The entire group understood their mission and nodded as they departed. Vlad headed toward the center of the town, and the soldiers moved toward the areas where Jormungandr had detected the most civilians.
Vlad’s eyes were sharp as he focused on the leather parchment strapped to his chest beneath his armor. The rune engraved in Jormungandr’s leather armor was the Smoke Veil Rune.
It was a simple Rank 1 Rune that granted the ability to create a small cloud of obscuring smoke. It might not seem much, but that was where the ingenuity came into effect. It could be useful for hiding in darkness, creating quick escapes, obstructing the view of snipers and archers, and signaling allies. It was a very useful rune, especially for a Mage with sharp reflexes like Jormungandr.
On the other hand, the rune Vlad engraved for himself was simpler. It was called the Abyssal Grit Rune, a simple Rank 1 Rune that enhanced the physical endurance of the bearer, allowing them to withstand harsh environments or endure physical exertion for more extended periods without fatigue.
Thanks to Vlad’s speed of thought and strength, he could fight dozens of bestial demons. However, even if his Depravita Racial Heritage granted him a stronger physical body and constitution, he was still a Level 1 Warrior and grew tired. That was where the Abyssal Grit Rune came into effect, as it could improve his stamina, allowing him to fight for a much longer time.
Vlad began to run faster and faster as the rune began to glow. His energy pool was not as massive as that of Jormungandr, but he fixed that by splitting the rune’s consumption between energy and vitality.
A roar drew the attention of the nearby demons, and the next second, they saw a young man in white armor marching into the town with two thin swords in his hands.
Vlad needed to draw attention, and there was no better way than through screams and blood. His swords immediately cut down the demons in front of him, and he began a march of bloodshed, butchering everything in his path as he made his way to the center of the town.
The hundreds of demons in the town immediately turned towards the commotion. The smell of blood began to arouse their bloodlust as they marched toward the screaming young man.
Vlad’s eyes narrowed as he detected the presence of demons marching toward him from all directions, but he just kept pushing forward, killing and moving as fast as he could until he finally reached the center of the town.
Reaching the town center meant that his presence could draw all the demons in the streets, but it also meant that he would be attacked from all directions. Vlad’s eyes grew sharp as his Force exploded, covering his body and weapons.
Vlad took a deep breath as the demons lunged from every direction. Just as they were about to reach him, his eyes grew sharp. He focused his Force and adopted a balanced stance before performing a swift, spiraling motion of the body, which started from the ground up.
"Whirlwind Blades Domain."
As Vlad’s body spins, he extends his swords outward, allowing the Force to amplify each blade’s speed and sharpness.
All the demons lunging toward Vlad with their maws open were instantly cut into pieces, and the monsters behind them suffered the same fate. Vlad kept spinning, generating a domain of white flashes, and all the demons that reached it began to split.
Even if the demons were crazy killing machines, they still had self-preservation instincts and would not simply jump into a domain where they would be butchered. Unfortunately for those close to the domain, the demons behind them pushed them forward into the blades.
Eventually, the horde could freeze their march, but not before over fifty were minced to pieces.
Vlad stopped his spinning rotation, and while he consumed a lot of his Force, he managed to create an empty field around him, allowing him to move.
"Whirlwind Blades Domain" is a foundational martial skill cultivated by Warriors at the Mortal Level, especially those who have chosen the path of dual-wielding. This skill allowed them to create a devastating domain of rapid, omnidirectional cuts around them and was one of the many skills he obtained from Asmael’s memories.
A massive amount of Origin Force came into his Soul Dimension, making him smile, but he did not lose focus. Not wasting the chance, Vlad turned toward a street, marching forward and drawing all the demons toward him.
Vlad did not have the luxury of carefully splitting the Origin Force in his Soul Dimension. If he did nothing, it would fuse into his Sea of Consciousness and generate Force Water, so he sent everything into his body. He kept hacking and moving forward, killing more and more demons.
Bear demons, rat demons, and even demons that resembled hyenas and tigers appeared in Vlad’s path, attacking with absolute ferocity. Nevertheless, he just kept slashing, leaving a trail of corpses and blood. His arms were getting sore from the effort, and while the continual stream of Origin Force into his flesh helped a little, he knew he wouldn’t last much longer.
As Vlad reached his limit, he heard a strange sound in the distance. Glancing over his shoulder, he saw a trail of black smoke rising into the air. That was the signal he had been waiting for.