Apocalypse Healer - Path of Death-Chapter 15B2 - Joining Sides

Zachariah handed everyone a small potion belt filled with glass vials.

“I spent some time concocting a few potions. Not many—too few for my liking—but their quality is quite alright since I used the plants we harvested earlier,” he explained, handing David one of the vials. “I didn’t give you or Melach any of the normal poison vials, but there are three Blood Secrum Poisoning potions in your pouch.”

David had never heard of such a poison, but he nodded.

“As long as you increase their potency with the Law of Blood when you coat your soulbound weapon, you will be fine,” Zachariah said with a wink. “Eliminating Regional Bosses should be feasible if you do it right.”

David raised an eyebrow at that and inspected the crimson liquid in the glass vials. There were five in total. He could sense an abundance of lifeforce in two potions, suggesting they were healing potions and could be used to replace his healing Skills in an emergency. That was good, though David couldn’t tell how useful they would actually be.

By the time I use these potions, I’ll already be out of Blood—and probably on my last lifeline, he thought, exchanging his regular belt for the alchemical one.

His hand hovered over the three Blood Secrum Poison potions, and he felt the blood used to concoct them—Zachariah’s blood. It radiated a lethal quality as his fingers traced the smooth glass vials, almost as though the blood within the potion was deadly on its own. Sharp and dangerous.

David analyzed the blood and the other components used in the Blood Secrum Poison until he noticed that everyone else seemed finished with their preparations. With everything ready, they departed and returned to the surface.

“Where are we going?” Melach’s uncertain voice reached him. David turned toward the others, watching as Zachariah shrugged.

“I think it’s fair to assume that more Giants have come to raid the Rift. Or, if my guess is correct and the Rift Core releases Origin Essence, they will claim the Core and the surrounding area to absorb as much Origin Essence as their bodies can handle,” Zachariah explained, sounding confident.

“That sounds plausible. Since we encountered a pair of Giants from different tribes, we can assume more of them are already in the prehistoric Rift. And since the Rift hasn’t been destroyed yet, your Origin Essence theory might as well be correct,” David agreed with Zachariah’s assessment. “That being said, you think the Rift Core is located where the Stone Giant and Berserk Giant came from, right?”

Zachariah smiled but didn’t respond. That was all the confirmation David needed.

“Let’s go then. Slay a few Giants and prehistoric monsters,” Torb grunted, looking tough on the outside. But David knew better—the dwarf’s lifeforce was in disarray. He was scared.

Torb walked past Zachariah, heading toward where the Giants had come from. The regressor smiled and followed suit.

“How’s your Mana Core?” David asked Melach as their eyes met.

The elf smiled. “I overdid it a little earlier, but I’m fine now. Thanks to Zachariah’s mixture, my Mana Core feels firmer than before.”

His shoulders slumped down and he sighed deeply, “I was stupid. It was a foolish mistake to overdraw my mana reserves. But when I saw the Berserk Giant…”

Melach shuddered and looked sadly at David, “Berserk Giants—or, to be fair, almost all Giant tribes—are considered incredibly dangerous. Elves have some history with a few Giant tribes, which is probably something everyone regrets. We are taught a lot about the Giant Wars and Triton Massacres…enough to respect Giants, even though it’s been centuries since the last elf reported the sighting of one.”

Melach was the first elf to encounter a Giant in centuries? If that was true, he had done remarkably well, David thought. He analyzed the elf’s life signal and was surprised to find that Melach’s lifeforce was much calmer than Torb’s. The elf seemed more worried than truly afraid.

“You must have a lot to report to your family once we’re done here,” David said, patting Melach’s back. “I’m sure they’ll be proud of you when they hear about your achievements. Claiming a natural, Rare 3-Star Rift and contributing to the death of several Giants on top of everything else doesn’t sound too bad.”

He hadn’t planned on consoling Melach, but keeping allies motivated was never a bad idea. David’s words had done the trick.

The elf’s eyes lit up, and he bolted ahead to join the others, leaving David behind.

David followed the trio, his smile fading as Words of Power spurted from his lips. There was no time to waste. He began sharpening his focus for the next battle—one he was certain would be their last.

They had encountered too few Regional Bosses roaming the prehistoric valley and heard—or saw—too few deadly battles. The stillness was unnatural, far too quiet for David’s liking.

***

A battle royal, David thought, the corner of his lips curling up.

“Why are you grinning like a fool? That is bad. Like really, really bad!” Melach hissed at him.

David glanced back at the elf, cocking an eyebrow. “I am excited. That’s why I’m smiling. Do you have a problem with that?”

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Melach’s lips parted, but he said nothing. Torb, on the other hand, laughed awkwardly. “Right... I think we forgot you’re going crazy for a good fight. You’ve been too tame since we entered the prehistoric Rift.”

“I was trying something,” David said, glancing at Zachariah, still smiling. “But it doesn’t work.”

He shrugged. “But back to the matter at hand. This is not bad. It is the best we could have asked for—perfection!”

Melach scowled at him, but Zachariah intercepted. “David is right. This is actually good for us.”

Even Torb looked confused now.

It had barely been a few minutes since the Aether density around them increased again. David had never sensed so much Aether in one spot before. However, there was something else—was it Origin Essence? The faint energy brushed against his senses, sharper and more potent than the surrounding Aether. He reached out instinctively, feeling it settle within his body. But the energy did not enter his Source to replenish Blood. Instead, it nestled in his body, strengthening him.

Is that all it does? Settle down, making you feel stronger? David wondered while his eyes drifted across the battlefield ahead, channeling Blood into them.

The first figures he spotted further away were Giants—dozens of them. His gaze settled on several Berserk Giants wielding massive weapons, though he noticed other types of Giants as well. A dozen Stone Giants, some Berserk Giants, and four other types of Giants roared at their enemies, weapons resting in their hands.

But they did not fight each other. They fought together, teaming up against the prehistoric monsters charging them.

Among the masses of prehistoric monsters, David recognized several powerful creatures. The lifeforce in them was enormous, overwhelmingly so. It hurt his eyes to look at the bright masses of life clashing with the Giants ahead.

So that’s what the Regional Bosses and Main Boss are at, he recognized, finally making sense of the situation. He discovered more than half a dozen prehistoric animals circling the Giants, attacking them from all sides. But some creatures—those with the strongest lifeforce—attracted his attention the most.

There was a tall monster David recognized as a Tyrannosaur, which tore through the row of defending Giants with ease. Its head plunged down, and its maw snapped shut, biting off half of a Giant’s upper body in an instant. The Tyrannosaur sustained several deep cuts from the Giants’ double-headed axes, but the wounds weren’t deep enough to slow it down. It continued its rampage, killing two more Giants before a large frame looming over the others stepped forward, stopping the Tyrannosaur in its tracks.

How many Silver Ranks were there? David wondered, casting a second glance at the battlefield and spotting a familiar, heavily-armored Brontosaur. His heart leaped out of his chest, and he smiled. It was the same one that had squashed Torb, and it continued its destructive work by bulldozing Giants before vanishing into thin air. The Giants unleashed magical attacks everywhere, cleaving through the air where the Brontosaur had been a moment ago, but David didn’t see any blood. The massive creature escaped the Giants’ wrath. So did the creature descending from the sky.

David did not recognize it at first. It had a long neck and broad, leathery wings that shaded part of the battlefield. He only recalled the animal when he heard Zachariah mumble, “Quetzalcoatlus.”

The Quetzalcoatlus descended from the air, its massive hind legs snatching two Giants off the ground. With a powerful swirl, it ascended again, releasing the Giants mid-flight and hurling them through the air. Moments later, its beak parted, unleashing a crackling beam of electricity that struck the airborne Giants.

David watched as their life forces dispersed rapidly. They were dead before hitting the ground. The Quetzalcoatlus let out a piercing screech as blue projectiles resembling [Arcane Blast] struck its body and exploded. Though David could tell the mana projectiles were stronger than Melach’s, the enormous creature seemed unscathed. Only its anguished cry suggested the attacks had done any damage at all.

The battlefield roared with chaos. Screeches, growls, and thunderous clashes echoed from every direction. David's sharp gaze flicked to a massive Stegosaur-like monster, unleashing a relentless barrage of magic projectiles. Nearby, a horde of small, heavily armored creatures covered in spikes tore through the Giants’ ranks. They shrugged off brutal axe swings and destructive spells as though they were nothing.

But nothing compared to the Allosaurus. Coated in a thick layer of frost, it moved like a living glacier, freezing everything in its path. The sheer power and carnage sent a shiver through David, but it also stirred something within him—a primal excitement.

The battlefield stretched endlessly, even more chaotic than the warzone against the Darkai Horde. Yet David’s heart pounded with exhilaration, the thrill of the fight coursing through his veins.

“Why in Fortress’ name would you—or anyone—consider this a good thing? Joining this fight is suicidal!” Torb shouted, his voice laced with disbelief. His eyes widened as a flock of Pteranodons dove into the fray, their sharp talons slicing through Giants with terrifying precision.

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At first glance, it seemed like the Giants were on the losing side, but that wasn’t the case. A massive Giant stepped forward, gripping the Tyrannosaurus Rex by the tail and hurling it toward the Quetzalcoatlus as it descended once more. The two titans crashed into the ground with a deafening roar.

Half a dozen Berserk Giants immediately advanced, their massive axes slashing through the Tyrannosaur’s thick hide. They aimed for its vital points, whittling it down, blow by blow, until its movements grew sluggish. Meanwhile, the Quetzalcoatlus screeched in fury, its wings flapping furiously as the onslaught continued.

“It’s good because they’re fighting each other, weakening one another,” Zachariah said, his tone calm and calculating. “Of course, if we let the Giants win, they’ll receive multiple racial boons from the System. Their racial compatibility with the Core would make them even more of a threat.” He waved his hand dismissively. “But the details don’t matter. What matters is that if we wait, we’ll have fewer problems—and weakened enemies.”

David nodded, but a smile crept across his face. “But that’s not what we’re going to do.”

“We’re not,” Zachariah agreed, a knowing smirk tugging at his lips.

“Why not?” Melach asked. His voice wasn’t fearful—he sounded genuinely curious, as if trying to make sense of their plan.

“Because the prehistoric animals are losing,” David said, raising an eyebrow. “We want to be on their side, help them win. Not by a lot, just enough to ensure the Giants don’t trouble us later. Once that’s done, we’ll deal with the dinosaurs—wounded and on the verge of death—and eliminate everything standing between us and the Rift Core.”

Melach’s frown deepened as he listened. “So…we become their allies and then backstab them once it’s over?”

David shrugged. “That’s about it.”

“Only if they don’t let us claim the Rift Core,” Zachariah added, his gaze fixed on David, who merely shrugged again. It might have worked with the Xenoceratops, but he didn’t believe the prehistoric predators would surrender the Rift Core to them —not with how territorial and prideful they seemed.

“If you say so,” he muttered, taking one step at a time.