Oblivion's Throne-Chapter 96: Xenocrux Lurker

The moment he launched forward, his Wraith's side blade was already coated with Lightning. The violet glow flickered casting shifting shadows as he swung downward in a precise, lethal arc, aiming to split its skull in a single stroke.

The Lurker twitched—then vanished.

In a blur of motion. Its hind legs coiled and released, propelling it to the side with unnatural speed. Orion's Wraith struck stone instead shattering the ground where the creature had just stood.

Debris exploded outward, scattering into the darkness. Although it was dark, Orion's Vyomnetra's Eye Sigil passively enhanced his night vision, allowing him to perceive every detail with clarity. The darkness didn't concern him.

Orion then pivoted, his mind adjusting instantly. His feet slid across the uneven ground, his body weight shifting with ruthless efficiency as he dragged his Wraith into a rapid horizontal sweep.

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His attack carved through empty air. The Lurker had moved again.

He activated Vyomnetra's Eye.

His pupils contracted, his mind accelerating to process every scrap of information at hyperspeed.

Orion caught a movement—just barely—a flicker of the creature to his left.

The Lurker's twisted limbs coiling once more, ready to launch itself toward him from an impossible angle. Its serrated maw widened, its fanged mandibles dripping with what Orion assumed to be a toxin.

It was coming straight for his blind spot.

No time to dodge.

Orion twisted, planting his heel down, and released a pulse of Ephemeral Flames from his Wraith. A burst of fire roared outward, searing through the air. The sudden heat forced the Lurker to abort its attack mid-leap.

But it didn't flee.

The creature's body adapted to the attack just as quickly as Orion had.

"Its reaction speed is just as insane as its movement," Orion murmured, his grip tightening on his Wraith.

The Lurker struck.

This time, Orion didn't try to predict it. He let the attack unfold.

His Wraith moved on its own, guided by his heightened senses. He felt the shift in air pressure, the subtle tremor of the ground beneath him, the near-silent flex of the creature's muscles just before impact.

His body responded before his mind could even process it.

A parry. A deflection. A reversal.

The Lurker's claws met against his Wraith—but instead of a full clash, Orion twisted his grip, angling his weapon to slide its momentum away. The creature was forced off-balance for a fraction of a second.

And that was all he needed.

He stepped forward, closing the distance in a single motion. His Wraith shot in a vicious arc, cutting into the Lurker's exoskeleton. The Ephemeral Flames cutting through the hardened carapace.

A high-pitched shriek resonated through the forest. The Lurker's body spasm, as it struggled to escape.

The Lurker reacted.

Instead of dodging again, it lunged toward the attack.

Orion's eyes narrowed.

He twisted his grip at the last second, adjusting his trajectory, bringing his Wraith into a defensive arc—but a tendril shot from the Lurker's split jaw, lashing toward his ribs like a striking viper.

Damn—!

Orion barely wrenched his body back in time. The tendril missed puncturing flesh by a fraction of a second but grazed his side, slicing through the outer layer of his armor.

A sharp, sizzling heat followed.

The impact sent a dull, burning ache rippling through his torso. Not deep enough to cripple him, but enough to make him not underestimate this creature's intelligence.

He landed several meters away, boots skidding against the rough terrain. His breathing was controlled, but his muscles tensed, adjusting to the shifting pace of the battle.

The Lurker had already recovered.

It crouched low, hind legs flexing, as it clicked its mandibles.

Orion exhaled slowly.

A bead of sweat trailed down Orion's temple, but his mind remained razor-sharp.

The Xenocrux Lurker learned from each exchange, refining its movements, testing different approaches. The first time, it had purely evaded. The second time, it countered his attack.

Orion adjusted his stance.

The Ephemeral Flames along his Wraith flickered, reacting to his shifting intent. His senses stretched outward—Vyomnetra's Eye flaring as his mind pushed itself further, processing faster, absorbing every minute detail.

He could see the micro-adjustments in the Lurker's posture, the way its tendrils subtly shifted, the flex in its limbs right before a launch.

It was waiting for his next mistake.

Orion lunged forward trying to bait the creature into committing to an attack.

The Lurker took the bait.

It moved instantly, reacting to what it perceived as an opening, its body shifting to intercept him. The tendrils lashed out again, aiming for his sides, his limbs—targeting his previous wound, exploiting the weak points it had just discovered.

Orion was already a step ahead.

His Wraith twisted mid-air, redirecting momentum, angling his trajectory just a degree off from where the Lurker had expected. His movements blurred—a controlled misstep, a perfectly executed deviation.

And then—his counterattack.

A flick of his wrist—Ephemeral Flames surged outward in a spiraling arc, not as a singular strike, but as a wide, unpredictable wave of fire.

The Lurker hesitated—

Just a fraction of a second.

That was all Orion needed.

His Wraith found flesh again. This time, he wouldn't let it off the hook.

The Lurker reacted instantly, twisting its grotesque form to track the movement, but it was already too late.

Orion was mid-air.

His Wraith came down in a streak of violet fire. Ephemeral Flames roared to life, licking the edges of his weapon as he adjusted his trajectory mid-descent, eyes locked on a singular target—the shifting gaps in the Lurker's exoskeleton.

The moment stretched.

The Lurker's body contorted, its limbs jerking with unnatural speed desperately trying to evade. Its entire exoskeleton rippled, plates realigning in a fractal pattern—a reactive defense mechanism.

But Orion had already accounted for it.

The strike landed.

His Wraith bit deep—not against hardened shell, but in the precise moment when its chitinous armor separated. The weapon slid between the shifting plates, piercing through to the vulnerable tissue beneath.

A shriek ripped through the forest.

The Lurker's body convulsed violently. Ichor burst from the wound, spraying in erratic arcs, splattering across the ground. The acrid scent was Orion like a wave.

Its limbs spasmed. One of its back legs buckled, sending the massive creature collapsing onto its side, its unnatural movements faltering for the first time.

The moment his feet touched the ground, he twisted his grip and wrenched the Wraith free. A sickening squelch followed as the weapon tore through sinew and muscle, widening the gash. Another burst of ichor splattered across his armor.

The Lurker thrashed in agony, its body heaving—a final, desperate struggle.

With a final, ruthless motion, he drove his Wraith straight into its skull, twisting it deep. The violet flames surged, igniting the creature from the inside out. The Lurker convulsed, its body writhing—then it fell still.Orion exhaled, his heart pounding against his ribs. Even after all this training, it had taken everything he had to bring this thing down.

He pulled his Wraith free, letting the lifeless husk collapse to the cavern floor. A thin trail of smoke curled from the wound, the scent of scorched flesh lingering in the air.

Then, as the adrenaline settled, he turned his gaze to the Lurker's corpse—his real task was only beginning.

Time to claim his prize.