Chapter 53: Victory!
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This would be the last skill he could comfortably pop if he wanted to keep aura in reserve for upcoming battles. His Aura regeneration is very slow. Kai hammered forward, ignoring the growing bruise in his side. He battered Rok’tar’s leg, aiming for the same spot he’d tested earlier.
The alpha’s chitin cracked faintly, a spiderweb line forming from repeated hits. Each blow that drew true damage from the alpha (not merely a deflection or a near-miss) inched the monstrous beast toward its demise, but he had to keep hitting, keep pressing until the alpha’s HP dropped to zero.
Thren and Renna scrambled along Rok’tar’s flanks, slashing and drawing the alpha’s attention away just enough for Kai to slip in more lethal strikes. Lomar, severely wounded, still mustered enough courage to lob ranged stingers from the side, chipping further away at the beast’s stamina.
Meanwhile, Vexor guarded the rear line, ensuring no lesser beasts interfered. That left the alpha’s front wide open for Kai’s assault. Darius was playing an act of fighting with two Star beasts.
Rok’tar, aware of the mounting danger, unleashed its Vicious Tail Swipe in a wild, unpredictable arc. Through the haze of Aerial Sensory Boost, Kai saw the tail’s tension a fraction of a second before it whipped around.
He dove down feeling the wind of the massive tail passing overhead, the force strong enough to break multiple trees behind him. A blow like that would deal more damage than 200 HP. Kai survived a critical hit.
"No time to think of fear," Kai admonished himself. "Only the kill matters."
He capitalized on the alpha’s slight recovery time post-tail swing. With legs coiled, he sprang upward at Rok’tar’s flank, lodging his mandibles into the jagged crack. The alpha bellowed, rearing back with convulsive fury.