Chapter 133: Cold
"Hahahahahaha~!" A young man’s wild laughter echoed through the forest as he slashed clean through the head of a mana beast in one fluid motion. The severed head sailed through the air as he delivered a powerful kick to the creature’s body, sending it crashing against a nearby tree trunk with bone-shattering force.
But before he could fully savor his victory, something lunged from the shadows with predatory intent. His reflexes kicked in with inhuman speed—he twisted mid-air after launching himself skyward in a graceful leap, his glowing sword carving a luminous arc through as it sliced the attacking creature cleanly in half. The wolf-like beast collapsed in two pieces, its single crimson eye still glowing malevolently even in death, its three tails twitching in final spasms.
"Is that all you’ve got... come on, give me something interesting!" he roared in pure exhilaration, his blood singing with the intoxicating thrill of battle. In a blur of motion, he dashed toward another creature that had been skulking behind a trunk, sword raised for a killing blow.
"Derrick!" A girl’s voice rang out with urgent alarm, and in the next instant, an invisible force yanked him backward just as the hidden creature’s eye snapped open, revealing something that ’Nearly’ terrified him. ’Nearly’ being the operative word—instead, Derrick grinned with manic delight, stomped the ground with enough force to crack the earth beneath his feet, and let his mana flare outward in golden waves.
"Thanks for the assist, Claire," he called out with that same reckless grin, swinging his sword in a wide arc. But the golden-eyed wolf’s body erupted in crackling lightning, its massive claws extending to meet his blade in a shower of sparks.
"Don’t you dare die on me, damn it!" he heard Claire’s frustrated voice carry over the sounds of battle, and he couldn’t help but chuckle internally. He’d never admit it aloud, but he genuinely treasured those moments when Claire worried about him.
BOOOOOOM!
The blade of his incandescent sword collided with the wolf’s razor-sharp fangs in an explosion of light and sound that shook the very foundations of the forest. Both combatants were blown backward by the tremendous force, but even as he flew through the air, Derrick regained his bearings with practiced ease. He slammed his feet against the ground and shot forward like a golden comet, leaving a brilliant trail of light in his wake.
"First Form!" he roared, his voice carrying the weight of absolute conviction. "UNTRACED!"