NOVEL NEXT Chapter 81 81: The Imposter!
Fucker!
Val's eye twitched irritably, but he didn't have the luxury of time to deal with Edward. Multiple injured Winged Reapers, desperate and enraged, charged at him.
The Winged Reapers, their bodies bathed in blood, launched themselves at Val with a final desperate surge, their faces distorted into grotesque masks of rage.
Without hesitation, Val activated Titan's Reinforcement and Blood Rush. An instantaneous and equal boost in his stats, coupled with a major increase in his agility, transformed him into an even more formidable opponent.
With his newfound strength, He wove through their attacks with ease, flashing out of their encirclement with the grace of a warrior.
Gugakh!
Undeterred, the creatures rallied once again, charging towards him in a blind fury.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Suddenly, a hail of arrows, released by the other guardians who were on top of the train, whistled through the air, plunging into the Winged Reapers.
Pained bellows echoed as their torsos sprouted bloody blooms where the arrows had found their mark.
One by one, they collapsed, succumbing to their wounds.
"Damn," Val cursed under his breath.
Despite the victory, he hadn't received any EXP.
It was because he hadn't dealt the killing blows!
He felt as if the guardians had robbed him of much-needed experience.
As a result, his irritation with Edward deepened. He was gonna fuck that bastard up when he have the chance. For now, he had no time to voice his complaint.
Val, together with the guardians of the train, fought a relentless battle against the horde of beasts and zombies that had infested the train's roof. Their concerted efforts gradually diminished the number of creatures, restoring some semblance of order.
Edward, who had been fervently exterminating zombies a moment ago, switched his attention to Val. His eyes gleamed with a malevolent light, betraying his nefarious intentions.
'Last time, he survived because I held back. This time, I'll go all in.'
Edward seized the opportunity as Val's back was turned towards him. He lunged, aiming a lethal strike at Val's unprotected back.
However, Val's sharpened senses detected the imminent threat. It was as though he had eyes in the back of his head. With a swift sidestep, he deftly avoided the unexpected assault. Yet, Edward was relentless. He immediately followed up with a second attack, just as lethal and swift. Val barely managed to leap backwards, narrowly evading the deadly strike.
The guardians were taken aback when they saw Edward, their youngest recruit, attempting to attack Val in the midst of their shared battle.
Leroy, the most experienced among them, gasped in disbelief, "Edward, what in the world are you doing?"
Upon hearing Leroy's horrified disbelief, Edward only smirked cruelly. "Sorry to disappoint you, old man, but the boy you knew as Edward... I killed him a long time ago. No! I did him a favor by putting him to rest as he was weak, unfit to survive in this cruel world. He was useless when alive. But his face, however, proved useful to blend in. I nearly assassinated my target. But, oh well, the game has just begun."
Val narrowed his eyes at the evil bastard. Even he hadn't done such a thing in his past life.
The guardians also felt an intense urge to fucking kill the imposter!
Just as the guardians were about to retaliate, 'Edward' smirked and cautioned them, "You don't have the luxury to be distracted."
Suddenly, a guttural roar echoed through the air. The guardians' hearts pounded in their chests as they instinctively faced the source of the terrifying sound.
A colossal figure, a Level 4 Winged Reaper, flew out of the clouds in the night sky and towered over them menacingly. Easily double their size, this beast was the leader of the Winged Realer pack. Its potent energy was palpable, the air sizzling around its muscular form. Its eyes, sharp and full of murderous intent, locked onto the guardians as it charged towards them.
Left with no choice, the guardians turned to face this new adversary, their attention pulled away from Edward.
With the guardians occupied, Edward fixed his gaze on Val, grinning wickedly. "Now it's just the two of us. Shall we continue where we left off, Val? I really want this to end soon. This face you see, it's nothing more than a good disguise, but wearing it is quite discomforting. I want to take it off as soon as possible.
"Lucky for you, I never shy away from putting an end to one's vile masquerade," Val replied with a grim smile.
Clang! Clang! Ckang!
Val and Edward engaged in a rapid dance of violence, their weapons clashing in a series of sharp rings.
Suddenly, Edward's daggers sliced through the air with lethal precision and charged straight towards Val's vital point.
However, despite the swiftness of the attack, Val's deft movements allowed him to dodge the daggers and gave him the opportunity to counterattack that landed on his opponent.
However, although Val attack connected, it felt as if his sword was striking cotton.
Despite his hits landing on Edward, there were no signs of injury on the imposter's body!
It unnerved Val!
He also noticed that Edward seemed to be stalling for time.
"What are you planning?" He demanded, his eyes narrowing suspiciously.
At his words, Edward's smiled and a wicked glint flickered in his eyes.
"Well, Val, you've been so busy with our dance, you've overlooked the most important part. You're already done for," Edward said ominously.
Val, puzzled, shot back, "What are you talking about?" His voice remained steady, betraying no signs of fear or apprehension despite the looming threat.
"My bloodline skill allows me to subject my targets to their worst fear. It requires a ten-hour preparation period during which I must remain within a certain distance from my target. Most of that time has already passed. In ten seconds, all the conditions will be met. You have only a few moments left to live." Edward chuckled, a cruel and malicious glint gleaming in his eyes.