Chapter 23: It Will Be Perfect as a Cloak
Aiden anchored his feet on the edge of the roof, the wind playing with his sweat-dampened hair.
In a fleeting moment… he launched!
He pushed his body with all his might, making the building tremble under his feet, as if the earth itself shook from his majesty.
He surged like a bullet freed from its restraint towards the wolf leader, not looking back; his summons would handle the rest.
There was no time for doubt… only battle.
*Whoooosh!*
A roaring howl echoed in the surroundings:
*Grrrrrr!*
Its echo reverberated between the ruined walls.
The leader wolf raised its colossal claws, now veined with a dark earthen light pulsing with power.
That attack… Aiden had seen it before through Secrets Revealer.
Skill [Earth Claw (Level 5)].
A deadly sense of danger flooded through Aiden's body.
Every cell in him screamed a warning… but his eyes blazed with determination.
No escape.
No retreat.
Only confrontation until the end.
"[Strength]!"
"[Will of the Multitude]!"
"[Thrust]!"
He shouted in a hoarse voice as he activated his skills successively, engulfing the spear in his hand in a dazzling glow, a mix of strength and murderous intent.
And in the next moment, the beast's claws met his spear.
*Booom!*
The place shook with a thunder-like rumble, and a massive energy spark exploded, sweeping the courtyard in a whirlwind of dust and destruction.
The two were thrown in opposite directions, shattering walls, leaving chaos and ruin in their wake.
Silence prevailed.
And eyes widened in astonishment and horror.
Then…
Something moved.
From among the rubble, a massive body covered in fur rose, roaring as if nothing had touched it.
And on the other side… a human hand emerged, carving its way through the debris.
Aiden stood up with difficulty, his face rigid and features steeped in pain.
Blood was flowing on his skin, and scratches covered his body from head to toe…
And yet… he didn't bend.
His eyes were still burning with the same brilliance.
The brilliance of one who doesn't know defeat.
He spat saliva mixed with fresh blood as he activated the [Healing] skill to treat his wounds.
He looked at his massive opponent, who was almost unharmed, and muttered in complaint:
"Damn this inflated body… I think I'll suffer with it!"
The wolf's body was different from the rest of its clan;
larger in size, denser fur…
But upon closer inspection, Aiden noticed something else.
«What's this on its tail?»
He couldn't see this detail from atop the building.
It was like a strange ornament… a mark indicating something.
He stopped for seconds to think, until he started feeling pain in his stomach, so he shouted in complaint:
"Damn all this thinking… [Secrets Revealer]!"
[Earth Wolf]
[Name]: Arkan
[Strength]: Wall+
[Speed]: 300 meters/second
[Flexibility]: 150
[Skills]: Jaws of the Earth (Level 5), Sandstorm (Level 3), Earth Claw (Level 5)
[Power Estimation]: D
[History]… [Strengths]… [Weaknesses]…
"Hmmm…"
"This is much better."
"So your name is Arkan…"
Aiden's eyes widened in astonishment.
This identity wasn't ordinary.
He was a member of the royal sub-family, and that small ornament on his tail was proof of that…
His blood wasn't completely pure, but his status was real.
Aiden thought calmly:
"If I kill him and his team… will others come for revenge?"
He was concluding coldly, as if death wasn't staring him in the face at this moment.
But—
Arkan raised his foot slightly… then disappeared.
*Whoosh!*
He suddenly appeared in front of Aiden, his massive body descending like a crushing hammer.
Aiden only realized what was happening when he saw the claw falling towards him.
He screamed in panic and activated his speed skill at the last moment, avoiding the blow.
"Whoa! I almost got crushed… that's the price of thinking!"
He clenched his hand and moved again.
*Whoosh!*
He appeared beside Arkan and stabbed him with the kitchen knife.
*Snap!*
He heard the sound of shattering and muttered bitterly:
"It'll definitely break… what did you expect from a damn kitchen knife?"
Arkan turned around and opened his enormous mouth filled with terrifying fangs.
His white teeth turned into a sharp rocky earthen color.
He closed his jaws violently…
But Aiden slipped away at the right moment.
"Damn… your breath stinks so much! Wash your teeth sometimes at least!"
Arkan flew into a rage and charged like a madman, roaring:
*Grrrrraaa!*
"Tsk… you're boring. Just a simple provocation made you lose your mind."
Aiden moved quickly, using [Rabbit Jump] to climb atop one of the destroyed walls.
"Anger… truly destroys beings."
He looked at him with cold pity, then said:
"No need to keep you for long… your fur is thick and magnificent. It will be perfect as a cloak."
He threw the broken knife, grabbed the fork with his left hand, and the spear with his right.
He had a plan to eliminate him without damaging his fur, which was targeting his eyes or mouth. The head might also be possible, but he had witnessed the hardness of his body and knew the possibility of his tools shattering before piercing his skin was very high.
So he decided not to risk it and directly target the weakest spots, but this was until the other party allowed him to get close first.
Arkan stood looking for him, his eyes sparking with anger.
Until they fell upon him, sitting atop the wall.
Aiden waved with a provoking smile.
Arkan growled angrily… and pounced with all his might.
Aiden was ready for this, so he moved quickly. After all, he had the skill [Swift as Light], which had ascended to (Level Four) after all this repeated use. He even felt it might ascend to Level Five soon.
After ascending to Level Four, it allowed multiplying speed from 200% to 300%. Aiden, who enjoyed a speed of 150 meters/second, now had a speed of 450 meters/second. His speed approached almost half a kilometer. Meanwhile, Arkan had a speed of 300 meters/second, clearly much inferior to Aiden.
Aiden disappeared from Arkan's radar, astonished by his speed, and appeared beside him suddenly, with a cold look in his eyes.
He activated his only offensive skill and threw a punch towards the side of Arkan's face.
A violent collision sound echoed, like hard iron clashing against itself.
Both Aiden and Arkan let out muffled groans before stepping away from each other cautiously.
Upon close inspection, a clear mark could be seen on the left side of Arkan's face; the imprint of a punch amidst the thick fur. Meanwhile, Aiden stood opposite, clutching his reddened hand from the intensity of the pain.
The difference in toughness between them was evident… indeed, it became clearer than ever before.
Aiden's awareness of the confrontation's reality increased, so he realized that recklessness would only lead to the shattering of his body before piercing his opponent's defense.
Therefore, he curbed his impulsiveness, abandoned the idea of random attacks, and preferred to wait; lurking for the moment his opponent used his strange jaws skill… or any other opportunity that might reveal a vulnerability.
The two exchanged a cold glance, charged with heavy silence.
Then—
They launched at the same moment, with all the speed and strength they possessed…