Reawakening: SSS-Rank Villain's POV-Chapter 127: Almost Dead!

"Is this all the 'strongest freshman' can do?" Borin mocked, taking another step forward, his presence intensifying. "Struggle like an insect?"

Lucian grit his teeth, spitting out a glob of blood. His regeneration worked furiously, knitting bone, sealing micro-tears in muscle, but the damage was coming too fast. He was being overwhelmed.

He needed to break the rhythm. He needed to eliminate one of them. The Shadow Blade was the immediate threat, faster, more precise, constantly forcing errors.

He feinted a low sweep with his spear, drawing a parry from the Shadow Blade, then exploded upwards using [Crimson Shadow Step], aiming for the space above the assassin. He simultaneously activated [Shadow Pounce].

His target wasn't the assassin himself, but the empty air just behind him. He materialized there, spear reversed, aiming the butt end downwards in a powerful smash towards the assassin's head while twisting his body to avoid Borin's follow-up tracking strike.

The Shadow Blade reacted with inhuman speed, abandoning his own attack to twist and block the descending spear butt with his sword's flat. CLANG! The force staggered the assassin slightly, creating a micro-opening.

It wasn't much, but it was something. Lucian didn't press the attack. Instead, he used the recoil to propel himself further away, putting distance between himself and both Borin and the Shadow Blade, landing near the edge of the immediate combat zone. He needed a moment to analyze, to strategize.

He glanced quickly at the other fights. Levi was locked in a brutal slugfest with the Executioner. The ground around them was a cratered mess. The Executioner fought with pure rage, axe swinging wildly but with devastating power. Levi, however, was a fortress. His Founding Titan set absorbed blow after blow, regenerating damage almost as fast as it came. Levi wasn't winning quickly, but he was holding, slowly grinding the Berserker down with powerful counter-attacks from Earthbreaker, enhanced by [Earth Rend] shattering the ground and disrupting the Executioner's footing.

Baltzer's fight was more dynamic. He and the Shadow Dancer were blurs of motion. Lightning arcs clashed with green-glowing blades. Baltzer used [Earth Shaker] repeatedly, trying to slow the incredibly agile assassin, while summoning lightning bolts from King's Judgement. The Shadow Dancer flowed around the attacks, constantly probing, looking for an opening to deliver a debilitating poisoned strike. Baltzer's Lizard King Regalia provided significant poison resistance, but the assassin's Epic-grade venom was still a threat. Baltzer was using his superior durability and area control to keep the faster assassin occupied.

His shadows were holding. Just barely. But they wouldn't last forever against Level 100+ opponents. He had to deal with his own problems, and fast.

"Impressive survival instincts," Borin noted, his voice dangerously calm again. He hadn't moved to pursue Lucian immediately, instead watching the brief exchange with the Shadow Blade. "But delaying the inevitable only prolongs your suffering." He raised his hand slowly, palm open. Energy gathered there, not the crushing force from before, but something sharper, more focused, crackling with raw power. "Let's see how you handle this. [Starfall Lance]!"

A beam of pure, white-hot energy, condensed to the width of a spear, shot from Borin's palm towards Lucian. It moved faster than sound, faster than any physical projectile. The air itself sizzled and warped around its path.

Lucian felt absolute annihilation bearing down on him. Dodging felt impossible. Blocking? Suicidal.

His mind raced. His hand instinctively went to his chest. The Amulet of Final Stand was on cooldown. He couldn't rely on that.

He poured mana into his own legendary necklace, the Celestial Essence Well Pendant.

[Skill Activated: Celestial Essence Well Pendant - Mana Surge!] [+50% Max Mana Restored Instantly!] → [+30,500 Mana!]

Fueled by the sudden influx, he made a split-second decision. He activated the ultimate defensive skill of his Wyrm Emperor's Aegis, a skill he hadn't planned on using so soon.

[Active Skill Activated: Wyrm Emperor's Aegis - Scales of Warding (Active Aspect - Emergency Barrier)!] [-5000 Mana]

A translucent barrier, shimmering with emerald and gold draconic scales, snapped into existence just inches in front of Lucian. It felt incredibly solid, radiating ancient power.

"KA-BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!"

The Starfall Lance slammed into the Wyrmscale Barrier. The sound was horrifying – a high-pitched scream of shearing energy followed by a deafening explosion. The barrier buckled violently, scales cracking and reforming almost instantly, emerald and gold light flaring blindingly bright as it struggled to negate the immense power of the Elder-rank attack.

Lucian felt the shockwave even through the barrier, staggering him, rattling his teeth. Cracks spread across the ground beneath his feet.

[-12,000 Barrier HP!] [Barrier Holding!]

The lance dissipated, its energy finally exhausted by the Legendary barrier. The barrier itself shimmered, heavily damaged but intact. Lucian stared, breathing heavily. That attack... it would have vaporized him without the Aegis's protection.

Borin looked genuinely surprised now, his eyes wide. "A Legendary chestpiece with an active barrier skill? Where did a brat like you get such treasures?!" Greed warred with fury in his expression.

The Shadow Blade used the moment Lucian was recovering from the impact. He didn't attack Lucian directly. He flickered towards the side, aiming Void Whisper in a silent, diagonal slash towards Lucian's spear, clearly intending to disarm or disable his weapon.

Lucian reacted instinctively, pulling Dragon Soul Devourer back, but the assassin was too fast, anticipating the move. The void-infused blade scraped along the shaft of the Mythic spear.

"SCREEECH!"

Not sparks, but a terrifying sound of metal unmaking. A deep gouge appeared on the shaft of Dragon Soul Devourer. The Mythic weapon, which had withstood Borin's palm strike, was actually damaged by the assassin's Legendary katana!

[Weapon Durability Decreased: Dragon Soul Devourer - Minor Damage!]

Lucian felt a pang of anger and shock. Damaging his spear was unforgivable.

He saw his opening. The assassin was slightly overextended after the weapon strike. Borin was momentarily surprised by the barrier.

Lucian didn't hesitate. He ignored the damage to his spear, ignored Borin. He activated [Crimson Shadow Step] and [Shadow Pounce] simultaneously, pouring mana into them.

He didn't target the assassin's body. He targeted the assassin's sword hand.

He materialized beside the Shadow Blade, Dragon Soul Devourer thrusting not to kill, but to pin. The spear tip slammed against the guard of Void Whisper, the force generated by his augmented speed and strength jarring the assassin's grip.

Simultaneously, Lucian's free hand shot out, aiming for the assassin's wrist.

[Skill Activated: Blood Control - Minor Blood Burst!] [-100 Mana]

He focused his will, causing a tiny, contained explosion of blood within the assassin's wrist joint. It wasn't damaging, but it was disruptive, painful, unexpected.