I Died and Received an SSS-Rank Unique Ability-Chapter 83: Price for Victory

Then, he saw it.

A monstrous figure thundered into view, its clawed hooves pounding like war drums, shaking the earth. This abomination—half-man, half-nightmare—was a twisted fusion of sinew, steel, and sorcery. Its lower body, a grotesque quadruped rippling with muscle, ended in hooves that shattered stone. A barbed, poison-tipped tail lashed behind it.

From the waist up, it looked broad, scarred, and brutal. Four arms wielded various weapons, including a rune-etched spear, a massive mace, and dark twin blades. Jagged gold and violet armour crowned its frame, making it both regal and infernal.

Its face, part-masked and horned, bore a teal mane that flowed like a war banner. Chains draped across its chest, adorned with glyph-marked skulls that glowed faintly in the dark.

The stench of blood and brimstone clung to it. With every heartbeat, the air thickened with dread.

Its weapons tore through human soldiers as if they were made of paper.

Vale rolled forward, narrowly dodging the massive mace that crashed down toward him.

Countless abilities were hurled at the abomination, but it remained unmoved by the attacks.

He saw soldiers fleeing, desperate to survive—but the creature noticed. It chose the runners first, tearing through them with savage precision, leaving severed limbs and blood-soaked earth in its wake.

Their numbers dwindled by the second. The once-overwhelming force was thinning fast, reduced to a scattered few.

Vale joined the fray.

His blade of hellfire clashed against the spear. The impact sent a jolt through his arms—he barely held on.

He leapt back, just avoiding the mace’s crushing swing, as Ayla dashed in.

Her dagger traced a clean line across the creature’s lower body, but the monster’s thick hide resisted. Her usually devastating strike left only a shallow scratch.

Vale activated his Unique Ability. Black flames coiled around his blade as he charged forward again.

But the creature refused to stay still. Its four legs cracked the ground as it launched forward, smashing through anything in its path.

Vale gritted his teeth and gave chase.

But it was too fast. He watched helplessly as it tore through more soldiers, his legs unable to close the distance.

Realising he couldn’t catch up, he summoned his Spirit.

The Ice Dragon materialised at his side and, without a word, obeyed.

With a deep breath, it unleashed a wave of frost.

The target wasn’t the creature—it carved a circle of ice around the battlefield, hoping to trap it inside.

The creature slowed, just barely, as ice walls rose around it.

Vale activated his Frostpiercer. A rain of ice spears descended. Some struck true, but most missed. The monster kept moving even as ice fell from above, fire surged from below, and blades closed in.

Centaurion pressed on. It painted the ground crimson with its carnage.

"We can’t do it!"

"Run!!"

Cries of despair rang out across the battlefield.

Vale glanced across the countless fallen soldiers. It was too late to run. Too many had died. Their sacrifice had to matter.

He charged in, meeting the creature head-on. Dain joined him an instant later. Together they struck, exchanging blow after blow, but failed to land a single clean hit.

Black flames tore the air, but Centaurion moved like smoke, just out of reach, again and again.

Then, just as Vale braced to miss again, weight slammed into the creature, halting it for a breath.

Ayla activated her ability. Heavy toll dug at her core as she fought to keep the creature at bay for a single moment.

And in that moment, Vale struck.

His flame-engulfed blade tore through the air and severed one of the creature’s legs. It stumbled, losing balance as it hit the ground.

Before it could rise, a massive stone crashed down—Ezra’s Unique Ability. The impact shook the battlefield as it slammed into the creature’s colossal form.

For a heartbeat, the world held still.

Then the stone shattered into fragments, and the monster emerged from beneath the rubble with a thunderous roar.

But Vale was ready.

The absence of the Voice announcing a kill was all the confirmation he needed—he knew the monster wasn’t dead yet.

Black flames erupted from his hands as he stretched them toward the rising monster.

Its roar vanished in an instant, its menacing figure swallowed by the surge of dark fire. Centaurion’s weapons flailed inside the blaze, slashing wildly in desperation, but the Ravenous Flame was relentless.

Vale poured everything he had into the attack, feeding more and more into his ability. The flames roared louder and fiercer—until finally, they sputtered and faded away.

His mana was gone.

He dropped to one knee, breath ragged, as the price of draining his core hit him like a hammer. His vision blurred, but through it, he saw the monster engulfed in black fire. Not even its screams pierced the flames.

Everyone stood frozen, watching in silence as the blaze consumed the creature. When it finally flickered out, only a half-burned corpse remained.

[ You have slain an C-Rank, Corrupted Monster, Centaurion of Snowveil ]

"Corrupted?" The word echoed in Vale’s mind before everything went black.

This time, the darkness felt different. It was warm and gentle, as if welcoming him with open arms.

"I’ll never get used to this," he thought, just before a muffled voice began to pull him back.

"Vale!" Ayla called out, trying to shake him awake.

"He’s fine, it’s just—" Klein began speaking, but before he could finish, Vale jolted upright.

He gasped and looked around—there was no sign of the monster.

Then memories came flooding back, fragmented but vivid.

"We won," Ayla said softly, a tired smile ghosting across her face.

Vale turned his gaze across the battlefield. Slain bodies littered the ground, submerged in pools of spreading crimson. The stench of blood still hung thick in the air.

"Did we..." he murmured, trailing off as the full weight of what had happened crashed into him.

He quickly counted who remained—himself, Ayla, Klein, Dain, Ezra, Iris and a few others... that was all.

Only ten in total had survived the clash with the Centaurion

His expression darkened as the cost of their victory sank in. They had won—but the price was great