"Run?" Eleanor stared at him like he’d lost his mind entirely. "Lucas, what are you talking about? We came here to cross, not to flee before we even—"
"We won’t beat it," Lucas said, forcing the words out fast and cutting her off. "We can’t. Not fighting it head-on, and definitely not with this many people."
"We have to try. That’s the entire point all the preparation we’ve made up to this point."
"It’s impossible, Elle." He held her gaze. His tone was desperate for her to understand what he was trying to say without needing to give the full explanation he couldn’t give her. "It’s too strong. Even if we somehow managed to keep up with it, once it’s cornered, it pulls out another attack and that’s going to be something than anything we’ve already seen."
He caught himself the instant the words left his mouth, an expression of alarm crossing his face. ’Did I say too much?’
Now he was worried that she would ask a question that would drive him into a corner.
Eleanor’s eyes narrowed, suspicion crossing her face. "How do you know that?"
He didn’t get the chance to answer.
The Hestia crashed into the front line before either of them could say another word, and the battlefield went into into the same chaos as all the rounds before now.
Fighters scattered with the beast’s fury already building toward something Lucas saw coming, and he knew that none of them were going to survive.
His stomach churned at the thought of having to go through that again. He clenched his jaw and turned to Eleanor.
"Run!" he shouted making sure everyone could hear him. He shoved Eleanor toward the bridge. "Get everyone to the Gateway, Now! I’ll hold it off."
"I’m not leaving you here alone—"
"I got! I’m the only one who has a real chance against something that burns everything it touches." He grabbed her shoulders, forcing her to meet his eyes despite the chaos behind them. "Please, Elle. Trust me."
"What are you even planning?"
"Honestly?" He let go of her, a dry smile coming into his face. "I don’t really know yet myself."
Eleanor was a bit surprised that Lucas was giving out a plan when he hadn’t fully thought it through. She began to seriously consider if Lucas was still sane.
She hesitated, torn, between saying something and actually moving when Mark’s hand grabbed her shoulder making her turn.
She met his eyes, and she could see that although he too was aware that what Lucas was saying didn’t really make sense, he still had some kind of faith in this half baked plan...
"Elle." His voice was soft and firm, with no hunt of humor behind it. "Let’s trust him. It’s the only shot we got anyway..."
Eleanor’s gaze wavered and she finally yielded as her jaw tightened before she finally and reluctantly nodded, turning to sprint toward the bridge with Mark and the retreating Faction.
"Everyone! To the bridge. Now!" Mark shouted as more and more people started running towards the Gateway.
She casted one last glance back at Lucas and he smiled at her before the crowd swallowed that followed blocked view.
Lucas turned to face the Hestia alone.
[Ding!]
[Skill: Ignition has been activated.]
The flame roared to life around both his fists, stable this time. It was warm and controlled, nothing like the blazing heat that caused his death two loops ago.
Lucas exhaled slowly, planting his feet against ground that trembled with the beast’s approach.
He raised both his hands and took a stance. "Come on [Ignition] don’t fail me now..."
He turned to the beast. "Okay," he muttered. "Just you and me."
***
He fought with everything he had, every ounce of foreknowledge from three prior deaths playing in his mind as he fought. To anyone who watched, it looked like an even match so far.
He dodged, struck and retreated. He drew its fury toward himself alone, buying precious seconds for the Faction to pass across the bridge toward the crackling blue energy of the Gateway.
The fight dragged on, becoming brutal and exhausting. Lucas’ body screamed with every exchange, but he held — not winning, he wasn’t trying to. Not yet at least. His plan was to just survive and buy enough time for the Faction to cross exactly as he’d promised.
The beast reared back and raised its head upwards, and Lucas knew exactly what this meant. He could see a ball of flame forming deep in the throat of the beast and a smirk found its way on his lips.
Here it comes...
The beast roared, the flame exploding outward straight for him.
He didn’t dodge...
He charged straight for it running through it as he charged at the beast.
He neared the beast and struck a flame enhanced punch square in its jaw and he could see the beast’s eyes widening in surprise before the hit sent it backwards.
The beast recovered fully and began circling him, as if accessing the situation as it seemed to realize that Lucas wasn’t going to be an easy kill.
"What’s the matter, never seen a fireproof human before?"
That seemed to anger the beast as it charged and they clashed a few times.
He caught a glimpse over his shoulder between exchanges, and relief flooded him at the sight— the last of their faction finally making it across.
’They’re through. They made it...’’
Now he just had to kill this beast...
’Okay, think. They can’t cross the Gateway until we actually kill this thing and one of me can’t possibly be enough to get it done.’
He dodged a sweeping paw. ’’There has to be something. Come on brain, work’
His eyes swept across the terrain, the narrow bridge and the ravine beneath it.
An image of him being impaled by one of the rocks flashed across his mind and an idea began forming.
’If I can get it to the bridge’s edge I think I should be able to push it down...’
He didn’t have a better plan. He didn’t have time to find one.
He turned and sprinted towards the edge of the ravine and screamed.
"Come on then!" his voice made the Hestia turned back toward the bridge’s edge.
Lucas shouted, his arms wide as he took slowly steps backwards until his hills were tethering off at the very edge cliff.
"Come get me you flaming cat!"
The Hestia charged exactly as he needed it to, full weight and momentum driving straight toward him like a speeding train.
The beast was just centimeters from him when he dropped onto his back at the last moment, planting both feet against the creature’s chest as it barreled into him, and used every ounce of leverage his position offered to flip its own momentum up and over his body.
"RAAAAAHHH!!!"
He lifted with all his strength, and catapulted the beast right off the edge.
The Hestia’s roar came furious as it plummeted into the ravine below.
"Fuck yeah!" Lucas scrambled upright, chest heaving, and undeniably proud of himself.. "I freaking did it!"
He sprinted across the bridge without wasting even a second, grateful that his half formed plan had worked somehow
He ran, nearing the middle as something caught his eye.
"Hm?"
He looked over the edge as it started to glow in a faint orange light and just mere moments later, a torrent of flame erupted upward from the ravine, as the Hestia’s dying fury was unleashed mid-fall, aiming to take Lucas down with it.
It tore straight through the underside of the bridge itself, wood and stone buckling beneath him as the entire structure shuddered violently as flame chewed through its supports.
"Shit!"
The bridge began collapsing behind him and he didn’t need to see it before knowing the next thing to do.
He ran.
The bridge disintegrated behind him in a wave of collapsing stone, each step forward was met by another section giving way just behind his heels, the Gateway’s crackling light visible and seemingly miles away as adrenaline flooded his system.
’Almost. Almost, just a little further’
[Ding!]
[Gateway activated. Crossing window active.]
[Prepare to for passage.]
He ran faster now, trying as hard as he could to reach the other side...
The ground beneath him gave out entirely.
Lucas threw himself forward, [Ignition] roaring around both feet in one finalnburst meant to launch him the last stretch toward the threshold—
[ERROR]
[Skill: Ignition has been disabled.]
The flame died before he reached the other side, and Lucas’ stomach dropped as he began falling mid air...
"NO!"
He caught one last glimpse of Eleanor at the Gateway’s edge. "Lucas!"
The Gateway’s light surged, exploding forward and taking the Faction through in a,l brilliant flash, and Eleanor’s outstretched hand vanished into the crossing along with everyone else, the gateway sealing shut right before his eyes.
Lucas fell....
The ravine rushed up to meet him, jagged rock waiting somewhere below as he slammed hard against the ravine wall and fell in a thud that sounded wrong.
The only thing he saw was a glimpse of the system notification blooming in his view.
[You have slain a Hestia Golem.]
Then right after that, another formed:
[You have failed to cross the Gateway.]
Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!
Use arrow keys (or A / D) to PREV/NEXT chapter