noveltune Chapter 173 Rare ability
Chapter 173 Rare ability
Silas felt a deep, instinctual unease as the creature's oppressive aura pressed against him like an invisible weight. The air around him seemed heavier, each breath more labored than the last.
"The guardian of the chamber? Why would a Realm's god need a guardian?" Silas muttered under his breath, his eyes narrowing as they traced the hulking figure before him. The longer he observed, the clearer it became—this being was far more formidable than any adversary he had faced.
"This aura... it's even more intense than Ozivox's," he thought grimly, tightening his grip on his weapon. His knuckles whitened as anticipation surged through his veins.
The guardian remained still, its piercing gaze locked onto Silas with an almost unnerving intensity. Then, with deliberate and calculated movements, it raised its massive hands. The ground beneath them rippled unnaturally, dark voids swirling into existence across the rocky terrain.
From the voids emerged an army of creatures, grotesque reflections of the guardian itself. Though smaller and less imposing, they were no less menacing. Their green skin glistened under the chamber's eerie light, their pointed ears twitching, and razor-sharp fangs glinting as they let out guttural growls. Their auras were noticeably weaker, but their sheer numbers more than compensated for it.
[Grade: 3.]
Silas's gaze swept over the horde that materialized, their numbers swelling until they seemed to form an unending sea of green.
"A mutant that can summon others? Interesting," he mused aloud, his lips curving into a faint smirk despite the tension. "If only I could get my hands on an ability like that."
His eyes flicked back to the guardian, who watched him with an unreadable expression.
"Well," Silas murmured, "I've got some tricks of my own. Let me show you."
He raised his hand, summoning his Grade 5 Soul Devourer scythe. The weapon materialized in a swirl of black energy, its ominous glow casting long, jagged shadows. The weight of the scythe felt familiar, almost comforting, as Silas readied himself for battle.
[Skill Card: Clone has been activated.]
[Skill Card: Clone has been activated.]
[Skill Card: Clone has been activated.]
As the system notifications flashed, three identical copies of Silas stepped out from his shadow, each wielding a scythe identical to his own. Their eyes gleamed with the same cold determination, their presence adding a menacing symmetry to the battlefield.
"Let's see how your summons fare against mine," Silas challenged, his voice low but unwavering.
The clones mirrored his movements as he stepped forward, the confrontation teetering on the edge of eruption.
Even as Silas summoned close to fifty clones in rapid succession, the guardian remained unfazed. It stood motionless, its expression void of emotion, a living statue radiating menace.
Without warning, the guardian thrust its right hand forward. Its summoned creatures responded immediately, letting out deafening battle cries as they charged toward Silas and his clones. Silas raised his scythe and extended his own hand, and his clones surged forward to meet the oncoming tide.
The clash was instantaneous and explosive.
Silas's eyes widened in shock as he saw the guardian reappear at the same spot it had been standing earlier, right in front of the entrance door.
"A teleportation ability?" Silas muttered under his breath. "No, this feels different..."
Before he could finish his thought, the guardian suddenly reappeared in front of him. Its blade came down hard, striking Silas directly in the chest. His armor absorbed most of the blow, but the impact still sent searing pain through his body, as if the armor wasn't even there.
The guardian didn't stop. It advanced again, swinging its blade with deadly precision. This time, Silas managed to sidestep at the last moment, narrowly avoiding the strike. He seized the opportunity and punched forward with his left fist, aiming for the guardian's head.
But before his fist could make contact, the guardian vanished again, reappearing at the spot where it had struck him earlier.
"This isn't teleportation," Silas realized, narrowing his eyes as he analyzed the situation. "It's something else entirely."
Dashing forward with blinding speed, Silas swung his scythe again. The guardian blocked the strike with its blade, but Silas didn't let up. He immediately launched another punch toward the guardian's head.
Once more, the guardian disappeared, reappearing in the same spot it had left seconds earlier.
"He's not teleporting," Silas muttered, piecing together the puzzle. "He's rewinding to places he's already been."
The guardian didn't give him much time to think. It swung its blade at Silas, and though he managed to block it with his scythe, the sheer force of the attack sent him stumbling back.
Rewind ability is quite rare, and only a few humans and mutats has such ability.
The ability helps the user to rewind and return back to a location that was marked by themselves. A new location is marked whenever they use the ability. However, if they are far from the location they marked, it will be impossible for them to rewind. Also, the mark only lasts for ten seconds before it vanish and once it's gone they'll be unable to return back to it.
The rewind ability is indeed a powerful ability, but it can also be considered useless against tougher opponents. Some users who are yet to master the ability perfectly find it hard to adapt whenever they swap locations. Only those who have many years of training can easily adapt when they switch locations.
The key to countering a rewind ability lay in speed and observation. A fast and sharp opponent could anticipate the user's movements, striking at the exact spot they would reappear.
As the guardian swung its blade again, Silas dodged and retaliated with his scythe. The guardian vanished, just as expected. Silas didn't hesitate—he shifted his gaze to the side and sprinted toward the spot where he predicted the guardian would reappear.
Just as he approached, the guardian materialized in the exact location Silas had anticipated.
"Gotcha," Silas smirked. Without a moment's delay, he slashed his scythe forward with all his strength. The blade shimmered in the dim light as it closed in on the guardian.
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