Sofia stifled a gasp, her eyes wide in disbelief. "It’s... it’s supposed to be extinct," she whispered, barely able to contain her awe and fear.
Ethan, his face pale, nodded slowly. "That’s the Dark Griffin. Legends say it once ruled the skies before disappearing centuries ago."
Kaelen gestured for them to continue moving, his heart racing. Every step felt heavier, the weight of their silence more precarious with each inch they covered. For a moment, it seemed like they would make it past the creature unnoticed, the soft sound of their footfalls blending into the Griffin’s steady breathing.
But then, disaster struck.
Morris, in his cautious attempt to step over a loose rock, accidentally kicked it, sending the stone skittering across the cave floor. The sound echoed ominously, bouncing off the walls like a thousand bells ringing at once.
The Dark Griffin stirred.
’Oh sh*t, this is bad’
Kaelen froze as he thought, his breath catching in his throat. His companions halted in fear, their eyes locked on the slumbering beast as its wings twitched. The Griffin’s eyes, dark as the abyss, snapped open, glowing faintly in the dim light. A low growl rumbled from its throat, and the cave seemed to tremble with the sheer weight of its power.
"We need to move—now!" Kaelen hissed, already stepping back, his hand on the hilt of his sword.
Roar!!!!
Rumble!!!!
Before they could retreat, the Dark Griffin let out a deafening roar, shaking the cave to its core. The ground beneath them trembled as the beast rose to its full height, towering over them, wings unfurling and blocking the cave’s entrance entirely. The temperature seemed to drop as the Griffin’s dark aura enveloped the group, a primal fear settling into their bones.
"Brace yourselves!" Kaelen shouted, unsheathing his sword as the others prepared for what seemed like an impossible battle.
The Dark Griffin, fully awake and enraged, lunged forward with terrifying speed, its talons slicing through the air as it prepared to strike.
"Move!!!!" Kealen yelled with all his might when he could feel death looming over him as the Dark Griffin got closer.
Not giving it even a second for second thoughts, Kaelen and his companions bolted out of the cave, their hearts pounding in their chests as the ground shook beneath the enraged Dark Griffin’s powerful strides. The beast’s deafening roar echoed behind them, a terrifying reminder of how close they were to death.
Each of them could feel the Griffin’s hot breath as it chased them relentlessly, its massive wings flapping, causing gusts of wind that nearly knocked them off their feet.
"We need to split up!" Kaelen shouted, his voice strained as he tried to keep his balance. He knew they couldn’t outrun it forever. "Guinevere, Morris, head for the trees! Ethan, Sofia, flank left!"
His companions didn’t argue—they scattered in different directions, hoping to confuse the Griffin. But the beast was faster than they anticipated. It lifted off the ground, its massive wings creating a whirlwind as it soared above, easily tracking their movements from the sky.
"It’s too fast!" Sofia yelled, fear gripping her as she glanced back at the pursuing beast. "We can’t keep running like this!"
Kaelen’s mind raced, his body fueled by pure adrenaline. He knew Sofia was right. The Dark Griffin’s wingspan was too large, and it would catch them no matter what they did. He could practically feel the sharp talons reaching for them, ready to tear them apart. His pulse quickened, each breath feeling more precious than the last.
In a split second, Kaelen made a decision. He reached into his storage ring and summoned the Armor of the Eternal Guardian which rested in his body in a second after. His grip tightened around the hilt of the Blade of Eternity already, his knuckles white with tension. If they were going to survive this, he needed to act now.
"Keep moving!" Kaelen shouted to the others, his voice filled with determination. He stopped abruptly, turning to face the Griffin head-on. His sword began to glow faintly as he channeled his mana, preparing for a desperate strike. The Griffin let out another ear-splitting roar, diving straight for him with talons outstretched.
Quick steps!!
Aura a Swordsman!!
Sword Mastery!!
Sword Union!!
Sacred Light!!
Sword Arc!!
Thousand Fold Slash!!
"Kaelen, no!" Morris yelled, realizing what his friend was about to do.
But Kaelen stood firm, his feet rooted to the ground. He had no choice; this was their only chance. As the Dark Griffin closed in, Kaelen swung his sword upward with all his strength, unleashing a wave of energy that slashed through the air. The Griffin screeched in fury, but the strike barely grazed its thick, impenetrable feathers.
The impact was enough to momentarily slow the Griffin down, giving Kaelen’s companions precious seconds to regroup.
"We can’t defeat it like this!" Guinevere shouted as she caught up with Kaelen, fire burning in her eyes as she prepared her spells. "We need to lead it somewhere it can’t fly!"
"The cliffs!" Ethan pointed out, spotting a narrow path that led toward a steep drop. "If we can trap it there, it might not be able to chase us so easily!"
Without hesitation, they turned and sprinted toward the cliffs, the Dark Griffin hot on their heels. The ground trembled as the beast’s massive talons dug into the earth, closing the distance with frightening speed.
They reached the edge of the cliffs, a sheer drop of hundreds of feet below. The wind howled, whipping through their hair as they stood on the precipice of danger.
"This is it!" Kaelen called out, his breath ragged. "We make our stand here!"
The Dark Griffin swooped in one final time, its wings casting a massive shadow over the group as it prepared to strike. With no room to run, Kaelen and his companions braced for the fight of their lives, their backs to the cliff’s edge, knowing that one wrong move could send them plummeting into the abyss.
As the Dark Griffin circled back for its final assault, Kaelen and his companions braced themselves, their hearts racing. Each of them knew they had no other option but to unleash everything they had. The air was thick with tension, the wind howling against the cliff’s edge.
Morris was the first to act. He slammed his scepter into the ground, his eyes glowing with power as he summoned his multicolored mana. "This is for Eldoria!" he yelled, launching a swirling, radiant blast toward the Dark Griffin. The attack hit the beast with a blinding explosion of energy, forcing it to screech in agony, its massive body jerking back in surprise.
"Time to show you what real firepower looks like!" Guinevere shouted, her eyes blazing with determination. She called upon her rare, ferocious blue flame, channeling her prodigious talent as a fire mage. The flame coiled and surged from her hands like a raging inferno, engulfing the Griffin’s left wing. The beast roared, thrashing as the searing heat threatened to burn through its mighty feathers.
Eldric stepped forward, his sword crackling with tribulation lightning. "Let’s end this!" He swung his sword in a deadly arc, the lightning coiling around the blade like a serpent. The strike connected with the Griffin’s other wing, sending jolts of pure energy coursing through the creature’s body. The Dark Griffin screamed in fury, its massive wings struggling to keep it airborne.
Ethan darted in next, his twin daggers shimmering with a strange, smoke-like mana. He moved with lightning speed, slashing at the beast’s legs and torso with precision. His strikes were quick and deadly, his smoke-like mana leaving trails of shadow behind. The Griffin snarled, its focus divided as it tried to fend off the relentless assault.
Sofia’s Sacred Golden mana lit up the battlefield next. Her attack was both menacing and radiant, as though divine judgment itself was coming down upon the Dark Griffin. "Let this be your end!" she cried, releasing a concentrated beam of golden energy that pierced through the Griffin’s chest.
The creature’s pained screech echoed across the cliffs, its body visibly weakening under the relentless assault.
Finally, Kaelen stepped forward, his eyes locked onto the creature. His armor, the Eternal Guardian, glowed with the Sacred Light, illuminating the battlefield. In his hands, his sword shimmered with the newly unlocked move, Sword Constellation. He raised his sword high, the stars themselves seeming to gather in the blade.
With a final cry, he swung down with all his might, the Sacred Light and Sword Constellation merging into a brilliant, otherworldly slash.
The air hummed with power as the strike connected. Stars exploded from the blade, each one finding its mark on the Griffin’s body. The beast let out one last roar of defiance, but it was too late. The combined force of all their attacks overwhelmed it. Kaelen’s sword slashed through the Griffin’s heart, the Sacred Light burning through its core.
The Dark Griffin let out a final, pitiful cry before collapsing on the cliff’s edge, its massive form shaking the ground one last time. Bloodied and exhausted, the group watched in awe as the ferocious beast, once thought to be unstoppable, lay dead before them.
**Dark Griffin defeated!!**
**Quest Completed!!**
**Rewards granted!!**
**Title: Griffin Slayer recieved!! (150% extra damage on Hybrid Ferocious beast)**
Silence filled the air, broken only by the sound of their heavy breathing and the monotonous voice inwhich only Kaelen could hear
"We... we did it," Morris said, his voice trembling with disbelief.
This chapt𝙚r is updated by freeωebnovēl.c૦m.
Kaelen, still holding his glowing sword, nodded slowly. "Yeah... it’s over."
Guinevere wiped sweat from her brow, her blue flames dying out. "That was insane. I didn’t think we’d survive."
Sofia glanced at the fallen creature, her Sacred Golden mana still flickering faintly. "But we did."
As the adrenaline began to fade, the group gathered around Kaelen, who had dealt the final blow. They exchanged tired smiles, knowing that, together, they had accomplished the impossible.