Bloodbound Codex: I Grow Stronger in Secret

The very next moment...

The three Chimeras attacked at the same time, giving Azarion the opening he had been waiting for. Their bodies moved from three different directions, each one targeting Velmira while completely ignoring Azarion behind them. The white-armored Chimera charged forward from the ground, the four-winged Chimera descended from above, and the Shadow Chimera dissolved into black mist as it moved around her position.

However, before any of them could reach Velmira, her figure had already disappeared from their sight.

None of the three Chimeras understood what had happened.

In the next instant, Velmira reappeared directly above them at a speed that none of the three Chimeras could properly perceive. Her movements happened so quickly that, from their perspective, everything around them seemed to have slowed down. Their attacks had only just begun, yet Velmira had already moved past the point where their attacks could reach her.

Her leg moved first.

Velmira kicked the fifteen-meter-tall Chimera directly into the ground with enough force to bend its massive body under the impact. At almost the same moment, her other hand struck the Chimera with the four black wings, sending its body flying away before it could react. Her remaining movement carried Spirit Energy toward the Shadow Chimera, which was still in the process of dissolving into black mist.

The three attacks happened so close together that none of the Chimeras could react before they were already hit.

The fifteen-meter-tall Chimera felt its entire body bend from the force of Velmira’s kick as it was pushed directly into the mountain. Its feet left the ground as its massive frame was driven backward and downward, forcing its body deeper into the rock with every passing moment. The mountain itself could not withstand the force.

Cracks began spreading through the stone from the point of impact.

The fractures continued expanding from the inside before reaching the outer surface, spreading across the mountain in a spiderweb pattern. Large pieces of stone broke away and fell down the slope while the Chimera remained buried inside the mountain. Its body was still pressed against the rock by the force of the attack, and even its Ex-rank strength was not enough to immediately stop the momentum.

The Chimera with the four black wings suffered a different fate.

Its body was launched across the mountain range like a ragdoll, unable to regain control of its movement after Velmira’s punch. Its four wings flapped repeatedly as it tried to slow itself down, but the force behind the attack was too great for its wings to overcome.

BOOOOOM!

Its body crashed through the first mountain.

BOOOOOM!

Then another.

BOOOOOM!

Another impact followed as its body continued traveling through the mountain range, leaving large holes through the rock behind it. Stones and debris were thrown in every direction while the Chimera continued flying farther away from the battlefield.

It finally came to a stop after crashing into the side of another mountain.

Its body remained stuck inside the cave created by its own impact, with broken pieces of stone surrounding it. Its wings twitched several times as it tried to move, but its battered body trembled from the damage it had suffered.

The Shadow Chimera received the attack differently because its body had already begun dissolving into black mist. It had attempted to avoid the attack by changing its physical form, but the Spirit Energy released by Velmira still reached it.

The moment the force passed through its body, the Shadow Chimera felt a crushing pressure spread throughout its entire form. Its mist-like body violently scattered before gathering together again several meters away. However, the damage had already been done.

Its internal organs were damaged immediately.

Blood burst from its mouth, nose, and ears as its body staggered backward. The Shadow Chimera lowered its head for a moment before slowly raising it again, its red eyes remaining fixed on Velmira despite the damage it had suffered.

Azarion, who had been watching the entire scene, felt his eyes tremble.

’No...’

His expression changed as he looked at the three Chimeras that had been sent toward Velmira only moments ago.

He had expected them to stop her...He had expected them to at least buy time long enough for him to escape. Instead, all three had been severely damaged almost immediately after attacking her.

’At this rate, I won’t be able to escape!’The thought had barely formed in his mind when the Shadow Chimera suddenly moved.

The damage to its internal organs seemed to have done nothing to stop it. Its body turned into black mist before disappearing from its position, and a moment later, the mist gathered together directly in front of Velmira.

Its fist was already moving toward her face.

A mixture of Null and Spirit Energy covered its fist, causing the surrounding space to distort slightly from the force concentrated inside the attack. The power contained within the punch was far greater than what its damaged body should have been capable of producing, but the Chimera continued attacking without hesitation because the command inside its mind left it no other choice.

Protect Lord Azarion.

Kill whoever tries to harm Lord Azarion.

Velmira immediately responded.

This time...She did not use any Spirit Energy.

Her fist moved directly toward the Chimera’s incoming attack with nothing except the physical strength of her body behind it. She did not retreat from the attack, nor did she attempt to redirect it. She simply met the Chimera’s punch head-on.

BOOOOOM!

The two fists collided.

The impact spread through the surrounding area as the force from both attacks met in the center. The ground beneath them cracked from the pressure while the remaining stones around the battlefield were pushed away by the shockwave.

The Shadow Chimera’s body shook violently from the collision.

Velmira remained in place.

Her arm barely moved from the impact, and her expression remained unchanged as she stared at the Chimera directly in front of her. The difference between their physical strength was immediately obvious despite the amount of power concentrated within the Chimera’s attack.

Azarion didn’t wait to see the result.

The moment the two fists collided, he used every bit of speed available to him and fled from the battlefield. His figure shot into the distance as quickly as possible, taking advantage of the moment Velmira’s attention was occupied by the Shadow Chimera.

He didn’t look back. His only concern was creating as much distance as possible before Velmira could finish dealing with the Chimeras.

Velmira sensed his movement immediately.

She also sensed the other two Chimeras beginning to recover and move toward her again. Their bodies were damaged, but their Ex-rank strength allowed them to continue fighting despite the injuries they had suffered.

She didn’t pursue Azarion immediately. Instead, her eyes remained on the three Chimeras surrounding her as she finally understood what he had been planning.

’I see now.’ Her gaze moved toward the direction Azarion had escaped.

’This must be what he was planning all along.’ She looked back at the three Chimeras as she thought, ’To think he had created monsters capable of withstanding the physical prowess of a Special Ex-rank.’ That alone explained why Azarion had been willing to remain in the fight for so long.

Velmira could still sense Azarion rapidly moving farther away, but she didn’t stop him.

Her expression remained indifferent as she watched the three Chimeras begin moving again. Their bodies were damaged, but they continued advancing because the command controlling them remained unchanged, ’Escape all you want.’ Her eyes shifted toward the direction he had fled, ’I will end you even if I have to go to the ends of Hell itself.’

The next moment, Velmira moved again.

Her figure disappeared from the battlefield as the rage she had restrained for all these years was no longer being held back.