Steven frowned at the sight of his Knight being flung away like basic crap, his eyes dropping briefly to the blade of the longsword in his hands before he shrugged.

"Such a hassle."

His gaze trailed straight back to the monstrous Disaster, the sinister bird already preparing for its next attack, its bloodshot eyes fixated on the young Awakened with murderous intent.

But Steven did not panic.

He took a practiced battle stance and flashed his blade through the air a few times, the sharp whistle of steel slicing through the wind aimed mockingly at the monster.

{Rampage Blast}

{Mana: 480/500}

Steven activated the lethal Rampage Blast, the morbid ability he had stolen from the Dreadling in the First Realm. No blast of energy erupted outward. Instead, the blade of his sword gleamed as it became coated in a soft, ominous grey glow.

He coated his sword in the condensed energy of the Rampage Blast, concentrating it solely into the tip of his longsword. This consumed far less mana, and from his training, it certainly dealt far more damage than releasing a wide blast.

With that, he charged forward at the Horrid, his blade held close to his side as he rapidly closed the distance between himself and the beast.

The Disaster attacked, flashing its talons at Steven in an attempt to impale him mid-charge. But the young Awakened was far more experienced. With calculated steps and precise footwork, he sidestepped the attack and slashed his sword at the leg of the Disaster.

His blade struck true, tearing halfway into flesh and bone. He did not complete the swing. Instead, he ripped the blade free and followed through instantly, thrusting straight into the Grotesque Fiend’s throat—piercing through its feathered neck, past the forced muscles of its gullet, and out through the back of its hind neck.

The Disaster shrieked at the unbearable force of the attack, its eyes widening in shock as it lashed out with its other talon at Steven. The strike came too close for him to evade normally, the sheer speed of a Disaster being something to fear.

But Steven had planned for this.

{Stun has been used}

The system flashed before his eyes, and for a fleeting second, the Disaster froze mid-attack. That single moment was enough.

Steven sidestepped cleanly, evading the talon’s range as he dislodged his sword before the creature could move again.

His movements were refined, honed by relentless determination and perseverance during his time in the Sanctuary. He was faster now, more efficient, knowing how to properly use his entire body and skill set in harmony. That was the only reason he could stand against a Disaster.

Even so, this was still an insane feat.

For a single Awakened to hold his own against a Disaster, Steven was undeniably on another level.

He took a few steps back as the Horrid snapped its rows of jagged teeth at him, missing his head by less than a foot. At that moment, the Grey Knight Nott had already recovered from the earlier attack.

Widening his stance, a crude metal spear wove itself into Nott’s grasp, formed from trails of sizzling, unstable light.

Taking aim, the Grey Knight hurled the spear with all his strength at the vicious Horrid.

The spear tore through the air and, with terrifying precision, struck directly at the monster’s eyeball. The metallic weapon skewered upon impact, failing to fully penetrate the reinforced eye, but the damage had already been done.

That single moment caused the Fiend to falter.

And that moment was all Steven needed.

Stamping his foot hard into the obsidian ground, he used the full weight of his body to lunge forward, thrusting his sword toward the distracted Horrid’s chest.

The creature noticed too late. It attempted to take flight, wings beginning their first powerful flap, but it was already doomed. Before it could gain any height, the engulfed longsword ripped through its feathers and reinforced skin as if slicing through water, tearing ruthlessly into the Disaster’s chest.

The monster opened its mouth and shrieked in agony, dark, sizzling blood spraying violently as it thrashed backward in pain.

The hot, acidic blood poured onto Steven’s skin, causing his flesh to burn instantly. His hands turned red, skin peeling as raw flesh became visible with each passing second under the corrosive fluid.

Still, he did not relent.

Here and now, he would kill this Disaster, no matter the cost.

"Is this all a Disaster can offer?" Steven taunted, ripping his sword free from the tight, burning wound he had carved into the monster’s chest.

The Horrid shrieked once more, its face twisting into pure rage as it lunged forward in a sudden, unexpected counterattack.

The strike was fast—clean, lethal, and predictable.

But Steven did not move to attack.

Why would he?

He had the Grey Knight.

Nott sprang forward, abandoning ranged attacks entirely. The Grey Knight had already realized such methods were useless and refused to repeat the same mistake twice.

Reaching the behemoth, Nott leapt onto it, spreading his arms wide before clamping them around the Disaster’s throat in a crushing bear hug. A sharp, crackling noise erupted as immense pressure was applied.

"KIEUUUUUK!"

The Horrid thrashed violently, a horrifying shrill tearing from its maw. Pain erupted through its entire being as terror set in, the suffocating fear of being choked to its inevitable end flickering in its fading gaze.

Steven pulled his arm back, lips curling into a grin of unmistakable victory. He planted his feet firmly, shifting into a sturdy stance as the skull of the monster became his next target.

If the beast refused to die from a pierced heart, then only one option remained.

The brain.

"If you survive again and again, I will continue to cut your disgusting existence until I steal your ability, you wretch!" he snarled, ramming the tip of his sword forward toward the skull of the Horrid.

Then—

Steven yanked his blade back abruptly, retreating before the sword could even touch bone.

That was no longer his priority.

He leapt backward just in time as a massive figure crashed into the obsidian outcrops, sending mounds of black grit exploding into the air alongside a foul, rancid stench that assaulted his senses.

Steven’s face tensed, brows arching in dread as another grotesque Horrid revealed itself, wings spread wide, deliberately blocking him from delivering the killing blow to its fellow Disaster.

"Damned bird!" Steven hissed, tightening his grip on the hilt.

But that wasn’t all.

He had allowed the battle to drag on for too long.

Shadows gathered around him, many of them.

Steven slowly raised his gaze to the sky, his blood running cold as several dark silhouettes descended rapidly.

Four more Disasters.

Diving straight toward him.

"Shit!" he spat.

With that number, Steven was hopelessly outmatched. Skill and power meant nothing here—without question, he would be torn apart.

{Ding}

{The Horrid has used a skill}

{Disaster Skill: Horde of Shadows}