When the lights dimmed, John’s figure emerged, standing upright with glowing veins protruding from his skin. Theodore’s bonds shattered like glass and John stood on his feet and slowly turned around to face Theodore.
His eyes were glowing and his hair stood on its end. His body radiated a terrifying, overwhelming amount of energy.
"John, I knew you had potential. You have awakened your Class Skill," Theodore smirked and his aura retracted as he released his Skill.
"Oh, this? This is just a gift," John smirked as he read the Skill’s description.
[No Skills (S)]
[Description: Once activated, the user will be immune to all skills and will be unable to use Skills for up to 10 minutes or until Energy depletes.]
Theodore’s eyebrows arched at John’s words, but John wouldn’t let him think as he lunged at Theodore.
"It’s useless, boy!" Theodore as he gathered his palms, but his eyes grew wide when nothing happened.
John streaked through the forest and appeared right in front of Theodore, "that’s right, fucker, No Skills allowed."
Blood splurted everywhere as John’s fist connected with Theodore’s face and sent him crashing through a few trees before his body hit the floor and John stood before him, victorious.
Theodore rose with an awkward stumble and coughed blood, his face red, purple, and swollen. "You can’t win this."
But John didn’t listen and appeared before Theodore, striking him continuously until the old man coughed more blood.
"Boy, stop it!" Theodore pleaded, but John didn’t care and continued his barrage of punches.
John’s figure flickered in and out of sight, delivering a ruthless and relentless flurry of strikes. Blood and spit flew from Theodore’s mouth with every brutal blow, while his head bounced violently against the hard ground.
His body was covered in cuts, bruises, and lacerations, but John ignored his injuries and continued hitting him, not even giving the old man a chance to breathe or mount a proper defence.
Theodore lay on his back, dazed and disoriented. He could barely lift his arms, much less fend off John’s assault.
"You want this to stop?" John’s tone changed, it was deeper and colder, his voice sending shivers down Theodore’s spine.
John’s eyes glowed brighter as Theodore struggled to stay conscious, "yes," Theodore whispered and swallowed the pool of blood gathered in his mouth and struggled to rise but couldn’t as his legs gave out and he collapsed on the floor, panting heavily.
"Yes, stop it," he cried and begged.
"You should’ve left me alone, old man. It’s too late, now," John said as he raised his fist high, winding his hand backwards and releasing a devastating punch, aiming at Theodore’s head and ending him once and for all.
"Noooo!" Stephanie screamed suddenly before a resounding boom shook the earth and a cloud of dust enveloped John and Theodore.
Octavia’s eyebrows creased as she turned to Stephanie. Why did she scream? John was about to win the fight, it didn’t make any sense for her, but all of it was made clear as the dust settled and Octavia’s little brother, August stood coldly, his feet crushing John’s ribs.
"August? What are you doing?" Octavia asked, shocked as the young boy turned towards her, but his face was different, August didn’t have blue eyes or the signature aura Luminars exuded, yet the young boy before her possessed both traits and an intimidating aura to match, much stronger than Theodore’s.
Stephanie stumbled back in disbelief, but Lydia caught her before she fell, "what the hell is going on? John? August?" She was confused about what was happening and her gaze was fixed on Theodore’s beaten body and John, writhing in pain with August’s foot on his chest.
"Big Sister Octavia," August’s childish voice was mixed with a deeper, more sinister one.
"August, step away from John!" Octavia warned, her eyes narrowed and her face tense. She knew something was wrong.
John wheezed and grunted under the pressure August exerted on his rib cage, the young boy was unbelievably strong and everyone understood that subconsciously.
"I’m sorry, sister, I can’t do that," August chuckled as he stomped John’s rib cage harder and eliciting a grunt from him.
"Maria, shoot August!" Stephanie cried, pointing at August’s figure.
At Stephanie’s cries, Maria snapped out of her stupor and gathered her hands, focusing Energy in her palms.
"Maria, no!" Octavia yelled before a bolt of energy struck August’s shoulder, but the young boy didn’t budge or bleed, the only thing Maria achieved was to piss off the entity.
"That’s not your brother, Octavia," Stephanie hissed as her body coursed with strength and lunged at August. A faint glow enveloped her body, courtesy of Julia’s buffs, making Stephanie faster, stronger, and more agile as she reached August’s figure, but her eyes grew wide as the entity flicked its finger and a blast of wind sent her back, slamming her body into Octavia and Lydia’s bodies.
This chapt𝙚r is updated by freeωebnovēl.c૦m.
"Fuck, we need to help John." Lydia rose and charged, her sword crackling with Energy. Her attack reached August, but her sword was crushed in her hand and her face received a kick, sending her flying back, almost knocking her out.
Julia trembled with anger and gathered Energy in her palm, aiming at the entity’s back, but Maria grabbed her hand and stopped her, "what the fuck, Maria?" She cried as she tried to break free from Maria’s tight grip.
"Don’t Julia, that’s not August," Maria said, her eyes focused on Theodore’s figure and added, "watch."
A ball of energy formed around Theodore’s broken body and John’s figure levitated, a hand clutching his neck.
"Stop fighting or he dies," August threatened and everyone obeyed, even Octavia as her little brother had never spoken like that.
"That’s good," August said as he snapped his finger a vortex tore the fabric of reality behind him.
"Come at me when you’re stronger," were his last words as he hurled John towards the group and disappeared in the vortex carrying Theodore’s battered body.