The Stonehearted Knight
Chapter 179: Toward the center (2)

Chapter 179: Toward the center (2)

’Damn, that hurt.’

Hex hissed at the pain from the deep cut in his chest. The flow of the air against his skin changed abruptly, forcing him to retreat. He moved just in time. The Disaster’s talons struck the air, missing him by a hair width.

Even though he evaded the attack, Hex gauged the power of the attack perfectly. Three thin airwaves burnt against his face.

The creature didn’t stop. Hex saw a blur coming at him just as he found his footing. The creature’s speed surpassed his. Luckily, Esmeralda executed her ability and shot a barrage of enhanced stone pieces at the Disaster.

Being interrupted infuriated it. Esmeralda’s projectile lacked the power to injure it but did distract it. Hex took advantage of the brief respite. His senses entered the inner space and activated the monolith.

’This is going to sting later.’

The last time Hex utilized the berserk ability of the monolith, he suffered pain and weakness for some time. It wasn’t a pleasant memory but fighting a Disaster left him no choice.

Buzz!

The monolith trembled and shook. It hummed loudly as it stirred the power of the inner space, filling him with a sudden rush of energy and strength. The energy cloak around Hex shone and felt like a second skin wrapped around him.

Screech.

The creature’s screech nearly burst his eardrums but he withstood it. Seeing the Disaster fly toward him, Hex brandished his sword.

Just as the creature jumped at him, he fell to the ground on his back. Brazing his back, he pushed the Disaster into the air, using his leg.

Flex Step - Second Step.

With his back on the floor, he performed the second step. Executing the technique caused his body to fly upward in a horizontal position. It wasn’t advantageous but pragmatic. Any other movement would waste time and perhaps his chance.

Flex Step - Third Step

Hex used his upper body to increase his speed and slammed into the creature. They flew higher. Hex used the increasing distance between them to straighten his body.

Flex Step - Fourth Step

Hex moved past the creature and looked down on it as it lifted its head and stared at him. Heartless had dark eyes, devoid of emotions. Yet, Hex sensed a trace of fury and fear from them.

Looking down from more than fifty meters Hex saw the Refined Knight tear one Disaster from limb to limb and attack another. The Knights of the fourth unit finished off one of the remaining three while the fourth one screeched and tried to break their formation.

’I seem to be the slowest one.’

Although he thought that, he didn’t feel bad about it. After all, he was still only a Knight. That he could tie up one of the Hearthless for so long was already commendable.

It took but a glance to see and think all these. He drew his sword and stepped downward. Heartless were fast and agile on the ground but struggled to move when brought up in the air. Hex’s attack hit the creature’s neck, cutting deep but unable to sever its head from its body.

Accelerated by his hit, both slammed into the ground. Luckily, the creature was below, saving Hex from severe injuries. The Disaster screeched but not in pain. It used its partially detached head to lunge at Hex.

Crack.

Its sharp teeth caused sparks when they hit against Hex’s cloak made of energy. His energy fluctuated but the berserk state enabled him to regain control within a blink. At the same time, he retreated. Esmeralda was ready to unleash another barrage at it.

Hex distanced himself but didn’t move his gaze from the Disaster. He noticed immediately the excellent control Esmeralda possessed over each projectile. This time she didn’t spread them wide. The projectiles aimed at the already injured parts and struck the Heartless one after the other.

Seeing her contain the Disaster in one place, Hex moved quickly. Using his Flex Step he climbed into the air. As soon as Esmeralda completed her attack, Hex pushed himself against the air, flying at the creature. He could easily be mistaken as another of Esmeralda’s projectiles.

The Disaster’s wounds oozed black liquid. Each previous injury seemed aggravated further by Esmeralda’s projectiles. The neck looked the worst. And that was exactly where Hex aimed his sword.

Blizzard Strike!

Hex channeled energy and the ice element through his sword as it pierced the wriggling strings of flesh. The attack failed to cut its head completely again despite his increased pressure. But the ice element froze the flesh, preventing the creature from recovering.

The frozen bits were brittle. Hex used his sword to hack at them. The frozen flesh splintered. The creature wriggled and screeched in pain, struggling to break free from Hex. But its limbs were covered in frost too. Hex didn’t hold back against a Disaster. Large amounts of ice element poured out, lowering the ambient temperature in his vicinity.

"Watch out," Esmeralda shouted, causing Hex to look at her. She found a huge piece of broken stone and lifted it in the air. It was slow but it seemed to weigh enough to do the job.

Hex hurried, pouring as much as elements as possible. Only when Esmeralda seemed unable to keep the stone in the air, did he move. The few extra seconds helped cover the creature in a cm-thick frost. But it was still alive.

Hex jumped to the side as the stone, bigger than a cart, crashed into the Disaster. His sharp senses picked up the sound of something shattering. But he didn’t celebrate just yet. He still sensed the creature’s energy, albeit weakly.

The berserker wore off and its effects hit Hex. But he ignored them. With gritted teeth, he limped to it and removed the pieces of debris. His hands bled but Hex ignored them too. Esmeralda gasped for breath, slumped against a broken column. She seemed too weak to even stand on her feet. But it didn’t matter. Hex didn’t require help. He found the creature quickly. It struggled to break free. If left like this, it would break free despite its weakened state.

Unfortunately for it, Hex sensed its remaining breath. Hex pierced continuously until that weak breath didn’t disappear completely. Only then did he allow himself to lay on the stone, above the creature. They had killed a Disaster.

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