Apocalypse Healer - Path of Death-Chapter 22B2 - No Break

“Of course, we’re not given any time to relax.” David sneered at the chaos unfolding far ahead.

They were still a few minutes away from returning to Arc, and from the looks of it, their return would have to wait a little longer.

“What’s wrong?” Melach asked, concerned.

“Well…” David’s lips twitched as he channeled Blood into his modified eyes. “It looks like some people found Arc. Humans.”

Hundreds of life signals flickered to life as the power of Blood augmented Bloodthrone Dominion—some potent, others not so much—but the lifeforce swirling before his eyes did not resolve the situation. If anything, it showed him with shocking clarity what was happening in the outskirts of the System Sanctuary.

“More details,” Zachariah said, sensing something was wrong.

“I can see Arc on the horizon, and humans… fighting Arc’s Protectors.”

The regressor cursed while Melach gasped before springing into a sprint. The elf weaved his wand and conjured an Earthen Elemental from the ground around him in a moment. However, the Elemental was smaller, four-legged, and a lot faster than the Earthen Golem. Melach leaped onto the Earthen Elemental’s back and disappeared.

“I don’t like this,” Zachariah muttered through gritted teeth.

David threw him a look. “You don’t say.”

They stared at each other for a moment and sighed in unison.

David didn’t have to think twice and used his Attribute Points.

[One Attribute Point has been used to enhance the User’s Mind.]

Lowest(+)(Intermediate) → Low(-)(Basic)

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[Three Attribute Points have been used to enhance the User’s Body.]

Middle (Intermediate) → High(Intermediate)

He discarded the notifications and their changes. Instead, he circulated Blood through his lower body and pressed his feet deep into the ground as he pursued Melach. Zachariah shot past him and followed the elf, catching up before they reached the battlefield.

But the distance to the battlefield was cut to a minimum in no time. The others arrived shortly, all while he caught up, his head flicking left and right to study the battlefield. He absorbed as many details as possible, but nothing explained the questions racing through his mind.

Which side are we on? David wondered as several flickers of life vanished on the battlefield. Several humans collapsed to the ground and stopped moving. But not only humans died. David leaped high into the air, using crimson shields as springboards to oversee the battlefield, and discovered dead elves, dwarves, tiracs, and other Protectors.

He didn’t know why they were fighting, but he disliked it. After the integration, David had spent most of his time in Arc and knew the Protectors sought only to defend the Sanctuary. He was also aware that Arc accepted natives of the Earthen Union into the Sanctuary.

And… there it was. David discovered humans fighting alongside Protectors against fellow humans.

What a mess. He winced, his hair standing on end when he saw a bright flash from below.

First, he noticed several projectiles flying Zachariah’s way, forcing the regressor to release several silver sword flashes. The incoming projectiles never touched Zachariah, but to David, it looked like they had set something off in him. The regressor accelerated again, his sword flashing as he cleaved a human in two halves.

David shuddered. But there was no time to dwell on it as icicles, fireballs, and dark mana projectiles hurtled toward him.

He conjured [Blood Aegis] before him, blocking all damage, but that did not solve all the problems. If anything, it started them.

Now I get it, David thought, suppressing his anger. He could finally understand Zachariah’s actions. The resolution behind the projectiles and the tingle of killing intent directed at him told David everything he needed to know. They wanted to kill them. Thus, they had to die instead.

David jumped to the ground again, casting and overclocking [Blessing] on himself, Zachariah, and Melach—including the Elemental. He dashed at the men and women who had attacked him a moment ago. Before his trip to the prehistoric Rift, it would have been difficult to differentiate them from the rest, but his body modification changed that. Bloodthrone Dominion showed him everything he needed to know. More projectiles headed his way, yet a simple crimson shield blocked them all.

David retaliated with [Blood Blast]. Several crimson projectiles manifested around him and shot toward his enemies. David watched them move and wave their wands, his expression turning grim as he unleashed his newest Intent, Bloodlust. The scenery surrounding him changed instantaneously. Everything around him turned crimson as Bloodlust burst out of David explosively.

More than half of the enemies ahead slowed and froze in their tracks, their eyes widening as if they were about to pop out just before [Blood Blast] struck. A cacophony of sickening crunches resounded as the bloody projectiles pierced their targets.

David’s lips parted instinctively, and a single Word of Power escaped. A moment later, his projectiles exploded. The targets’ eyes trembled—but only once—as the life in them faded. They collapsed to the ground while kill notifications flickered in the corner of his vision.

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His stomach churned, and he suppressed a shudder as he realized what the notifications entailed, but he pressed on. He cast [Blood Armor], shrouding himself in a thick, semi-translucent crimson membrane. David found it dull despite its hue, but he continued feeding it energy until all of [Blood Armor]’s components fully manifested. The membrane thickened as solid, plate-like sections formed, interlocking seamlessly.

It was his first time casting [Blood Armor], yet it felt oddly familiar. The solid parts resembled a smaller version of [Blood Aegis], surprising him for a moment. I can modify the armor as I please, he realized, shifting the plates slightly with a thought. He willed more into existence until he was well-protected yet unrestrained.

David moved freely, but he did not evade the incoming attacks. Several weak mana projectiles struck [Blood Armor], the plates absorbing everything. The damage transferred to the crimson membrane, dispersing across it. He felt the impacts clearly, yet the force spread evenly over his body, turning the attacks into a laughingstock. He barely felt them.

The Obsidian Blade, now in scimitar form, materialized in his hand as he reached the last of his attackers. Their life signals flickered wildly. One of them stumbled and fell as she retreated, but David paid her no mind. He applied [Slash] to his weapon and struck the first enemy. The man raised his wand, only to fail at blocking the incoming attack. David severed the wand and cleaved through his chest.

Blood spurted like a fountain, but it got worse as another Word of Power escaped David’s lips. The man’s torso burst open, showering the surroundings in warm blood. A kill notification flashed, but he ignored it, already using [Rend] to attack the next enemy. A man clad in thick leather armor was split in two, while the woman on the ground took a [Blood Blast] between her brows.

Once all enemies who had targeted him with killing intent lay dead, he turned.

Several groups of humans worked together, singling out Protectors and wearing them down before finishing them off. The numerical disadvantage of the Protectors hadn’t been obvious at first, but it was severe. He couldn’t even distinguish the unique life signals of one hundred otherworldly creatures among the hundreds surrounding them.

Though that seemed problematic, Zachariah emerged in the backlines, cutting down humans by the dozen. Nothing stood in his way—not with his speed, strength, and skill. David took note of the ease with which Zachariah killed humans. It was clearly not his first time.

But who am I kidding? This isn’t much different from killing Giants. If anything, it’s easier, David thought, uncertain how to feel.

Fortunately, more humans turned to attack him as their eyes landed on the corpses around him. Their intent to kill was all David needed to forsake any hesitation. He was certain they would show him no mercy if he faltered—so he did not give them a chance.

He recited Words of Power, expanding Bloodlust Intent while conjuring a dozen [Blood Blasts] at once. His enemies squirmed, but some still charged him even as Bloodlust reached them. Those who froze in place, however, died instantly, [Blood Blast] piercing their throats, foreheads, and chests.

More kill notifications flashed in the corner of his vision, but David focused on the figures rushing toward the fallen. He sensed holy power and grimaced.

Clerics? Well, I suppose that makes sense. Even bad guys need healers.

He accessed the Law of Blood, conjuring spikes that erupted from the corpses, impaling the Clerics.

He struggled to describe the sensation in his chest, but something about fighting Clerics irritated him. It shouldn’t have meant anything, yet their presence irked him more than the fight itself. David felt as if his very being found the idea of a Healer aiding his enemies revolting.

He wondered if it was tied to his Class and the moral code of a Lifeweaver but dismissed the thought. Even if his Primary Class had some innate dislike for fighting Healers—or the mere thought of his enemies having one—it wouldn’t change anything.

A humming broadsword came crashing down, but David sidestepped and drove his blade into the attacker. Though the man—likely a Warrior after his First Class Promotion—seemed stronger, David was faster. Or was it just his reaction speed? No, he realized—the Warrior wasn’t slow. He was hesitant.

He conjured a crimson shield, which shattered as an arrow struck hard. The projectile pierced [Blood Aegis] and cracked one of his armor plates. David channeled more Blood into [Blood Armor], repairing the damage before turning to the ranger. For a moment, he thought the ranger looked familiar—but he was mistaken.

A second arrow came for him just as a woman thrust a spear into his side. David reinforced his shield to weaken the arrow while taking the spear thrust head-on. He removed [Blood Armor] around the impact zone and leaned into the attack, grimacing as the blade pierced his flesh. The spearwoman smiled victoriously—but so did David.

He let the spear blade dig deeper as he inched closer, slashing her throat just as her triumphant expression vanished. Terror replaced joy.

In one swift motion, David yanked the spear from his side and cast [Restore] before turning to the last remaining target. He applied [Blessing] and [Holy Touch] to the spear, spun it in one hand, then flexed his muscles as he hurled it at the Hunter. The Hunter released a rapid volley of arrows, slowing the spear as it whipped through the air. However, David wasn’t done. He overclocked [Blood Blast] and released it right behind the spear.

The Hunter leaped aside and vanished into an explosion of dark mist, reappearing a dozen meters away before firing more arrows. David ignored them when he noticed something else—Melach’s four-legged Elemental tearing through the enemy ranks. It lunged at the Hunter, who vanished once more.

David dispatched the last of his attackers before turning to find Zachariah bleeding profusely. The regressor fought a Swordsman, supported by a Mage, a Healer, and a bow-wielding man—an annoying combination.

The Healer used something akin to [Blessing], though much weaker, channeling only average holy power—his Skill level was clearly inferior. Meanwhile, the Mage wielded abilities similar to Melach’s. However, instead of summoning an Elemental, he conjured earthen spears while setting his Swordsman’s blade ablaze.

David raised an eyebrow and overclocked [Blessing] to cast it on Zachariah. Simultaneously, he used [Symphony Control] to pull their attention toward Zachariah before charging in himself—after removing the Bloodlust Intent, of course.

Zachariah’s sudden surge in strength appeared to catch his enemies off guard. They fought more valiantly, but the regressor’s speed and power had increased considerably. Several Miniature Swords materialized around him as he struck the Swordsman in rapid succession. He launched the Miniature Swords at his other foes and slashed at a glowing arrow, splitting it in half. However, that left his side open.

Or so it seemed.

The Swordsman accelerated, lunging for the apparent weakness. Maybe the regressor had the means to block the attack, but David wasn’t willing to take that risk. He overclocked [Blood Aegis], conjuring his strongest shield between the Swordsman’s weapon and Zachariah’s side.

The shield cracked and shattered, but it robbed the Swordsman of his momentum. Zachariah spun, a devious smile forming as he unleashed a rapid flurry of sword slashes, each resembling shimmering starstreams.

A heartbeat later, the Swordsman’s head tumbled to the ground.