Chapter 103 Ch. 103: Chimera [2]
"Tsk."
The black-robed man clicked his tongue in annoyance and spat his mind.
"When someone is speaking to you, it's important to respond!"
Without warning, he lunged forward and swung his sword toward the white-haired boy.
—Bang!
Sparks flew as their blades collided and bound, the rough sound of metal rubbing against each other filling the air.
Adrian gritted his teeth.
The man wielded a sword while Adrian was armed with only a dagger, putting him at a clear disadvantage.
Realizing that he had no chance of winning the bound, Adrian lifted his leg to kick.
However, before his foot could connect, the man leaped backward and his disdainful voice rang out.
"Using your feet in a sword fight is blasphemy."
Who gave a fuck?
Adrian would justify any means as long as he could defeat him.
But just as he was about to make his next move, a dagger landed next to his feet, followed by Leticia's urgent voice.
"Use it!"
The man rushed in and Adrian swiftly kicked the dagger; propelling it into the air.
Adrian deftly grabbed the hovering dagger with his left hand and charged forward.
When the gap between them closed, their eyes locked in a fierce gaze, and with a fluid motion, they swung their weapons.
—Bang!
A shower of sparks erupted as their blades clashed.
The moment the man halted his dagger mid-air, Adrian seized the opportunity to strike with his other blade.
Nevertheless, the man quickly shoved his dagger away and parried his incoming attack.
—Bang!
Shortly, they continued to exchange blows.
—Bang! —Bang! —Bang!
The sound of clashing metal echoed through the air as Adrian and his opponent engaged in a fierce battle.
Leticia's heart raced upon watching the fight unfold in the distance.
She knew she couldn't fight, but that didn't justify staying still like a rock!
Fueled by a newfound determination, Leticia rose to her feet and scanned the surroundings for any possible way to help Adrian.
After a brief search, her gaze finally settled on a shelf that contained several large jars filled with peculiar creatures.
Suppressing her disgust, she opened the unlocked shelf and snatched up one of the jars.
—Whizz!
The man arched his back, narrowly avoiding the dagger before swiftly waving his sword to parry the boy's attack.
The sound of metal clashing against metal rang through the air.
—Bang!
Sparks exploded like fireworks as their blades collided.
Adrian launched another strike but halted midway when the man's knee connected with his abdomen, causing him to spit out a mouthful of saliva.
"Cough!"
Adrian was sent flying backward and somersaulted several times before coming to a stop.
He dropped to his knees, grimacing in pain as he clutched his stomach.
Seeing the boy's face twisted in agony, the man let out a wry smirk and spoke in a mocking tone.
"Thanks to you, I learned a new move."
'Damn it. It hurt.'
Adrian wiped his mouth, his eyes fixed on the black-robed figure in the distance.
'As expected from a man with such high agility, fighting him was quite troublesome.'
Not letting Adrian catch his breath, the man ready his sword and began to run toward the boy.
Sensing something hurtling towards him, the black-robed man quickly hopped backward.
—Shatter!
A jar crashed onto the spot where he had stood before, shattering into pieces and scattering glass all over the floor.
Leticia seized another jar and flung it at the man.
He raised his hand and deftly shoved it to the side, causing the jar to crash onto the floor.
—Shatter!
"Tsk."
The man clicked his tongue in annoyance and instantly dashed towards the girl.
However, he was forced to lift his sword when a dagger was rushed towards him.
—Bang!
Adrian brandished his other dagger, yet unexpectedly, the man caught his hand, twisted his body, and delivered a powerful kick to his back.
—Whack!
Adrian's body hit a nearby table and he could feel warm liquid sliding down his face.
"Ugh!"
With a groan, he clutched his forehead, and his palm was stained with blood.
Straightening his back, Adrian's cerulean eyes caught sight of interesting objects on the table.
Unbeknownst to him, the corners of his lips curled into a wicked smirk.
Without delay, he snatched one of them and turned around, only to be surprised by the black-robed man standing in front of him.
"Urk!"
Adrian gasped as the man grabbed his neck and pinned his body to the table.
"At first, I considered killing you immediately, but where's the fun in that? Keke."
The man sneered with a hint of sadistic pleasure.
"Cough, cough!"
Adrian struggled to break free, but the man's grip was too strong.
—Shatter!
The sound of glass shattering echoed through the room as the jar crashed against his head.
"Let him go!"
Leticia cried out.
Instinctively, the man in the black robe darted toward the girl in the distance.
Seizing the opportunity, Adrian quickly injected the serum he had taken from the desk into the man's neck.
"Arrghh!!"
The man in the black robe let out a guttural groan and immediately shoved his body away when a surge of pain surged through him.
Adrian tumbled several times on the hard floor, writhing in excruciating pain.
Despite the searing agony coursing through his body, the boy couldn't help but let out a manic laugh as he struggled to get up from the ground.
"Ahaha–cough, cough! Haha…"
His face contorted in pain, yet the laughter bubbled out of him uncontrollably.
"Aargh!"
A throaty groan escaped the man's lips as he clutched his neck in agony.
He stumbled backward and dropped his sword in shock.
With trembling hands, he frantically pulled out the syringe from his neck.
Horror etched across his face upon seeing the liquid inside was empty, a clear indication that the serum had already penetrated his body.
"What–what the fuck have you done?!"
He screamed in fury, his hands clutching at his neck.
Black veins began to emerge on his skin, spreading like a spider's web.
"Aarrghh!! Aarrghh!!"
The man's body jerked and convulsed, the movements unnatural and disturbing to witness.
His arm twisted and contorted to an impossible degree, the bones popping and splintering beneath the skin.
Adrian's laughter subsided upon watching the man's transformation with a mixture of fascination and spectacle.
Shortly, his arm began to expand, bulging with muscles that seemed to appear from nowhere, turning into a monstrous limb.
—Thud!
A long and large arm covered in thick blood fell to the floor.
It continued to writhe and twitch, and before long, sharp claws violently burst forth from its flesh.
"AarrGGGHH!!"
This time, it was his leg that transformed.
"Rian, why are you making so much noise?"
The Doctor tugged his head out from the curtain and his body jolted in shock after witnessing the scene before him.
The man called Rian turned his head and in one fluid motion, he grasped the Doctor's head with his newly acquired hand, effortlessly lifting him off the ground.
His body flailed helplessly within Rian's monstrous grip.
It happened so fast that Adrian's eyes couldn't follow his speed.
Also, it was clear that the man in the black robe had completely lost his mind.
The Chimera—not only transformed its user into a fearsome monster, but it also imbued them with lightning-fast speed and superhuman strength, doubling their power in an instant.
As Rian's hood slipped from his head, a shock of light brown hair was revealed.
Suddenly, his eyes underwent a startling transformation—his scleras turned as black as the night, while his irises blazed a fiery red, giving him an otherworldly and menacing appearance.
"Arrghh!! Aarrghhh!! Rian what are you doing?! Let me go this instant!!"
The old man's anguished cries filled the air as he desperately tried to wrench his hands free from Rian's merciless grip.
With every ounce of strength he possessed, he strained against the younger man's unyielding hold, but it was all in vain.
—Pop! —Splat!
The sound of cracking and shattering filled the air as the Doctor's skull fractured and caved in.
Bits of bone, shreds of flesh, and gouts of blood sprang from between Rian's fingers, the gruesome mixture painting the floor in a macabre pattern.
Rian crushed the Doctor's head with his bare hands.
Ignoring them, Adrian dashed forward and picked up the man's sword that was lying.
However, sensing something coming at him, Adrian immediately rolled to the side.
—Thud!
The old man's headless body landed not too far from him.
"Kiieeekkk!!"
Glancing towards the voice, his cerulean eyes widened at the sight of the Chimera charging towards him, its beastly fist poised to strike.
Wasting no time, Adrian leaped backward to dodge the attack.
—Boom!