Transmigrated to a Dark Fantasy World of SSS-Rank: King of the Void-Chapter 76: Ash Propulsion

The swirling fog didn’t stop. It spun violently around the group, as if it had a will of its own, dragging dry leaves, ash, and fragments of dirt as visibility dropped to almost nothing.

But that wasn’t the worst part. It was the heavy, hurried footsteps. They echoed from everywhere, as if the creature existed in all directions at once. Its cries of pain rang out endlessly, grating against everyone’s ears.

"Don’t break formation!" Marco shouted, spinning in place with his sword raised, alert to any movement within the mist surrounding them.

A second later—

CRASH!

The Wendigo appeared from the darkness in a blink, lunging from the right with brutal speed. Marco reacted on pure instinct, blocking with his sword, but the impact pushed him several steps back, his boots skidding across the dirt.

"It’s fast!" he growled, gritting his teeth as he regained his footing.

The creature leapt back, vanishing once more into the fog as if it had never been there. Silence returned for an instant—but the tension only grew worse. The footsteps and the beast’s groans circled them again.

"Don’t split up!" Monar warned, raising his staff as he analyzed their surroundings. "It’s using the environment to confuse us!"

A whistle cut through the air and Azel fired without hesitation. A light arrow pierced the mist and, for a brief moment, illuminated the Wendigo’s silhouette before striking its shoulder.

"Mitsuki, in front of you!" the elf shouted, preparing another arrow.

Mitsuki didn’t hesitate. He aimed and fired, but the blue fireball passed through the spot where the creature had been without making contact. It left a hole in the mist, which was instantly swallowed by the swirling vortex.

’Damn it!’

The Wendigo was already gone. It appeared behind the group, moving at a speed impossible to track with the naked eye. This time, Monar reacted first. A blast of compressed wind shot from his staff, striking the monster’s chest and pushing it back.

"Marco!" Monar shouted.

The blond moved without hesitation, taking advantage of the opening. With a roar, he unleashed a powerful horizontal slash that forced the Wendigo several meters back after it blocked with its antlers.

For the first time since the battle began, the beast gave ground—even if only for a moment.

But it didn’t last. The Wendigo stabilized... and vanished into the mist again.

"Damn it..." Mitsuki muttered, turning in every direction as he tried to locate it. ’It’s not as strong as last night’s specter, but the fact that it can retreat so easily makes it damn dangerous.’

The footsteps returned—left, right, behind... even above—a shifting shadow. It was impossible to pinpoint its position with certainty.

"There you are, you bastard!" Azel shouted, firing three arrows in rapid succession.

Two missed. One hit, drawing a shriek from the monster—but it wasn’t enough to stop it.

The Wendigo appeared in front of Marco, attacking with its horrible, deformed hands. Marco blocked, but the ground beneath his feet cracked from the force of the impact.

"Monar!" he shouted.

Three wind bullets struck the Wendigo from the side, deflecting its trajectory just enough to break the direct clash.

"It’s coordinating its attacks!" Azel said, drawing another arrow with precision.

"So are we!" Marco shot back, adjusting his stance.

The Wendigo appeared again, this time from above, falling like a living nightmare from the only source of light in the scene. Mitsuki fired, but missed again as the creature twisted midair with unnatural agility.

Azel seized that moment. Two arrows shot forward, striking the monster’s torso.

Monar wasted no time. An upward gust of wind struck the Wendigo mid-descent, diverting it just enough for Marco to intercept.

The clash echoed through the forest as Marco’s sword met the creature’s antlers. Marco pushed with all his strength, forcing it back step by step.

But once again—the Wendigo vanished.

Silence fell.

An instant later, Mitsuki felt something. A chill ran down his spine, an instinctive warning screaming danger. He turned on reflex, focusing on the darkness around them.

Too late...

The Wendigo was already there, its yellow eyes locked onto him. It didn’t attack the others. This time, it chose him—the weakest in the group.

"Mitsuki!" Monar shouted, trying to cast a quick spell.

Azel tried to fire an arrow, and Marco rushed toward the beast—but there was no time. The sharp claws descended with lethal speed. Mitsuki froze—the world slowed around him.

Death was right in front of his eyes.

’No...’

He gripped his shotgun tightly. Even as fear consumed him, even as his body begged to give in, he stepped forward toward the beast and—

[ The skill "Ash Propulsion" has been activated. ]

His body dissolved into a small cloud of shadowy particles, becoming intangible for a fraction of a second. The claws passed through the drifting ash without making contact. An instant later, his body reformed several steps back. 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

The Wendigo stopped, confused. Its movements faltered, unable to comprehend what had just happened.

"Now!" Monar shouted.

They didn’t waste the opportunity. Already prepared to strike again, Monar unleashed a powerful gust of wind that slammed into the Wendigo, pushing it back, while Azel fired three light arrows that embedded themselves in its torso.

The creature screamed. Mitsuki clenched his teeth. The fear was still there, lodged deep in his chest, reminding him how close he had been to dying—but that skill had saved him.

This was his chance.

’I can die.’

And yet, he moved forward, his heart pounding wildly. Ellegaard’s words echoed in his mind—those cruel words that, ironically, forced him never to run away.

"I’m going!" he shouted, charging straight at the beast.

"Are you insane, loser?!" Marco exclaimed, but Mitsuki didn’t stop.

The Wendigo turned toward him, attacking with fury. Mitsuki activated his skill again, vanishing into ash just before the impact. He reappeared at its side and fired at point-blank range. The blue explosion struck the monster’s flank, making it roar.

"Kill it!" he shouted. He charged another fireball into his shotgun. ’This is what the Void King can do!’—and vanished into ash once more.

Monar unleashed a barrage of wind projectiles, constantly pushing the Wendigo back. Azel didn’t miss—each arrow further weakened the creature.

The Wendigo began to stagger, but it was still dangerous. It attacked again, but Mitsuki confronted it once more—disappearing and reappearing, firing every chance he got. Fear pierced him each time his body returned to normal, but he didn’t stop—because now they were relying on him.

For the first time, he was truly useful.

"Marco! Now!" Monar shouted.

Marco was already moving, advancing with precision while the Wendigo was distracted by Mitsuki. Azel fired an arrow straight into the monster’s eye. The Wendigo screamed, disoriented. Monar unleashed one final gust of wind, pushing it directly into Marco’s path.

Everything fell into place.

Mitsuki appeared one last time in front of the beast, forcing it to focus on him. Their eyes met for an instant. He charged and fired. The explosion blinded the Wendigo.

That moment was enough.

Marco appeared behind it, raised his sword high like an executioner, and with a single clean motion—cut.

The Wendigo’s head separated from its body, black blood splattering. Time seemed to freeze before the body collapsed heavily to the ground, breaking apart into fragments of ash.

The fog began to dissipate little by little, carrying away the tension of the battle.

Mitsuki dropped to his knees, gasping, his body trembling uncontrollably.

"It’s over..." he murmured.

No one responded immediately. Only the sound of the wind through the trees filled the silence.