The Assassin's Seven Principles of Manipulation

Chapter 390: Chapter 385 — Alpha

[A/N: Hey guys. Remember I made a mistake yesterday with the uploads, so make sure to read the Chapter before this one first. Cheers, and enjoy reading!]

Gravemaw alphas were usually quite distinct from the rest of their pack. Not only were they physically different, but they were also significantly stronger, more intelligent, and, like most powerful sentient beings, rather egotistical.

Zephyrion had been hoping the alpha would stay out of the battle, at least until he managed to bring down the cavern, but it seemed that hope had just gone down the drain.

He would have cursed out loud, but he wasn’t about to give Demorian the satisfaction.

’Change of plans.’ Zephyrion’s mind raced as he assessed the situation. ’Possum and I can still move, so mark three at most.’

That was good news, though only to an extent. If the alpha had been a mark four, they would’ve been as good as dead. But even with a mark three, the situation was far from ideal. Beasts were generally stronger than humans of the same rank, thanks to their superior physical capabilities and the fact that they spent most of their lives honing a single ability to perfection.

Fighting this thing wouldn’t be anything like fighting Possum. In fact, there was a good chance his usual physical advantage wouldn’t even apply here.

The alpha slowly swept its gaze across the cavern, its six eyes gleaming with intelligence. It paused briefly at the sea of Gravemaw corpses scattered across the ground before turning towards Possum, studying him for a moment, and finally settling its gaze on Zephyrion.

The pressure bearing down on Zephyrion suddenly intensified, and then, slowly, the Gravemaw’s maw twisted into an unnatural grin, revealing rows of thick purple teeth that glinted ominously in the light.

’Shit. It thinks I’m the bigger threat.’

The sense of dread Zephyrion had been feeling suddenly intensified.

Then, a furious roar shattered the silence.

”You fiend!” Possum forced himself upright against the crushing pressure, steam erupting from his body and flooding the space around him. ”I am Possum Ocren! The strongest one here! I’ve slaughtered countless of your kind, and I’ll slaughter you too! Come! Fight me!”

’Good heavens. I’ve seen fools before, but this one seems determined to outdo them all. Does the boy have a death wish?’ Demorian sounded utterly baffled.

Zephyrion, however, silently hoped the beast would take the bait. A distraction was exactly what he needed. If the alpha focused on Possum, he could sneak up on it and deliver a fatal blow before it even realized what was happening. Or, he could even ignore it and go for the last pillar. Anything was better than fighting the damn thing head-on.

The alpha finally shifted its gaze away from Zephyrion and turned towards Possum, who immediately broke into a grin and thumped his chest.

”That’s right! Come at me!”

But the alpha merely let out a derisive snort before turning its attention back to Zephyrion.

’Oh, come on.’ Zephyrion cursed.

Possum’s grin vanished, his expression twisting with indignation.

”You... are you looking down on me!?”

The alpha suddenly drew in a deep breath. Recognizing what was coming, Zephyrion hurriedly covered his ears and squeezed his eyes shut.

ROAR!

A violent shockwave swept through the cavern, slamming against Zephyrion and forcing him to stagger backward. When he opened his eyes, he found that the Gravemaws, which had been standing motionless with their heads lowered, were now snarling fiercely, their eyes gleaming with renewed ferocity.

But strangely, none of them were looking at him. No. Every single one of them had turned towards Possum.

Possum glared at the beasts, his expression darkening.

Then, as though responding to a silent command, the Gravemaws roared in unison and charged towards him.

Zephyrion barely had time to spare Possum a glance before a sudden sense of danger forced him to throw himself aside. He rolled across the ground and sprang to his feet, only to find several deep claw marks carved into the spot where he’d been standing just moments ago.

’That was close.’

He quickly raised his gaze. Hovering in the air, the alpha was staring down at him, its unnatural grin having returned. There was even a hint of excitement in its eyes, as though it was looking forward to what came next.

Suddenly, Zephyrion felt the gravity bearing down on him intensify, forcing his body to sink slightly.

’Metal Aura.’

He immediately unleashed his own aura, pushing back against the overwhelming pressure until he could straighten his body.

’Heavy... but manageable.’

Up ahead, the alpha suddenly lowered its body, its eight legs bending slightly as the air around it began to distort and tremble violently.

’Don’t tell me...’

A sudden sense of apprehension washed over Zephyrion, and he instinctively braced himself. The next moment, the alpha vanished from sight, only to slam into him with terrifying force.

Zephyrion felt a violent shock run through his entire body as his feet left the ground. Before he could recover, the alpha was already driving him across the cavern, crushing several unfortunate Gravemaws beneath them as they went.

’Damn, it’s strong.’

If he hadn’t tempered his body, that impact alone would’ve shattered his bones. Gritting his teeth, Zephyrion glanced over his shoulder and saw the cavern wall rapidly approaching.

’It’s trying to crush me.’

He immediately forced his feet into the ground, tensing every muscle in his body as he struggled to halt their momentum. His boots carved two deep trenches through the earth as the alpha continued pushing him back, but little by little, their speed began to decrease.

Zephyrion gritted his teeth and exerted even more strength. Veins bulged across his body, writhing beneath his skin, while an even greater amount of metal aura erupted from him, reinforcing his already formidable physique.

’Come on... just a little more...’

Their speed continued to drop until, finally, Zephyrion brought them to a complete halt, barely inches away from the cavern wall.

The alpha’s six eyes widened in disbelief. It had clearly expected to crush him against the wall, yet somehow, this human had managed to stop its charge through sheer physical strength.

”Get the hell off me.”

Zephyrion suddenly stomped forward, throwing his entire weight behind a vicious headbutt that slammed directly into the alpha’s skull.

Bang!

A deafening metallic clang echoed through the cavern, the sheer force of the impact cracking the ground beneath his feet and sending fractures spreading across the wall behind him.

And, much to the alpha’s surprise, it was the one that let out a pained yelp as its massive body was hurled backward, crashing violently into the opposite cavern wall.