CHAPTER 38 – Blue Radiance
Dust swirled through the ruined street like a ghostly haze, drawn by the weight of Seth's breathing. His body was slick with sweat, his pulse heavy in his ears. The moth's corpse still twitched behind him — headless, leaking a shimmering green fluid that hissed where it touched the cracked asphalt.
But the fight was far from over.
The stench of blood and carnage thickened the air. The countless initiate beasts he had slaughtered earlier lay scattered across the street like mangled shadows — torn limbs, black blood, and shattered bone. Yet even in death, they served a purpose.
The scent was irresistible.
Two low growls echoed through the ruins, heavy and deep enough to rattle stone. From the fog of smoke and broken walls, a pair of wolves emerged. Their fur shimmered faintly with energy, their eyes glowing an eerie, hungry blue.
One was massive — at least twice the size of a car — its muscles twitching beneath its fur, each breath exuding visible steam. The smaller one slunk beside it, leaner but no less deadly.
Seth tightened his grip on the One Sword. His expression remained calm, but inside, his heart began to race.
"About level two and that one is pretty high leveled huh…" he muttered, clicking his tongue. "Perfect."
The smaller wolf moved first — a blur of motion across broken ground. Seth met it halfway, his sword carving a silver arc. The beast's leap froze midair — then its body split cleanly in two before it even landed, both halves tumbling to the ground with dull thuds.
He barely had time to breathe before the larger wolf crashed into him.
The blow was monstrous. Seth was sent flying backward, smashing through the side of a half-collapsed building. Chunks of debris rained down as the wall gave way, the impact sending tremors across the street.
Seth coughed once, pushing himself out of the rubble. His body ached, but the real shock was the wolf's sheer power.
When he looked up, he saw it — faint energy patterns spreading across its fur like glowing veins. The creature's aura was swelling, its breathing growing heavier. It wasn't just enraged; it was changing.
"Energy reinforcement…" Seth muttered, his brow furrowing.
The beast lunged again. Seth barely sidestepped the strike, yet the resulting shockwave flung dust and corpses into the air. Dozens of initiate beast remains were launched from the ground, spinning through the air like discarded dolls.
The wolf turned mid-charge, snapping its jaws with enough force to distort the air. Seth blocked with his sword, but the impact sent him skidding backward, his feet gouging twin trenches through the broken street.
He had no time to think — the wolf was relentless, its power growing sharper with every breath. Its claws slashed again, forcing Seth to parry, dodge, and retreat in bursts of movement. The ground cracked with every exchange, each collision sounding like thunder.
Then — another strike landed square on his chest, throwing him straight through another wall.
Dust exploded outward, filling the air with a gritty fog.
For a heartbeat, everything was silent.
Then, through the haze, Seth's voice came — calm but edged with steel.
"Fine," he exhaled, his tone steady, almost cold. "You asked for this."
A faint hum filled the air.
When he stepped out of the dust, his entire body glowed faintly blue. Lines of energy ran along his limbs, pulsing with restrained force. His eyes gleamed, reflecting the same color — calm and sharp as a blade.
The wolf growled, its aura flaring violently.
Seth vanished.
The ground where he stood exploded, cracks spider-webbing outward. The next instant, he was beside the wolf — his sword swinging upward in a blinding arc.
The beast reacted too late. Its claws met the blade, but this time, Seth didn't stop. The blue glow flared brighter, and the sheer force sent the wolf staggering backward, crashing through a rusted car that crumpled like paper.
Seth followed without pause. His movements blurred as he slashed again and again, each strike carrying enough power to rend metal and split stone. The wolf tried to counter, its claws cloaked in energy, but it was being pushed — overwhelmed.
For five whole minutes, the two figures clashed amid the ruins — one man, one beast — their roars and impacts shaking what remained of the town. Each exchange hurled waves of dust and mangled corpses across the streets, the lingering smell of death thickening into something almost tangible.
Then, at last — the wolf faltered. Its aura flickered, the glow around its body dimming as its energy drained.
Seth didn't give it a chance to recover.
In a single fluid motion, he twisted his wrist and brought the One Sword down. The air split with a sharp whum, and the wolf's massive body went still — its head rolling away, a faint steam rising from the clean cut.
Seth exhaled slowly, lowering his sword.
The light around his body faded as the blue energy dispersed into the air, leaving him standing amidst ruin and silence.
"Finally…" he muttered, glancing at the bodies. "That was… a good fight."
He wiped the blood from his cheek with the back of his hand and looked toward the towering shadow of the Waterhouse in the distance.
The novice-ranked beasts had begun to show themselves.
And Seth… was just getting started.