Chapter 203: And So the Beast Came

"We'll ponder it later," Ned said under his breath.

[Got it.]

ICE responded and Khiccaal dashed in a blurring purple light. Ned was following Khiccaal's movements under his display, could his body do the same?

Ned slashed the saber in a wide arc as Khiccaal entered his attacking range. For a moment, Ned could feel the rush of excitement as he battles an enemy much stronger than him.

But Khiccaal, although one-handed, flipped backward, evading the saber, then dashed forward upon landing. He stopped head to head with Ned and smirked, trying to get ahead of himself. He growled in a guttural mocking way and jumped backward. He said some beastian language Ned wasn't able to understand.

Ned tsked. "If only I have that parasite. I will have a lot of questions you rotten avocado," Ned said, and a grin plastered his face. He raised his hand and conjured Fireball, which made his mana tick in a lowering rate all the while evading the tentacles shot out the ground.

The fireball illuminated the wide clearance of the forest where they fought. Ned had successfully lured Khiccaal away from the rest of the team. But, could he battle the beast? One way to find out.

The fireball boomed upon landing in Khiccaal's figure. The smoke the fireball emitted skewed in a disorienting way as Khiccaal exited the blasted zone.

With his free hand, Ned raised to block the attack that came from his left. He felt an unsettling pain over his left shoulder before he was thrown by Khiccaal's underhanded blow. Khiccaal let out a satisfying growl.

He's playing me, Ned thought midair. He then flipped to recollect himself just in time before he hits the sprout of boulders scattered like audiences watching Ned and Khiccaal's play.

Ned's black boots made a shallow trail as he tried to balance himself upon landing on the ground and his right face twitched in a discomforting way as Khiccaal connected a clean swiping kick from behind.

Ned was thrown once again, this time no movements trying to balance himself. In a quick moment, Ned's vision darkened, he could feel the rough scaly skin of the beast landing on his face. Ned scrambled together with grasses, and rocks, and sticks, and he tasted iron flowing down his lips.

Ned pumped adrenaline upon seeing Khiccaal's figure descending toward him. His face faintly burned red. He scrambled his feet in a quick motion. Evading Khiccaal's steel-like tentacles.

Everything was a blur every time Khiccaal launches his tentacles. Ned was sure it wasn't the tentacles dangling under his chin or his remaining hand. If only he could find out where those tentacles coming from.

Ned let out a steaming breath followed by a whistle. He smirked after landing a good hit on Khiccaal's right side.

Khiccaal's posterior shrouded in dark mist then tentacles shot out like spider's legs, stopping his glide midair. Faint purple blood seeped between his tiny jaws.

The Shoon widened his milky-white eyes, wasn't sure where the kick came from. All he could see was Ned oozing with steam followed by a whistle and he vanished. He let out a guttural shout, surrounding the forest with his chilling voice.

"Dare mocking me?" Ned said under his breath. Eyes glittered blue under the moonlight. Ned jumped backward, with Overclock on, he instantly paced at the outskirts of the forest. With his black to black clothing, Ned mimicked himself under the shadow. Hiding from the eyes of the beast.

Enraged, Khiccaal followed inside the forest. His tentacles wiggling from behind like his emotions. Upon reaching the forest. Khiccaal was greeted with obscuring darkness. All he could use as the light was from the moonlight. He tried sniffing with his hidden nose but no human smelled near him.

Ned's smile widened to a grin. He tried to move with dexterity, removing unnecessary noise. With Detect skill on, Overclock, and his Combat Emulator display on play, Ned was certain he could inflict a good amount of damage. But he also knew, he doesn't have much time before his body reacts from the recoil. He must hurry, and so, he descended.

A flash of cold white light caught Khiccaal's attention. But before he could react, purple blood splashed from his right hand—or his remaining hand. Looking to his right, there was none.

"Halooman!" he yelled. Even the forest felt the chilling echo.

But not Ned, he turned back, saber raised to cut another flesh. Four seconds had passed after he activated Overclock, another second came, he dashed and appeared behind the beast. His hand gestured, fireball he conjured. Point blank range, Khiccaal flung forward, hitting trees upon trees. Sizzling purple flesh peeled off the beast's skin.

But Ned wasn't done yet. Another second of Overclock was enough for him to sprint meters of distance forward, following the ringlets of smoke the beast was trailing off.

A loud thud was followed by a splash, and Khiccaal's body came rolling over a shallow mud and water. Line of bones visible inside a circle of burned flesh. Around the edges were flesh pulsating as if filled with life.

Ned appeared over the beast. He gloriously rotated the saber and struck it at the beast's wound. Almost a foot of the saber went inside the body of Khiccaal. As Ned pushed the saber deeper, the beast let out a defeated shrill.

Purple blood pooled around the body of Khiccaal mixing with brown and dark mud.

Ned pulled the saber. This left Khiccaal with a twitch and then laid motionless over grasses and pebbles along with his blood.

Ned recalled Overclock. Giving him a warm and aching sensation over his joints and muscles. Ned inhaled through his nose. Breathing out, he gestured his hand to conjure another spell. Orange and red cast light from his hand. With a whisper and a grinned and released the ball of fire. "Fireball," he said in a regal way and jumped away from the blast.

Another point-blank attack roared throughout the forest. Dried mud and grasses came falling after the attack.

Ned spun around and left the forest. He used half of his energy, and mana to battle Khiccaal. He stopped along a fat tree to catch his breath. With saber now slung behind his back, he felt the pain crawling over his body. Hunter's clothing was drenched in sweat along with beads of it flowing over his forehead. His lips formed an arched, the fight was short and intense. "He was good," Ned said, "for a beast."

Ned checks his status after the fight.

The digits showing his mana blinking over his display. 440 out of 4, 000 mana points. Ned wondered when will he fill his mana to the fullest. Ned's eye spotted the yellow bar under the blue mana bar. Digits show that his energy was at 30% but slowly going up as he stopped to rest. But it wasn't enough, he needed to recover faster.

Ned felt guilt for leaving the team, for leaving without knowing what happened to the rest of them. But it must be done, he wanted to fight alone, as he always does. Ned felt that fighting alongside somebody was only a hindrance. He wanted to fight alone and alone was his best.

Ned shook his head and pushed himself to continue onward. A light flickered from the spot where the team fought before. Under the bars of soft translucent light of the moon were smoke towering over the forest. From afar, Ned could hear metals clanking. He only wished that they're sound and intact with limbs. Ned shook the thought of them being incapacitated.

Ned continued onward. The face of Khiccaal crossed his mind with purple blood leaking his tentacles. If it was before, Ned would be forced to cut the beast's Core, and eat it to acquire the skill.

At least, Prime Evolution won't let me do it again, Ned thought with a slight grin. What will happen if I Devour him? He shook his head. Brushing the thought of him Devouring the Shoon. Kamma wanted me free, but I won't succumb to being a beast. Devouring someone wasn't the definition of being free. "No," Ned muttered. "I won't."

Without him knowing or feeling, dark energy trickle down behind his back. Oozing out from his pores, leaking. It dropped from behind Ned but evaporated as soon as it touches the ground.

Ned gripped the hilt of the Lasting Saber as soon as he felt a tingling sensation behind his back. Ned's mind steeled to not feel fear, but his body signaled otherwise. Hair stood from his nape and he spun to meet the whistling sound.

He slashed air as the sound entered his attacking range. But none was there, and Ned was too late to evade as a dark-purple tentacle shoot out the ground. Instead, he blocked the metal like a tentacle. But Ned's luck hasn't arrived yet, the Lasting Saber snapped in half as the tentacle went straight through it and bored a hole at Ned's side.

Ned felt no pain, but puked blood. As the tentacle retracted, the pain, like a saw grinding a bone, crept all over his body. He let out a grunt and fell on his knees.

"Halooman," Khiccaal growled. "Naf li naf."

"Fuck you too," Ned said with a smile, then vomited blood. His vision blurred, but his mind remained active. He can't go unconscious now. The moment he went blank, was his death. "No," he muttered. "Not now."

[Ned.]

ICE's voice issued a worrying note.

On his holographic display, a red jarring spot on his right-side gut was blinking like a warning. His body on 3d display rotated with his heartbeat. Then the red blinking light crawls wider, slowly, but disorienting.

Is this it? Ned thought with wonder.

Shards of silver metal scattered underneath him. The saber snapped in two. Letting go of the hilt, Ned reached for his wound. Trying to apply pressure. He scoffed along with blood. "Granny Lola sure to scold seeing me like this," he muttered. "But I'll bet she was happy to heal me with this kind of wound." He then coughed. Looked up at Khiccaal and threw a finger.

As if mocked, Khiccaal stretched out his tentacles. He then walked forward, clearing him of shadows. He was visible under the moonlight. His body recovered as if nothing happened, but his hand remained one. But he was more than before. His body was covered with metal like armor shaded with purple and black. His head wore a helmet-like flesh. Only his milky eyes were visible. His body clad in hardened flesh, and only the tentacles were visible from behind.

He was muttering in his beastian language that Ned doesn't care at all. After he was done with his speech, Khiccaal ordered his tentacles, they combined and formed a thick and pointy cone. It stretched and extended toward Ned.

A flash of light entered Ned's vision from his left blocking the drilling tentacle. Sparks flew as the twin blades grated against the tentacle.

"Twali?" Ned asked.

"How long are you gonna kneel, kid?" Twali growled.

"You're a... " Ned paused.

In front of him was Twali in a ripped black suit. Dark fur was exhibited around his body. His short hair now extended over his waist with a body full of fur, black suit torn apart. Knees bent at an awkward angle. Only his eyes, and lips weren't covered. A two to three inches fangs bolted under his jaw, and his eyes glowed yellow and grey with emotions—Ned wasn't sure if it was due to anger, or thrill. At least he wasn't naked with black pants ripped to half.

"A Wereman," Twali growled, twin blades pressing the tentacles. "Yes."

"No," Ned retorted with his heavy breathing, a thin grin was then formed. "A Werewolf."