Chapter 528: The Harpies
The moment I turned around, a gust of wind hit me—not from the natural currents of the sky, but from the beating wings of something alive.
I narrowed my eyes.
There, hovering in a tight formation, were winged figures—humanoid in shape but in no way human. Harpies, and it was six of them.
Their upper bodies were distinctly feminine, with pale blue-gray skin stretched taut over lean muscle, each movement of their arms blending seamlessly into wings of feathered grace. Their faces were fierce, angular, with slanted crimson eyes that glowed faintly with killing intent. Long, tangled hair—ranging in color from ashen black to blood-red—whipped wildly in the wind. Their legs were like talons, elongated and scaled, ending in clawed feet sharp enough to tear through steel.
Each one radiated mana—wild and unforgiving. Even at full health, it would be troublesome to deal with them they were probably rank A or A+
My mana reserves were running thin. Just staying in the air was taxing. Worse yet, my high-rank skills Ancient dragons’ wrath and Ice embodiment were off the table. They required more mana than I could safely channel. The ice embodiment didn’t require that much mana but it had to be maintained continuously which was a leak in a tank.
Running away wasn’t an option, with six of them winged and at least as fast at me or even faster and stood no chance, taking on the vultures in the sky which was their dominion was a bad choice.
Still, I clenched my fists and getting a firmer grip on my sword ready to take action.
Their leader floated slightly ahead of the others. She was taller, her feathers darker, and a faint aura of wind magic rippled around her wings. A twisted gold ring circled her left ankle—clearly some sort of magical artifact.
Her eyes locked with mine, and without warning, she screeched—a deafening, grating cry that vibrated through the air like shattering glass.
They had seen the battle. The vultures—likely relatives or rival kin—had been slaughtered. Whether out of vengeance or duty, the harpies had come for blood.
"I don’t have time for this..."