"But... that was just one hand of the Monster?" Atlas thought as he continued tracking the hand through the darkness with his perception. He could still sense its movement even after it had disappeared deeper into the pathway, and he kept his attention on it while remaining where he was. His presence could still be sensed by everyone around him, but he was ready to activate both of his Traits the moment something went wrong. If those two Traits were not enough, he still had Spirit Cloak, which could conceal his presence by wrapping the surrounding space around him.
'If even all of these don't work, then I will have to kill that Monster on my own somehow.' Atlas thought as his eyes shifted toward the others for a brief moment. He could already tell that everyone was thinking about their own survival first. They were standing together because they needed each other to clear the Ruin, but that did not mean they would sacrifice themselves for someone else without a reason.
'I fucking knew it, everyone here has their own life to protect. If things go wrong, they will all do anything to survive first. Atlas thought before shifting his attention back toward the pathway.
The Monster's hand suddenly began retreating into the darkness for an unknown reason. Atlas continued following its movement with his perception until it disappeared completely, but before he could figure out what the Monster was doing, Himalton suddenly raised his right hand. The moment he did, Atlas and the others immediately noticed the large amount of Spirit Energy gathering around him.
'What in the world? This much Spirit Energy will definitely alert the Boss.Why is he doing this now?' Atlas thought as his eyes narrowed.
The Spirit Energy around Himalton continued increasing without any sign of stopping. It was being gathered into his right hand in a controlled manner, and the more Atlas observed it, the more he understood that Himalton was preparing some kind of technique. However, the amount of Spirit Energy being concentrated in such a short distance made Atlas uncomfortable because the Monster they were facing had already shown enough speed to kill two Special S-ranks before anyone could react.
Then everyone sensed it again.
The Monster was approaching.
The pressure coming from the dark pathway started increasing, and the surrounding air seemed to become heavier as something moved inside the darkness. Atlas immediately focused his perception toward that direction, but Himalton still didn't stop gathering Spirit Energy. Instead, he continued until something finally began taking shape around his right hand.
Atlas narrowed his eyes.
It was a bow.
A massive transparent Bow made entirely from concentrated Spirit Energy was forming in Himalton's hand. The middle section was small enough to fit inside his grip, while both ends extended outward for more than three meters. The shape became clearer with every passing second as Himalton continued controlling the Spirit Energy around him.
'Is he going to attack with that?' Atlas thought.
His expression became slightly more serious as he looked at the incomplete Bow. 'Fuck! He still needs to make an arrow. By the time he finishes that, the Monster will already be here.'
Atlas immediately activated both of his Traits without hesitation. He couldn't understand what Himalton was planning, but he could clearly see the problem with his current approach. First, Himalton had gathered a massive amount of Spirit Energy, which would naturally attract the Monster's attention. Second, he still needed to form an Arrow capable of being used with that Bow. Both processes required time, and time was exactly what they did not have.
Atlas's presence vanished from everyone's perception.
The change was immediate. The remaining members of Team Asfalon frowned as they realized that Atlas had suddenly disappeared, while Alberion's eyes narrowed. His head turned toward the exact position where Atlas had been standing before, but there was nothing there anymore. He couldn't sense Atlas's presence either.
'He disappeared?' Alberion thought before he shifted toward Himalton again and decided not to waste another second thinking about Atlas.
Himalton had finally completed the Bow.
Heat began spreading through the surrounding atmosphere as the Spirit Energy inside the weapon stabilized. He kept the Bow firmly in his right hand before slowly moving his left hand toward the almost invisible string.
At that exact moment, he sensed something.
The pathway where the Monster's hand had appeared earlier was completely silent.
There was no growl, no movement...Not even the slightest sound coming from inside.
Himalton stopped for only one second.
His instincts told him that the silence was not normal. The Monster had already shown enough speed to cross the distance between them without anyone except the strongest three noticing it. If it had suddenly stopped making any sound, there was only one possibility.
It was preparing to move.
Himalton didn't hesitate any longer.
His left hand grabbed the almost invisible string and pulled it backward. The moment he did, Spirit Energy immediately gathered along the Bow and began forming an Arrow. The Arrow slowly stretched outward from the center of the Bow before its shape became clearer, increasing in size as Himalton continued pulling the string.
The entire process took only a few seconds.
For an ordinary person, that amount of time might have been meaningless, but inside a Divine-rank Ruin, even a single second could decide whether someone survived or died. Himalton understood that better than anyone here, which was why he didn't try to make a second attack or prepare another technique.
'Only One attack, after that, everyone needs to scatter.' Himalton thought.
He had already decided that there was no point trying to fight the Boss while standing together in one location. Their previous strategy had already failed because this Ruin was completely different from the Divine-rank Ruins they knew. They needed to create an opening first, and this attack was going to be that opening.
Himalton finished pulling the string.
The Spirit Arrow became completely formed.
He then spoke directly into everyone's minds through telepathy, 'Listen carefully, I will attack with one powerful shot. The moment I release it, everyone scatters. Raison, Heddeon, and Armado, you three will launch your strongest attacks immediately after my attack. Mr. Atlas and Mr. Alberion, attack from wherever you are positioned. This...is the last command for now.'
The three remaining members of Team Asfalon immediately prepared themselves.
Raison tightened both of his metal gauntlets and shifted his stance. Heddeon adjusted the dagger in his hand while keeping his eyes toward the dark pathway. Armado placed one hand on the hilt of his Long Sword and lowered his body slightly, preparing to release his attack the moment Himalton's Arrow moved.
Atlas remained completely concealed while observing everything from the side.
Himalton then began concentrating Gravity into the tip of the Spirit Arrow.
The Arrow changed slightly as the Gravity gathered around its tip. The surrounding space seemed to become heavier around it, but Himalton continued controlling the technique without allowing the concentration to become unstable. He knew that if he failed to control the Gravity properly, the attack would lose its purpose before even reaching the Monster.
The other three members had already taken their positions.
Himalton looked toward the dark pathway one final time. He didn't know exactly what was waiting inside. He only knew that it had already killed two Special S-ranks without giving them enough time to react.
His grip tightened.
Then he finally released the string.
SWOOOOOOOSH!
The Spirit Arrow left the Bow.
It moved forward at a speed that none of the others could follow. There was no visible streak of light behind it, and for a brief moment it seemed as if the Arrow had simply disappeared from Himalton's hand and entered the darkness.
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