Chapter 585: Alpha (1/2)
The burning embers of [Hatchetman's Rage] kept Zac standing through the frenetic absorption from his [Void Heart] as scores of wolves were drowned or crushed by [Nature's Punishment] before the manmade calamity was ended prematurely. Each thump from the Hidden Node caused a bout of dizziness, but Zac forced his mind to focus as he gazed at the remaining wolves.
As for the wolves that had been swept away by the tsunami, he didn't really care. Almost half of them had died judging by the streams of energy that still entered his body, and the survivors shouldn't be in any state to cause any more trouble. Billy and Thea were long out of sight, and Zac felt a huge weight had been lifted from his shoulder. He just needed to keep these rabid bastards at bay for a bit longer before he could retreat as well.
However, he would only escape if he really ran out of options, especially after having activated [Hatchetman’s Rage]. He really didn’t want to stop while his [Void Heart] still absorbed energy. Something important was definitely happening inside the Node, and Zac didn't want to ruin it at this juncture.
It might be evolving, or it might be fusing it with the extremely pure Dao Energy of the Tribulation lightning to create something amazing.
Besides, Zac still had some cards up his sleeve, though the same could obviously be said about the Alpha. A gibbous moon had appeared a hundred meters above its head, and it was no doubt the source of the earlier beam. The moon was different than the earlier one though, as a single look with [Cosmic Gaze] indicated that it didn't draw any energy from the other wolves. Zac didn't feel any restrictions either, which hopefully meant that the moon wouldn't be able to whittle down his large-scale attacks.
The new moon might have been lacking some functionality, but it clearly had some other abilities to make up for it. Its luster gradually increased in intensity as the alpha howled, and Zac guessed that another beam was incoming. His mind raced as he tried to think of a solution. The last attack was just too fast, and he wasn’t confident in countering its speed. The second skill of [Love's Bond] would no doubt be able to block it, but he had already wasted one of his aces for this fight.
It took a lot of resources and time to light up the two fractals of [Fate's Obduracy] after using it against the cultists, and he wasn't sure he'd be able to restore the skill again before he met his real enemies. He couldn't waste limited skills like his bronze spark or [Death's Embrace] against these wolves, as it was just a chance encounter with the wildlife.
Thankfully there were some other options available now that the whole battlefield wasn't locked down.
Zac's arm strained as a massive axe appeared above his head, and the first swing of [Deforestation] was launched the moment that the second pulse of the moon shot toward him. The wave of destruction and the beam of lunar light clashed in the air between the two, and Zac’s brows scrunched when he actually couldn’t cut through the moonlight.
It was rather the beam that crushed his cutting wave, though it lost almost all its strength doing so. The rest was quickly dispersed by a swing of Zac’s axe. The moon itself dimmed considerably as well, and it shrunk from a gibbous moon to a half-moon. That no doubt meant that the conjuration had more charges in store. But so did Zac.
The Infernal Axe appeared while the shockwaves of the first clash had yet to ebb, and Zac immediately launched it toward the wolf pack. If the Axe of Felling barely fell short, then the second swing should get the trick done. Better yet, it appeared as though the moon needed a few more seconds to charge up its next attack. It gave Zac time to create some wholesale slaughter in the meantime.
A rippling wave of flames crashed toward the wolves, and there finally was a primal fear deep within their eyes. Not even the drowned shrubbery in the surroundings was spared as they were incinerated the moment the Infernal Axe crossed their path.
The alpha was obviously far smarter than a regular beast, and it seemed to understand that its pack was in a bad spot. It released another keening howl into the sky, and the scores of wolves around it quickly followed suit as their bodies started to radiate lunar light.
Zac’s brows first scrunched at the scene, but his confusion was quickly replaced with shock as the howling wolves turned into pure light that was swallowed by the moon. Each infusion increased its luster by a noticeable degree, clearly cutting down on the time the skill needed to attack again. Zac couldn't believe what he was seeing.
Not only had the wolves activated what essentially was a War Array before, but they were even able to coordinate some sort of sacrificial skill now. The half-moon released a blinding wave of light the next moment, this time a widespread radiance that was a match to the incoming wildfire in width.
Fiery gouts and white flashes turned the battlefield into a blinding hellscape, and Zac was forced to close his eyes from the intensity. However, [Hatchetman’s Spirit] was still active, allowing him to narrowly dodge a series of errant blasts of chaotic energies. A large number of the wolves weren't as lucky, and yet another dense stream of Cosmic Energy was gobbled up by the Hidden Node.
The last round of energy seemed to finally have satiated the [Void Heart] though, and Zac could finally breathe out in relief as the incessant beating stopped. However, the fact that the node didn't seem to demand any more energy wouldn't stop Zac from releasing the final axe. The last alpha wolf was looking a bit worse for the wear, and it couldn't have too much energy left after unleashing these powerful attacks.
If Zac could kill it along with a last batch of elites then he would get a round of energy just for himself, and it would definitely be enough for him to gain another level. Perhaps even two levels depending on how much the alpha provided. That would put him at level 85, and it wasn't completely unheard of to gain some sort of class quest at that point. Most got their second quests at level 90, but it wasn't an iron-clad rule.
The ominous Axe of Desolation took shape above his head even before the chaotic energies of the battlefield had abated, and his arm strained as he begun the third and final swing. However, an extremely scary stream of almost impossibly condensed energies was suddenly spat out of the [Void Heart], and it started to rampage through Zac's body as though it was looking for something.
It felt like a stream of lava was burrowing through his body, and Zac was completely unable to maintain the skill because of the pain. A small gust of the ashen desolation shot out toward the wolves, but it was a far cry from the true power of the final swing of [Deforestation]. The alpha wolf quickly noticed Zac's wretched state as he was lying on the ground spasming, and its eyes lit up as the remaining crescent moon actually shot straight toward him like a projectile.