Spirit's Awakening: The Path of Lightning and Water-Chapter 310: The Construct’s Intent

The next attack came without pause. His claws arced through the air, wreathed in an eerie, emerald glow that twisted and pulsed with a sinister life of its own. The corrupted abyssal energy lashed out like a serpent striking its prey, the tendrils lengthening unnaturally, aiming to ensnare Lassim in their grasp.

Lassim barely managed to bring his halberd up in time, the weapon catching the first tendril with a deafening clash that reverberated through the battlefield. Sparks of violet and green energy cascaded from the impact, the opposing forces tearing at the air itself.

Lassim twisted his grip, channeling a surge of his fused mana into the weapon, but another tendril lashed toward his legs, faster than his eye could track.

It struck, searing pain radiating through his thigh as it coiled around him, pulling him off balance. Nalzerak closed the distance instantly, his mirage-like form flickering and reforming just inches away.

With a swipe of his claws, he aimed to carve through Lassim’s chest, the green energy leaving shimmering afterimages of deathly intent.

Lassim’s body responded instinctively, [Tempest Steps] activating in a desperate burst as he twisted in midair in a somersault, narrowly avoiding the lethal strike. His thigh burned from where the tendril had wrapped around it, the corrupted intent energy burrowing into his pathways, only to be repelled once more by the relentless defense of the lightning fish.

He landed heavily, skidding backward, his boots digging into the cracked and blood-soaked earth.

Nalzerak was unrelenting. His form blurred again, appearing at Lassim’s flank, claws aimed at his ribs. Lassim spun his halberd in a defensive arc, but the assassin’s speed was overwhelming. The blow connected, raking across his side and sending him flying. Blood poured freely from the deep gashes, staining the ground beneath him.

Lassim was face down in the dirt but attempted pushed himself back to his feet, his body trembling from the blood loss despite still feeling like he was full of energy due to the energetic side effect of [Lifestream Aegis].

Blood dripped steadily onto the fractured ground, the wounds on his chest and limbs barely closing fast enough to keep him alive. His vision swam, but he refused to falter, his grip on the halberd tightened as he prepared for Nalzerak’s next move.

The assassin’s permanent, twisted grin widened. "Your defenses are admirable, mortal," he hissed, his voice dripping with malice. "But how long can you keep fighting? How long before your body breaks? Ahh, I love this struggle so…"

Lassim gritted his teeth through ragged breaths. He adjusted his stance, his halberd glowing brighter as he prepared a counterattack.

He couldn’t afford to lose here—not now. With a deep breath, he focused his fused mana into the weapon, the energy surging along its length as he prepared another full power and devastating [Slash].

The halberd swung in a wide arc, releasing a spiraling vortex of destructive fused mana and lightning sprite fish that seemed enraged. The vortex roared to life, carving through the battlefield with a ferocity that tore the ground apart. The embedded lightning fish darted within the storm, their charges intensifying the attack as they homed in on Nalzerak.

The assassin’s form blurred as he evaded the vortex, but the sheer force of the attack forced him to retreat, his movements uncharacteristically cautious. The vortex struck the ground where he had stood, erupting in a violent explosion that sent debris flying in all directions.

Before the dust could settle, Lassim pressed the attack, launching into a [Slam]. The halberd’s blade descended like a crashing wave, its impact tearing into the earth with a force that shook the entire plain. The energy coalesced into a massive lightning fish, its jagged teeth biting through space itself as it surged toward Nalzerak.

The assassin barely avoided the strike, his form flickering once more as he twisted out of the attack’s path. The ground beneath him exploded into a jagged crater, the sheer intensity of the blow leaving glowing scars in the air. But Nalzerak was quick to recover, his claws extending into whip-like tendrils that lashed out in retaliation.

The first tendril struck Lassim’s chest, tearing through his armor and sending him sprawling. He hit the ground hard, blood pooling beneath him as he struggled to rise. His [Lifestream Aegis] flared to life, refocusing its flow to the new wound, the regenerative energy working tirelessly to close it, but the process was agonizingly slow against the green corruption.

Nalzerak advanced, his twisted grin widening as he loomed over Lassim."...But even the most stubborn prey falls eventually."

With a wave of his hand, Nalzerak unleashed another wave of corrupted energy, the tendrils surging toward Lassim like serpents. Lassim raised his halberd in a desperate defense, his mana flaring as he prepared to counter the attack.

But the force of the tendrils was overwhelming. The attack struck with an unrelenting force, driving Lassim back and leaving him barely able to stand. The weight of the assassin’s Spirit Mystic stage spiritual pressure pressed down on him, his vision blurring as the mental exhaustion threatened to overtake him.

The battle reached a fever pitch, Lassim’s body a canvas of blood and wounds. The last attack had pushed him nearer to where Rylis and Eno’s bodies and the construct were.

As Nalzerak prepared another attack, a weak, rasping voice broke through the chaos.

"Lassim…"

Rlyis’s voice was barely audible, her breaths labored and her body trembling as she struggled to lift her head. Blood stained her lips, her usually sharp eyes dull and unfocused.

"Fill the construct," she gasped, her voice filled with desperation. "With your… intent."

Lassim froze, his gaze shifting between Rlyis and the construct. "I can’t," he said, his voice hoarse. "It might not work. It could explode—"

"Just do it!" Rlyis’s voice rose, her words filled with fear. "We don’t… have time…"

Her head fell back, her energy spent, but her words lingered in the air like a command to him. Lassim hesitated for only a moment before his resolve solidified. He couldn’t afford NOT to do it—their lives were at stake.

Taking the control panel, he activated [Lightning Steps], his body flashing toward the construct in a blur of motion.

He landed in front of the hybrid beast construct, his hands trembling slightly due to the blood loss that was furiously trying to be renewed by [Lifestream Aegis] as he channeled his fused mana into the control panel on the shoulder of the construct. The array symbols etched into its surface flared to life, glowing brightly as the construct stirred faintly, the Spirit Quartz in its chest shimmering with its milky light.

Lassim clenched his teeth, sweat pouring down his face as he focused his intent. His Lightning Fish, infused with the essence of his will, surged forward, darting into the construct’s array pathways. Each fish carried with it a spark of Lassim’s determination, his desperation, and his unwavering resolve to survive in this moment.

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The construct responded immediately.

The Spirit Quartz at its core began to glow, the azure and violet hues of Lassim’s mana swirling as the fish entered its depths.

But something unexpected happened.

The glow shifted after it reached the Spirit Quartz, the colors transforming as it pulsed violently. The colors of his intent that he’d infused were no longer azure and violet—they suddenly became an oxidized bronze color, a gleaming mix of green and metallic hues that radiated a predatory hunger that hit Lassim’s already weak mind.

For the briefest of moments, he got the flash image in his mind of some gigantic, towering plant with petals turned into a gaping, nectar filled maw that was craving its next meaty meal.

Lassim staggered back, his eyes wide as the construct’s energy transformed. The previous mana that had been filled by Rlyis’ own Spirit Transcendent stage reserves grew more powerful.

The hybrid beast construct’s body began to move. Its limbs flexed, the spikes along its back shifting as they gleamed with the same oxidized bronze light. The Spirit Quartz pulsed again, sending a new wave of spiritual pressure that rippled outward, flattening the grass and cracking the ground beneath it.

Nalzerak paused mid-step towards Lassim with another attack, his emerald eyes narrowing as the pressure washed over him. "What… is this?" he muttered, his voice losing its mocking tone for the first time.

The construct rose to its full height, ready, its predatory form exuding a feral intensity that made the air around it feel charged with that same hunger. Its glowing eyes locked onto Nalzerak, and Lassim felt a surge of recognition from the construct—it knew its enemy that had attacked its creators.

Lassim stepped back, regripping his halberd tightly as he spoke the command with all he could muster with his hazy mind. "Attack!"

The construct moved in an instant, Lassim lost track of it in the same way he couldn’t keep up with Nalzerak, its speed rivaling the assassin’s as it closed the distance with a blur of motion.

Its claws, infused with the oxidized bronze energy, swiped toward the assassin, leaving trails of lightning-touched destruction in their wake. Nalzerak barely managed to dodge, his mirage-like form flickering as he evaded the strike.

The ground where the claws struck erupted, the bronze energy following the sheer force of the impact’s jagged fissures that spread outward like a web.

The construct didn’t pause, leaping into the air with agility that defied its size, the full Verdant Feralwolf’s prowess on display. Its back spikes began to glow, the conal tips crackling with lightning mana and self-made intent as it fired a volley of bronze-infused projectiles.

Nalzerak countered with a surge of his own corrupted green, soul attacking energy, his claws extending into tendrils that lashed out to intercept the projectiles.

The exchanges happened so quickly. Too fast for Lassim to immediately join in the assault before the attacks collided mid-air with the resulting explosion sending shockwaves that rattled Lassim’s bones, and forced him to dig his halberd into the ground to stabilize himself.

The construct landed gracefully and unharmed at all, its predatory eyes scanning the battlefield.

Lassim could somehow feel its heightened senses, an extension of the Verdant Feralwolf’s innate traits. It seemed to be using the grass and plant life around it to detect Nalzerak’s movements, adapting to his mirage-like camouflage and giving it more sensory information on how to attack the demon.

Nalzerak snarled, his emerald claws glowing brighter as he launched himself at the construct.

Their clash was a spectacle of raw power, the assassin’s green energy meeting the construct’s oxidized bronze in a series of rapid bursts of blinding light and explosions. The construct moved with terrifying precision, its claws and teeth striking repeatedly, attacking with the ferocity of a feral beast at the Spirit Mystic stage.

Lassim was finally able to join the fray, activating [Tempest Steps] to close the distance after he stabilized himself. He swung his halberd in a wide arc, channeling his fused mana into the only attack that had shown real promise during the whole encounter so far, another devastating [Slash]. The vortex of spiraling and chaotic fused mana roared toward Nalzerak, forcing the assassin to split his focus between Lassim and the construct in that moment.

The hybrid beast construct seized the opening as Nalzerak paused long enough for the construct to fully get a grip on his position, its back spikes glowing as it fired another volley of projectiles.

This time, the bronze energy seemed to home in on Nalzerak’s movements perfectly, each spike curving mid-air to pursue him relentlessly.

Nalzerak deflected as many as he could, but several struck true, embedding themselves into his mirage-like form. The bronze energy erupted on impact, tearing through his defenses and leaving deep, smoking wounds.

"Do you think this changes anything?" Nalzerak growled, his smirk long gone, and voice filled with pain and fury. "You’ve only delayed the inevitability that is your death at my hands!"

The assassin retaliated with a massive surge of green energy, his tendrils lashing out in all directions. It was as if he’d released a limiter on his own power, the universe seemed to shift and Lassim felt an intensity of the gathering of a very strong presence, greater than the gods, having its attention dragged to this spot of Nexaria. The corrupted energy swept across the battlefield, carving deep gouges into the ground and forcing Lassim and the construct to retreat momentarily.

But the dual soul beast construct wasn’t done. It crouched low, its body coiling like a spring as it prepared another attack. The oxidized bronze energy gathered at its claws and teeth, crackling with an intensity that made the air around it shimmer.

It lunged, and approached the demon from the front. It was just about to directly bite the throat off of Nalzerak before the mirage-like form flickered. Yet, the construct seemed prepared for this with one paw touching the ground and at an impossible angle, as if it had foresight, pushed with its paws launched itself, spikes first, backwards.

The battle reached its climax as the construct surprisingly impaled Nalzerak with its back spikes, holding the assassin in place.