“What’s happening?” Cellica yelled with concern as she saw Aleena on her knees with two arrows stuck on her stomach and legs while glaring at the two blonde strangers.

“See brother, you brought unnecessary confrontation.” the blonde lady sighed

“It’s fine, we have Dalmos and Kelmos searching through this forest to find the wind hero if we got it wrong” the man shrugged

“What business do you have with the wind hero?” Cellica said with anger in her voice as she removes the sheath from her rapier. Ready to strike these strangers if they have any malicious intent. Melissa stayed beside Cellica with her claws already out and her hair showing the shade of red.

“Of course to kill her that’s why” the man smiled as Melissa charges forward at fast speeds with her claws aiming at the man’s heart. The man didn’t do anything as Melissa’s claw penetrated his chest only to vanish like smoke together with the blonde lady.

“Be careful! His illusions can deal damage and that woman’s arrow can multiply” Aleena warned.

From the darkness of the forest, 5 illusions appeared as they run towards Melissa at a fast pace. Melissa also charged forward but once they reach Melissa, all of them exploded. A large explosion emanated as the ground shakes and smoke billowed. Scorching parts of Melissa’s arms and face. Before an arrow pierced her left shoulder as she gritted her teeth. She quickly jumps back before a rain of arrows tattered the ground where she was standing a second ago.

“Melissa!” Cellica shouted before an arrow whistled near her face, just missing her by an inch. With their enemies hiding and them out in the open, they are extremely disadvantageous. Still, Cellica turned her rapier into a bow before turning to where the arrow was shot.

“Wind Magic: Windward Brilliance” the green glowing arrow emerged in her hands as she loads the bow with this seemingly green laser-like arrow. Before she can even put it in the bow, countless wooden arrows rained on her as she quickly aimed at where those arrows came from. A loud bang emerged before a bright green light brighten the whole forest as the arrow grew in size each second before becoming a large swallowing mass of swirling wind. Breaking and wreaking every tree that comes in contact, it forced the blonde lady to come out from her hiding with a few wounds in her arms.

“How dare you hurt my sister!” the brother shouted as an illusion of himself appeared behind Cellica wielding a large scythe. Before it can swing its weapon, a bolt of large lightning penetrated its chest before vanishing into a cloud of black smoke. Alrich appeared with an aloof expression on his face as he is standing in the air with the help of yellow circles made of lightning as his foothold. His white hair was changed to a color of yellow as lightning courses through them with his eyes glowing the color of yellow. He was not himself and his demeanor changed.

“Hurt my comrades and you shall be stricken with the punishment of the gods!” he shouted as lightning from the sky quickly smashes towards where both the brothers and sister are standing but both of them vanished like smoke once again.

An arrow whistled towards Alrich’s face but it was destroyed before it can even get near him as he didn’t even care about it. He raised his hands as lightning started converging in it, creating a ball of pure lightning crackling in his fingers. He gazed at the ground near Melissa before chucking it towards her as Melissa quickly jumps away only to hear someone shouting in pain as the blonde man was directly hit by Alrich’s attack. Lightning coursed through his body as he was paralyzed momentarily, he was expecting it to damage him more but it merely stopped him from his tracks. Still, it was enough for Melissa who immediately charged towards him.

“Body technique: Switch” he cast as an arrow appeared instead of him, allowing him to get out of the devastating attack of Melissa who destroyed the ground where he was just a second ago.

“It seems that my powers haven’t recovered yet” Alrich solemnly muttered while gazing at his hands as arrows rained on him but he was unbothered by it as every arrow was destroyed by lightning emanating from his body. To his surprise, one of the arrows turned into a blonde man wielding a dagger coated with poison. A gust of wind pushed the man away as it vanished like smoke.

“This is getting us nowhere!” Aleena yelled in annoyance as her wounds are getting infected at a faster rate than normal. If this continued, they would be too tired to fight if the enemy keeps on hiding as they didn’t hurt them yet.

“What do you propose little girl?” Alrich asked

“Little girl?! Never mind, i’m sure you can find them right? Just tell where they are to Melissa and Cellica.” she said

“How about you?” Cellica asked with great concern with her eyes surveying the area around them.

“I’ll be fine, just finish the fight faster” she smiled as Cellica nodded.

“To the west of you red hair girl, the blonde girl is hiding there” Alrich commanded as Melissa quickly dashes. Lightning emerged in her legs and feet as she bursts forward. A rain of arrows emerged deep within the forest as armor made with lightning appeared in Melissa’s body as it shrugged off the arrows by striking anything that comes near it. Instead of a blond lady, a man appeared with two daggers in each hand. Ready to strike Melissa. With a quick exchange, wounds appeared in each of their bodies. The man was riddled with claw marks and deep wounds while Melissa was stabbed just near her chest and shoulder. The striking and slashing of claws and daggers continued as they weaved and dodged while trying to find a weakness in their movement. Still, it was clear that Melissa has the advantage as every strike of her claws forced the man to take a step back as wounds started appearing over him.

“Brother!” the lady shouted as Cellica aimed her bow at where the sound comes from.

“Wind Magic: Guided by the wind” a swirling wind covered her bow as it creates crystallize leaves that fall to the ground. It is an extremely eye-catching enhancement spell that allows her arrows to seek any of her enemies and guarantee a vital strike.

“Wind Magic: Whirlwind Strike 3x” 3 green arrows appeared to the bow as she stretched the string. Once she lets go, three whirlwinds appeared as it cascades to the tress, destroying anything that comes in contact as it revealed the blonde lady. The brother was too shocked to see what happens next as the three whirlwinds ruthlessly ripped her sister to pieces as a claw made it to his heart, penetrating it as blood splattered everywhere.

His eyes gazing at his dead sister as he loses his life easily from that strike. Both of them are talented assassins but in the face-to-face combat where they can’t hide, they were merely weak against Melissa and Cellica. If Alrich didn’t appear, they would be able to hide and slowly pick their enemies one by one but alas, they underestimated their enemy and were overconfident in their skills.

Alrich falls to the ground, unconscious while Aleena collapses from the poison dipped in the arrows. While Melissa gritted her teeth from the burn marks and wounds she received from the man. Cellica quickly goes near to both Alrich and Aleena with great concern on her face.

“Don’t worry, Cellica. I can guard them. Find the others” Melissa smiled, hiding the pain that she is subjected to. Cellica noticed the burn marks running across her arms and to her cheeks and wounds that it was obvious she would be too injured to fight anymore.

“No, you’re injured too. I will stay here. I’m sure that they can handle themselves” Cellica demanded as Melissa can only smile before also losing consciousness from the pain. When she deactivated her berserk, its pain nullification that was given by the skill was gone as the pain from her flesh burning, even for a moment was too much for her. Cellica doesn’t know what to do. Alrich appeared to be different and exhausted himself, while both Melissa and Aleena were injured. With no medical supplies or potions, the only thing she can do is wait and guard them even if it hurts her to see them suffering.

Meanwhile, deep in the forest. Blood spears are scattered everywhere, punctured to the ground. All of the trees have fallen over and the smell of blood lingered as carcasses of monsters are littered to the side.

Isaac was punctured by blood spears but he continued on healing because of the blood all around him as the vampire is getting annoyed.

“What are you?!” the pale vampire yelled with anger and annoyance. He can escape quite easily but with Isaac’s spell and him absorbing all of the blood. It feels like he was punching against an indestructible wall

As Isaac didn’t respond and continued on charging towards the vampire. The vampire raises both of his pale arms in the air as every blood spears in the area is slowly converging to create a large orb made of blood. Isaac saw this as a chance to take this vampire at once as he teleported in the back of the vampire with the use of his title with the intention of stabbing it in the heart.

“You think i didn’t expect you to do that?” the vampire scoffed as the blood orb in his hands started growing piercing tentacles as it pierced Isaac all over his body. Dimming the crimson mist surrounding Isaac as the vampire turns around to reveal a red blade in his hands.

“Now die!” the vampire shouted as the blade is crashing towards Isaac’s neck.

“Blood Magic: Crimson Knight’s Protection” Isaac muttered as he absorbed the blood orb from the vampire to create an armor made of blood. The crimson spikes on his back and red horns protruding are seen in the armor while the katana grow larger and wider to become a claymore made of blood. The red blade smashed to the armor but it didn’t even dent the armor. As Isaac swings the large claymore towards the vampire as he panicked and quickly turns to a burst of bats.

“Forbidden Art: Rapid Laceration” suddenly, the claymore grew larger to reach the length of 5 meters. With no delay, Isaac swings the weapon to create a large red shockwave of pure deadliness towards the bats as almost half of the forest was gone from that attack. After that, Isaac raises his hand in their air to absorbed every blood around him.

“Blood Magic: Blood Explosion” Isaac solemnly said as he throws it to the bats.

A large explosion followed as it swallowed a large part of the ground as the trees were blown away from it. The destruction was very large that even Cellica noticed it.

The vampire manifested as he was clearly shaken by that power. He was covered in his own blood as he quickly turns around and runs away. Of course, Isaac didn’t let him get away and immediately followed. The vampire was faster than Isaac but he suddenly stopped where Cellica’s whirlwind killed the blonde lady deep in the forest. He just dropped to his knees with tears welling in his eyes before grabbing the decapitated head of his comrade to his arms.

“No…no..this can’t be happening…” he muttered continuously like a broken record.

Isaac finally catches up to him as he quickly smashes his claymore to the crying vampire but a pale arm grabs his claymore like it was nothing and chucks him away.

“You people did this….she wasn’t supposed to be like us…killers. Yet you killed her mercilessly…you..will..pay..for this!!” the vampire shouted to the top of his lungs as blood started dripping in his chest and in his eyes before covering him like a red string as he was completely being encased in a red cocoon. Quickly, Isaac swings his weapon as hard as he can but the cocoon just shrugs off his weapon like it was a stick. He tried using weapon arts but it still didn’t work.

Finally, he activated his eyes of truth to find out what is happening. Once it activated, a red-like miasma seems to be surrounding the cocoon.

[Evolution Shell (Indestructible)]

A type of shell that forces the monster to manifest to a higher form. It has a 1% chance of happening if the monster experience great grief or near death. It raises all of its stats, gains new skills, and gains enlightenment. This requires a great sacrifice to attempt doing, either by using the blood and death of a loved one or using its own lifespan.

[Warning, the user is advised to immediately evacuate the area. The chance of survival once this monster evolves is lesser than 10%.]

[Warning, a minute left remains as the monster inside is forcefully speeding up the evolution. The chance of survival is lesser than 20%].

A blue holographic screen full of letters appeared in front of Isaac as he reads all of the information given. After a second of pondering, he turns his back before running away.

“This is quite dangerous, its better to follow what the status says” Isaac calmly said but a red holographic screen appeared as it forcefully stops Isaac from warning.

[The monster has used the skill, cage of despair. The user can’t move before the evolution finishes. It is advised to ready yourself]

“Finally….after all those years. I didn’t expect it to be this time” Isaac can hear someone speaking behind him before breaking down in a maniacally cackling. Isaac quickly turns around to see the pale man with a red horn on his head, two red feather wings on its back, and spikes made of bones can be see attached to his arms. His eyes have no iris and are instead covered with a thick red glow emanating from them.

“I must say, thank you for allowing me this opportunity.” the evolved vampire smiled before courteously bowing.

“As a gift, allow me to kill you” he stretched his arms as a blood spike slowly appears from his palm. A quick flash of it and it already penetrated Isaac’s shoulder as it was too fast. Before Isaac can react again, bone spikes erupted from the ground as he jumped sideways only to get a punch in the face. He flew a couple of meters back before the vampire’s leg hits his stomach as he flew to the side once more like a ragdoll. Cracks in his armor started appearing as the vampire cackled once more, seemingly drunk in power.

“I wonder if your regeneration can match by punches” he ominously smiled.