After the three worked together to annihilate the entire horde, the Boss and his lackey came out. They looked nervous, yet still upheld a smirk, holding two crystals that reminded Elesch of when she fought the musketeer.

"Brother, be careful, those crystals they are holding are dangerous; they can turn an F-rank or E-rank immediately to D-rank," Elesch spoke with concern and fear, as she had nearly died just a few days ago. "The lackey already seems to be a D-rank Adventurer. If he absorbs that crystal, he may just become a B-tier or maybe even an A-tier threat."

Well, that's just fantastic, Nova thought, slightly gloomy, as he realized that he might die today. The boss isn't even awakened, but assuming he absorbs the crystal and happens to get an insane amount of strength, say D-rank, then he would still be manageable, since my daggers will be able to pierce through his body. But if the other guy absorbs, then it's game over.

"You both go for the Boss, I will go for the lackey. Finish the Boss quickly and contact the guild to alert them of a six-pillar threat. Got it?" Nova said seriously, his tone and voice betraying the fear he felt just by looking at the crystal.

Both of them nodded, not uttering any words as Nova was focusing on a way to hold the guy off. Maybe he could take him away from the boss, like a good distance away, or perhaps he could just fight him head-on, and see what happens. Whatever happens, it should be long enough for the guild to be involved.

The three split up, as the Boss and his lackey absorbed the pill. The Boss gained immense strength and speed, while the lackey's Circle of Pillars grew by twofold. He was now a B-rank threat. The lackey released an immense amount of aura, which sent the trio flying back.

Not only was he a B-rank threat, but the crystal had given him vigor that was more than a hundredfold his original prowess. The lackey was now the strongest here, but Nova only smirked, straightening himself.

The Boss and the lackey lunged towards the trio, with Nova splitting to take on the lackey, as the other two focused on the Boss. With their combined strengths, they knew they would be enough to kill the Boss.

Nova lunged towards the lackey, roots with daggers, as he tried to cut them, but realized that he didn't even make a dent. He was now in big trouble, as more roots emerged, continuously barging at him, cutting his skin sharply and with precision, as he tried to cut through them, but failed miserably in the process.

Adam and Elesch worked well as a team, as Adam rushed forth, easily clawing the boss, since the Boss wasn't awakened; thus, his durability and endurance weren't as high. He was already panting as Elesch kicked him in the balls, then delivered a roundhouse to the face, pushing him back with a great amount of force.

Adam and Elesch high-fived, blushing as they locked eyes with each other, and accidentally interlocked their hands. They looked away, releasing their fingers, then focusing back on the Boss. The Boss got up, already bloody from all the beating.

Adam and Elesch lunged at him, drop-kicking him, right in the solar plexus, before he fell to the ground, blood gushing from his mouth like a little waterfall. The Boss was out cold, so Adam, still having his phone, called the guild. The lady at the reception picked up, and after a minute of talking, the lady told him someone would come in five minutes.

The lackey summoned a thick bouquet of roots that slammed Nova a hundred meters back, against another thick, harder than metal, wall of roots. Nova's bones cracked after the collision, his daggers despawning, as all of his mana and energy were spent.

The ground cracked beneath him, trembling under the sheer weight of the lackey's aura. His humanity had faded into something monstrous, his body twisting grotesquely, skin tearing apart as the overflowing energy warped his body.

Roots exploded from his back like monstrous wings, veins pulsing with dark energy. His eyes glowed blood red, radiating chaos that was no longer human.

Elesch's breath caught in her throat. Her knees weakened, but she clenched her fists, standing her ground. "He's not even human anymore. Exactly like that kidnapper."

Adam nervously snarled, claws extended, his instincts telling him to run, but his heart froze him in place. "Doesn't matter. We have to kill him or else we die."

They lunged at the lackey together, moving in perfect sync. Adam's claws slashed across the creature's torso, while Elesch darted low, having grabbed a metal pipe from earlier when Adam was talking to the receptionist, her pipe slicing upward towards the lackey's ribs.

The lackey barely flinched. Instead, one of the massive root-wings shot outward, catching Adam square in the chest. The impact sent him soaring through the air, crashing into a boulder that shattered like glass beneath him.

He gasped, blood filling his lungs, his body going limp.

"Adam!" Elesch screamed, only to feel a sudden pressure on her legs.

Roots wrapped around her ankle, jerking her violently off her feet. Before she could react, another root coiled around her throat, lifting her into the air. She used her pipe, thrashing at it, her face turning red as the grip tightened.

The lackey's voice growled, "You insects, thought you could kill me?" His grins stretched impossibly wide, teeth protruding as he pulled Elesch closer. "You can't even touch me. I'll happily watch you die."

Nova struggled to stand, every bone in his body begging him to stay down. His daggers flickered back into existence for just a moment before blood spilled out again, his mana too depleted. Still, he took one step forward. Then another. His legs trembled, but his glare never faltered.

"Let... her... go..." His voice was guttural, breaking at every single word.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.