Extra's Descent

Pain echoed all over Brandon's body, so much so than Belle could even imagine.

So much mana built up that the fine bones in his body began to ache.

His body heated up like molten magma consuming him from within, internally melting his organs, making him feel like his stomach was twisting. Much more so as all he could do was grit his teeth and pray that time would pass.

However, sensing the sudden familiar mana signature within the mist, Brandon's expressions eased.

It was Belle.

Mustering the little amount of strength he had, Brandon distorted the mist, creating a silhouette in his form.

For some reason, Belle looked panicked and kept urging him to leave. Brandon couldn't understand why.

He had heard of the sudden scream

But in the few seconds that passed, he finally understood why.

An uncountable amount of monsters were approaching, and Brandon felt their presence within the mist.

However, it was way too hard to even move a single joint of muscle, especially in his legs. Belle may have offered her shoulders as support, but he could tell one way or another that she didn't have the speed to outrun them, especially if he was dragging her down.

'There's no other choice.'

He had to fight them head on. Maybe Belle would have a hard time against so many enemies at once due to her mana capacity.

But Brandon, Exclusive content at m,v,l,e,mpyr

…..He was swimming in intense pent–up mana.

It was hard to stand up. Just moving his legs slightly felt like his bones were cracking, enough pain that would make him lose his mind.

Moving his arm was bearable, just a sharp stabbing pain that would make any normal person cry out of agony.

Nothing much.

The mist was his territory, and within the mist, purple pathways flooded the vicinity.

Pathways that only he could see, allowing him to traverse within the mist with just a simple notion of grabbing them.

His perception heightened to its maximum potential, and Brandon felt a sudden rush of adrenaline pumping in his blood.

Ba… Thump! Ba… Thump!

His heartbeat drummed loudly. Much to the point that it was drowning out whatever Belle was currently saying.

Every second counted, and if he wasted too much time, the monsters would surround them.

There was only one thing he could do.

And that was,

Swoosh—!

To grab the pathways.

It felt like the air was sucked out of his lungs. This was always how it felt like whenever he instantaneously traversed the mist.

But now it was somehow different. Like the very foundation of his lungs were being ruptured.

"Huuu…."

For that reason, he sucked the cold air out of the atmosphere in, taking a deep heavy breath.

It was hard to keep his legs standing.

Thump!

No, it was impossible as he stumbled down instantly.

It was gonna take a while to get used to. However, he knew just how exactly to tackle this unforeseen situation.

At that moment, a monster lunged at him, its claws baring to slash. Thick bloodlust emanated from around him, much to the point that it suffocated his throat.

However, gritting his teeth, Brandon's figure faded within the mist, reappearing right above the monsters.

Since he couldn't keep his legs locked steadfast on the ground, there was only one approach to this.

And that was to utilize [Phantasm] as his mode of transportation.

He tried to unsheathe his sword, but found no strength to do so. With no other weapon to use, threads started to protrude from his fingertips.

Brandon's body trembled as the threads extended from his fingertips, glowing faintly in the mist.

Each movement sent searing pain through his limbs, his muscles seemed to scream, begging for him to stop, but he pushed the agony to the back of his mind.

The monsters looked up to him, their forms distorted in the swirling fog, and the air around him thickened with their bloodlust.

Swoosh—!

The threads responded to his will, shifting and coiling like serpents.

But even as they moved, Brandon felt the weight of his mana building up, an unbearable pressure threatening to tear him apart from the inside.

His vision blurred, his lungs struggling to take in the cold, suffocating air.

Ba… Thump! Ba… Thump!

His heartbeat pounded louder, drowning out everything else. The growls of the monsters, even the rustling of the mist.

Time seemed to tick amidst the silence, and he could feel the monsters surrounding them.

There was no other choice. He had to use everything he could in his arsenal.

With a grimace, Brandon thrust his hand forward, the threads whipping out in an instant, slashing through the mist like blades.

Swoosh—!

They cut through the first wave of monsters, sending their twisted forms crumpling to the ground, but more replaced them, surging forward.

"Brandon!"

Belle's voice finally broke through the fog in his mind, but he couldn't afford to look back.

Each attack sent ripples of pain through his body, but there was no stopping now.

He grabbed the purple pathways in the mist, phasing in and out of visibility as he teleported from one side of the battlefield to the other.

His movements were unsteady, fueled by the drive to protect his sister, his body barely holding together as his mana swirled wildly.

A clawed hand shot toward him from the mist, but Brandon was faster.

Swoosh—!

His body blurred as he phased through the air, the threads wrapping around the creature's arm and slicing cleanly through it.

The monster's scream of agony was cut short as it collapsed to the ground, its body dissolving into the mist.

But the tide wasn't slowing. More monsters were closing in, their forms growing clearer as they pushed through the mist.

Crack!

Pain shot through Brandon's chest, and he stumbled, his knees wanting to give out under the pressure.

He could feel his bones straining against the weight of his mana. Even the slight movement of his fingers felt like glass shattering inside his body.

But even as the pain threatened to overwhelm him, something else stirred deep within—something darker.

His expressions cracked, and he felt his lips pulling up to a wide grin.

There was so much pent–up mana, and the fastest way to deal with this and to empty out his core was to utilize that one skill.

The skill that had the most backlash, yet the most destructive output.

[Cursed Flames]

The threads that had been glowing faintly suddenly burst into vivid amethyst flames, the fire crackling and dancing along the fine thin threads.

The cold mist hissed and sizzled as the flames ate away at it. The monsters recoiled, their movements hesitant and enraged as the flames burned brighter.

Brandon hurled the threads forward, now imbued with the searing heat of the flames.

The fire spread quickly, the threads acting as conduits, cutting through the monsters like a blade through paper. The amethyst flames consumed them, turning their grotesque bodies to ash before they could even react.

But the cost was immense.

Every flicker of flame drained more mana from Brandon's already strained body, and he could feel the cracks deepening inside him.

"Haa…. Haaa…!"

His breath came in ragged gasps, and the edges of his vision blurred, darkening with each passing second.

"I'll take this side!"

He hadn't noticed it, but Belle seemed to have already joined the battle with him, light flickering from her bloodied sword.

Her sword extended and distorted into a radiant bright glow. A gust of wind fluttered around her, swaying her hair and spreading the mist around.

The flames roared, spreading wider, creating a barrier between him and the onslaught of monsters.

The mist swirled violently around him, but the amethyst fire continued to burn, pushing back the dark tide.

The monsters, once relentless, hesitated momentarily before they pushed through, trying to claw away at the siblings.

Brandon's body screamed for release, for him to stop and let the mana flow dissipate before it destroyed him.

His core was practically aching. Cursed flames undulating the vicinity, flickering its amethyst hue across the vicinity, its burning effects lingering inside his body, eating away at his core.

But he knew.

There was no stopping.

Not until they were safe.

Vooosh——!

Brandon threw his arms out, the amethyst flames roaring to life as the threads expanded, wrapping around the monsters in every direction.

The battlefield exploded in a blaze of light and heat, the air filled with the sound of their dying screams.

The fine threads imbued with amethyst flames were relentless.

Whenever a monster escaped his grasp, attacking him, Brandon's figure would seamlessly blur, fading into the mist, reappearing somewhere within the battlefield.

He had only realized now that he was standing, and as soon as he realized such a fact, an indescribable pain ruptured within him.

Supporting him from across the battlefield was Belle. Her sword extended upwards and shone brightly, clearing the horde of monsters that seemed to have escaped Brandon's perception.

The mist distorted and scattered, as Belle swung her sword skillfully, blood spattering in the air as it smeared her face. Her expressions hardened, but Belle pressed on.

With a flick of his wrist, the threads lashed out, wrapping around the massive monster's arm. The flames hissed and crackled.

At this point, Brandon didn't even know where the threads were going anymore. Simply just trying his best not to inflict friendly fire against Belle.

The fighting carried on, and Brandon's strength was slowly fading.

His white collared long–sleeve shirt had been torn, exposing cuts on his body from the attacks he was unable to dodge.

Then, silence.

Thump!

"Haaa…. Haaa…."

Brandon collapsed to his knees, his vision dimming, his breath shallow.

The flames flickered, then died, leaving only the charred remains of the monsters scattered around him. His body felt like it was tearing itself apart, but he had done it.

They had done it.

To clear an insurmountable situation with only the two of them.

——[Status]——

∟ STR: S- —[0%]

∟ MP: S —[0%]

∟ DEF: A —[0%]

∟ AGI: S- —[0%]

∟ INT: S —[0%]

∟ CHA: SSS- —[0%]

[AVG: S-]

————————

Sheathing her sword back, Belle rushed towards her brother, helped him up by offering her shoulder. Shortly after, her eyes widened in astonishment.

"Brandon, you're…."

It was the birth of a new S ranker.

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