Extra's Ascent

Chapter 70 70: No, We Don't

"Camelia, take the rear. Aldrich, you take the centre. I'll go in first!" Ian barked, his voice steady as he immediately charged at the alpha wolf.

The creature had grown even larger, now towering over them like a massive two-ton truck, almost matching the size of the Kraken.

But Ian showed no fear, no hesitation.

As he closed the distance, he began his attack sequence, conjuring wind razors in rapid succession.

The gusts of razor-sharp wind sliced through the air, aimed straight at the alpha wolf.

But the wind razors merely bounced off its fur without leaving a mark.

The wind razor simply did not have enough slashing force to go through the skin of the alpha.

Cursing under his breath, Ian slid his feet to a stop, shifting his stance as he drew on a more powerful wind technique, the Wind Torrent.

A forceful spin of air swirled into being, resembling a fan on full blast.

The wind spun with enough power to slice through bone, capable of crushing anything in its path.

But before the torrent could make contact, the alpha wolf raised one enormous paw and slashed through the air, effortlessly tearing apart the Wind Torrent like it was nothing.

"A peak beta? No... It's at least an almost predator rank!" Ian muttered, sizing up the beast as he kept his distance.

His mind raced as he

Aldrich rolled toward him and was thankfully caught by Trevor.

Then, Trevor quickly pulled Aldrich away, distancing him from the alpha as the beast suffered from the lightning ball's aftereffects.

The four regrouped, eyes on the alpha as it staggered, still dazed but far from defeated.

"Aldrich, your arms! You're bleeding!" Trevor exclaimed, his voice laced with concern as he examined the deep scratches on Aldrich's arms.

Aldrich glanced at the blood trickling from his arms.

His mana skin had failed to protect him fully from the alpha's claws.

No, failure was too big of a word. If he didn't have the mana skin to protect him, his body would have been far more damaged than this.

"It's too fragile," Aldrich muttered under his breath. "I should have known."

It didn't shield him completely, but it did enough to keep him up on his feet and in the game still.

That was plenty enough.

Camelia, seizing the moment while the alpha was stunned, summoned an earth spike from the ground beneath the wolf.

The sharp, jagged rock shot upward, aiming to pierce the wolf's hide.

But the wolf's skin was too tough, and the spike shattered upon contact, rendering the attack useless.

"That won't work! We need an artefact to penetrate its skin!" Aldrich warned, his voice sharp with frustration.

"No, we don't need an artefact!" Ian replied, his eyes burning with determination. "Aldrich, create a cover. Camelia, find a way to immobilize the alpha. We only need a second."

Aldrich nodded, his mind already formulating the plan. "I won't be able to hold it down for long, Ian!"

Ian looked like he had a plan, and Aldrich was in. The questions are saved for later.

"I don't need long," Ian shot back. "Even a second will be enough!"

Without another word, Ian charged once more, his speed unmatched.

"What about me? What do I do?!" Trevor asked, still unsure of his role in the plan.

"Stay clear!" Aldrich snapped as he followed behind Ian, his focus razor-sharp.

Running just behind him, Aldrich's mind raced with thoughts of what Ian had in store.