Chapter 563: Harbider
Once the woman vanished into the twisting labyrinth of canyons, Vlad fixed his full attention on the Voroe Sage. Lightning flickered in angry bursts around Harbider’s metal-infused body, the air heavy with the acrid scent of ozone and scorched rock.
A jagged wound marred his midsection, courtesy of Vlad’s earlier laser blast, yet the Voroe still wore a feral grin. Metallic, razor-like teeth gleamed in the dim light, hinting at the cruelty that lay behind them.
"You must be feeling confident, human," Harbider sneered, arcs of electricity dancing along his colossal claws. "I admit that your laser beam was powerful—but if you think it was enough to take me down, you’re sorely mistaken."
Vlad met the Voroe’s taunt with silence. Instead of replying, he lifted his black sword, intensifying the wrathful energy flowing from him. Lines of red lightning-infused flames crackled along the blade’s edge, manifesting the destructive resonance between Vlad’s power and the runic enchantments embedded in his weapon. In response, Harbider’s metallic plating glowed brighter as if provoked by the challenge.
For a stretched moment, Depravita and Vorometallicae measured each other’s strength amid the looming canyon walls. Sunlight trickled down from far above, illuminating the rugged depths of the Howling Chasm like a grim stage. Every shadow in the ragged rock seemed to hold its breath as though the entire valley awaited the outcome of this duel.
Then, in a flash of movement that belied his massive frame, Harbider launched himself forward. Dust and stone fragments exploded behind him, evidence of the power coiled in his legs. In an instant, he had closed the gap, one claw blazing with electric energy as he aimed for Vlad’s torso.
Vlad’s dark eyes flared with lethal intent. He stepped forward—and vanished, leaving behind only a flickering distortion of space. Harbider’s attack crashed down onto the empty ground, generating a thunderous boom. Sharp bits of rock spiraled upward from the impact, rattling off the canyon’s walls.
Off to the side, Vlad reappeared in a burst of speed, his blade raised. Channeling Wrath-fueled momentum, he brought the sword arcing downward in a diagonal slash. Crimson lightning-infused flames trailed in its path, then slammed into Harbider’s flank, sending molten bits of metal spraying across the canyon floor. A furious snarl tore from the Voroe’s throat, echoing off the cavernous walls.
"Bastard!" Harbider roared, voice laced with pain and rage. Though Vlad’s strike had carved a deep cut in his plated torso, it was insufficient to slow him down. The hulking Voroe retaliated with a swift, sideways swipe of his monstrous claw, fully intent on splitting Vlad in half.
Vlad’s eyes narrowed. Reacting instantly, he raised his black sword to block, bracing it before his chest. The Voroe’s strike crashed against the blade in a shower of sparks, sending violent tremors through Vlad’s arms and hurling him backward through the air. Yet Vlad twisted his body mid-flight, using his formidable reflexes to kill the momentum and land more or less gracefully a short distance away.