Chương 70: The last step

The sand shifted beneath their feet as they moved across the dune. Ethan walked ahead, his sword resting across his shoulder while Leah followed just behind, her focus narrowing as her skill searched for their next target.

"It was right here," she said, frowning slightly.

"I can still feel it, but it's like it's distant." Ethan slowed, lowering his blade as his senses stretched outward. He felt nothing. No movement. No presence. Just sand and wind.

"That can't be right," he muttered, already shifting his stance.

"Your skill hasn't been wrong so far." Leah nodded, stepping in behind him, her hand drifting toward her dagger as unease settled between them. But as she moved closer, a pale hand burst upward, fingers snapping around her ankle and yanking her off balance as the rest of it surged free in a smooth, unnatural motion. Its body twisted as it rose, flickering at the edges like it was shifting in and out of reality, its other arm already snapping upward, blackened claws driving straight toward Leah's head.

Ethan moved without thinking. He dropped his sword mid-step and lunged, slamming into Leah's side and tearing her free from its grip as he threw her clear of the strike. The claws passed through where her head had been, close enough that he felt the air split as they cut through it. Leah hit the sand hard behind him as blood rained down onto the sand. Ethan turned as the creature's hollow gaze settled on him.

[Aura Field] expanded out of him, the corrosive energy bleeding into the environment as it spread across the sand, darkening it and tainting the air with a sickly weight that clung to every breath. The poison-laced aura ate into everything it touched, seeping into the ground and lingering in the air, but as it brushed against the undead, the effect dulled, the corrosive force failing to bite as deeply as it should have. Ethan frowned slightly, but he didn't have time to consider that.

His focus was dragged entirely elsewhere as his attention locked onto the sight behind him. Leah lay crumpled in the sand, unmoving, and for a fraction of a second everything else faded as he forced his senses to settle just enough to confirm if she was alright. He could see the faint rise and fall of her chest, could hear it too when he focused, the steady rhythm letting him know she was alive. That was all he allowed himself before he tore his gaze away and back to their ambusher.

Ethan stepped forward, placing himself firmly between her and the undead, picking up his blade and letting his awareness stretch outward again. The creature watched him, its head tilting slightly as though examining him, long blackened nails dragging lazily through the sand as it shifted its stance. Even through [Keen Sense], Ethan struggled to pin it down properly. Its presence seemed to disappear for moments at a time before reappearing.

His mind raced as he pieced it together, the memory of Leah's warning flashing through him, how she had sensed danger, only for the threat to vanish until it was already too late. It was clear this was a high-level undead. Maybe even high into the thirties. Ethan exhaled slowly as his core surged in response, mana flooding through his body while his aura pressed outward in violent waves, bleeding into the sand beneath his feet as his heart hammered in his chest.

The aura gnawed at the undead as it stood within it, but not in the way it had with Desmond. The poison slid across its form with reduced effect, dulled by whatever unnatural state sustained it. It was enough to confirm the difference, enough to tell him this undead woman was strong. He didn't hesitate, didn't give it the time it wanted to observe him further.

He exploded forward, the sand beneath his feet fracturing under the force as his body surged ahead and his blade swung in one fluid motion, a wide diagonal slash meant to end it in a single exchange, but the moment the blade met resistance, it vanished.

His eyes narrowed as the feeling disappeared halfway through the swing, the undead's form distorting just enough for steel to cut through air instead of flesh before it solidified again an instant later, already within his reach as those elongated claws snapped forward toward the gap beneath his arm. Ethan twisted, barely turning the strike aside as the claws scraped across the seam in his armor, the impact still jarring enough to send a sharp line of pain through his side.

He stepped back, resetting his footing as he created distance with his blade. The undead moved again. Each strike was faster than the last, forcing Ethan to predict where it was going to attack when he stopped being able to keep up with it, even with [Mana Infusion] active. He managed to raise his blade at the last moment, deflecting its claws and bringing its barrage of attacks to a stop.

Instead of following through with its attacks, it circled him, dragging its claws through the sand as it watched, waiting, probing for weakness before lunging once more, this time targeting the joint of his shoulder. Ethan met it head-on, his blade snapping up to intercept as mana surged through his limbs, reinforcing every movement. But he knew he was too slow, even with mana reinforcing his muscles.

So at the same time, his aura bled inward, forcing its way into his muscles to strengthen them further, pushing his body far beyond its normal limits, but the moment the two forces met, something inside him tore. Pain ripped through his arm as aura and mana collided within him, grinding against each other like opposing currents that refused to coexist. His grip faltered for half a second, just enough for the undead's claw to slip through his defense.

Steel caught most of it, his armor absorbing the worst, but the impact still drove through him and forced him back a step as he shut the flow down immediately, cutting the aura before it could do more damage. Ethan gritted his teeth, forcing the pain down as he let [Mana Infusion] dissipate and activated [Aura Overload], the violent surge flooding through him and stabilizing the worst of the damage, even as the undead pressed forward again without giving him a moment to recover.

He was forced onto the back foot, its claws coming fast and precise. His aura continued to eat at it as it moved within the field, but the effect remained dulled, slowed, as if the poison simply couldn't find enough life within the creature to fully take hold. Ethan wanted to curse. He had known mana and aura weren't meant to mix. He had always thought people were being dramatic. But now, feeling it firsthand, his perspective changed. Which left him with an unsettling realization.

This undead was far too fast for him. It was likely a high-level rogue or something similar that focused its stat distribution into agility before it died. Now, he needed to come up with a solid plan. If he couldn't merge aura and mana to keep up with it, then he needed something else. Ethan predicted its attack again, parrying its far too long claws and focusing on [Keen Sense] once more. Leah was still on the ground, though she was moving slightly.

Ethan tried to force mana outward instead, pushing it beyond his body. The sensation was wrong, deeply wrong, the energy resisting as it was dragged from his core. He knew he shouldn't be doing this. This wasn't how the system worked, wasn't how skills were meant to be developed or used, and blindly forcing mana out of his body like this was extremely reckless in a situation this dangerous. But he didn't have time for refinement, didn't have the luxury of doing things properly.

The alternative was staying one step behind. And he couldn't have that. Sooner or later he would make a mistake in his predictions. And when that happened, Leah would be left defenseless. Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings. So he forced it anyway. The undead lunged again, claws flashing toward him, but then something shifted.

Ethan felt it the same moment the creature did, his senses catching the movement behind him as Leah stirred in the sand, the faint sound enough to draw both their attention. The undead reacted instantly, its head snapping toward her as it moved without hesitation, abandoning him entirely in favor of the easier target. Ethan stepped into its path without thinking, his blade intercepting the strike meant for her. Ethan quickly realized it had chosen her. The weaker target. The easier kill.

It had ignored him and gone after Leah. He couldn't have that. This undead was far too dangerous. Rage surged through him, hot and immediate, burning away the last of his restraint as he let his aura collapse inward entirely and focused solely on his mana, forcing it to enter his muscles harder, faster, hotter than before. Then he did something he knew he shouldn't. He forced the currents closed. But because he still had no idea how to do it properly, Ethan used aura.

Aura slammed down on his pathways, sealing everything except the channel running into his arm, and the moment the two forces met, they clashed violently, tearing at him from the inside as mana was forced into a single direction. The pressure built rapidly, far faster than his body could handle, pain exploding through him as muscle and bone strained under the force of it. He knew exactly what he was doing to himself, knew how badly this could end, but he needed something.

His arm swelled with power, more mana than he could safely contain, the energy burning through him as it searched for an outlet. Behind him, Leah pushed herself up. He could hear the drip of blood hitting the sand. She groaned. The undead moved again. Ethan's hand trembled as the pressure peaked, the mana reaching its limit and threatening to tear free whether he wanted it to or not. His grip on his sword loosened instinctively as his body screamed at him to release it, to let the energy escape, and he listened.

The blade fell from his hand as he stepped forward, the undead lunging in the same instant, and Ethan drove his fist out to meet it. The mana erupted from his arm in a molten, uncontrolled, and violent mass of burning energy that tore free like liquid fire and slammed into the undead's chest. It didn't have time to react, its speed accounting for nothing, as it was caught by surprise.

The impact landed fully, the unnatural body blackening instantly as the energy burned through it, melting flesh and bone alike as it collapsed inward under the force. Ethan staggered as the backlash hit him, internal damage flaring where aura and mana had clashed, tearing through him in ways he had known would happen. He forced [Aura Overload] again, the healing stabilizing the worst of it as he lifted his head, only to see the body move.

The undead twitched, dragging itself upright despite the damage, its hollow gaze locking onto him once more as it forced its ruined form back together. Ethan exhaled sharply, already moving, pulling what little mana he had left into [Mana Infusion] and forcing it through his body properly this time as he moved forward, closing the distance before it could fully recover. The blade came up from the sand in one clean motion, the movement smooth despite the strain still tearing through him.

Steel met flesh, and this time it slipped through the undead's body. The head separated cleanly from it. You have defeated [Undead Shifter] Lv. 36 Congratulations! You are now [Knight Lv. 27] Str +2, End +2, Ag +1, Per +1, Will +2 Ethan remained where he was for a moment, breathing hard, before turning back to Leah and dismissing the notification.

"Fucking hell, that popped up out of nowhere," she said, holding her head, where a gash bled. Ethan dropped his sword. His whole body ached. Then he lowered himself to kneel beside Leah.

"Are you hurt?"

"Just my self-confidence." Ethan snorted.

"Same." And he was telling the truth. That thing had been far too fast. If he didn't have his armor, he would have been cut to ribbons. Even as it was, his mana pathways were all fucked up. It had shown something though. Despite having [Mana Infusion], he was still too slow. He needed to find a way to change that. Especially moving forward where he would only face stronger and stronger opponents. Ethan let out a breath and cast [Aura Overload] again, feeling his body slowly mend what damage he had created.

He was slightly damaged, his ego a little hurt, but a smile still spread underneath his helm. He had cast a spell. Even if he cheated. His focus settled on the cut at her head. Blood still ran, though not as badly as it had at first, and when he brushed her hand aside to get a better look, he realized it was more surface than anything else. Messy, but not deep.

"Hold still," he muttered, already reaching into his pack. Leah huffed but didn't resist, sitting still as he pulled out a strip of cloth and began wrapping it around her head, careful but efficient as he secured it in place. The bleeding slowed quickly once pressure was applied, and within moments it was under control.

"That thing was fast," she said after a moment, her voice quieter.

"I didn't even see it coming."

"Neither did I," Ethan admitted, tying off the bandage before pulling his hands back. He sat there for a second longer, letting his senses sweep the area one last time, confirming there were no other threats lurking nearby, before pushing himself back to his feet and retrieving his sword.

"We're done here." Leah looked up at him.

"Done?"

"With clearing the way," he said.

"That's enough for me. We need to go get your class upgrade." She held his gaze for a moment, then nodded.

"Mirage then." Ethan inclined his head.

"Mirage." Once Leah was steady on her feet, they moved on, leaving the corpse behind as the dunes swallowed the traces of the fight, the wind already beginning to erase what little evidence remained. The journey was quieter after that, more focused, neither of them speaking much as they moved with purpose rather than curiosity, no longer chasing stronger enemies. Both of them were probably thinking about that last fight, though for different reasons.

The moment where he had forced the mana out of his body replayed over and over in Ethan's mind as they traveled. It had been crude, uncontrolled, and damaging, but it had worked. That alone made it worth pursuing. So as they moved, he tested it in small ways, pushing mana outward, trying to shape it, to direct it without tearing himself apart in the process.

Each attempt felt wrong, the energy resisting him, slipping away the moment he tried to force it into form, and every time he reached for it, he found himself wanting to rely on aura to control it. But that created its own problem. Aura and mana didn't mix. He had proven that already. The more he tried to use one to control the other, the more his body pushed back, the strain building faster than he could manage.

So he adjusted, experimenting with smaller flows, shorter bursts, trying to find the line where he could influence the mana without forcing the two into direct conflict. It was slow progress, frustrating at times, but it was progress nonetheless. By the time the second day came to an end, something had changed. The dunes began to flatten. At first it was subtle, the slopes less steep, the sand more even underfoot, but as they moved forward, the shift became undeniable.

The endless rise and fall of the desert gave way to a wide, open expanse, the terrain smoothing out until it stretched ahead of them in a flat, unbroken plane that reached as far as the eye could see. Ethan slowed, then came to a stop.

"We're here," he said. Leah stepped up beside him, her gaze sweeping across the landscape, confusion flickering across her face as she took it in.

"So this is the gateway to the next level?" Ethan kept his eyes forward, watching the empty expanse.

"Yup. We're finally here." Leah frowned slightly.

"It doesn't look like much." Ethan snorted.

"Just remember what I told you." She was quiet for a moment, taking that in.

"You can do this," Ethan added, his voice steady.

"It's not about strength like everything else we've been doing. It's about you and understanding who you are." Leah let out a slow breath, then gave a small nod.

"Alright," she said.

"Then I guess there's only one way to find out." Ethan nodded and together, they stepped forward into the mirage.