Rebirth-Transcending All Beings-Chapter 60: The Hooded Man [2]

"So, what the hell is this?" Vergil twitched. The system never would have done this before. "Wait a minute, ohhh."

[Now you remember. And think of it as something to motivate you.]

"Doesn’t look like it," Vergil scoffed, wiping the blood that poured from his lips.

Shadow Dash.

The world blurred, his body, now obscured by shadow — turning into a ghost that darted through the trees with Mana Affinity.

Ahead, the adventurers and guards who tried holding the line were in disarray — some fleeing in panic while others gurgled blood.

One poor soul was caught mid-flee, legs crushed beneath its feet before its flower-like mouth closed around him in one Crunch!

Elena and Eleanor observed from the third carriage, exchanging a silent nod before detaching one of the horses.

She mounted it, then reached down and helped Elena up behind her. With a strong whip of the reins, they rode towards their destination, moving past the beast while it was disturbed.

The demon turned its gaze to the moving people, limbs scraping the earth — about to give chase to its food.

Then something struck it.

A small glowing dagger hit the beast’s plated exoskeleton with a hiss before bouncing off into the ground.

A moment later, a stone hit it.

Then another.

And another.

The creature let out a low roar, turning its head in the direction the stones came from, the source of annoyance stood bloodied but alive, with a mocking smile.

Primal Awareness sent a shiver down Vergil’s spine — the coldness of death permeating through his body as their eyes met.

But he couldn’t stop this thrill that he felt, hurling pebbles like insults.

[Provocation Proficiency has increased by 4%]

"Hey! Your prey is still here!" Vergil shouted, throwing the final pebble that remained in his hands.

"Yeah, that’s right. I’m talking to you — six eyes and still can’t see how ugly you look."

The beast stepped forward, preparing for another charge.

"You’re a walking, screeching beast with mommy issues," he pointed at the human face sticking from its forehead. "And you brought your mother’s face along for the ride? Have some respect."

It wasn’t the beast that was angered — the human head was — letting out a distorted scream of anger that made the people hiding behind the carriages tremble in fear.

Vergil inhaled. "Don’t worry, I’ll send you both back to hell where you belong."

The beast couldn’t understand words. But the posture, the defiance. A wounded prey taunting it was an insult it wouldn’t ignore.

It launched itself forward, limbs pounding against the forest floor with a sound that echoed like beating war drums, dust exploding behind it.

Its grotesque human face quivered with fury as Vergil began his preparation.

He knew he wasn’t fast enough to dodge, even with the beast’s stats decreased. But he knew one thing. It couldn’t deliver a killing blow.

So he braced himself for impact once more. He reached into his inventory, grabbing his shield before taking a defensive stance.

He had already laid dozens of thin ice threads that stretched between the tree lines. His eyes looked at the adventurers and merchants either scattered or hiding.

He knew they weren’t going to help — but he was going to make sure they received a special present.

What the beast didn’t know was that Vergil had laid a trap. Dozens of thin ice threads, nearly invisible in the dim light, stretched between the two trees ahead. Delicate and deadly—if the creature’s momentum triggered them.

’Come on, then...’

The beast hit them head-on.

The threads managed to slow its feet for a moment. Briefly. Before snapping into shattered pieces of ice. The beast charging through without care, as if they were just a nuisance.

Vergil didn’t have time to adjust his plan, clenching his jaw. ’Increase Constitution with all my remaining points.’

[Increasing Constitution by 18 points.]

The sensation rippled through his body, like molten iron mixing with his muscle and tissue — bones becoming more like stone.

But even then. BOOM!

The beast slammed into him again.

His shield cracked first — then shattered, his arms flying backwards as the impact drove him backwards.

He flew like a meteor, crashing through bushes and landing yet again against another tree. His body leaving a small dent in the tree before friction slid his body to the ground.

Nausea and pain hit first, arms hung limp — bones vibrating with the thud of cracking stone.

[Verdant Regeneration is being activated.]

Green veins pulsed along his veins once more. Healing the damage he had suffered.

"Shittt," he wheezed out, coughing blood onto grass. He had made a temporary solution, but it wouldn’t cut.

As the green glow faded away, Vergil forced himself to rise up, watching as the beast snarled — then stopped.

Vergil’s eyes widened, it didn’t get ready to charge. It’s muscles tensed, crouching.

"Oh, you’ve gotta be—"

Before Vergil could finish, the beast launched itself into the sky, trees shaking from the impact as it vanished from Vergil’s vision under the sun’s blinding light.

Shadow Dash.

Vergil blinked to the side at the last second, the beast crashing against the earth he once stood with a titanic crash.

A crater erupted beneath it along with a mixture of soil, shattered bark and dust exploding outward in all directions.

The shockwave vibrated through Vergil’s muscles like a crushing force that tried pushing him down — but he resisted.

’Almost got squashed.’

[By an obese monster, at that. Imagine dying like that—flat like a pancake. That’d be hilarious..]

He ignored the system’s snide commentary. Watching the demon’s eyes beginning to ripple.

Demonic energy pulsed out from the beast’s body like heat waves. Jagged spikes began to form from the front. They trembled — then shot forward with a shrill whistle.

Vergil didn’t hesitate — darting left, diving right, then ducked to avoid two more.

But he couldn’t avoid all of them, two spikes slammed into his stomach, embedding deep into his tissue.

SKRRCK!

He gasped, blood sprayed from his wound — staggering back before collapsing onto one knee.

[Verdant Regeneration is being activated.]

But it wasn’t enough, the spikes still resided, throbbing with demonic energy that slowed down his recovery speed.

’Fuck. Before anything else... I need to survive. That’s it. Just survive.’

His mind raced. Fighting head on was a suicide mission no doubt. His only mission was to give an opportunity to help Elena and Eleanor escape.

But the beast wouldn’t stop its focus on him. Not until he was dead.

-------

He limped behind another tree. The beast prepared another charge — gaze locking to his location.

’Need to plan my escape.’

He spotted a cluster of vines hanging above a massive tree, and an idea sprouted in his mind. He Shadow Dashed up the bark, hiding in the branches.

The beast stormed below, sniffing and snorting.

Vergil timed himself.

One second.

Two...

NOW.

He jumped, landing onto the beast’s plated back, as spikes began forming once more. He grabbed onto one of them — using it as leverage to steady himself.

The monster howled in fury, trying to throw him off like a raging bull — slamming itself against trees, anything to dislodge the parasite that hung on.

Vergil grunted, his stomach wound tore wider with each violent jolt — fresh blood soaking his already shredded shirt.

But he didn’t let go.

’C’mon... just a little closer...!’

Authority of Transformation.

Vergil’s body pulsed with demonic energy, reshaping his leg in an instant. Flesh expanded and his thigh thickened, becoming something close to steel — his boot split apart at the rapid expanse of mass.

He raised the transformed leg, driving it down with all the mana and force he could muster right into the base of the spine.

CRACK.

The spine shattered from the impact, black blood oozed — exploding out from the impact point, spraying the canopy above.

A burst of raw demonic energy surged into the air, short-circuiting Vergil’s senses.

The beast shrieked in agony, shaking the forest and its roots. It staggered violently, trying to ground itself.

And Vergil was airborne again.

The beast’s final thrash launched him away, hitting the ground, his feet skidding across the dirt before coming to a motionless stop.

His vision blurred, but he smiled. ’Time to get—"

And then the illusion shattered.

Vergil’s left eye, revealed the truth of what he’d done. Demonic energy surged through the body like a swarm that moved intelligently. Gathering at the site of injury.

Shredded flesh stitched together and the broken spine reformed within seconds.

It was like he’d done nothing at all.

Vergil groaned, coughing blood onto the dirt he stood upon.

SWOOSH!

Out of nowhere, a white spear tore through the monster’s back, erupting from its chest in a flash of blinding light and searing heat.

The beast let out a guttural shriek, as it collapsed to its knees, a pale white smoke rose from where its heart was pierced.

"Finally tracked the last one down," came a calm, cold voice that seemed to resonate through the clearing. Carrying the weight of something divine.