ShadowBound: The Need For Power
Chapter 341 - 341: Sweeping Zone 8

As Liam took the lead, moving steadily toward the faint scent he had picked up earlier, Galen followed closely behind. With each step closer, the detection crystal finally glowed a steady green, confirming that the hybrid was within a forty-meter radius.

'Seems I was right after all—the kid's sensitivity extends beyond forty meters. Pretty impressive,' Galen mused as they pressed on through the bustling crowd.

Suddenly, Liam came to a halt, turning in place and sniffing the air with a focused expression.

"What's wrong?" Galen inquired.

"I think the bastard knows he's being followed. His scent is moving in circles around here," Liam said, his eyes scanning the crowded street.

Then Liam's gaze landed on an alley near a meat stall, and he stopped, eyes narrowing. At the same moment, Galen's detection crystal pulsed in the same direction.

"They're in there. Let's move," Galen said calmly. They veered off the main street without drawing attention, slipping into the narrow alleyway. The noise of the crowd faded, replaced by an eerie hush. Shadows stretched across the cobblestones, broken only by the flickering glow of a solitary lantern.

About halfway down the alley, Liam came to another stop.

"There," he said, eyes fixing on a hunched figure near a stack of crates, trying to blend in as a drunken vagrant. But he was too still, his shallow breathing betraying the act.

Galen paused, eyes sharpening as he examined the man.

"Why did you stop?" Liam asked, a hint of confusion in his voice.

"That's a hybrid, but it looks like this one just got turned. His core is about as weak as it gets. And…" Galen said, pausing as he flicked his thumb and index finger, conjuring a small, luminous fire orb that lit the alley for just a moment.

The flickering light revealed the man's true form. His eyes glowed an unnatural green, and beneath his tunic, root-like spines seemed to push outward, splitting the fabric. His body grew, limbs thickening as jagged, rock-like claws emerged from his fingers and toes.

"…he has no real control over the demonic power he's been given," Galen concluded with a bored look.

"So what's happening to him is like... side effects for first timers?" Liam asked, taking in the sight.

"I'd say so. Another factor is Dove's crystal. I remember Mystica saying something back at the Summit…" Galen murmured, trying to recall.

"The crystal sends a signal that can trigger effects—mild ones like dizziness or violent ones like a forced Gaia shift," Liam finished, his expression flat.

"Right, right. Since you already know, I don't have to waste energy remembering," Galen said offhandedly.

A low growl escaped the hybrid's throat as his transformation continued.

"So, are you going to let him finish shifting and then fight him, or take him down now?" Liam asked.

"Me? Pfft." Galen scoffed, smirking. "This one's too weak for my taste. You deal with him. I'm going to scout the rest of the area. Maybe grab a bite while I'm at it," he said casually, turning away and retracing his steps back toward the street.

"What? Where the hell are you going? We didn't agree on this!" Liam protested, his tone tightening with frustration.

"Agree? Hmph." Galen shot him a dismissive look. "Kid, there was no agreement in the first place. Besides, what's got you so worked up? You've Ascended, haven't you?And I was told you spar with that 7-star mage girlfriend of yours despite only being a 5-star. This should be child's play for you. Just wrap it up quickly."

"And one more thing—no dark magic. I don't want to end up having to cover for your reckless mistakes," he added, walking off and leaving Liam alone with the fully transformed hybrid.

Hearing another growl echo down the alley, Liam closed his eyes for a moment, steadying his breathing. "One way or another, I knew fighting these freaks was inevitable. And of course, the one to make it happen is Galen," he muttered under his breath.

With a resigned sigh, he summoned his daggers, the blades glinting faintly as he turned to face the monstrous figure now standing before him.

The hybrid rose from his crouch like a beast stirring from some twisted nightmare—his form now grotesquely mutated, with jagged, stone-like claws protruding from his hands and feet. Thick root-like veins bulged across his torso and arms, pulsing with unstable energy. His jaw split unnaturally wide, revealing rows of sharp, darkened teeth. Whatever trace of humanity had once lingered in his appearance was now completely gone.

He unleashed a guttural, piercing roar that shook the surrounding crates, followed by a savage swing of his right claw—cleaving through the air like a falling guillotine aimed straight for Liam.

Liam didn't so much as blink.

He dropped low, slipping beneath the sweeping strike with practiced ease. The hybrid's claws smashed into the wall behind him, blasting chunks of brick and mortar outward. Liam moved like a blade through smoke—fluid yet deliberate. One of his daggers snapped upward in a clean, calculated arc, slicing into the hybrid's side. The wound wasn't deep, but it was enough to draw dark–green blood.

The creature shrieked in pain, recoiling with a stagger.

Liam rose to his full height and casually spun the dagger in his palm. "Yup… sloppy. No form, no control. Like a gorilla swinging a broadsword."

Snarling, the hybrid lunged again, this time with both claws raised high, intent on crushing Liam beneath their weight. Each step thundered like a drumbeat across the cobblestones.

Instead of retreating, Liam darted forward—straight into the beast's charge. The claws slammed into the alley floor behind him as he dashed past, already leaping. In midair, he twisted, planted one foot on the hybrid's shoulder, and used it as a springboard, launching himself above the creature's head.

Twin blades came down like lightning, driving deep into the back of the hybrid's neck.

The beast wailed in agony, staggering forward. Liam kicked off mid-fall and landed softly behind it, boots scraping lightly against the stone. He turned swiftly just as the hybrid struggled to keep balance, clawing at the wall for support.

But Liam had already vanished in a blink of movement, reappearing behind it once more—his daggers now glowing faintly with mystic light. In one clean sweep, he slashed low across both legs, severing the Achilles tendons in a precise motion.

The hybrid screamed and crumbled to its knees.

"Should've stayed drunk," Liam muttered under his breath.

The creature spun, desperate, claws lashing out in a blind, furious swipe. Liam ducked, rolled sideways, then spun behind it again, delivering a final cross-slash across its back. A concentrated pulse of myst surged into the hybrid, and the eerie green light in its eyes flickered… then dimmed.

It crashed to the ground with a thud, groaning once—then fell completely still.

Liam stood over the fallen hybrid, his breath steady, unfazed. He made his daggers flickered out of existence, his gaze calm but assessing as he looked down at the twitching body.

It wasn't dead.

'The hide's durable… but nowhere near Gordon's level. Piercing through it was easier than I expected,' he thought. 'I could've finished it, but Galen might want answers. Better to keep it restrained until he returns.'

Extending his left hand, Liam conjured several thick, chain-like tendrils using Shadow Solidification. They slithered up from the ground and coiled tightly around the hybrid's throat, wrists, ankles, and waist—anchoring it firmly in place.

"That should hold," he murmured, glancing back toward the mouth of the alley, where the buzz of the street market still echoed faintly.

"Guess their noise is louder than this thing's scream," he said with a faint smirk.

"Perfect way to die, if you ask me."

Search the lightnovelworld.cc website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.