SSS Rank: Spellcraft Sovereign-Chapter 115: Drift (3)

One of the remaining figures stepped forward.

Then stopped. freewebnσvel.cøm

The one beside it moved a second later.

Then the third.

Lucen frowned.

"They’re staggering now," he muttered. "Slowing on purpose."

They weren’t attacking in sync anymore. Not fully. The delay was tight, just under a second, but obvious. A small delay loop. Human-style timing.

’Trying to break prediction patterns. Great. They learn now?’

He raised his hand again, low, fingers flicked twice.

[Shockweave Bolt] arced toward the closest one.

It dodged.

First one that had.

Lucen didn’t flinch. He stepped sideways into the snow, planted his foot, and muttered, "Cute."

The construct rushed him.

Blade down.

Lucen stepped into the swing, not away.

Let it pass behind his back by a hair and slammed his boot into its knee. Hard. It staggered, off balance just long enough.

[Burn Logic.]

A glyph flared at close range. Raw heat and distortion slammed outward like a hammer.

The figure’s chestplate lit up orange. It twisted, shoulder yanked sideways. Blade missed entirely.

Lucen grabbed it by the wrist, yanked it off center—

[Crater Bloom]

He dropped the mine under both of them.

It flared half a second later.

Lucen launched himself backward mid-blast, coat snapping behind him, while the construct was sent skyward and crashed into a tree trunk like a bad puppet show.

He hit the snow rolling, boots skidding.

[System: Mana 96 / 148]

[Recovery: Active]

One down.

Again.

Three left.

Lucen’s breath fogged out in short bursts. The cold didn’t hurt yet, but it was digging in.

He flicked his wrist. Archive scrolled to standby.

Then—

Crunch.

Behind.

No time to look.

He dropped flat, activated [Threadmask] in motion, image splitting as he fell.

The construct’s polearm swept above the false Lucen’s neck.

Lucen rolled beneath it, came up on one knee—

[Ignition Burst] into the torso. The flame hit at point-blank.

It staggered. Didn’t fall.

Lucen cursed under his breath.

"Alright," he growled. "Try this."

[Piercing Flare]

Thin beam. Fast. Zero delay.

It hit the joint in the construct’s shoulder where the plating split.

Snap.

Arm gone.

The construct dropped to one side, still twitching, blade stuck halfway into the ground.

Lucen didn’t celebrate.

’Two left. I’m not dead. Which means they’re still watching me.’

He turned. The last two had stopped moving. Both just standing. Perfect distance apart.

Same exact angle on their shoulders. Same foot placement.

Lucen narrowed his eyes.

Then spoke out loud.

"Okay. What’s the trick?"

They didn’t respond.

System pinged.

[Behavioral Pattern: Reset Loop Detected]

[Core Response Delay Imminent – Warning: Drift Field Shift Possible]

"...Drift field shift?" Lucen muttered. "You better not change the weather."

He lifted one hand again, no spell yet. Just testing.

The figures didn’t react.

Then one nodded.

Not much.

Just a sharp tilt forward. Once.

Lucen froze.

"What."

He didn’t blink.

Didn’t cast.

’Did that thing just answer me?’

Another slow nod.

Then the snow shifted again.

From behind the trees, left side, a sixth figure stepped out.

Taller.

Double the plating.

No weapon.

Just fists.

Lucen took a half-step back.

System triggered instantly.

[New Entity: Tier-Unknown]

[Warning: High-Pressure Signature Detected]

[Hostile Intent Confirmed]

The two original constructs stepped aside.

Made room.

Lucen stared at the bigger one.

It didn’t move fast.

Just raised one arm.

And flexed both hands like it was cracking its knuckles.

Lucen whispered, "Oh you’ve got to be kidding me."

Then it charged.

—

It didn’t sprint.

It powered forward, heavy steps, ice cracking underfoot, each stride pounding through the snow like the ground owed it something.

Lucen didn’t wait.

He dropped low, boots skidding back, and muttered through clenched teeth—

[Threadmask.]

His image split mid-step. Snow kicked up. The larger construct’s gaze didn’t flinch, it tracked the real Lucen immediately.

’Figures. No delay on this one.’

He flicked both hands.

[Shockweave Bolt], cast left.

[Ignition Burst], cast right.

The first spark went wide. The second landed. The creature didn’t stop.

Lucen backstepped. Ice-blue fists came crashing down where he’d been. The shockwave cracked the frost layer wide. Trees rattled.

Lucen’s mana ticked down fast.

[Mana: 78 / 148]

’Big guy, low finesse. Let’s test burn-through.’

He slid sideways and cast [Piercing Flare], point blank into the lower ribs, angled slightly up.

The beam carved a narrow line through the construct’s side.

It staggered. Once.

Then kept coming.

Lucen spun.

Dropped [Crater Bloom] under his own feet.

Waited.

Half-second.

Jumped back as the explosion flared.

The construct got caught full-force. Lifted slightly.

Lucen didn’t give it time to recover.

He dove forward and cast [Frost Spire] mid-air, spike fired into the creature’s shoulder, locking its balance.

[Soundlash.]

Final cast.

Close range.

The concussive wave cracked outward. The construct’s head snapped to the side, and the plating along its neck split open like peeled armor.

Lucen landed, one hand braced in the snow.

The creature fell.

No scream. No twitch.

Just dead weight. Steel and frost.

System pinged hard.

[EXP Gained: 84]

[Class Bonus Applied: +9.2]

[System Notice: Drift Field Stabilized (Temporary)]

[Core Pressure: Receding]

Lucen stood slowly.

Snow settled again.

His breath came out in short clouds.

’Alright. That was rude.’

He rolled his neck once. Checked his left shoulder. Ached. Not broken. Gloves slightly scorched on the palm.

Then he turned toward the tree line, deeper into the drift.

And saw someone already standing there.

Long coat. Silent posture.

"Seriously?" Lucen muttered. "You were just watching?"

Varik stepped forward, hands in his pockets.

"I said I’d follow."

"You said tomorrow."

"It’s been a few hours."

Lucen narrowed his eyes. "You’re the worst alarm clock."

Varik didn’t argue.

He walked up to the downed construct. Nudged it once with the toe of his boot. "Efficient."

Lucen raised an eyebrow. "You expecting more of them?"

"I’m expecting worse."

Lucen sighed.

Then said, "So you just watching from now on?"

Varik nodded. "I want to see how far you go without help."

Lucen muttered, "Great. Wilderness internship."

Varik smirked, barely.

Lucen turned away and stepped over a collapsed tree root, deeper into the frozen woods.

The wind picked up again. No more enemies yet. But the temperature dropped fast.

His system pinged:

[Environment Hazard: Moderate / Hypothermic Risk in 42m]

’Forty-two minutes,’ Lucen thought. ’That’s just rude.’

Varik’s boots crunched behind him.

Neither of them said anything else for a while.

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