Ivina deflected the skeletal beast’s razor-sharp claw with a swing of her sword.
Before she could catch her breath, the other claw lunged toward her.
Just as the claw was about to strike, Lucas’s saw spear suddenly thrust in, blocking the skeletal beast’s attack.
The serrated blade sliced through, scattering bone fragments everywhere.
A long gash was carved into the claw by Lucas’s saw spear.
But the skeletal beast didn’t withdraw its claw; it instead pressed harder, trying to resist Lucas’s weapon.
This creature must have no sense of pain.
Lucas pushed back with all his might, forcing the claw away and simultaneously sawing off a small piece of the skeletal beast’s claw.
Before the beast could react, Noli’s icy arrow streaked through the air from afar.
Though the arrow had no substantial effect on the skeletal beast, it did distract it just enough, giving Ivina and Lucas an opening to strike.
Ivina lightly tapped the ground with her right foot and leapt high, aiming her greatsword at the skull of the skeletal beast.
Meanwhile, Lucas moved nimbly around the beast’s massive body on the ground, using Noli’s cover to dodge and weave, slashing at the skeletal beast’s torso with his saw spear whenever he saw a chance.
The saw spear cut through the joints of the skeletal beast, causing the huge creature’s body to wobble noticeably.
So that’s it—the skeletal frame was sturdy, but the joints were surprisingly fragile.
Lucas pulled the saw spear and aimed at the joint of the skeletal beast’s hind leg.
Bone shards flew everywhere as the spear slowly sank deeper into the joint.
With a crisp “crack,” the skeletal beast’s hind leg was forcibly sawed off by Lucas’s spear.
The massive beast toppled over, lying prone and unable to get up for quite a while.
This was the perfect opportunity.
Ivina seized it, stepping on the skeletal beast’s skull and positioning her sword at the connection between the skull and the spine, then swung down.
A blinding white light flashed, but the skeletal beast’s head was not severed. Instead, Ivina was flung off the beast’s body.
“Ivina?”
Uncertain what attack had struck her, Ivina lay on the ground, unable to move.
As the skeletal beast raised its claw to strike her again, Lucas dropped his saw spear and grabbed his firearm, firing as he rushed toward Ivina.
The bullets did nothing against the skeletal beast.
Frustrated, Lucas threw down the gun and dashed toward Ivina with all his strength.
Noli provided cover from a distance, at least slowing the beast’s movements.
Taking advantage of the momentary distraction, Lucas scooped Ivina up from under the skeletal beast’s claw and carried her to safety.
The moment his hands touched Ivina’s body, Lucas felt a tingling numbness spreading through his palms.
The sharp sting quickly radiated throughout his entire body.
Though painful, he couldn’t put Ivina down.
After bringing her to a safe spot, Lucas gave her a quick once-over.
Ivina was still alive and conscious, but unable to speak or move.
She only managed to give Lucas a look urging him to be careful.
Looking back at the skeletal beast, white light was flickering around its neck, accompanied by crackling sounds.
A lightning-type attack?
Lucas had only heard of such powers.
Contact with it at an extreme level would cause immediate paralysis and loss of sensation, and in severe cases, death.
This type of attack was usually limited to magic users or certain creatures.
He hadn’t expected this beast to wield lightning as well.
Looking down at his metal armor, he realized he had no defense against such an attack.
If anything, this armor might make him more vulnerable.
This was a real problem.
The beast turned, grasping the severed leg Lucas had cut off, and crawled toward Lucas and Noli on its remaining three legs.
The sight sent a chill down Lucas’s spine; he hadn’t imagined the beast could be this relentless.
But no matter how terrifying, Lucas couldn’t let the beast advance further—he had to protect Ivina.
“Noli, protect me.”
With those words, Lucas charged toward the skeletal beast—or rather, toward his saw spear and firearm lying nearby.
Seeing Lucas recklessly rush toward it, the skeletal beast raised its severed leg high to strike.
But to Lucas, the movement was almost in slow motion.
He rolled aside easily, slipping into the blind spot beneath the beast’s belly, closing in on his saw spear.
Sensing Lucas’s move, the beast prepared to counterattack just as Noli’s ice arrow struck the hollow eye socket of its skull.
Though the shot was barely effective, it distracted the beast long enough for Lucas to grab his saw spear.
The beast slammed the severed leg down on Lucas, who blocked with his saw spear.
For a moment, neither side could gain the upper hand.
When the beast raised its other claw to strike, Noli immediately fired another ice arrow to harass it.
Repeated harassment wore on the beast’s patience.
It opened its huge maw and let out a roar, the electric glow around its neck growing even brighter.
The currents began to spread over its whole body, reaching the claws.
“Lucas, retreat quickly!”
Noli warned from afar, firing arrows as cover.
Lucas knew full well what the electric current would do if it hit him.
He decisively broke off the struggle, rolled away, and put distance between himself and the beast while gripping his saw spear.
The electrified strike hit the ground, producing a sharp crackling sound.
The earth beneath was scorched black.
Ivina had just taken a full blast of that electricity and still survived—she truly had an incredible amount of luck.
With the skeletal beast enveloped in electricity, Lucas found himself powerless for the moment.
Maybe he should try the power of the Divine Authority and see if it could counter this attack?
From afar, Noli loosed another arrow, striking the skeletal beast’s skull.
Lucas thought he sensed something—at that moment, the electrical current on the beast seemed to weaken slightly.
Could Noli’s ice actually suppress the electricity?
“Noli, keep attacking. Don’t stop!”
“Got it!”
Noli gathered her ice arrows again, drawing her bow and firing another shot that struck the beast’s skull.
Sure enough, it wasn’t his imagination—the electrical current weakened further and even started to dissipate.
It worked. Noli’s ice was effective.
At this moment, Lucas found the key to defeating this skeletal beast.
Noli was essential, and the main offensive power from now on would come from her.
“Noli, you’re the only one who can handle this beast’s lightning attack now.”
“Me… really?”
“Don’t worry, just focus on attacking.”
Lucas dismantled his saw spear into a sword and shield.
“I’ll protect you.”