Becoming Legend

Chapter 374: Mutual Understanding

Ned left a pair of black orbs over the head of the abnormally evolved beast. The worm-like beast screamed of both agony and rage after the pair of orb exploded. 

Ned then appeared to the remaining candidates with Claurette in the middle, the two mages, and archers, and the remaining knight. He was leaking dark mist as he surveyed the rest of them. The Krisalix in his right hand was wrapped with the same mist, radiating an ominous liquid. 

The candidates around Ned were left stunned and in awe, as he looked to him, both surprised and reserved, aside from Claurette. 

"Ned," Claurette said, blood leaking from his mouth. Dried blood painted his mossy green leather suit. A handful of arrows left on his quiver. "You looked d" 

"Be ready," Ned said, more like Rassus as his voice was wrapped in disgruntlement. His eyes remained blue, yet shady, silver hair weaved with silver and black. 

Claurette could only nod as he looked at Ned with renewed hope. The rest mimicked Claurette. They stood firmly and conjured spells with their remaining mana. Ned could sense rage leaving the team as they stared at the dead candidate across them. 

The pair of mages conjured a wall of terra magic wrapped with crimson fire. The wall wasn't as thick as the one they had barred themselves from before, but Ned assessed that it was enough to block one more attack from the beast. The archers let loose their arrows accompanied by Claurette's. The knight was protected with a bar of light that engulfed his body. He then ran to meet the beast head-on, nodding to Ned. 

This same knight was bombarded with acid liquid that wore off his shield before he was sent back to the defensive wall made of terra and fire magic. He was half burnt but alive. Ned took the chance the knight gave him and lunged himself toward the beast, now open to any attacks. 

Ned appeared over its head pebbled with many eyes looking at Ned, depicting his next moves. This was the only moment that he could remember to let Rassus's powers be free. 

Ned slashed the scales the beast was wearing and disappeared just in time for arrows to strike. 

The worm-like beast screeched in pain and rage. But it gave them no time to conjure another spell (though if they have got the mana left to conjure more) as it slithered rapidly to them. 

Ned appeared in the middle of the candidate with a dark orb ready to shoot. He threw the orb to the approaching beast, and another, then another, until Ned could feel a burning sensation coursing his body. 

A loud grumble echoed in his head. "If you want to use more of me," Rassus said. "You better make up this body of yours." 

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For a moment, Ned could hear a metallic voice, yet concerned, inside his head. The voice was abruptly cut off as Rassus cursed yet another. "You stay there, Bi" 

The wall made of terra and fire magic exploded, throwing the candidates around. Ned appeared near Claurette holding the unconscious knight. This, however, made Rassus hissed in discontent. 

"Enough with your hero complex, Ned," Rassus said. "You can't save everyone." 

"I am not," Ned replied. "But I can't let them die either." 

"See," Rassus said. "Hero complex." 

Ned raised his hand and threw another dark orb. This made Ned concerned, however. The display ICE was giving him was gone. The amount of mana and energy, the real-time view of his body, the map of the island, numbers under his Predictive Combat Emulator, were all gone. But even then, he could feel Rassus' energy leaking uncontrolled. 

"You better hurry, Ned," Rassus echoed inside his head 

With Rassus' powers enhancing his body, Ned could shrug off the pain. Pain especially the punch the Werelion gave him. It was there, but the pain was almost gone. This same power repaired the Silk Road Ned was wearing, almost looking new. 

Ned dashed, meeting the beast head-on. Arrows whistled to his left and right as Claurrete loosened them, hitting the eyes with precise control. Yet, those were not enough. The beast simply couldn't be bothered by those arrows. 

Instead, the beast opened its mouth and spewed acidic saliva to Ned. 

Ned answered the beast with a slash of the Krisalix. Dismissing most of the acid, but those that did not go passed to him. Acids hissed as they melted against the dark mist Rassus was giving off. 

Sword and scales clashed mid-air. Ned rolled along the deserted ground and abruptly stopped midair as his body twisted with the aid of a dark appendage stretching behind his back. He looked more of a monster than the beast he was fighting. 

In that quick moment, as the dark mist, and the dark appendage revealed, the look on the worm-like beast seemed to have been crushed after its eyes flickered uncontrollably. Then the core, planted inside its body shook violently as it released a much more discomforting amount of mana. 

Unlike the abnormally evolved beast, Ned on the other hand felt the sudden rush of losing a connection between him and the energy Rassus was giving him. A single appendage robbed them of the energy. He could hear Rassus complain about him and his body too weak to handle his energy. 

Ned managed to steady himself from the force of their clash. Around him was the group of candidates lying on the ground, unconscious. Claurette now kneeling on one knee after he shot all of his remaining arrows. 

Ned brandished the Krisalix, no point in switching to the Butterfly as it would drain him of the energy Rassus was giving. Coating the Grade D sword with the dark mist is enough to hurt the beast. 

"But getting and staying on it is the problem," Ned muttered to himself, making sure to stay on his feet and in his consciousness. 

"Just move," Rassus commanded and moved after Ned vanished and appeared once again over the beast. 

Which was his mistake of doing the same move twice. 

The beast flicked its tail and hit Ned by the side. Disappearing with a blur as he was once again thrown to the side. And was once again aided by the appendage that drained both of them of the energy. 

"I said move," Rassus echoed angrily inside Ned's head. "But I did not mean to move aimlessly." 

"Shut up," Ned ordered and wiped the blood flowing from his lips. 

Ned knew two ways to end the fight: him dying or the beast. With a set of dozen eyes pebbling the beast, Ned could not find a blind spot. With a jaw sturdy and sharp as his sword, Ned wouldn't gamble to throw orbs inside it. And so, the only choice left for him to maneuver was the gaps of the scales on its head. To which the sword would pierce it to its core. 

And so Ned vanished once again after pulling the appendage to conserve more of the remaining energy. He then appeared over its head for the third time. Ned twisted midair to receive the end of the tail with the Krisalix and grimaced as the sword shattered to half. Without a second thought, Ned swiftly planted the tip of the broken Krisalix, coated with dark mist, to one of the gaps its head was waving. Following it with a stream of dark mist crawling on his left hand down to where the Krisalix was planted. 

An explosion followed inside the head of the beast. Green and dark liquid seeped off its eyes and mouth. And a grumble left its dying mouth. 

Mutual understanding made Ned and Rassus vanish as soon as he landed on the ground. 

Claurette could barely make out a figure as Ned appeared behind the Werelion with an empty hand. 

The Werelion smirked and his beastian eyes flashed silver as he turned around to block Ned's jab. 

The Werelion laughed as soon as he heard the bones of Ned's knuckle. 

He then punched Ned to the stomach, robbing him of the energy Rassus was giving. He almost fell unconscious after the dark mist disappeared like ashes blown off by the wind. 

Unsatisfied, the Werelion launched a punch to Ned's face. 

One thing Ned could see was the Werelion's arm was as big as an aged log. 

Ned smirked after his eyes registered a massive figure launching from above accompanied with a roar.