A few moments ago, Max could be seen on his knees, forced to watch the battle between Jake and the twins. He could only grit his teeth as his teammate continued holding up with unbelievable force.
’Ho... how is Jake even still able to move? Yes, at this moment he is slightly stronger than I am, but he still shouldn’t be able to move. Especially since he didn’t transform. Official source is novel-fire.ɴet
How is he doing it? Even with the fact that the beasts are increasing the pressure over and over again, yet he still isn’t falling to the weight. How? If I can find out how, I think I can also move.’ Max thought with desperation as he saw Jake smash his fist into the ground, pulling out a huge slab before hurling it towards the beasts.
’I need to think, think, think, think! How can I move?’ he roared internally as his eyes darted back and forth, frantically searching through his system hoping to come across something that might help him in this battle.
’Wait! Hold on a moment. I have Draconic energy and blood coursing through me, huh? That... that should be a good enough counter against this damn pressure. But how do I tap into it properly?’
He began racking his brain when suddenly, something clicked in his head like a spark of lightning.
’Hold on! Now I know why this felt so familiar. I remember using something against Carl and his goons. Back then, I had unknowingly awakened my wrath sin, and in the process, they were trembling and unable to move.
I guess if I activate that sin and form my own forcefield, it should counter theirs. A forcefield of fear and wrath.’
A grin crept onto his face at the thought, and without wasting a second, he decided to execute his plan.
{Sin: Wrath Activated}
Instantly, Max’s eyes began glowing bright crimson instead of the usual yellow, and his entire body pulsed with violent energy.
An aura burst forth from him like a tidal wave, suffocating and oppressive, rattling the very air around him. The ground cracked under his feet as his body slowly rose, his back straightening while the immense force pressing down on him diminished.
He stood tall now, a grin carved on his face, just as the beasts managed to restrain Jake and were almost about to land a finishing strike.
{Skill: Draconic Force Palm Activated}
The shockwave erupted with devastating intensity, slamming into the beasts and hurling them away from Jake like ragdolls.
Their concentration broke, and the gravity force they had unleashed over the battlefield receded instantly. The humans could finally breathe and move freely again.
Unfortunately, Lana was now too weak to even raise a finger. She had drained herself completely trying to resist the overwhelming pressure. Her wings had collapsed back into her body, her talons had reverted, and her breaths came out shallow and ragged. She had tried her hardest but had reached her limit.
That left only Jake and Max standing. The only two hunters still able to battle against the terrifying twin beasts.
"Nice job, brother," Jake commented with a grin as Max strode forward and came to stand at his side.
"Don’t call me that." Max scoffed, his eyes narrowing with a deep frown.
"Stop frowning, brother," Jake teased with a wide grin, refusing to let up.
"Focus, you fools!" Jasmine’s sharp voice rang out in fury, snapping them both back to reality. Her words cut through the air, and that was when the two noticed the beasts once again readying themselves to strike.
The twin beasts could now be seen standing side by side, growling low and menacingly at the duo who had taken their stance with confident grins plastered on their faces. The ground itself seemed to tremble as the aura of the goblins intensified, their eyes glinting with a murderous shine.
"Go right, I go left. Two minutes, we switch and batter them, two minutes later we switch again and take out our opponents. Got that?" Jake asked quickly, his voice steady even as he saw the hammer goblin lift its weapon high, preparing to slam it into the ground once more.
"I do what I want. But okay!" Max barked back, his lips curling into a grin before he exploded forward with immense speed.
The very spot where he stood shattered from the sheer force of his take-off, dust and rock scattering in every direction. In the blink of an eye, he was already streaking toward the hammer goblin.
But his path was abruptly cut off as the sword goblin appeared directly in front of him, its weapon gleaming wickedly under the dim light.
"Perfect." Jake muttered with a sharp glint in his eyes. In one smooth motion, he slipped out of his footwear, and his body instantly began to change.
His feet elongated, his calves bulged grotesquely, the fabric of his pants ripping apart under the strain. Thick fur sprouted out rapidly, and a primal aura surged around him.
’Time to use ten percent of my power.’
A thunderclap roared as Jake disappeared from sight. For a brief moment, only a blur of motion remained before he reappeared directly in front of the hammer goblin. Its massive hammer was mere inches from smashing into the ground.
"Not again," Jake muttered, his voice low and filled with disdain.
The goblin’s eyes widened, its head snapping up just in time to see the hunter descending in front of it. In a desperate attempt, it yanked its hammer back and prepared to hurl it at Jake. But the hunter was already in motion.
With a sudden swing, Jake’s monstrous foot crashed forward, colliding with the hammer in mid-swing.
A deafening bang tore through the battlefield as shockwaves erupted outward, sweeping aside the corpses of lesser beasts like discarded rags. Dust and smoke blasted into the air, forming a thick cloud that obscured vision for a heartbeat.
The goblin was sent skidding back nearly five metres, its clawed hands trembling violently. Its arms ached and throbbed from the sheer force of Jake’s brutal kick, and for the first time, the beast’s expression shifted into one of disbelief.
"That was nice." Jake muttered calmly as he lowered his foot with deliberate ease, a wide grin spreading across his face.
His feet were now covered entirely in coarse fur, enormous in size and weight, more like the limbs of a giant than those of a human. The ground cracked slightly under their weight, a clear display of their monstrous strength.
The goblin let out an enraged growl, fury etched on its twisted face. In its rage, it hurled the hammer with crushing speed, the weapon spinning violently through the air.
The speed was terrifying, too fast for any normal hunter to dodge. But Jake’s eyes only narrowed. His forearms bulged unnaturally, swelling to nearly twice the size of a human’s.
He crossed his massive arms into an X just in time.
The hammer collided with his guard, the bone-crushing force reverberating through the battlefield.
The impact generated another shockwave, tearing cracks into the ground beneath his feet and sending a wave of debris bursting outward. Jake was pushed back slightly, his heels carving trenches in the earth, but his stance held firm.
Gritting his teeth, he snarled and swung his massive arms outward, knocking the hammer off-course. The weapon almost crashed to the ground, spinning wildly.
But before it could, the goblin had already moved. Its body blurred as it charged forward at blistering speed, its clawed hands reaching out. The hammer vibrated in mid-air before snapping upward as if pulled by an invisible force, spinning back into the goblin’s grip.
The beast grinned wickedly, clutching its reclaimed weapon, ready for another strike.
Jake only smirked wider, his eyes glinting with arrogance. His monstrous form radiated raw strength and primal fury as he stepped forward.