Asher wiped the blood trickling down his lips as he tried to pull himself up, "Let's get out of here…I will be fine."
"Master, let me help you get up," Merina said as she grimaced while slowly pulling him up and supporting his arm on her neck to help him walk.
*HOWLLL!*
*HOWLLL!*
…
Asher and Merina suddenly froze upon hearing dozens and dozens of chilling howls of werewolves from different sides.
The two of them didn't even have to guess what was going on.
"As if things can't get any worse…" Asher muttered weakly upon realizing that Dreven's pack had called for backup earlier, and now so many of them were coming to kill them. He never thought they would come to avenge their people so quickly.
But he knew there was no way out of this. His MP was exhausted, and even if he used whatever HP he had left to feed his ring and regain some MP, his Hellbringer form wouldn't last long. Even if he jumps into the Damned Dimension, his MP will still keep going down, and knowing how werewolves were, they would keep circling the same spot for days until they get him while he wouldn't even last an hour in there.
However, despite knowing that he was in a fucked up situation, he was ready to sacrifice most of his HP to jump into the Damned Dimension and buy some time. He just can't simply give up.
He could already see large black silhouettes running past the trees, their dark blue beastly eyes targeting him, ready to tear him apart.
He had no doubt that most of these werewolves were stronger than Dreven, and all this made it obvious that fighting past them was impossible.
"Master…I am sorry…This slave let you down…" Merina said in a teary voice as tears trickled down her reddened cheeks. She knew they were going to die, and she felt saddened that her Master was going to die because of her.
If it wasn't for her being with him the people of her old clan wouldn't have come upon her Master.
However, she felt that dying beside her Master would be an honor though her only regret was she wouldn't get to see her children again.
Asher looked at her breaking down and cupped her face gently as he wiped her tears, "Fear not Merina. You served me better than I expected," Saying so, he embraced her, his hand sliding over the back of her head.
Merina wistfully smiled as she found comfort in the warmth of his firm chest, "Thank you, Master…" She felt her chest lighten after hearing his words and was prepared to accept her fate. She now wished to have spent more time serving him.
Asher's dark, cold yellow eyes saw the werewolves closing in on them and were prepared to snap Merina's neck as per her wish she conveyed mentally. Apparently, she didn't want to suffer at the hands of her old clan and put her children in danger as well.
Her wish was something that didn't affect him at all, and so he was about to let her die as she wished.
The werewolves were about to close in on Asher and Merina when suddenly…
*Roooor*
Asher's hands froze, and his eyes narrowed upon hearing a low rumble echoing through the forest.
The werewolves also paused, their senses heightened as they searched for the source of the disturbance that shouldn't have happened.
The sky seemed to get darker as they saw a large shadow stretching across the forest floor, engulfing the werewolves in a shroud of darkness.
*Whoosh!*
Suddenly, a powerful gust of wind blew across them and even made the large trees swing to the side.
The werewolves had their eyes shudder upon seeing a dark figure on the horizon, soaring towards them on the back of a massive flying beast made out of shadows.
*ROAAR!!*
The creature was a black, hulking monster with wings as wide as a house, and its roar shook the earth under it while filling the air with an ominous aura of dread.
The werewolves cowered in fear as they felt their spines get rattled, not just from the roar but from the aura of the dark figure standing atop this monstrous beast.
They could sense the immense power radiating from the heavily armored figure, standing tall on her mount, her heavy dark sword gleaming in the faint sunlight.
The dark red slits of her helmet glinted menacingly in the darkness, making them feel as if death was staring at them.
But they felt a chill run down their spines as they watched this armored figure gracefully jump down from her flying mount, her crimson cape billowing in the air.
The sound of her landing echoed throughout the clearing like a clap of thunder, sending a shockwave through the air and blasting away the werewolves who were too unfortunate to be near her.
The aura of blood and power that surrounded her was palpable, causing the werewolves to unconsciously step back in sheer terror. They knew right away they were no match for her, especially after recognizing who she was.
Asher and Merina had looks of disbelief when they first noticed her sudden arrival. Asher knew a Bloodborn Guard like Eradicator was highly trained to track people. But even then, he had never met anyone who could track people as good as her. It had been days, and still, she managed to locate him.
For the first time, he was glad that he had a tenacious protector like her.
He saw Eradicator turning around to look at him as if scanning him from top to bottom and then turned her gaze towards the werewolves who had gathered near him and Merina.
There were more than ten werewolves gathered near Merina and Asher. However, there were dozens more behind Eradicator, who began to let out low snarls and circled around her. They didn't want to abandon their brethren, who won't be able to get out of this forest without going through her.
Even if, individually, they were far weaker than her, they had some hope that with their numbers, they could overwhelm and take her down.
Their dark blue eyes shone with fierce determination and killing intent, ready to attack her together.
Asher frowned upon seeing a staggering number of forty werewolves surrounding her. These werewolves were stronger than Dreven and his pack based on the intensity of their auras, making him wonder if Eradicator could take them all down.
In one swift motion, Eradicator unsheathed her massive dark sword, the sound ringing out across the battlefield like a clarion call to war. Asher could see lines of blood coursing over the steel of her dark blade and wondered whether it was her blood.
The werewolves growled and snarled with killing intent as all forty of them rushed toward her like a frightening flood of darkness that threatened to drown her.
Any ordinary person would be terrified to death upon seeing forty powerful werewolves about to pounce and tear them to pieces.
However, Eradicator suddenly swung her heavy sword in a wide circular motion, slicing through the air with deadly precision.
The werewolves surged forward, only to be met with a whirlwind of death and destruction. The heavy sword cleaved through fur and bone, sending limbs flying in all directions.
With just a single move, she cleaved through fifteen of them!
Without even letting the rest process the shock they just witnessed, Eradicator moved with the grace of a panther, her strikes lightning-fast and unerringly accurate. The rest of the twenty-five werewolves immediately regrouped and attacked her with their strongest Skills, bombarding her with a multitude of dark attacks, their magic crackling through the air.
But Eradicator didn't even show a hint of getting intimidated. With a flick of her wrist, she swung her heavy sword, deflecting the incoming attacks with ease. The force of the blows echoed through the forest, sending shockwaves rippling through the ground.
Each time the sword made contact with one of their attacks, it sent sparks flying in all directions.
The werewolves grew more and more panicked, realizing that even their combined power was no match for her monstrous strength and skill. They realized how horribly they underestimated their enemy.
The wave of attacks finally stopped as the werewolves were left panting, unable to even draw the strength to let out a howl.
With a calm move of her arms, Eradicator placed the tip of her heavy sword on the forest floor, much to the confusion of the werewolves.
However, they felt a sense of uneasiness upon seeing the lines of blood on her sword glow, and suddenly, spikes of blood erupted from the shadows that surrounded them.
"GRAWWW!!" They howled in terror and pain as the spiky projectiles pierced their bodies with unyielding force, tearing through them while lifting them high into the air as if suspended by invisible chains.
Their eyes almost popped out of their eye sockets, and they never had a chance to cry out or howl as the spikes simultaneously impaled them, their bodies writhing in silent agony.
It was quite a spine-chilling sight to see the once-fierce twenty-five werewolves reduced to lifeless bodies while hanging in the air.
Merina felt her legs feel weak, terrified by the domineering power of a Bloodborn Guard like her. This was the first time she saw one in action, and she now realized why everyone feared them so much.
With a sense of ruthless efficiency, Eradicator surveyed the aftermath of her handiwork and her surroundings just to make sure before immediately walking towards the royal consort.
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