Legendary Extraction: Kingdom Builder in a Ruined World-Chapter 40: Dealing With The Arcane Threat [2.]

"MASTER—ABOVE YOU!"

Vael’s voice sliced through the air like a blade through silence, warning of danger from above. But Elias didn’t need to be told—he had already sensed it.

Without a moment’s hesitation, he twisted his body sharply. Power surged through his limbs as he moved, and in the blink of an eye, he vanished from the spot. Just then, two sharp wind blades screamed down through the air, tearing through the place where his head had been only moments ago. The wind howled as the blades crashed into the ground with enough force to crack the earth. The impact echoed like thunder all around them.

Elias landed several meters away, his boots sliding across the dirt before he came to a stop. His heart pounded as he looked back at the fresh cracks splitting the ground where he had just stood.

If I had hesitated even a second... he thought grimly.

From above, a figure dropped down. Her landing was both graceful and deadly. She crouched as she touched the ground, then slowly stood tall, her presence commanding and dangerous. ƒreewebɳovel.com

She was stunning—unnaturally so. Long silver hair flowed over battle-worn armor, scarred with scratches and stained by the marks of countless battles. Her skin was pale, like moonlit marble, and her face held a delicate beauty. But her eyes were different. They didn’t match the rest of her appearance. Her vivid blue eyes glowed faintly, and within them burned a violent madness—more beast than human. Just meeting her gaze was enough to put Elias on edge.

In both hands, she held sharp silver blades, their edges gleaming under the sunlight. Her gaze locked onto Elias.

"You’re fast," she said, her voice soft and sweet—but laced with lethal intent.

Elias didn’t answer. His eyes shifted past her, focusing on something behind.

Emerging from the branches of the tree behind her came a creature that made his breath catch in his throat

It was a spikedtail snake.

Nearly four meters long, its dark green scales shimmered with jagged purple lines. Its tail, shaped like a serrated blade, dragged behind it. The creature’s glowing purple eyes held the same wild madness as the woman’s.

It opened its mouth and hissed, showing black, jagged fangs dripping with a thick, purplish venom.

Elias’s eyes narrowed as the truth clicked into place. Garrett had been right—this was the beast she had been fighting. But the fight hadn’t ended with her killing it. It had ended with it being possessed.

A chill ran down his spine.

One arcane soul... but multiple bodies. How many more?

As if to answer, the forest around them stirred.

Thud. Thud. Thud.

Three figures dropped from the trees, landing around Elias, Vael, and the undead dire wolf. They formed a circle, closing them in.

Elias quickly scanned the newcomers. All three were armored humans. One was huge, wielding a massive axe, while the other two carried swords. But what caught his attention was their eyes.

That same glow. That same madness.

They were possessed too.

Elias clenched his jaw. These had to be Kael and Veran’s former guards—possessed by that arcane race member during the caravan battle not long ago.

"What the hell is wrong with these people..." Elias muttered under his breath, eyes sweeping across the strange group now surrounding them.

But he didn’t have the time to think more on it. A fight was coming.

With a flick of his wrist, a clawed gauntlet materialized from his inventory, instantly wrapping around his right hand. At the same time, Vael unsheathed the twin daggers at his waist. His face was blank, but his glowing eyes told another story—sharp with focus and deadly intent.

Then—

Vael moved first.

A blur of motion.

He charged straight toward the silver-haired woman like a shadow streaking through the trees.

[Smoke Veil]

He activated the skill the moment he got close, and in the blink of an eye, his entire body burst into white mist. The fog exploded outward, blanketing the battlefield in thick haze. The trees disappeared into the cloud. Even the ground became hard to see.

Hidden in the mist, Vael activated Phantomstep. The ground beneath him cracked as he shot forward at frightening speed, moving like a ghost through the fog, straight toward his target.

But even that wasn’t enough.

"I see you."

Her voice came through the mist—sweet and sharp, like sugar wrapped around a blade.

In the next breath, Vael appeared behind her, his dagger aimed straight at her ribs—a clean strike in any normal situation.

Clang!

She spun with impossible speed, blocking his strike with one sword while slashing with the other. Sparks lit up the fog.

Vael twisted just in time. The blade missed his neck by inches. He flipped back, landing lightly on his feet. No blood was drawn—but it was close. Too close.

His eyes narrowed, from that one exchange, he could already tell she’d be a tough opponent.

While that fierce clash echoed behind the fog, Elias had his own problems.

The three possessed guards were already closing in on him. He reacted fast.

With a silent command, the undead dire wolf lunged forward, going for one of the guards. The clash was instant, the two locking into a vicious battle.

But the other two rushed Elias, weapons raised and eyes burning with unnatural violence.

A battle axe came down toward him. Elias ducked low, feeling the wind split above him as the blade missed by a hair’s breadth.

Without pause, he spun and kicked the attacker in the knee. A sharp crack followed—but the man didn’t even flinch. His glowing, violent eyes simply stared back as he raised the axe again.

It came again, this time aimed at Elias’s stomach.

"Shit—!"

Elias twisted to the side, barely dodging. But the danger wasn’t over. A second guard had crept up behind him, thrusting his sword forward.

Elias reacted, tilting his head just in time. The blade missed anything vital but still sliced along the side of his neck, leaving a thin line of blood.

The sting of steel burned. Elias’s eyes flashed with anger.

He grabbed the sword with his gauntlet-covered hand, yanked the man forward, and slammed his elbow into his chest. The force sent the man stumbling back.

Before the guard could recover, Elias spun and delivered a powerful reverse roundhouse kick to his chest.

CRACK!

The man flew several meters back, crashing into a tree with a heavy thud.

But Elias didn’t smile. He didn’t relax.

A cold feeling crept up his spine. His instincts screamed—move!

He dashed sideways just in time.

SPLASH!

Purple venom splattered the ground where he had just been standing. The moment it hit, the earth began to sizzle, steam rising as it corroded the soil.

Elias looked up sharply.

The spikedtail snake had tried to flank him, its massive body weaving like a shadow through the trees, eyes glowing with venomous intent.

Elias narrowed his eyes. "Sly bastard..."

But before he could chase after it—

AWWOOOO!

# #

[AN_ Thank you for supporting the book so far! Please don’t forget to keep showing your support by leaving reviews and comments—it helps me know how much you’re enjoying the story.

Also, the mass release event is still ongoing! For every super gift, 5 bonus Chapters will be released!]

Foll𝑜w current novℯls on fre𝒆web(n)ovel.co(m)