Myriad Devils-Chapter 68: Working seamlessly

The ground trembled beneath its feet, and the air crackled with energy, signaling a desperate surge of power.

Andrew’s eyes widened. "It’s going to counterattack!" he shouted. "Get back!" Saying this, he retreated slightly as he prepared for the incoming onslaught.

But before they could react, the wolf unleashed a powerful wave of energy—a storm of blood and lightning that surged toward the group.

Bolan and Catharina quickly repositioned, trying to shield themselves, but the force of the attack was overwhelming. The ground erupted around them, sending debris flying in every direction.

Felix excitedly roared, charging forward to face the brunt of its attack head-on. "This best be strong!" he bellowed, his body bracing against the force.

Even he felt the impact reverberate through him, causing him to stagger back for a moment. Still, standing at the front, he remained mostly unmoving, seemingly invulnerable and impervious to physical attacks.

As the dust began to settle, the group regrouped, panting and assessing the situation.

The thunder cloud wolf stood before them—wounded but still defiant, its eyes glowing with a feral intensity. It was clear that it wouldn’t go down without a fight.

"Now’s our chance," Catharina shouted, her eyes narrowing. "It’s at its weakest right now!"

Andrew nodded, a grin forming on his face. "Let me!"

But just as he prepared to launch his own barrage of attacks, the ground beneath them shuddered violently, and a rumble echoed through the jungle.

The trees swayed ominously as the mist thickened, swirling in a way that felt almost alive.

"What’s happening?" Catharina exclaimed, her gaze darting around.

Sigh...

Anon took a few steps forward, resting his hand on Felix’s shoulder.

Felix had remained unmoving since tanking the thunder cloud wolf’s all-out attack.

"Ugh..." Felix groaned as blood oozed from his lips and trickled down from his nostrils. He had charred skin and incessant bleeding as he shakily stumbled back after being slightly tugged by Anon.

"Surround him," Anon calmly ordered. To this, Andrew and Catharina helped him before he fell into Melissa’s embrace. The group then circled the duo as Melissa knelt on the ground with Felix lying on her lap.

A strange aura encompassed her as stellar cosmic energy churned above her head.

At the forefront, closest to the injured thunder cloud wolf, Anon’s keen gaze fixed on the beast. He did not directly observe this creature; instead, he focused on the thirty meters behind it.

In the shadows some distance away, he sensed the impending danger, the energy crackling in the air like static before a storm. A firm set of footsteps reached his ears as Seth appeared alongside him.

"Get ready!" Andrew yelled, his excitement palpable as his acute senses perceived what others could not.

Anon, however, remained indifferent, his golden amber eyes lacking any traceable emotions. He was neither excited nor nervous, as if in a trance induced by the hypnotic sounds of his heart rhythmically thumping in his chest.

Beside him, Seth stood silently, his expression as unreadable as ever.

The air around him shimmered, hinting at his blood principle—a power that had reached the second world. Still, while most would display their strength openly, both Seth and Anon preferred to conceal their true capabilities.

Though the versatility of their principles had improved drastically, what they revealed would still be within the realms of the first world. Naturally, the potency of their attacks would reflect this.

The divide between the first and second world was an expansive chasm, especially for those who were true monsters among geniuses.

The thunder cloud wolf howled, as if about to make another attack.

In response, Andrew roared as his grip on his longsword tightened, a powerful gust of wind originating from his form extending into the surroundings.

Then, Anon felt the unmistakable shift in the atmosphere!

Amongst the towering trees nearby, shadows clearly maneuvered.

From the depths of the mist emerged not just one, but a pack of thunder cloud wolves, their eyes glowing with fierce crimson light. More prominent than any of these wolves was the one that came from the shadows behind the wounded thunder cloud wolf.

Clearly leading the charge, its physical body dwarfed the others, being more than double their size.

Towering above even Andrew by one foot, the length of its body was just as mind-numbing as the vibrant energies swirling around its fur, sending slight tremors through the surroundings.

"Oh my," Seth chuckled, glancing at Anon. "You’d need to rely on your staff techniques here." Though he said this, he mouthed without sound, "That is, unless you wish to reveal to them your full power?"

Though it may not appear so, Anon was not fully trusting of the geniuses from the Blackridge district who accompanied him.

The single month within the military academy had changed him.

Even if he hadn’t directly harmed anyone from the Blackridge district, it wasn’t unbelievable to think that someone might have enticed Catharina or Bolan. Besides Seth, any one of the five could very well be his enemy in disguise.

It wasn’t ideal to reveal his full power and allow his enemies to plot against him with certainty. This aligned perfectly with his second reason: Seth.

He never desired to give Seth any type of edge over him. If the latter didn’t reveal his true strength, Anon, too, did not wish to disclose his full power.

Such thoughts could be perceived by the others as well.

It took the combined efforts of Catharina, Bolan, Felix, and Andrew to hinder a single thunder cloud wolf.

No, the beast soldier was not so strong, but more accurately, besides Andrew, who didn’t get to do much, the other three intentionally held back their full strength.

"They’ve encircled us," Anon observed, his voice cutting through the tension. "Seth and I will handle this. You guys protect Felix and Melissa. Andrew, stand back!"

By saying this, what he essentially meant was, "Don’t get in our way!"

Then, he glanced at Seth, who was already assessing the situation with his usual stoic demeanor.

"Am I that alluring," Seth replied, "to distract you even in this type of setting?" Though he teased Anon, his tone was devoid of emotion.

The pack closed in.

Ignoring Seth’s words, Anon’s earring began to shimmer, transforming into a golden staff that felt familiar in his hands.

He gripped it tightly, feeling the surge of power coursing through him. Unlike Kolar-dust, which was simply a sturdy material, even the most basic divine weapons were created from cosmic dust.

What this single staff could do was not something to underestimate. To boot, it was just as durable, if not more so, than the best weapons crafted from Kolar-dust.

Anon shook it lightly, smiling.

Though he had yet to achieve mastery over the staff, his skill with it was incredibly high.

At this moment, the power of Inevitable End caused his spirit to tremble. Compared to his first-world prowess, his current Inevitable End was much different from before.

His heart thumped with unbridled confidence as an unyielding force that caused his form to distort, one that dictated the terms of this soon-to-be battle, wrapped around his form.

With three clicking noises, the two halves of Seth’s staff, strapped to his back, were grasped by him as he clicked them together.

Forged from Kolar-dust, though incomparable to a lesser divine weapon, the polished weapon pulsed with crimson energy—a reflection of Seth’s blood principle that oozed with intense power.

Though both wielded staffs, their styles contrasted sharply. This would soon become evident as the pack of wolves lunged, fangs bared and claws ready to strike.

In reply, Anon and Seth moved in perfect synchronization, each anticipating the other’s actions without a word spoken. They were like a well-oiled machine—ruthless and efficient in their attacks, yet beneath the surface, tension simmered.

Anon swung his staff with ferocious grace, each movement fierce and striking where it hurt the most.

Every strike was calculated, his body moving as if choreographed by fate itself. His spirit summoned the power of his principle, enhancing his strength and even more, his precision.

For whatever reason, the wolf group’s leader did not attack. Unbothered by its presence, Seth stepped into the fray with utter calmness.

His attacks were brutal; each thrust of his staff infused with blood principles swirled around it, seeping into and tearing through the wolves’ defenses, causing wild bursts of blood and flesh with every motion.

They both wielded their staffs, but so differently.

Anon was methodical and direct, and Seth...

He moved with unsettling grace; each motion seemingly effortless as he dispatched these wolves with truly vicious and ruthless efficiency.

The two fought back to back, their movements seamless despite their peculiar relationship.

Anon would deliver a powerful blow, sending one wolf crashing to the ground, only for Seth to follow up with a swift strike that took down another. They rarely exchanged glances, their focus solely on the task at hand.

As the pack of wolves seemingly ignored their injuries and continued to swarm, the larger thunder cloud wolf let out a bone-chilling howl, rallying them even more.

Their attacks became even more chaotic!

Anon could feel the energy in the air shift, a surge of power that threatened to overwhelm them. He turned slightly, catching a glimpse of Seth.

"Unless this is your full power, you should stop joking around," Anon shouted, a smirk playing on his lips even in this chaos-filled environment.

To this, Seth playfully chuckled.

"To me, it’s more like you’re the one who’s playing," Seth said, simultaneously dodging a chaotic ball of thunder and blood energies as he swiftly maneuvered through an encirclement of wolves. "Let me see the level you’re at with that staff."

The two of them made their move, synchronized.