Hitman With A Badass System-Novel

Chapter 558: Battle in Withered Forest II

"It's time to crash the party," Michael turned his gaze toward the skinless creatures in the center. But before jumping down, Michael stretched his arms and unsheathed his sword.     

Since he wanted to test the shield, Michael only unsheathed one sword, not two. Afterward, Michael wasted no time but leaped down just a few inches away from the large pot with boiling human porridge.     

"GRRRRRRR!"     

The creatures were startled by Michael's sudden appearance. However, they did not even have time to react as Michael kicked the pot toward them.      

Plop!     

The boiling porridge splashed on their bodies, making them scream in agony. Their screams echoed through the gloomy withered forest.     

"He alerted them," Catalie was shocked,     

"Ring of Fire,"      

Michael immediately cast the spell as a ring of fire shot out of him and burnt everything in the five-meter radius.      

[Ding! Congratulations to the host for killing a low-level Queen worshiper. The reward is 10,000 Experience points and 1000 Badass points]     

[Ding! Congratulations to the host for killing a low-level Queen worshiper. The reward is 10,000 Experience points and 1000 Badass points]     

[Ding! Congratulations to the host for killing a low-level Queen worshiper. The reward is 10,000 Experience points and 1000 Badass points]     

…     

[Ding! Congratulations to the host for successfully being a badass. The reward is 15000 badass points]     

[Ding! Congratulations to the host for successfully being a badass. The reward is 12000 badass points]     

Michael ignored all the notifications sounding in his mind and focused on the battle before him. The skinless creatures that remained closer to Michael stood no chance against the waves of hot red flames shooting out of Michael.     

"Lightning Dash," Michael did not remain still, thinking the fire would burn them all. Instead, he dashed at the creatures without giving them time to put up their defense.     

The creatures ran around frantically, screaming in pain, while many rolled on the ground to put out the fire on them. The smell of burning flesh mixed with the stench natural to the withered forest produced a nauseating smell.     

However, it couldn't stop Michael from cleaving the heads of the creatures with lightning-quick movement. Catalie saw only a blur among the skinless creatures, followed by a golden light trail.     

She heard the vague crackling of lightning every time she saw a head flying into the air. The creatures were simply too slow to even see Michael let alone stop him.     

He just harvested heads like they were weeds. Catalie had a difficult time following his movements. While Michael was killing the skinless creatures she tried to enter the tent but was stopped by an invisible force field.     

"GGGUUUURRRRR!" Suddenly, the skinless creatures roared towards the sky as they began to grow in size. The next moment, they shocked everyone in Everlight by eating their fallen comrades. Then, they started to eat the dead ones, feasted on their entrails, and sucked the blood from the neck.     

The gory sight even stunned Michael. After they began to eat their fallen comrades, Michael noticed their Cultivation stage go from the Core Strengthening stage level 1 to level 5. Fortunately, the most powerful one among the creatures was already killed by Michael.     

Even though they were powering up, they posed no threat to Michael. He treated the situation like badass points harvesting simulation.      

After they finished eating the others, Michael clenched his fist as the shield materialized over his forearm.         

"Let's dance," Michael did not cast the lightning dash but remained firm, waiting for the creatures to attack him.     

"Catalie, go inside the tent and see if Yuki is there" Catali heard Amaryll's voice in her head,     

"I can't. The tent is protected by an array,"     

"Don't rush. She will come out," Michael's words surprised Catalie,     

"Tell Amaryll. I will come up with Yuki," Michael said, raising his hand towards a creature dashing at him.      

Before the creature could get to him, the bolt of lightning shot out from Michael's hand, piercing through its head.      

Meanwhile, back on Everlight, Knight monitored each and every move of Ghost through Catalie's eyes.      

"He is holding back,"      

"What?!" Amaryll was shocked by Knight's words. As far as she could see, Ghost massacred the cannibals without breaking a sweat. That was shocking enough already yet Knight told her that he was holding back.     

"Who is he, General Knight?" Kotar asked since he did not know anything about their new guest.     

"Friend of his majesty?" Kotar couldn't help asking after seeing how they both dress in all black.     

"Why isn't he rescuing Yuki?"     

"Don't rush. She will come out," Michael's words surprised Catalie,     

As soon as Amaryll asked Knight, she heard Ghost's calm voice.     

"Can he hear us?"     

Knight shook his head, frowning.     

"It seems like he has some tricks up his sleeves," Knight, who forged himself in hundreds of battles, obviously knew Michael was holding back when he saw the battle in the mirror.     

It was pretty obvious to Knight. Still, the way he killed them, the finesse, and the deadliness in each move reminded Knight of Don.     

However, the question in Knight's mind was why he was holding back and when he planned to rescue Yuki.      

Back on the battlefield, a skinless creature dashed at Michael roaring in utter fury. It did not even have a weapon in its hand but just slashed at Michael expecting to cut him in halves.     

Ding!     

Michael was waiting for the skinless creature to attack him and when it did, he raised his shield, blocking its sharp claws. Despite the lightness of the shield, it didn't break when it blocked the blow. Not that Michael expected it to break. After all, it's a legendary item.     

The creature went on a berserker as it kept banging the shield, trying to break it. However, the creature's punches did not even put a dent in the shield.      

"Now my turn,"     

The next time when the creature threw a punch, Michael deflected it with his shield, creating an opening. Then baam! Michael hit the creature right in the jaw with his other hand. The creature was stunned as the others were dashing at him.         

Before the stunned creature could regain its senses, Michael sent his hidden blade through its eyes.     

Boom!     

Boom!     

Boom!     

At that time, Michael's instincts kicked in as he felt the upcoming danger.      

"Look out!"     

Catalie shouted as Michael swiftly leaped into the air. While in the air, he saw a boulder flying past where he was standing.     

The creature finally began to cast spells, but they never uttered a word. He was still in the air when a wave of wind threw him off balance. The wind wave forced him to the ground.     

" Are you okay?" Catalie quickly came to his side and asked with visible concern in her eyes.      

"The fun is just getting started,"     

The rest of the creatures quickly surrounded Michael and began to move their hands in various shapes and forms as they were drawing in the air.     

"Why don't we take Yuki and teleport away?"     

"She will come out," Michael calmly said, regardless of the thirty or so skinless creatures casting spells around him.     

"You creatures did not learn a thing," Michael put his shield into his space ring and cracked his neck. On the other hand, the creatures created boulders, balls of fire, and mini tornadoes, just seconds away from sending everything toward Michael.     

"Elemental manipulation," Michael had no doubts. They were manipulating the elements around him just like he could manipulate darkness and wind. But, of course, they seemed to have more control over the elements than Michael.     

Still, they made a mistake by standing within a five-meter radius from him.     

"Ring of Fire," the fire engulfed everything within a five meter radius and raged on while pulsating waves of flames around him. Everything the creatures created using elemental manipulation vanished or fell on their own heads.     

"GRRRHHHH!"     

"EEERRRRGHHH!"     

"GRRRRLLLLLL!"     

The creatures shrieked, trying to put out the fire. Some intelligent creatures attempted to manipulate the fire around them, only to fail. Michael's flames were powered up by the Dark Flames, and no one except Michael could control the Dark Flames.     

[Congratulations to the host for leveling up. The current level is the Soul Refining stage, Level 5!]     

Finally, after Michael killed all the skinless creatures around him by burning them alive, two creatures walked out of the tent, holding a young girl hostage. The young girl was still in her armor, but the creature had a rusted blade enveloped by a red mist against her throat.      

The red-haired girl gawked at the burning forest as the creatures roared at Michael. The previously gloomy, dark, silent forest was littered with dead bodies and engulfed by flames.     

"Yuki," Catalie exclaimed,         

"I don't speak your language," Michael said, folding his arm.     

"Where…where is his majesty?" Yuki stuttered,     

"Oh you know their language?" Michael tilted his head,     

"Who are you?" Yuki asked, ignoring his question. She had a corroded blade against her throat. Thus, she didn't feel like explaining things to a total stranger.     

"You two," Catalie saw Michael turning his gaze towards the two creatures instead of talking to Yuki.     

"Growl, if you understand me,"     

"GRRRR!"     

The two of them let out an angry growl, indicating they could understand him.     

"I'll give you a choice. Let her go, and I won't kill you,"      

Michael looked at the dead bodies lying on the ground for a moment before looking at them again.     

"Do anything else, you will join them,"      

"Ghost," Catalie came to his side,     

"What are you doing? They would kill her,"     

"No they won't," Michael didn't whisper but said loud enough for everyone to hear her.     

"You are not going to kill her. So save us some time by dropping your blades. Don't struggle. It'll only make your death more painful,"     

"GRRRRRR!"     

They roared instead of letting her go.     

"I will count to three. If you didn't let her go by then, I'd kill you,"     

Michael stretched his arms and began to count,     

"One…."     

"Two…"     

The skinless creatures looked at each other, but before they could hear another word from Michael's mouth, their heads exploded.     

"Time's up,"