Seeing the situation spiral out of control, Jenny panicked. She quickly raised her hands to defend herself, summoning a pale blue energy shield in front of her.
But before the water-elent energy could fully form, the giant centipede was already on her—barreling forward like a runaway semi-truck.
BOOM!
The sheer force of the impact shattered the half-ford shield with a deafening crash.
The monstrous centipede barely slowed down. Its massive body only paused for a split second before lunging forward again.
"Oh no!"
Jenny's heart dropped. The creature was right in front of her now—there was no ti to dodge.
With no other choice, she stepped forward, shielding her daughter with her own body. She crossed her arms over her chest and braced herself for impact.
WHAM!
A brutal force slamd into her. Pain exploded through her arms, and then—nothing. Numbness. Her body was flung backward like a baseball hit out of the park, flying dozens of feet through the air.
She hit the ground hard, tumbling over and over before finally skidding to a stop.
Covered in dirt and dust, Jenny coughed, a tallic taste rising in her throat. She nearly vomited blood.
"MOM!"
Ellie's voice cracked with panic. Tears stread down her cheeks as she turned to look, her little face twisted with fear and worry.
"Ellie!" Jenny forced her eyes open—and what she saw made her blood run cold.
A grotesque centipede head had slithered up behind her daughter, its mandibles twitching with excitent. Its body writhed, saliva dripping from its jaws.
Children's flesh—softer, sweeter—was even more tempting than an adult's.
"Run! Ellie, RUN!"
Jenny's voice was hoarse, her eyes wide with terror.
"Mommy! Waaaah!" Ellie sobbed uncontrollably, frozen in place. The fear, the shock, the sight of her injured mother—it was too much. She didn't know what to do.
Behind her, the centipede lunged forward, its massive body coiling, jaws wide open, ready to swallow the little girl whole.
"No!" Jenny scread, crawling forward, her hands clawing at the ground. But her body wouldn't respond. She was too weak. Too slow.
The monster was almost there.
Despair crushed her chest like a vice.
Was this it?
Was her daughter going to die too?
She'd just lost her husband. Now her daughter was about to be devoured—just like him.
The sa nightmare, playing out all over again.
Was this her fate? To lose everything?
Jenny couldn't accept it. If Ellie died, there'd be no reason to go on. She might as well join them—wherever they were.
The centipede's jaws were inches from Ellie.
Then—suddenly—a machete sliced through the air, trailing flas behind it. It ca down hard, straight onto the centipede's head.
SHHHHRK!
The blade screeched as it cut through the monster's armored skull, sparks flying. But with the power of fire-elent magic behind it, it sank in deep.
The centipede shrieked in pain. Blue blood gushed out like a fountain. It recoiled, its massive body thrashing as it backed away.
Chris stepped forward, machete in hand, planting himself between Ellie and the beast.
"I told you I'd protect you—and I ant it."
Jenny stared, stunned. He'd saved her daughter. Her heart swelled with emotion.
Maybe… maybe he wasn't just so cocky show-off after all.
Ellie, still crying, looked up at him with wide, grateful eyes.
"Thank you… for saving ."
"No problem," Chris said with a casual wave, though inside he was thinking, Classic damsel-in-distress mont. Nailed it.
"Don't worry," he added, gripping the machete tighter. "I won't let that thing lay a finger on you."
He shifted his stance, holding the flaming blade in front of him. His expression turned serious, eyes burning with determination.
For a mont—he actually looked like a real hero.
The centipede, now bleeding and enraged, let out a furious screech. It didn't care about the pain anymore. It was going to attack again—harder, faster, deadlier.
"Don't be scared! I'm here," Chris said, throwing a quick glance over his shoulder. "Step back a little so you don't get caught in the crossfire."
"Oh… okay." Ellie nodded obediently, backing away without hesitation.
Up ahead, the centipede reared its massive head, hundreds of legs twitching in unison. Then it surged forward at terrifying speed, a blur of chitin and fury charging straight at them.
Chris locked eyes with the beast, his breath growing hotter, the air around him shimring with heat. The temperature spiked fast—he was building up power.
Flas burst to life in his palm, racing up his arm like wildfire until his entire body was engulfed. He looked like a man made of fire.
The machete in his hand humd with energy, the flas licking along its blade growing even more intense.
The centipede was almost on him now.
Chris gripped the machete with both hands and swung down hard, aiming to cleave the monster in two.
But the centipede wasn't stupid. The mont it saw the fire, it twisted its massive head to the side—dodging with surprising precision.
"What the—?"
Chris's eyes widened. He'd been charging that strike for nothing.
Before he could recover, the centipede's side ca barreling toward him like a freight train. The wind howled in his ears—there was no ti to dodge.
BOOM!
The impact sent Chris flying. He arced through the air like a ragdoll and crashed down hard right next to Jenny.
"Ughhh—damn, that hurt!"
Jenny blinked, speechless. Just a second ago, he was all "I'll protect you," and now here he was, face-first in the dirt beside her.
So much for the big hero mont.
Truth was, Chris was only a little above B-rank. Against a monster this size, he was clearly outmatched.
He'd missed his shot—and now they were in trouble.
Jenny's heart pounded. "This thing's too strong… What do we do now?"
The centipede wasn't letting up. After swatting Chris aside, it grew even more aggressive. Its jaws opened wide, ready to tear into the nearest human.
That's when Brandon stepped in.
He raised his hand and activated Blood Burst.
Instantly, the centipede's legs froze mid-motion. Its entire body jerked to a halt, twitching violently as if caught in an invisible grip.
But the thing was just too damn big. Brandon's current power wasn't enough to hold it for long. After a few seconds, its legs began to tremble again—starting to break free.
Still, that brief pause was all they needed.
From the distance, a figure ca sprinting toward them—fast. His footsteps thundered across the ground, growing louder with each stride.
Mid-run, his body crackled with energy, lightning dancing across his skin as he entered Fearless Berserk mode.
Sean's eyes sharpened, his expression calm and focused. He raised a fist and launched himself at the centipede.
In that mont, his strength rivaled that of an S-rank power-type Awakener.
His punch tore through the air like a missile, slamming straight into the centipede's forehead.
BOOOOM!
The impact was devastating. The centipede's armored skin rippled like water under the force. It didn't even have ti to scream—its massive head exploded on the spot, chunks of flesh and black blood spraying everywhere.
"Interrupt my dinner again, I dare you," Sean muttered, brushing off his knuckles.
With flawless timing and teamwork, he and Brandon had taken the monster down like it was nothing.
The centipede's headless body collapsed with a heavy thud, a grotesque mountain of twitching limbs. Even without a head, its legs still spasd, a testant to its freakish vitality.
Jenny stared, stunned speechless.
She'd never seen anything like it.
So he's the real powerhouse in this team… she thought, her heart still racing.
Guess you really can't judge a book by its cover…
…
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