Chapter 78: Brutus vs. The Elf

Chapter 78: Chapter 78: Brutus vs. The Elf

Brutus stood still.

His arms were crossed. His muscles were relaxed. His expression was calm.

The elf was on the ground.

Bloodied. Broken. Beaten. His silver hair was matted with blood. His green eyes were half-closed. His breath came in ragged gasps.

Brutus watched him. He didn’t move. He didn’t speak. He just waited.

The elf coughed. Blood splattered on the ground.

"You..." he wheezed. "You’re... strong..."

Brutus didn’t answer.

The elf pushed himself up. His arms trembled. His legs shook. He was barely able to stand.

But he stood.

He started muttering. Words. Incantations. A language Brutus didn’t recognize.

Then he reached into his pocket. He pulled out a crystal. It was red. Shiny. Glowing.

He held it up. He smiled. A broken, bloody smile.

"Regenerate," he whispered.

He crushed the crystal.

The crystal shattered. Red light exploded outward. It swirled around the elf. It entered his body. It absorbed into his skin. His muscles. His bones.

The elf screamed. His body convulsed. His eyes rolled back. His veins bulged.

Then it stopped.

The elf stood there. His wounds were gone. His bones were fixed. His body was whole.

He was healed. Completely. Perfectly.

He smiled at Brutus.

"Regenerate," he said.

His body glowed. His mana surged. His power increased.

Brutus frowned.

He knew what had just happened. He had seen it before. He had heard stories.

The crystal was a life-force crystal. A forbidden item. It converted life force into mana. It gave the user infinite mana. But it came at a cost.

The user would die. In less than a week. Unless they didn’t use mana. But that was impossible. Mana was life. Mana was power. Mana was everything.

The elf had sacrificed his life for power. For revenge. For victory.

Brutus’s expression didn’t change. He kept his calm, passive face.

The elf raised his hand. Wind gathered in his palm. A blade formed. Purple. Crackling. Deadly.

He threw it.

Brutus disappeared.

He reappeared in front of the elf. His fist was already moving. It connected with the elf’s face. The impact was thunderous. The elf flew backward. He crashed through trees. He crashed through rocks. He crashed through everything.

He stood up. He regenerated.

"Regenerate," he said.

His body healed. His mana surged. His power increased.

Brutus appeared again. Another punch. Another crash. Another regeneration.

The elf laughed. A crazed, broken laugh.

"You can’t kill me!" he shouted. "I have infinite mana! I can regenerate forever!"

Brutus didn’t answer. He just kept attacking.

Punch. Crash. Regenerate.

Kick. Crash. Regenerate.

Throw. Crash. Regenerate.

The elf kept coming back. Each time, he was stronger. Each time, he was faster. Each time, he was more powerful.

Brutus was strong. Very strong. But he was getting weaker. His mana was draining. His muscles were tiring.

The elf was getting stronger. His mana was infinite. His regeneration was instant. His power was growing.

The fight continued.

---

Brutus threw a punch. The elf dodged. He countered. A wind blade slashed across Brutus’s chest. Blood sprayed. Brutus stumbled back.

The elf laughed. "Getting tired?"

Brutus didn’t answer. He steadied himself. He charged again.

The elf raised his hand. A wall of wind formed. Brutus punched through it. The elf was ready. He kicked. Brutus blocked. He countered. The elf dodged.

They clashed. Wind against fist. Mana against muscle.

Brutus was slower now. His movements were heavy. His attacks were weaker.

The elf was faster. His movements were fluid. His attacks were stronger.

The elf threw a punch. Brutus blocked. The impact sent him sliding backward. His feet dug into the ground. He stopped.

The elf appeared behind him. A wind blade slashed at his back. Brutus spun. He caught the blade. He crushed it. He punched the elf. The elf flew. He crashed. He regenerated.

"Regenerate," he said.

He stood up. He smiled.

"You’re weakening," he said. "I can feel it. Your mana is almost gone."

Brutus didn’t answer. He was breathing hard. His muscles were aching. His mana was low.

The elf was right. He was weakening.

But he wasn’t done. Not yet.

He thought of Elara. Of the guild. Of his boys.

He thought of Daniel. The new kid. The pervert. The one with potential.

He thought of Lyra. The girl with the guns. The one who loved stories.

He thought of Fluffy. The rabbit folk. The one who called Daniel master.

He thought of all of them. All the people he had to protect.

He couldn’t lose. Not here. Not now.

He took a breath. He steadied himself. He raised his fists.

"Let’s finish this," he said.

The elf laughed. "Finish? You can barely stand."

"I can stand. That’s enough."

The elf charged. Brutus charged.

They met in the middle.

---

POV Switch: Daniel

Daniel stood in the middle of the street.

His shadow army surrounded him. Fifty clones. All dark. All shadowy. All obedient.

The elf stood across from him. His monster army surrounded him. Ten monsters. All hideous. All regenerating. All obedient.

They faced each other. Two armies. Two commanders.

The elf smiled. "You’re impressive," he said. "For a human."

Daniel shrugged. "I know."

"But you can’t win. My monsters can regenerate. Yours can’t."

Daniel smiled. "We’ll see."

The elf raised his hand. His monsters charged.

Daniel raised his hand. His shadows charged.

They clashed.

Shadow against flesh. Dark against light. Clone against monster.

The street exploded with chaos.

Daniel’s clones were fast. They were fierce. They attacked with precision. They dodged with grace.

The elf’s monsters were strong. They were durable. They attacked with power. They regenerated with speed.

The battle raged.

Daniel watched. He commanded. He directed. He controlled.

His clones fought. They slashed. They bit. They clawed.

The monsters fought. They roared. They swung. They crushed.

Clones fell. They exploded into shadow. They disappeared.

Monsters fell. They regenerated. They stood back up.

Daniel’s army was shrinking. The elf’s army was growing.

Then a notification appeared.

[Warning: Harem Member in Danger]

[Fluffy is in critical condition.]

[Would you like to allow her to enter Stage Three?]

Daniel’s eyes widened. His heart stopped.

Fluffy. In danger. Critical condition.

He thought of her. Her small form. Her floppy ears. Her wagging tail. Her love of meat.

He thought of her smile. Her laugh. Her voice calling him Master.

He couldn’t lose her. He wouldn’t lose her.

He mentally pressed Yes.

"Please be alright," he whispered. "Please."

He looked at the elf. At his smug smile. At his monster army.

His eyes went cold. Dead.

He raised his hand.

"Shadow," he said. "Destroy."

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[Magic castle = 5 bonus Chapter’s]

[space craft = 15 bonus Chapter’s]

[golden gachapon = 20 bonus Chapter’s]