MTLNOVEL Chapter 125: [125] Critica
The golden energy coursing through Xavier's blade connected with the Thornbeast's crystalline body. For one suspended moment, nothing happened—just the point of contact between metal and living ice.
Then reality caught up.
The Thornbeast exploded. Not in chunks or fragments, but in a spray of crystalline dust that scattered across the snow like diamond powder. The force of the strike continued through empty space, creating a shockwave that carved a trench in the snow.
Xavier staggered, momentarily disoriented by the sheer power that had flowed through him. His meter had jumped from 95 to 150 in a single strike. The golden energy still crackled around his hand, though it was already fading back to the familiar pink.
His head cleared instantly when he heard Naomi gasp behind him.
Two remaining Thornbeasts circled them, more cautious now after witnessing their pack leader's obliteration. They communicated with soft clicks and whistles, ice-blue eyes never leaving Xavier.
"Holy shit," Naomi whispered. "You just—that was—"
"Get to the wagon," Xavier said, his voice deeper.
"What did you just do? That was a Perfect—"
"Later." Xavier kept his eyes on the Thornbeasts. The dagger in his hand hummed with residual energy. "Go."
Naomi backed away slowly. "Don't you dare die after that show."
The Thornbeasts sensed her movement and tensed, preparing to attack the weaker prey. Xavier stepped forward, drawing their attention back to him. The pink energy surrounding him pulsed brighter, almost blinding in the white landscape.
"Why the fuck are you looking at her?" Xavier's lips curled into a predatory smile. "We have unfinished business."
The creatures hesitated. This wasn't prey anymore. This was a predator. One of them took a step back, spines rattling nervously.
Xavier didn't wait for them to decide. He moved.
The snow beneath his feet compressed as he launched forward, covering twenty feet in a heartbeat. The first Thornbeast barely had time to rear back before Xavier's dagger slashed across its face, leaving a deep gouge through one eye.
The creature shrieked as its companion fired a volley of spines at Xavier's exposed back, but he was already moving, twisting in mid-air to dodge three projectiles while deflecting a fourth with his dagger.
Perfect Dodge: +10 points.
Perfect Dodge: +10 points.
Perfect Dodge: +10 points.
180/250
The wounded Thornbeast retreated, dark blue blood freezing instantly as it dripped onto the snow. The second charged, massive paws kicking up snow as it closed the distance.
Xavier's dagger found the soft spot beneath its jaw, driving upward into its brain.
Counter Strike: +15 points.
195/250
The creature collapsed, its body already beginning to dissolve into ice particles that scattered on the wind. Xavier turned to face the final Thornbeast, which was now backing away, spines flat against its body in a submissive posture.
Fifty feet. Too far to charge before it could react.
The Thornbeast seemed to sense his decision. It turned to flee, moving with supernatural speed across the snow.
Xavier's hand shot out, dagger leaving his grip in a perfect throw. The blade spun through the air, trailing pink energy as it covered the impossible distance.
It struck the fleeing creature between the shoulder blades, penetrating deep into its body. The Thornbeast stumbled, then collapsed, its legs giving out as the toxin from its own blood spread through its system.
200/250
Xavier stood alone in the snow, surrounded by the glittering remains of the creatures he'd killed. The battle rage began to recede, leaving him suddenly aware of the chaos around him.
The caravan was in shambles. Two wagons had been overturned, their contents scattered across the snow. Bodies lay where they had fallen, some still moving, others terribly still. Guards rallied around the remaining wagons, checking for survivors and assessing damage.
Xavier's knees buckled. The power that had sustained him suddenly evaporated, leaving him drained and shaking. He caught himself before he fell, breathing hard as the adrenaline ebbed.
"Xavier!"
Naomi reached him just as his legs gave out completely, catching him before he hit the ground.
"Easy," she said, lowering him to sit in the snow. "Just breathe."
Xavier nodded, unable to form words. His entire body trembled, muscles spasming from the strain of channeling so much power.
"That was a Perfect Strike," Naomi said, her voice hushed with awe. "I've never seen one before, but Phantom described it exactly like that."
Xavier's head throbbed. His vision blurred at the edges, dark spots dancing across his field of view.
"Is it... always like this after?" he managed to ask.
"Phantom said it's addictive. The power rush followed by the crash." Naomi brushed snow from his hair, her touch surprisingly gentle. "He said hunters have died chasing that feeling, putting themselves in increasingly dangerous situations just to trigger it again."
Xavier closed his eyes, remembering the perfect clarity he'd felt in that moment. The absolute certainty. The power. "I can see why."
"Don't you dare," Naomi said sharply. "I'm not scraping what's left of you off the ground because you decided to become an adrenaline junkie."
A shadow fell across them. Xavier looked up to see Efler standing over them, crossbow still in hand.
"That was very impressive," she said, her voice carefully neutral. "How were you able to channel Essentia like that?"
Essentia. She just said Essentia.
Xavier and Naomi exchanged a quick glance.
"Family secret," Xavier said, forcing himself to stand.
Efler's expression remained skeptical, but she didn't press the issue. "The caravan's suffered heavy losses. Five dead, eight wounded. We've lost two wagons and four horses."
"Will we turn back?" Naomi asked.
Efler shook her head. "Dalen says we're closer to the next waypoint than to Vykengard now. Safer to push forward."
"How long until we reach it?" Xavier asked, retrieving his dagger from the snow where it had fallen after the last Thornbeast dissolved.
"Three hours in this weather." Efler glanced at the darkening sky. "Which is cutting it close. These mountains are dangerous after dark, and that wasn't the only pack of Thornbeasts in the area."
She turned to go, then paused. "Whatever you did, it saved lives today. Including mine." A hint of a smile touched her lips. "I owe you a dinner when we reach Hearthome."
As Efler walked away, Naomi moved closer to Xavier. "That was Ashley," she whispered. "I'm sure of it now."
Xavier nodded. "No doubt."
"That makes four of us," Naomi said, counting on her fingers. "You, me, probably Calypso as Lady Selene, and Ashley as Efler."
"Three more to find," Xavier said, watching as the caravan guards began organizing the survivors. "Alexander, Nolan, and Margaret."
"Assuming that prophecy you talked about is accurate." Naomi helped Xavier toward Efler's wagon, supporting him when his legs threatened to give out again. "Seven stars wearing different faces."
Xavier winced as his headache intensified. He had a concussion and the divine entanglement turning his brain into slush.
"You okay?" Naomi asked, noticing his expression.
"The headache's getting worse," he admitted. "The pain was less during the fight. When I was focused on something else."
"Maybe I should keep you distracted, then." Naomi's lips quirked into a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "For medical reasons, of course."
Before Xavier could respond, Dalen's voice cut through the chaos.
"Everyone still standing, help the wounded! We move in ten minutes!"
The caravan burst into frantic activity. Guards helped the injured into wagons while others salvaged what supplies they could from the wrecked vehicles. Xavier forced himself to his feet, ignoring the protest from his exhausted muscles.
"I should help," he said.
Naomi put a hand on his chest, stopping him. "You've done enough. Rest. Recover your strength." Her expression softened slightly.
Xavier looked down at his hands, still faintly glowing with pink energy. "I've never felt that before."
"You enjoyed it," Naomi said. Not a question.
Xavier met her eyes. "Yes."
Naomi studied him for a long moment, then nodded once. "Just remember what Phantom said about addiction." She turned away, heading toward a wounded guard who was struggling to stand. "We need you alive, Valentine. All of us."
Xavier watched her go, struck by the complex emotions in her voice. Concern. Admiration. Jealousy. Fear. All wrapped together in a package labeled "Naomi Phillips."
He looked down at his meter, starting to go down from 200 to 180. Almost all the way to what Calypso had called "Fever Mode." The state where his ultimate technique would become available.
What would that look like if a single Perfect Strike could obliterate a Thornbeast?
Xavier closed his eyes, letting the golden moment replay in his mind. The perfect clarity. The absolute certainty. The raw power flowing through him, reshaping reality around his will.
"Critica," he whispered.
It felt right. Like a key fitting into a lock he hadn't known existed.
When he opened his eyes, his resolve had hardened. He would master this. Would understand the trigger conditions and learn to replicate them at will. Not for the rush—though that had been intoxicating—but for what it represented.
Power. Real power. The kind that could close gates. The kind that could protect people who mattered to him.
The kind that might be enough to close those seven primordial gates.