hotmtlnovel Chapter 135: Chainling Faceoff
Chapter 135: Chainling Faceoff
Chapter 135: Chainling Faceoff
MINOR WOUND
Your health has decreased by 5%
Dallion winced as one of the paws stretching from the chainlings body slashed his right side. Unable to attack him through direct means, the creature had resolved to launching strands and appendages from its body. Most of the attacks were easy to evade, but now and again some would hit, chipping away at Dallions health. For the first time Dallion saw what the guardians facing him must have felt. Now that the roles had become reversed, fighting off a stubborn opponent refusing to die became increasingly annoying.
Keep attacking! Dallion shouted. Ill be the bait!
Having the other guildmates help would have been a huge plus, although he still could only rely on one of them. Falkner, who had the most skills of everyone present, still refused to get involved; he kept his distance from the chainling. At least Bel had joined in actively, throwing knives at a distance. The way she was able to keep bombarding the creature with knives while only possessing half a dozen was extremely impressive, not to mention raised a few questions. According to what Nil had told Dallion, one had to enter double digit territory in order to summon weapons directly in their hands. Technically, it was possible that Bel had increased her level to double digits since they met. However, she definitely wasnt back during the selection trial and was still able to pull it off, or so Dallion remembered.
Ill have to ask Nil about this as well. Dallion sighed mentally. The questions were getting more than he could remember.
MINOR WOUND
Your health has decreased by 5%
Another strand pierced through Dallions leg, reducing his health to two-thirds. This time, though, he took advantage and managed to land a shot in the creatures torso. The damage didnt seem too high.
Well, I can be a nuisance as well, Dallion thought. This was definitely going to be a war of attrition. There was one main difference, something that had taken Dallion a while to notice: this entire battle he had barely used markers. That wasnt to say that the markers werent there, they were appearing in their signature colors for all to see. Unlike before, in nearly all cases they appeared fragments of a second after Dallion had already started the sequence. It was almost as if they were following his movements.
Thanks, Nil. All your training paid off. Dallion smiled.
Falkner, get your head in the game! Bel shouted.
Maybe it was the high pitch of her voice, or the fact that the chainlings movements were getting slower, but the boy came out of his mental paralysis. Taking a step back, he looked at the situation, absorbing everything that had happened in the last minutes. Then, after another moment of hesitation, he darted forward.
Falkners attack method was vastly different from the other two. While Bel and Dallion relied on ranged attacks, the boy resorted to melee. Reaching out, he summoned his weaponone that Dallion hadnt seen him wield beforea polearm.
New marker patterns emerged. Starting from the weapon, they stretched towards the chainling in the form of a prolonged cone. The strange thing was that the cone was hollow inside.
When he saw the attack trajectory, Dallion jumped back. Even if they were on the same side, he doubted that things like friendly fire were ignored in normal combat. Instants later he was proven right.
CRITICAL HIT
Dealt Damage increased by 200%
MINOR WOUND
Your health has decreased by 5%
In a best-case scenario, Dallion would be able to keep the creature frozen for a few seconds, which would be enough for his guildmates to finish it off. However, there was always the fear that the music could somehow force the chainling in its second form. There was no evidence that such a form even existed, but after all the games Dallion had played he had his fears.
Aim for the eyes! He shouted.
The instruction brought some confusion to Bel and Falkner, but more importantly it confused the chainling more. For a fraction of a second the creature paused, adjusting its stance to protect its eyes. That proved to be fatal. Two aim markers emerged on its chest. The attacks were done simultaneously, but it was Falkners tip that hit the spot.
CRITICAL HIT
Dealt Damage increased by 200%
Now! Dallion pulled the strings. As before, they resonated with the fear hidden within the target. The hunch that the emotions were visible longer when a critical wound was dealt turned out to be correct. When Dallion played the chord for the second time, there was a reaction, though not what he expected. The creature didnt freeze. On the contrary, the chainlings entire silhouette bubbled, as if something was trying to burst out of it. Moments later, it did
Emotions more powerful than anything Dallion had seen so far streamed out of the void. Clearer than before, it was now obvious that they were aimed at the chainling itself. Both the fear and anger were directed at the creature itself, while the hope was directed towards Dallion?
Whatever you did got it mad! Falkner jumped away.
Bel threw half a dozen knives at the beast. All of them hit the torso, yet the one aimed at the weak spot missed its mark. Right now, though, that wasnt the most important. Matching the timing, Dallion played another chord.
As before, the emotions intensified. The void surrounding the chainling had fractured, allowing a peak to what was inside. Shapes of blue hue emergeda heart, a brain and they didnt belong to the chainling. Or rather, they didnt belong to the chainling in its present form. Dallion had only had his music skills for a short period of time, but there was one thing he could recognize instantly: the shape of emotions belonging to a human.
Stop attacking! he shouted, playing the next chord. Keep your distance but dont attack!
Are you crazy?! Falkner shouted. These things heal! If we dont kill it now, well
Well be killing a person!
The words tasted bitter as Dallion spoke them. The concept was enough to make him sick. The creature they had been fighting, the ferocious chainling that was the source of chaos and destruction in this world, hadnt killed the missing guild members it was one of them. There could be no mistake. They must have come across something that had transformed them into monsters, just like had happened to the shelfeys. From that perspective, chainlings werent actual creatures, they were more like parasites that found a host and transformed it to something that suited their needs. That explained their awakened power and intelligence. It also meant that back in Dherma village, the hunt had involved chasing a human.
Was it possible for that to be true? Such an important detail would have been shared by someone. At the very least, Havoc would have said something. The large man had claimed to have hunted chainlings before. Could it be that he was aware but had chosen to keep it a secret? Even if so, why had everyone else remained quiet?
Dallion, what are you doing? Bel asked. We must finish this.
No! Dallion played the chord. Not yet.
No one could say that the creature Dallion had helped hunt was human or ever had been. Maybe it had become twisted to the degree that there was no way to bring it back to humanity. Even if that were the case, Dallion had no intention of letting this happen here. The opponent he was fighting, as lethal as they were, was clearly a person and if there was a chance they could be saved, Dallion was going to take it.
We were brought here to find those that had gone lost, he told himself. This is what I plan on doing!
The next chord filled the air.