Chapter 70: True Nephilim
The giant stood twenty feet tall. And as they approached, a name tag materialized above the creature’s head in glowing red text.
Anakin: True Nephilim
The Nephilim wore no upper body armor. Thick scarred skin covered its torso, the flesh bearing the marks of countless battles fought and survived, raised tissue crisscrossing over muscle that looked dense enough to deflect blades. A warrior’s belt circled its waist, reinforced with iron studs.
Mounted prominently at the belt’s center was the skull of some massive creature, easily the size of a full grown human, its jaw hanging open to reveal rows of crystallized teeth.
The Nephilim’s lower body was covered by simple fur wrappings that extended to its knees, practical garments that allowed for unrestricted movement. Its feet were shod in sandals.
King studied the creature carefully, cataloging details that might prove tactically relevant. The scarring suggested experience with close combat. The lack of upper armor indicated either supreme confidence or reliance on natural durability.
"Wait here," King said to Vi without turning around.
"King..."
"Just wait," he repeated in an urgent tone that left no room for argument.
Vi remained where she stood, though tension showed evidently in her posture. King knew she wanted to help, to fight beside him as they’d done against the demi-human horde. But this was different. This creature operated on a power level that made the earlier encounter look like a warmup exercise.
King walked forward slowly, maintaining steady pace as he approached the gate. The distance between them decreased meter by meter.
And then, the world slowed.
He had successfully triggered a cutscene, pulling control away from him and forcing him into the role of observer.
The Nephilim heaved in a strong breath and straightened, its posture shifting from casual guard to something more formal, almost ceremonial.
"Knowest thou what power thou dost confront, base mortal?" The Nephilim’s voice carried the weight of ages, each word precisely articulated in a dialect that belonged to eras long past. " Behold, the Black Gates of the Fallen Star, the very threshold to the realm of Lord Arandiel, and I have bound my soul by oath to keep them safe.."
The giant gestured broadly, indicating the corrupted landscape surrounding them.
"Mine tribe, the Nephilim, hath known prosperity in ages prior. We dwelt in the spaces between, neither fully of heaven nor entirely of earth, balanced upon the precipice of two worlds. But that balance hath been shattered."
The Nephilim’s expression darkened, red eyes burning with increased intensity.
"Discord groweth amongst my people. Certain among us do plead for league with the heavenly hosts of olden days. Yet others cry out that we must stand solitary, trusting solely in our own might and newly won right."
It turned slightly, looking back at the black gate.
"I hath chosen my side. Lord Arandiel did proffer his shield when no other soul would extend such grace. He extended a refuge when the Fallen Stars did threaten to devour all that remained of my kin. In return, I did bind myself by solemn oath."
He looked above, "This portal shall bide forever shut against all, save those to whom Lord Arandiel himself granteth entry."
Then his gaze returned to King, fixing him with a stare that felt like physical pressure.
"No one shalt pass."
The giant raised one massive hand and snapped its fingers. Reality rippled, and a mace materialized from nothing, the weapon appearing in its grip as if summoned from storage.
The mace was enormous, its head alone measuring six feet across, constructed from metal that looked black as the gate itself.
The Nephilim lifted the mace high and slammed it down onto the ground.
The impact sent shockwaves radiating outward. The earth cracked, fissures spreading in all directions. And from the mace itself, lightning erupted. Electric energy crackled along the weapon’s length, creating a network of power that shook the ground and caused pebbles to float.
The cutscene ended shortly, returning control to King’s body.
He had barely registered the shift when a notification flashed across his vision.
[DREAD HAS BEEN ACTIVATED]
King recognized the debuff immediately. A fear effect, designed to paralyze targets and reduce their combat effectiveness. He’d encountered similar mechanics during boss fights in his original playthroughs, though never in person.
He turned quickly, urgency driving the movement as he looked back toward Vi.
"Move! Get farther back!"
Vi had already begun retreating, backing away from the Nephilim as soon as the mace struck the ground. But she moved too slowly, her steps uncertain and hesitant. King watched, as her progression stall completely, her body freezing mid-stride.
Her eyes widened with terror, pupils dilating until the green of her irises nearly disappeared. She tried to move, King could see the effort in the way she trembled, but the dread effect held her locked in place.
King felt nothing. The debuff washed over him without effect, his A-Rank status placing him on equal footing with the Nephilim’s power level. And the Red Imp Talisman activated automatically, its enchantments flaring to life and adding an additional layer of resistance that rendered the dread effect completely null.
But Vi possessed no such protection.
King channeled mana immediately, shaping it into a construct hand that materialized beneath Vi’s frozen form. The translucent fingers closed around her carefully, lifting her off the ground carefully but hastily. King directed the construct backward, carrying Vi away from the combat zone and depositing her safely at a distance where the dread effect couldn’t reach.
"Thou darest look away?!"
The Nephilim’s roar shook the air. King snapped his attention forward just in time to see the creature charging.
Its footfalls shook the earth with each step. Thump. Thump. Thump. The distance between them evaporated with terrifying speed, the Nephilim covering it in less than three seconds.
The mace swung upward, then descended in a devastating arc aimed directly at King’s position.
King reacted on pure instinct, channeling mana into a defensive construct. A shield materialized above him, circular and reinforced with geometric patterns designed to distribute impact force.
BRA_KOOOM
The mace struck the shield with the sound of thunder.
The force was astronomical. The shield held for a fraction of a second before shattering completely, and King had used that slight window to activate ’Unyielding Fortress’. The mace continued through, catching King directly and launching him into the air.
[HP: 630/730]
The world spun. Sky and ground traded places repeatedly as King tumbled upward, momentum carrying him higher with each rotation. He forced himself to focus through the disorientation, channeling mana even as he flew backward.
Multiple construct chains erupted from his body, shooting downward and latching into the ground below. The chains pulled taut, arresting his flight and leaving him suspended twenty feet in the air.
King adjusted his position, shifting from horizontal to vertical. Beneath his feet, a flat construct platform materialized, a hoverboard of translucent energy that supported his weight. His A++ Rank mage classification had expanded his understanding of basic construct manipulation to levels that allowed for complex creations he’d never used before.
