Boom—!
On the other side, Herbert was once again blasted away by the gargoyle youth.
He crashed violently into a half-collapsed wall, blood pouring from his mouth.
The gargoyle youth seemed tired of this one-sided assault, pointing his spear at Herbert's heart, preparing to deliver the final blow.
Herbert spat out a mouthful of blood and, looking at the rapidly approaching spear, his gaze remained calm.
He had already made his final preparations.
Long ago, even before joining the military, he had prepared for this day!
He never expected to have come this far, to have killed so many alien races.
What a great harvest!
Just as the spear was about to pierce his body,
A hand suddenly grabbed Herbert's shoulder and pulled him back!
At the same time, a figure shot past him at an even greater speed, heading straight for the deadly spear!
The Ironstrike sword surged with unstoppable force, slashing through the air in a blood-red arc!
The gargoyle youth, caught off guard, could only hastily alter his attack.
He pressed the spear downward, trying to deflect the blood-red blade.
Boom!
The clash of the sword and spear erupted with a thunderous explosion.
The energy storm sent nearby shattered corpses flying.
The gargoyle youth staggered and was blasted backward several meters.
Struggling to regain his balance, he looked down in confusion.
Herbert, staggering, stood with shock, staring at the figure blocking his path.
The military uniform was soaked with blood and grime, nearly unrecognizable.
A head of golden short hair flew backward.
The figure stood tall like a spear, solidly in front of him.
The Ironstrike sword in his hand was angled toward the ground, its tip still dripping with blood.
"Raine?!"
Herbert immediately recognized the figure before him.
Not only him, but everyone nearby from the 4th squad, as well as the soldiers who had seen Raine at the side peak, widened their eyes in disbelief.
In the sky,
Black Falcon, who had been distracted by the battle below, saw this and a flash of panic crossed his eyes!
He knew that Raine's potential was far beyond this, and the battlefield was too dangerous for him now.
He was one of the rare geniuses; he couldn't be lost here!
The high-ranking gargoyle, fighting Black Falcon, keenly sensed the shift in Black Falcon's emotions.
A cruel glint passed through his eyes, and he communicated telepathically downward.
"Master, kill that human boy! He seems important!"
The gargoyle youth was already angry from being interrupted earlier.
"Dare to block me? Die!"
With a flap of his wings, he shot down like a falling meteor, aiming to impale Raine with his spear!
He wanted to kill this fool and the crippled man behind him in one swift motion!
"Raine! Get out of the way!"
Herbert shouted hoarsely.
He tried to move forward but, feeling the pain from his injuries, he spat out more blood.
But Raine, facing this deadly strike, did not retreat. Instead, he stepped forward.
A blood-red glow flickered in his eyes.
A tremendous pressure began to spread uncontrollably, causing the blood and mud beneath his feet to tremble.
All of this happened in an instant.
To those watching, it seemed like Raine only took a single step forward, but his entire aura underwent a massive transformation!
Facing the spear now mere inches away, Raine moved!
His Ironstrike sword slashed upward!
This attack wasn't fancy, only the pure strength of an Elite Level 9 at its peak, enhanced with intense blood energy!
Crack—!
A crisp sound rang out, accompanied by the gargoyle youth's piercing scream, instantly echoing across a corner of the battlefield!
The gargoyle youth's left-wing, beautifully constructed and powerful, was completely severed by this strike!
With one wing lost, he could no longer maintain his balance or grace, falling like a bird with broken wings!
"Ah—!!"
"My stone wing!!"
The excruciating pain and overwhelming panic engulfed him.
Flight was one of the gargoyles' greatest assets, and losing a wing meant a drastic decrease in combat ability and being forced into a vulnerable position on the battlefield!
He barely adjusted his posture before hitting the ground, kneeling on one knee, using his spear to support his body.
When he looked up, his gaze toward Raine had turned from disdain to boundless hatred.
"How… how can your speed be faster than mine?!"
Raine didn't bother to answer.
He knew this temporary power would only last for an hour, and every second was precious.
He pushed off the ground, creating a shallow crater, and his figure shot forward like a blood-red lightning bolt!
The gargoyle youth, furious and panicked, pushed his Nex to the limit, his spear exploding with blinding light as it shot toward Raine.
At the same time, he rapidly retreated, trying to gain distance.
Raine did not dodge, his eyes flashing with purple light!
Bewitching Eye!
Buzz—!
The gargoyle youth's mind briefly wavered, and his thrusting spear was slightly delayed.
Raine's sword was already in motion again!
The blade cut through the air like a cold moon breaking the night sky!
Crack!
The second stone wing was severed, with stone fragments scattering everywhere!
"No—!!"
The gargoyle youth let out a desperate scream, crashing hard to the ground. The dull pain from his severed wings nearly caused him to faint.
This moment caused a brief stillness on the battlefield.
Even the powerful combatants in the sky looked down in disbelief.
Human soldiers stared dumbfounded, while the alien races let out uneasy hisses.
The gargoyle geniuses, who had previously been calm while hunting humans, had their arrogance slowly freeze on their faces.
In the sky, the four high-ranking gargoyle guards froze, their pupils shrinking as they almost couldn't believe their eyes!
A noble young master was actually having his wings severed in a direct confrontation with a human boy?!
Aaron, Tetra, and the others were also deeply shocked.
They were stunned by Raine's terrifying strength and extremely worried for his safety.
"Master!"
One of the gargoyle guards screamed in a mix of anger and fear, about to dive down without hesitation to save him.
"You're facing us!"
Tetra, Antonio, Roderick, and the others didn't miss this opportunity.
They immediately unleashed all their strength and fiercely engaged the opponents before them.
Especially the four high-ranking gargoyles, who would never allow them to interfere with the battle below.
The gargoyle youth, having lost both wings, looked up at Raine, fear finally appearing in his eyes.
He tried to rise with his spear, calling out for help from his comrades.
"Hurry and come save me!!"
But the other six gargoyle geniuses were also being held off by the human officers and soldiers, unable to break through.
Raine moved faster, closing the distance in a few steps.
In the gargoyle youth's terrified gaze, the sword flashed again.
Crack!
One leg was severed at the knee.
The gargoyle youth screamed, rolling.
The blade flashed once more, severing the other leg.
In the end, he collapsed in the debris and dust, leaving only half a torso and a head, his breath quickly fading.
Raine stood over his head, looking down at him.
Then, holding the sword with both hands, he drove it down forcefully!
Crack!
[Kill Elite-level gargoyle noble, gained 3030 bloodstone!]
[Ding! Gargoyle bloodline skill Stoneform Skin gains massive experience!]
[Ding! Gained gargoyle royal secret art — Obsidian Golem Codex! (Study Condition: Must possess gargoyle skill Stoneform Skin, condition met.)]
Obsidian Golem Codex?!
Raine's expression changed.
He casually tossed the gargoyle's remains aside like trash, the body hitting a nearby rock with a dull thud.