NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 365: Is That It?
Ren stood atop a branch, blood dripping from the stump of his missing arm. His body was battered, but his eyes still held that hint of mischief that just could not be hidden.
Then he grinned.
With a sharp breath, his body surged, and from the open wound, vines erupted like veins seeking skin. They spiraled upward, wrapping his shoulder, weaving muscle, bone, and sinew.
In seconds, the stump bubbled, reshaped, and regenerated into a new arm. The fingers flexed and fist clenched. He'd finally allowed his regeneration to do its work.
The Rosefield Knights flinched.
"You know, you guys should've brought more people." Ren said. "Then maybe this wouldn't be so easy."
It wasn't that easy, but there was no need to tell them that. But that didn't mean he was going to lose either. He was just too powerful to not wipe the floor with warriors who were also Rank 6 Knights like him.
The ability granted from being Rank 6 was powerful, yes, but not powerful enough to get past all the advantages he had.
Every enchantment of a Rank 6 Knights gains a phantom bulk, giving them more weight if their attacking or making attacks glance off as if it were thicker than reality.
Of course, those wearing heavy armor, just like the Rosefields he was fighting, gained more of an advantage with the defensive part of the ability, but he simply just had more attacking power.
But this wasn't the only blessing granted to Rank 6 Knights. They can now also recall their weapons back to their hands if the weapons are within range.
Of course, the range isn't that great, but it's good enough for people who use throwing weapons, or those who've lost their grip on their weapon.
Ren chuckled to himself, eyeing the Rosefield Knights. Even with all that, there was no way they could defeat him. He had regeneration, his body was stronger and faster. And he simply just had more tricks beneath his sleeves.
"So," he tilted his head, "what are we waiting for?"
The one with the sword that emitted cutting force stepped forward without a word.
He slashed the air once, and the wind screamed.
A horizontal wave of compressed force blasted toward Ren, splitting the trees it passed like paper, leaving a canyon of destruction.
The woman with the red threads just as the attack was leaving his sword.
Her hands snapped into motion, weaving a web of glowing crimson lines around Ren. The threads sliced into the trees, digging into the bark and trunk, locking him in place. If he tried to dodge, he would be shredding himself into pieces.
"Heh." Ren chuckled. "Nice one."
Before the force wave could reach him, his vines surged around him, wrapping his entire body in a thick and layered cocoon.
The cutting wave hit the cocoon like a sea storm. The outer vines shredded and splintered, but it didn't breach the inner layers.
The wave of cutting force kept coming for a few seconds, until…
Fwoosh!
A roar of fire tore through the trees.
The fire sword user had entered the fray.
A molten red arc pierced the cocoon and sliced through Ren's stomach, exiting out the other side in a flash of superheated air.
His body stumbled.
His cocoon unraveled.
Blood spilled in fat drops as Ren dropped to one knee.
Then he rose.
The hole in his gut closed, muscle stitching across itself. The glowing heat left a mark, but not for long.
Then, he sprinted forward.
Not towards the one that had attacked him, but toward the one with the sword that slowed someone when one is cut with it. Right now, he was the one who needed to be taken out.
The Knight raised his blade. It gleamed with silver-white light. He swung once, and Ren twisted his body, the blade only grazing his shoulder.
But it was enough.
His speed slowed to almost a crawl.
Ren's limbs moved sluggishly, like they were weighed down by chains, but that didn't stop him.
He dropped low and Pushed himself, accelerating like a cannonball. His fist slammed into the Knight's gut.
The air left the man's lungs.
Before he could recover, vines burst from the ground and skewered him from below.
One down.
The woman with the threads surged toward Ren again, snarling, trying to ensnare his legs and arms. But this time, he saw them coming.
He Pushed sideways and launched himself at her, dodging the swords trying to cut him down, and the threads that buzzed through the air like razors.
Her eyes widened, and she was too slow to do anything about it.
His hand closed around her neck.
"I hate sewing." Ren whispered, and Pushed her head backward with a snap. Her body went limp, her threads falling like ash.
Two down.
The cutting force Knight and the fire sword Knight were left. They moved together.
The first swung his sword, arcs of slicing wind coming at Ren from every direction.
The second followed behind, flames trailing his blade, his slashes tracing fire through the branches.
Ren dropped through the canopy.
The cutting wind shredded the branches above. Fire followed it, igniting everything in a sheet of heat.
But Ren was already climbing up the other side.
He burst forward, out of the smoke, and tackled the wind Knight from the side. They tumbled down together, crashing through wood.
The man tried to slash, but Ren caught the wrist and twisted.
The blade dropped.
He grabbed the man's head in both hands and Pushed, a pulse of force exploding point-blank into the Knight's skull.
It caved in like glass.
Three down.
The last Rosefield Knight stood tall on a branch, fire dancing up his arms.
"You think that's enough?" He roared. "My flames will burn you to—!"
Ren was already there.
He slammed his regenerated arm into the man's chest, Pushed, and sent him flying into the trunk behind him.
The tree split in half.
The Knight tried to stand, blade raised, but Ren appeared in front of him, his fist wrapped in twisting vine and lined with thorns.
"This is for the gut."
He punched once.
The Knight's chest burst open.
Flames guttered. Then died.
Four down.
Ren stood there, surrounded by broken trunks and scorched branches. The forest was a wreck, but he was still standing.
His chest heaved once.
"Is that it?" He muttered. "Disappointing."