His powerful attack was not enough to kill a single Puk due to its harder defenses. And there was an even stronger creature that stood before him!
If this creature were level ten, his dexterity would be far faster than his group's! A team of level 4 slaves who don't even have the proper training for their jobs could never outmatch the enemy before him!
As such, the entire stock of weapons that Emeros planned to use against his enemies was being prepared.
Emeros's gauge powers identified the goat creature as a Chort!
Chort
Level: 10
Strength: 33
Magic: 7
Dexterity: 44
Vitality: 31
Force: 8
Hit points: 440
Defense points: 24
---
Seeing the stats, Emeros quickly made his decision. There were no other options left.
"Now!" Emeros shouted.
His allies also threw out things while Philip and Serena reached for their bows again.
The goat creature slapped at the incoming thrown items.
Kraaack!
But the goat creature was surprised as the one thrown at it wasn't stone! His slap didn't return the items but broke them, and a strange liquid was splashed on them.
The Puks also punched or slapped back, but now the same liquid was splashed on them.
And while everyone reacted to the potions on oils that were hurled at them, Emeros discreetly threw the bomb by rolling it on the ground.
BOOM!
VOOOSH!
The fire ore bomb exploded, and the flames caused the oils to burn.
"ROAR!"
The imp creatures roared in pain as the fires began to spread.
"Attack!" Emeros shouted as Philip and Serena began to shoot arrows.
Wesret and Don ran and kept themselves close to the walls as they charged, and Emeros dove ahead.
The large goat creature roared in pain and ran forward to escape the flames. But as it opened its eyes, Emeros had already made his wild swing.
SLASH!
---
Damage Inflicted: 133
---
The cut slashed out and struck the arm of the creature that held its weapons.
Emeros made a quick turn of his sword and prepared to slash down as a follow-up.
But the high dexterity of the Chort was far superior. It used its other hand to block the sword strike and make a powerful slapping attack.
SLAP!
---
Damage received: 92
---
Emeros's attack didn't land as the slap was sent. First, he was sent back, and the enraged creature made a wild swing again with his sword.
Emeros raised his sword to block, but the attack landed and sent him flying back.
Emeros was sent flying back and crashed into the walls.
---
---
Damage received: 36
---
Emeros slid down and didn't get up.
"Master!"
The shouts of his allies were heard as they ran towards the fiery hordes to fight.
More oil potions were being thrown into the flames, but the Puks began to run through the flames and attack.
Emeros only had 119 out of his 380 hit points. This equated to him having less than a third of his life taken from him. The truth of the numbers that could be seen on the stat points meant Emeros had numerous wounds and some bone fractures.
He saw his team charge desperately to fight against the Puks that began to swing their blades and clubs.
Wesret desperately tried to block, but he was quickly overpowered.
"They're too strong!" Wesret shouted.
FWIP! FWIP!
The arrows stuck the beast but the higher defense and vitality points allowed these burning creatures to press on and were only enraged by the attack.
Emeros trembled and realized he was too stupid. He thought he would be as awesome as his brothers but realized that he was just a man. His little stat increase could not help him against these higher-leveled imps!
His vision darkened as his hope vanished.
But at that moment, the last magic of Calaminus activated.
Emeros saw a familiar figure standing in front of him as time slowed down.
"Giving up already?" Kyros asked.
'K-kyros!"
"...So Calaminus is dead, huh? With his last gift, he bought me some time. But don't get your hopes up. I'm not here to fight. I'm here to talk and encourage you. A small portion of my soul is saved like memories so that I can talk to you."
"That's it?! Talk?! You can't save me?!"
"Remember what dad said. You have to have nothing and only the bare minimum; otherwise, they will find you. Besides, you don't need to save. Maybe some pep talk, but you can defeat these guys!" Kyros smiled as he glanced at the creatures and observed every one of them.
"Defeat them?! We are three levels lower than these beasts! And there are dozens of them!"
"Yeah... This scene looks very nostalgic. Fighting a horde of low-leveled creatures in a cave with some allies..." Kyros laughed. He recalled his adventure against the lizard creatures that attacked him.
"...You were strong. Your stats were too high at that time! Your attacks could practically kill a beast, and you had the Temple! That item-retrieving trick! And the Steele Family were all battle-hardened fighters! I have slaves!" Emeros exclaimed.
"You were a cheat by all standards! You didn't even care about the stats of your enemies because you had it all! I... I barely have a Commander's potential! I don't have strong allies! And I don't have your magic!"
"...I was in the Unrecorded Pages where all my advantages were negligible. And despite my advantages, Fate and Destiny had a cruel way of pushing me toward even greater danger. When we were brought in Middle, we fought against Commanders and Cardinals with a few teams of Champions. Our advantages were never enough to push us through our problems. What you have before you is cause and effect. Fate, Destiny, not even True Neutrals have anything to do with what you face. Besides, I've lived an even crueler life than this, Emeros. In my first life, I was even weaker than you!" Kyros smiled.
"Is that why you're here?! To tell me that you are better than me?! Go ahead! It's true! I was scared when I found out what my mission was! I thought I had it good! But I was a fool! I fought against some weak-leveled creatures and thought I was awesome! But I'm not! I'm weak! Go ahead and tell me that you are better than me!"
"You're wrong. I am not here to brag. What's the use of bragging? If you die, we all die. I am here to tell you that you should become better than me and that you could. You don't have a choice, Emeros. You see, the rule of the strong is simple. It's the ability to keep pressing forward and the courage to keep fighting. You are far smarter than these imps. You are far more experienced, thanks to our memories." Kyros knelt down as he extended his arm to Emeros.
"...So that's it?" You're just here to tell me... to get up and fight?"
"That's what strong people do. Emeros. The reason you have only Vasilius is because you are king. And if we are the combination of several powers, then your power as the king means that you were destined to be the core and the savior of our trinity. You are stronger and more overpowered than you think. You are unseen to Fate and Destiny. The Nephilim were raised to be hidden, not in the light nor in the shadows that are cast behind the light. You are not "You weren't born without powers. You were born without obstruction, End cannot End something he does not know. That's even in the picture. And that's why you are strong!" Kyros reached out and held Emeros, who did nothing to Kyros's extended arm.
"You weren't born without powers. You were born without obstruction, End cannot End something he does not know. That's who you are!"
"...You're lying! I'm weak! Two hits from that Chort, and I'm dead!"
"You're strong. That's why you are our hope, Emeros. You have to go through this. You have to fight and get beaten up, and you will lose allies in all of your fights. You will struggle as a mortal because you are mortal. But you are also a King! You are sure to rise! Noxus and I were bound in Fate and Destiny's battle. End will find u! But he won't find you. And trust me, that's a better advantage than everything me and Noxus has! Oh, King! You will surely wear a Crown! That's the power you have! A king may die, but only once he wears a crown! The power in you is set! You won't die until you have one! But for now, you have to get up and fight! You are King! One who is destined to rule! So rise and start ruling!"
With a strong pull, Kyros pulled Emeros up.
The moment Emeros was on his feet, Kyros disappeared.
Emeros moved fast and reached out for a potion on a wheel-borrow and quickly drank it.
He then sprinted towards the battlefield and saw his allies struggling to fight.
But at that moment, time seemed to have slowed down.
Even Emeros's movements seemed slow for his head.
Emeros was shocked at what he saw.
"I didn't give you powers." Kyros's fading voice could be heard.
Emeros was startled. He realized that he had a few more gifts given to him.
"This was already in you through Calaminus. You still have the remnant powers of a Time God. A Time Core is within you! You just needed a little push to use it. Now go!"
"[Pronto]!" Emeros shouted as he could see time moving slower.