Era of Players: Death God

Chapter 125: [Phantom Sword]

Shrieks and panicked yelps reverberated throughout the underground chamber, accompanied by the clanging of dropped tools and the frantic scurrying of tiny paws. The air became heavy with smoke, causing Noah's eyes to sting even from his elevated position.

He wasn't proud of the chaos he had unleashed. The gnoll settlement, once a distorted reflection of life, now lay in ruins. But the alternative, a merciless slaughter from house to house, felt even more repulsive. This was a desperate gamble, a way to create an opportunity without resorting to complete annihilation.

With a solemn nod, Noah loaded a magical flame arrow onto his bow. He wouldn't target the fleeing villagers, refusing to contribute to the carnage. But any gnoll that emerged from the inferno with violence in their eyes would be fair game.

The first one emerged, a massive brute coughing and gasping for breath, desperation etched on its face. It locked eyes with Noah, a flicker of recognition igniting in its crimson gaze. But instead of fear, blind rage consumed the creature.

With a ferocious roar, the gnoll charged, its claws extended. Noah's heart ached, a fragment of his humanity refusing to be extinguished completely. But his duty, his purpose, remained resolute.

The magical arrow soared through the smoke, a streak of cerulean light finding its mark. It pierced through the gnoll's chest, erupting in an ethereal burst of flames. The creature crumpled to the ground, its charred lips releasing a silent scream.

Grief threatened to consume Noah, but he suppressed it. Sentimentality was a luxury he couldn't afford – not now. He transformed into a machine, a silent reaper, eliminating any gnoll that emerged from the inferno with hostile intent. Young or old, it made no difference. They had been infected, twisted by darkness, and posed a threat.

One by one, they fell. The initial surge of violence gradually subsided, until silence enveloped the chamber. Only the crackling of flames and occasional coughs from the depths of the cavern disturbed the eerie stillness. The sun began its descent, painting the sky with shades of orange and red, a bitter contrast to the devastation below.

Noah stood amidst the wreckage, a solitary figure. He wasn't a hero, nor did he aspire to be one. He was a harbinger of death, a necessary evil in a twisted world.

The smoke stung Noah's eyes even worse as he descended deeper, the air growing thick and hot. His boots crunched on ash and charred debris, a grim testament to the devastation he'd unleashed. But the silence that followed the slaughter felt heavy, unnatural. He pressed on, senses on high alert, searching for any sign of life, any hint of his true target.

Finally, a flicker of movement in the distance caught his eye. There, hunched over a smoldering pile of what looked like twisted metal, was a gnoll unlike any he'd seen before. Its armor, once proud and imposing, was warped and blackened, clinging to its body like a twisted second skin. But it wasn't the armor that sent a jolt through Noah – it was the creature's eyes.

They were hollow, devoid of any spark of life, replaced by a swirling vortex of inky blackness.

The gnoll held something in its massive hands, something small and frail. In a horrifying display of power, the creature squeezed, and the figure in its grasp turned instantly to ash, carried away on a wisp of smoke. A guttural growl, almost inhuman in its depth, erupted from the gnoll's throat.

"Gaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrr!"

The sound echoed through the cavern, vibrating in Noah's bones. It wasn't just a roar – it was a raw, primal scream of rage and despair. The gnoll chieftain, corrupted to a husk of its former self by the very darkness it wielded.

As the creature turned its head, its empty eyes seemed to lock onto Noah's position. It let out another growl, this time punctuated by a single, chilling word:

"Human… responsible… die."

Before Noah could react, the cavern floor exploded beneath him. A surge of dark energy, unleashed by the corrupted chieftain, propelled him with a sickening force. He flew through the air, a ragdoll flung across the burning village. The impact with the opposite wall sent a jolt of pain through his body. He slammed against the rough stone with a sickening crunch, the air knocked from his lungs.

A metallic tang filled his mouth as he coughed, blood trickling down his chin. His vision swam, a dull ache throbbing in his head. Despite activating his Mana's Armor, the impact had been brutal. He lay there, momentarily stunned, his golden eyes locked on the hulking figure in the distance.

This wasn't just a fight anymore. This was a battle for survival against a creature twisted by rage, desire for revenge. Noah gritted his teeth, a steely resolve hardening his gaze. He wouldn't die here.

A wave of nausea washed over Noah as he fumbled in his [Item Box], the world tilting precariously around him. With a desperate grunt, he managed to grasp two vials – a [Healing Potion] and a [Mana Recovery Potion]. Downing them in quick succession, a warm, tingling sensation spread through his body, coaxing life back into his battered limbs.

He barely had a moment to draw a shaky breath before the cavern echoed with the thunderous charge of the corrupted gnoll chieftain. Its form, once imposing, was now a grotesque parody of power, warped by the darkness it wielded. The hollow eyes burned with a malevolent hunger that sent shivers down Noah's spine.

Fueled by the potions, a surge of adrenaline coursed through him. He rolled to the side just as the chieftain's massive spiked club slammed into the spot where he had stood a heartbeat earlier. The impact sent a shockwave through the cavern, showering Noah with debris.

He scrambled to his feet, a plan forming in his mind. This wasn't a fight he could win with brute force alone. This monstrosity thrummed with dark energy, its raw power exceeding anything he'd faced before. He needed strategy, a way to exploit its weaknesses.

Focusing his remaining mana, a tendril of telekinetic energy pulsed outwards, wrapping around the charging gnoll. The creature stumbled, its momentum momentarily halted as it fought against the unseen force. This was his window.

With a flick of his wrist, Nemesis materialized in its bow form. Two [Magical Flame Arrows] materialized on the taut string, their tips glowing with an otherworldly blue light. He loosed them both in quick succession, aiming for the gnoll's hulking form.

The first arrow streaked towards the chieftain's chest, but with a roar of defiance, the creature swung its club, attempting to deflect the projectile. Noah anticipated this, using another sliver of his mana to guide the arrow with telekinesis. It exploded just before contact,

BOOM!

A wave of searing heat engulfing the gnoll's upper body.

The beast roared in pain, momentarily distracted. Noah seized this opportunity. With a silent command, the second [Magical Flame Arrow] changed course, veering towards the gnoll's left knee. Guided by his telekinesis, it slammed into the exposed joint with pinpoint accuracy.

KABOOM!

The resulting explosion was muted but brutal. Bone shattered under the force of the blast, and the gnoll's once powerful leg buckled beneath its weight.

''!!!!!!!!!!!!!''

A deafening scream erupted from the creature's throat, a primal howl of agony and rage. It crumpled to the ground, its remaining leg unable to support its immense bulk.

The cavern fell silent for a moment, broken only by the gnoll's ragged gasps of pain. Noah stood there, chest heaving, his body screaming in protest. He had landed a critical blow, but he knew the fight wasn't over. This monstrosity wasn't going down easily.

He cautiously approached the downed gnoll, Nemesis transforming back into its sleek sword form with a soft hum.

The creature watched him with a flicker of defiance still burning in its empty eyes. In that moment, amidst the smoke and devastation, Noah saw a flicker of something else – a hint of the gnoll it once might have been, a creature corrupted by something. It would be dangerous for him if he didn't quickly eliminate it.

Thus, he channeled the last vestiges of his mana into Nemesis.

"Fangs of Insanity: Phantom Sword!'' he rasped, the words laced with desperation and the strain of battle.

Nemesis hummed in response, a dark energy crackling around its sleek form. Then, in a blink, it transformed. Not into a familiar weapon, but into a shimmering, ethereal blade – a phantom sword bigger than Noah himself.

This was it. The ultimate technique he could use at his current stage. He lunged, the phantom sword blurring in a dance of lethal grace. The air itself seemed to warp around the blade, a testament to its otherworldly power.

Time seemed to slow. The gnoll chieftain, its remaining leg buckling under its own weight, watched with a flicker of something akin to surprise in its hollow eyes. Then, in a flash of obsidian light, the phantom sword passed through the chieftain's torso.

There was no spray of blood, no ragged gasp of pain. The chieftain simply… ceased to be. Its headless body crumpled to the ground, a puppet with its strings severed. The phantom sword dissolved with a wisp of smoke, leaving only Nemesis, its familiar form gleaming in Noah's hand.