Lief quickly hurried back to camp with the group.
"How long till the Demon Raid?" he asked Elder Li. The rest of the group was sitting on the ground, drawing with swords.
"Five minutes." A solemn voice responded. "This is the plan." Elder Li stood up and pointed to the drawing.
"We'll use the tents as distractions and blockades." He squatted and used his sword to point at the triangles he had drawn earlier.
"I'll be bait after they finish up with the tents." Elder Li signaled to a circle. "You all run away while I do that."
"And then, once you all have moved a decent distance away, I'll get onto my own Spirit Horse and go to the Central Plains." He thought for a bit. "But in a different direction than your group."
Elder Li looked at Yun. "Yun will lead you all to the Central Plains. She knows a general path."
"Understood?" Lief and the rest of the group quickly nodded in agreement.
"Thats good, because the Demon Raid is starting now."
Far in the distance, dark figures were appearing. The light of the dim red sky barely highlighted menacing silhouettes, which blotted out the entire horizon. The blackened horde of aberrant creatures charged at the group.
Elder Li readied his longsword, preparing to fight. He imbued his blade with a light orange aura, contrasting the red of Lief's own.
The air crackled with ferocity as he moved into a battle position.
"Quick! Run!" He reminded them.
Li Feng climbed up onto his horse, stumbling a few times in nervousness. He motioned for Lief to follow him onto the horse.
However, Lief was too entranced by Elder Li as his powerful sword sliced through the Kyran effortlessly.
A parry here, a slash there, and another thrust over there. Yet, Lief noticed that Elder Li was tiring, his movements becoming slow and sluggish.
"Are you insane??" Li Feng cried. "You're going to die!" He stared at Lief with intense green eyes, his expression a mix of fear and desperation. "Do you want to follow uncle to the grave??"
Lief had no response.
Yun pulled Li Feng away, forcing him to come with her to the Central Plains. Li Feng struggled, but Yun was far stronger than him.
As Lief was about to follow Li Feng and Yun, he saw Elder Li becoming overwhelmed with monsters. Damn it.
Making up his mind to protect Elder Li, he charged at the horde, steel blade in hand.
The coarse basaltic ground was harsh on his feet as he rushed forward, the wind sharp and stinging his eyes.
Lief used his reddened sword to slash through one of the Kyran attempting to kill Elder Li.
"Go!" He shouted. "I'll take it from here."
Elder Li promptly hobbled away to his nearby Spirit Horse, which had been running away from the Kyran in circles. "Good luck, then." A difficult expression came to his face as he sprinted off to the distance.
A large shadow rumbled in the back of the Kyran horde. Menacing crimson eyes looked at Lief in a predatory gaze. God, what the fuck is that?
A colossal mountain of hulking black muscle and red sinews. Ivory armor plate adorned the limbs of the creature, almost regally. A mantle of plate covered the entire front area.
Most disturbing of all was its... human appearance. Although the entire face was covered with a scaly white helmet, the overall figure of the beast was humanoid. Two arms, two legs. Yet the creature had long, ghostly wings which floated in the air, and a reptilian tail, also covered with white armor, which threatened to strangle Lief to death.
Instead of hands, the creature's arms were tipped with serrated blades, designed to cut through human flesh. The blades, contrary to the milky plate around them, were pitch black with lines of red running through them.
By now, Rhysa had processed the question and responded. "That thing is a Kyran Soldier. Far evolved beyond the rank below them, Kyran Scouts, Kyran Soldiers are adapted for combat on planets. With wings to fly and a strengthened body, they are the main infantry of the Kyran species." She paused a bit, staring at Lief's shocked expression. "Master was kind enough to place a few dozen of them in this nexus."
"It seems you are doubtful of your survival." Lief nodded. Of course I am this thing thrice my size and could probably kill me instantly!
"This should help." She continued. "Kyran Soldiers have three glaring weak points. Their unarmored joints, face, and blades. All three areas are the exclusive parts covered by nerve endings."
The Soldier leaped forward, almost killing Lief immediately. Oh shit. The edge of its left blade barely grazed, infecting him. Shit shit shit shit.
The poison ran through his body, ravaging his arm with bulbous tumors and eerie glowing veins. A menacing prologue to-
"Poof!"
A shocking explosion destroyed the entirety of Lief's right arm. Skeletal bone was exposed as his flesh desperately bled, attempting to put itself back together.
He groaned with pain at the loss of his limb. Fragments of tattered skin and split muscle still remained on the ground.
Rhysa beeped. "ACTIVATING MODULE:RATIONALIZING SAINT." Suddenly, Lief felt almost no pain at all. Rhysa, what the hell did you do? I feel so much better!
"I shut off all of your nerve endings. Please note that this will lose effectiveness as you progress through the Energy system." She continued. "This is one of countless modules built into me to help you progress."
Awesome.
The Soldier turned, its ruthless eyes locking back onto Lief. "ACTIVATING MODULE:ENERGIZE SAINT." Another module activated by Rhysa. "This module should give you Tier 2 energy for a short period of time."
"Well, what are you waiting for?" What do you mean, what am I waiting for? "Make a arm out of your energy, idiot!"
Lief focused his energy, in much a similar way to when he made the bouncy dagger. Except this time, he had to make an entire arm.
Despite having no experience, the increased energy reserves and lack of pain allowed him to create an construct similar to his original arm. This should do.
Lief pointed his sword to the Soldier. "COME AT ME, MOTHERFUCKER!"