Chapter 333: Never Again; Yet Again

It was far from being smart anymore. After the lump of meat successfully connected the two bodies, the Guulvorg grew even bigger, bones even longer, and fangs now exude purple lighting while the tail exudes constant crackling noises.

Ned had enough. Gogmurch, and even the three hunters. They knew, they all had enough. But how could they leave the place with the Guulvorg imitating chaos before them?

"What was that thing that turned the beast rampaging?" The lady hunter began. Shoulders shuddering from exhaustion and fear. Her voice trembling. Daggers managed to stay in between her hands.

The five, with Napond awake, huddled together before the beast. Newter anxiously hovering above them.

Napond pulled two green vials behind his waist, giving them to his two companions. "Take this," he said, "tell the Association, Ghostbloods manage to take all of the beasts. Send support."

"But Napond-sir!" The male hunter instantly disagreed.

"We will stay," the lady hunter said, "give the potions to the Baron. He needed it more than us."

Ned raised a hand to decline the offer. Gogmurch stood beside him smirking.

"I don't need it." Ned lied, he hated it, but the two hunters needed it more than he does. "Follow your superior," he added, "we can hold it in time for you two to escape."

Gogmurch mumbled something which would put any human to scowl in fear with his gurgling voice. But seeing that a beast was among them, helping, they do not have the luxury to choose allies at the moment.

"You can go with them if you want." Ned looked above his left shoulder, Gogmurch wiping the blood under his green lips.

Napond was still surprised that Ned could communicate with the beast. By this time, he already knew that Ned wasn't one of the Ghostbloods, if he was, he wasn't there helping the two.

"I'll distract him," Ned brandished the Butterfly, showering the four of green oozing light. "You are free to leave if you want."

I'm no hero, Ned thought. But I've come this far. Escape is an option, but what's the point of what he did if he only escapes.

Perhaps, Ned smirked. Thrill coursing his brains, the thought of him dying against an opponent so strong, excites him.

Ned pushed onward, his body aching not to use Overclock. Not that he doesn't want to. He knew, and felt it, using extended Overclock will destroy him.

Ned marched that turned to dash, he will meet the beast head-on.

The Guulvorg jerked its body, blurring blackness coming behind it.

Ned duck to evade its tail, sparks of thunder scorched his Silk Road. He then slid with his knees to cut the beast's paws. Only the paws he can reach. It seemed to even grow bigger and Ned doesn't know how to fight a monster so big he was looking at a pebble under the base of the hill.

The Butterfly cut the surface of its skin, spewing boiling blood that put tiny pockets on the ground.

Ned rolled to evade an arc of lightning, he scrambled on his feet and rolled yet another after a paw came rampaging his way. Ned conjured Zephyr and threw the chains to latch to the nearest tree and pulled himself away from the incoming paw.

Ned was pulled by the chains, mud painting an abstract behind his back. A giant shadow came hovering above him.

The Guulvorg was like a hill thrown by a giant to Ned.

No time to evade, no time to breath.

A sharp pitch sound came rushing from above.

The Guulvorg's back exploded with a blazing light.

Newter, the baby wyvern, used one of her spells resembling that of a Fireball.

The Guulvorg maneuvered its body, balancing itself midair before it plummets to the ground.

Shuddering its shoulder, Ned manages to stand and was surprised that Newter's attack manages to force Guulvorg back to the ground.

The Guulvorg twisted its lupine limbs, balancing before it let out a scream followed by a bolt of purple lightning thrown from its tail.

Newter flew erratically, surprised by the massive orb of purple lightning.

Perhaps it was her thin wings, or thin bones, or lack of proper flight, the Newter shivered midair seeing the purple orb roaring towards him.

Suddenly, a force tagged her legs, pulling her out of the path of the thunder orb.

Ned used Zephyr chains to assist Newter. Newter growled in thanks, unable to understand Ned, still she bowed her head as she landed beside Ned.

The purple orb passes above them and exploded far beyond the horizon, creating a tiny crater that uncluttered them of trees, and rocks.

Guulvorg rolled, redirecting its fury to Newter. It growled, leaving purple breath from its jagged mouth while it rams towards the pair.

Ned instantly brushed Newter's neck, black fur caressing between his finger. She was limited by her understanding of the world around her, perhaps she was caged for too long she lost the capacity to properly communicate. But she knew affection the moment Ned laid his fingers on her. Her black maiden-like fur. She growled and bent over, exposing her back to Ned—

A pair of fangs flashing toward them—

A pair of serpentine heads flashing toward the pair of fangs.

Pushing the Guulvorg's head gave Ned and Newter enough time to do their thing.

Ned jumped behind Newter, riding her. He glanced at Napond, nodding under his mask.

Newter flapped her wings. She moaned trying to balance her body and Ned holding with one hand on her fur while Butterfly waving above him.

Seconds past, like Ned, was destined to her rider, Newter happily flapped her wings, but she knew the delight she was experiencing would be cut short.

Below them, the Guulvorg shook its head, tracing red glows of light.

Gogmurch ran to ram his left shoulder to the beast's paw, while Napond waving his jade ax, conjuring splashes of water spells. The male and the female hunter ran the opposite directions, throwing gazes back the battle about to unfold—or about to end. Either way, this scale of battle wasn't supposed to be their fight to battle. They ran for their lives, and if successful, for everyone's lives as well.

Gogmurch pushed the legs of the beast enough with his strength to outbalance it. Napond conjured spears of water coming out from his ax, whistling to the Guulvorg's neck.

All of their attacks were either reflected or instantly cut off even before it could touch its pelt. But it was enough as a distraction.

Ned hovered midair with his hand clutching Newter's fur. He tapped the side of Newter with the sole of his boot. Newter glided to her right, making a circle midair, like a bee. Ned tagged her black fur softly. She knew what to do.

Siphoning the air before her, Newter conjured another Fireball. Fireball unseen by humans.

Traces of thread-like flame swirling around the orb. Having concentrated enough energy, Newter released the Fireball.

Guulvorg wagged its bulb tail and released a thunderbolt. Exploding after the two spells met mid-air.

The area turned purple, then red, then orange until nothing was left but fumes.

The air around the impact bent and Guulvorg's figure appeared in between. Pair of fangs and hellish glowing eyes appeared before the two.

The Guulvorg reached for Ned and Newter, clashing fangs and burst of air as Newter flapped its wings trying to evade the beast's fangs.

And again, lack of her flying experience and soft body made her evasion delayed.

The Guulvorg's fang put a scratch on Newter's chest. She flipped midair, and swiveled, and went around in a circle until she and Ned fell, sweeping the ground. Making a broad trail on the ground.

The Guulvorg spun to face the down Ned and Newter. For a moment, it stopped moving. Savoring the victory it just created. It growled, and with its fangs wet of blood from the wyvern, it smirked.

"Dare looking down on us?" Ned muttered. Wiping the blood and sweat smudged together, Ned stood. Butterfly thrown a good meter distance away. He then bent and consulted Newter. "Can you still fight?" Ned brushed Newter's black fur.

Newter nodded, although uneasy she felt, she managed to put on a dry smile with her jagged tooth.

"I'm sorry," Ned said and bit the end of his thumb. Gushing blood so red, Newter could feel uneasiness coursing her body. Yet, her panther eyes were filled with determination.

Ned extended his finger to Newter's mouth. She smelled the blood at first, but determination pushed her. She licked the blood. Unable to stop, she drank the red liquid.

She shivered, black fur standing, her body cracked, and she roared. Cracks appeared on her body, gushing black liquid out of it. Her wings, under her forelimbs, extended until it reaches a span of almost 10 meters. Claws shining silver, with her eyes shaking violently. She looked at Ned and focused, trying to be as calm as she could for her new friend. She stood on four as soon as she does, spikes over her tail extended.

A mammoth of a shadow appeared, and Guulvorg tackled Newter even though she wasn't finished with her transformation.