E-Rank or SSS-Rank: I Awakened a Skill That Shouldn't Exist-Chapter 303: Bring them to me.

Chapter 303

Its voice warped the air, distorted and heavy with pressure.

"You damn humans are the ones who dared to disturb the lord sleep. You deserve nothing but destruction. Kneel and die."

Authority and pride dripped from every word.

Han and the rest blinked once in unison, as if they had just heard the best joke of the year.

Han stepped forward with a serious expression.

"Take us to the leader," he said.

The Knull’s three purple eyes flared brighter, as if the words Han spoke were taboo beyond taboo.

"You insolent creature dares to seek the lord. You wretched thing deserves a fate worse than death."

The two giants charged.

Han and the others braced, then charged as well.

A deafening boom ripped through the sky. The world erupted into a storm of flames, lightning, shattered stone, and raw destruction. The shockwaves tore through the stronghold, flattening structures and sending Knull flying like broken dolls.

Han and several clones clashed with one of the mighty Knull.

Elexa, Lightrunner, Aiden, Ronan, and the others focused on the second giant.

The remaining heroes and elemental spirits held off the endless tide of regular Knull.

The battle raged with full force.

It did not take long for reality to sink in.

They were losing.

The mighty Knull were far too strong, and the lesser ones kept jumping in. Even the weaker Knull hit hard enough to matter. Holding them back had already pushed the group to their limits before this point. With the two giants joining the fight, the outcome crept closer and closer to a single conclusion.

They were going to fall.

That prediction arrived faster than anyone wanted.

A few more minutes passed and Han was sent flying like a bullet. He crashed through several thick black structures the Knull used as shelter. Dust and rubble rained everywhere. He hit the ground hard and groaned, holding his chest. Even with Nova Phase defense, the hit crushed through him.

When he finally stood and looked around, his face went pale.

Most of the heroes were down.

Alive, but barely.

Each one a breath away from death.

Even Ifrit and Thunderwrath were severely wounded. Terragon had already been unsummoned long ago, his damage too great. Han unsummoned the other two spirits as well. Better to heal them in the realm than keep them here to die.

Only Lightrunner still stood, and even he was injured though still able to move.

With just the two of them and a handful of broken heroes, they would fall in seconds.

Lightrunner appeared next to Han.

"The battle is lost," he said quietly.

Han looked at the limp bodies of everyone who came with him. He did not understand why the Knull had not finished them off yet. Maybe they wanted to torture them first. Maybe they enjoyed dragging out the fear.

"We better surrender. Fighting now would be the most foolish thing we could do," Lightrunner said.

Han looked at him with a complicated expression.

"Wait. You are saying we let ourselves be killed?"

Lightrunner shrugged, speaking almost casually.

"Who knows. We are already as good as dead. If we do not resist, maybe they will lock us up before the torture starts. Then death. That buys a few minutes, does it not?" he asked with a grin.

Han stared at him, confused and troubled.

He sighed.

The flames and lightning around his body dimmed, then faded completely.

He had taken Lightrunner’s advice.

Now what?

One of the massive Knull sneered, its twisted fangs curling into an ugly grin.

"Now you die," it said, charging at Han and Lightrunner.

Han’s breath seized. His body tensed, ready to fight again even though he knew it would be pointless.

Then a voice cut through everything.

Calm.

Cold.

Yet filled with such overwhelming power that it sent tremors through every living body in the stronghold.

"Do not kill them," the voice said.

"Bring them alive to me."

Again it spoke.

"Bring them to me."

The mighty Knull froze, startled. Even it seemed unworthy of hearing that voice. The rest of the Knull dropped to their knees instantly and bowed like devout followers.

Han’s face twitched violently as he watched the scene unfold.

He never imagined monsters like these could be religious.

The giant Knull finished its reverence and turned its glowing purple eyes toward Han and Lightrunner. Then it growled and charged.

Han’s heart clenched. He had relaxed too soon.

A deafening boom.

A heavy thud.

Then nothing.

Darkness.

Suffocating darkness.

That was the first thing Han processed. Then something else hit him.

A feeling of wrongness.

Everything around him felt twisted, warped, soaked in a sense of alien corruption.

The air, the ground, the texture of reality itself felt foreign.

He tried to move.

Nothing.

His body would not respond.

As if he had been turned into an unmoving boulder.

What is happening to me, Han thought. He tried to look around but saw nothing. Only endless darkness. True darkness. Thick and heavy like it wanted to swallow him whole.

Where is Laura?

What about Xin? Rin?

Clara. Ronan. Aiden. Nathan.

Where are they?

His thoughts felt hazy, like someone had shaken his mind loose from its foundation. Then memories drifted in and out as he tried to grab onto them.

Wait... there were others.

Silver Wing. Shae. Shin. Bron.

He knew them.

They were his subordinates. Right?

They were taken as criminals by the Silver Guild before the cursed destroyed the guild. Then they joined the Tryst Guild.

But that raised more questions.

Silver Wing was part of the A6.

But who were the A6?

He knew them.

There was Null... an existence Han never truly understood. No one did.

There was Elexa. Balor. Balzer. Little One. Silver Wing.

Were they not the A6?

Were they not with him when they fought the cursed?

When they destroyed the cursed?

Han felt a deep pain stabbing through his skull. His memories trembled like they were breaking apart.

Wait. Did they face the cursed? Why?

There were reasons, but none strong enough to face the cursed without support.

The Dark Emissaries were all confirmed S rankers.

Why would they ever attack them recklessly?

Wait...

Who is Ron?

Why am I thinking about the name Ron?

His head throbbed. Memories collided. The pressure was unbearable.

Then an image forced itself into his mind.

A young boy with black hair, smiling brightly, calling him by the words young master.

The boy grew older, wearing martial artist clothing, then grew into a man wielding a massive warhammer.

Fierce. Loyal. Terrifying when angry.

But the image of Ron ended in tragedy.

Han felt his mind start to crack.

To Be Continued...

AUTHOR’S NOTE

That’s the Chapter, everyone!

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– Ultra