Dimension System: SSS Rank Talent Awakening

Chapter 195: The Ambush

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The first light of dawn painted the forest in a muted gold, the sun’s rays barely piercing the dense canopy above.

Dabi’s team moved cautiously, their pace deliberate as they navigated the rugged terrain. The forest stretched endlessly before them, an oppressive maze of twisted trees and undergrowth.

Jeni limped slightly, her movements slow but determined. Her arm, though healed enough to move, still felt heavy and weak.

Zen trailed close behind her, leaning on one of his twin swords as a makeshift cane. His injured leg throbbed with every step, but he gritted his teeth and pushed forward.

Loira walked at the rear, her staff glowing faintly as she cast minor wards along their path. The sigils she left behind shimmered briefly before fading into the air, creating an invisible trail of protective energy.

Dabi led the group, his sword drawn, his senses sharp. His hand occasionally brushed against the Core, now encased in the translucent barrier Loira had conjured. It pulsed faintly at his side, a constant reminder of the power and danger they carried.

"Are we even going the right way?" Jeni asked, her voice strained but laced with dry humor.

"Yes," Dabi replied curtly, his eyes scanning the path ahead.

"Sure doesn’t feel like it," Zen muttered.

Loira sighed, her tone clipped. "It’s the Core. Its energy is distorting everything around us. The sooner we find a place to stabilize it, the better."

As if in response, the Core pulsed again, its energy rippling faintly through the air. The trees around them seemed to groan, their branches twisting unnaturally.

"We don’t have much time," Loira added, her gaze flickering toward Dabi.

Dabi’s grip tightened on his sword. "We’ll manage."

Dabi was thinking where Saint (Oracle) Calvin went. He said he will wait for them outside. Did something happen? Dabi could fell something is wrong.

As if his instinct were warning him.

He could fell someone or something is watching them from the shadows. He could pin point the exact location.

The forest grew denser as they moved deeper, the trees closing in like silent sentinels. The air became colder, carrying with it a strange, almost metallic scent. Dabi paused, his eyes narrowing.

"Something’s wrong," he said, raising a hand to halt the group.

Zen leaned heavily on his sword, his sharp eyes scanning their surroundings. "What is it?"

Loira’s staff glowed brighter as she extended her senses. "I don’t know, but there’s a presence nearby. It’s…watching us."

Jeni pressed her back against a tree, her hand instinctively going to the hilt of her dagger. "Great. Just what we need."

The rustling of leaves was their only warning. From the shadows, a pack of creatures emerged, their forms grotesque and twisted.

Their bodies were hunched and sinewy, their eyes glowing with an unnatural light. Fangs glistened as they snarled, their clawed hands scraping against the ground.

"Aetherial Hounds," Loira whispered, her voice tight with fear. "They’re drawn to the Core’s energy." The barrier I created last night must be losing its power.

We have finish everything quickly. Otherwise more and more monster will come.

Dabi didn’t hesitate. He stepped forward, his sword flashing as he struck the first hound. The blade sliced cleanly through the creature, its body dissipating into black smoke.

"Stay close!" he sought’s, his voice commanding. They aren’t that strong individually.

"Don’t let them make a group." We have to kill them before they get the chance to attack in group’s .

The hounds already form multiple groups, their movements fluid and deadly. Zen pushed off the tree he was leaning on, his twin swords spinning in a defensive arc.

He managed to deflect two of the creatures, but the effort sent a jolt of pain through his injured leg.

Jeni darted forward, her dagger finding its mark in a hound’s throat. The creature howled, its body disintegrating as she pulled back.

Loira stood at the center of the group, her staff glowing with a brilliant light. She slammed it into the ground, releasing a wave of energy that sent several hounds flying.

"Focus on the ones closest to you!" Dabi shouted, cutting down another hound that had leapt for Jeni.

The battle was brutal but brief. One by one, the hounds fell, their bodies vanishing into smoke. When the last of them had been dispatched, the group stood in silence, their breaths ragged.

"Is everyone alright?" Loira asked, her eyes scanning the group.

"Peachy," Zen muttered, though his face was pale.

Jeni wiped her dagger clean on her sleeve, her expression grim. "That wasn’t random. They were hunting us."

Dabi nodded. "And they won’t be the last."

The group pressed on, their pace quicker now despite their injuries. The Core’s energy pulsed more frequently, as if agitated by the battle.

"We need to get out of this forest," Loira said, her voice tight.

As they neared the edge of the forest, the air grew colder. A faint mist hung in the air, obscuring their vision. Dabi raised his hand, signaling for his team to stop.

"Something’s not right," he said, his eyes narrowing. Again I am felling something .....

Before he could finish taking and anyone could respond to him, a volley of arrows rained down from the trees.

"Ambush!" Dabi shouted, diving to the side.

The arrows struck the ground where the group had been standing, their tips glowing with an unnatural light.

From the shadows, armored figures emerged, their movements precise and coordinated.

Loira asked. Who are they?

"The Council’s Hunters maybe," Dabi said slowly, his grip tightening on his sword.

The leader of the group stepped forward, her silver eyes gleaming beneath her helmet.

"You’ve gone far enough," she said, her voice cold and authoritative.

"Handover the Core, and we’ll let you live." Our mission is to only collect the core.

Dabi stepped forward, his sword at the ready. ’Not a chance.’ Then why didn’t you try to get it by yourself? Why are you waiting here?

The leader sighed, drawing a gleaming blade from her side. "I was hoping you’d that."

Why would I risk my life if someone else is doing everything for me. I just need to take it from you. And I will get a lot of money. Hah Hah Hah. Laughing loudly. Find exclusive stories on NovelBin.Côm

"She ordered, kill every single of them." We don’t want to leave any evidence. Our client wants to keep the core for himself.

Then Hunters attacked with ruthless efficiency, their movements honed and disciplined.

Dabi met the leader head- on, their swords clashing in a shower of sparks. She was fast, her strikes precise, but Dabi held his ground.

"Zen and Jeni fought side by side, their injuries forgotten in the heat of battle."

Jeni’s dagger flashed as she danced around her opponents, her movements quick and fluid. Zen’s twin swords spun in deadly arcs, cutting down any who dared come close.

Loira stayed at the center, her magic shielding the group from incoming arrows. She muttered an incantation, and a burst of energy sent two Hunters flying.

"Hold the line!" Dabi shouted, his voice cutting through the chaos.

The leader of the Hunters pressed her attack, her blade whistling through the air. Dabi deflected her strikes, his muscles straining under the force of her blows.

"You can’t win this," she said, her tone calm despite the intensity of the fight. "The Core doesn’t belong to you."

"It doesn’t belong to anyone," Dabi countered, slamming his sword against hers.

The battle raged on, the forest echoing with the clash of steel and the crackle of magic.

Clank! Woosh!

The Core pulsed violently, its energy spilling into the air. The ground trembled beneath their feet, and the Hunters hesitated, their eyes flickering toward the artifact.

"What’s happening?" Zen shouted, his swords cutting through another opponent.

"The Core’s destabilizing!" Loira yelled. "It’s reacting to the conflict!"

Dabi’s mind raced. If the Core unleashed its full power, it wouldn’t just destroy the clearing— it could obliterate the entire forest.

"Loira!" he shouted. "Can you contain it?"

"I’ll try!" she replied, her voice strained. I can’t guarantee anything.

She planted her staff into the ground, her hands moving in complex patterns as she chanted. A glowing barrier began to form around the Core, its energy flickering as she struggled to maintain control.

"Keep them off her!" Dabi ordered.

Jeni and Zen fought with renewed vigor, their injuries forgotten in the face of desperation. Dabi faced the Hunter leader once more, his strikes faster and more aggressive.

"You’re outnumbered," she said, her voice sharp. "Give up while you still can."

"Not a chance," Dabi growled, his sword clashing against hers.

Loira’s barrier is solidified around the Core, its energy stabilizing slightly. The tremors in the ground subsided, and the oppressive tension in the air lessened.

"Got it!" Loira shouted, relief flooding her voice. But I don’t know how long it will last. We have hurry up.

Don’t waste time everyone. Just focus on defeating the enemy. Loira yelled. I will look after the core.