*creak*

As the gate swung open, Billy and Angel made a mad dash for the lab’s exit, while Anon and Mike emerged with a calm demeanor, summoning their formidable weapons. Anon manifested his deadly sickles, while Mike wielded his pair of lethal daggers.

“Don’t kill too many; I want most of them alive. After all, I also want to conduct some experiments on them,” Anon instructed Mike.

“I understand, Master. I’ll try to minimize casualties and capture as many as possible,” Mike replied dutifully.

‘Master, someone just exited the lab. Should we kill him? He’s a vampire, and he’s threatening us by showing his fangs. There’s also a kid with him,’ No.300 informed Anon through their psychic connection.

‘Hold off, No.300. Don’t kill him. Just tell him you’re with me; that should deter any unnecessary conflict,’ Anon responded.

‘Yes, Master.’

“Is everything alright, sir?” Mike asked.

“Nothing to worry about. We simply forgot to inform that fellow about the army of ogres standing right above us,” Anon answered nonchalantly.

“Did they kill him?” Mike inquired.

“No, fortunately, we intervened just in time. He bared his fangs at No.300, and you know what might have happened if No.300 hadn’t consulted me,” Anon explained, relieved that unnecessary bloodshed had been averted.

“He’s a good father. Despite his weakness, he’s brave enough to confront the ogres, clad in mithril armor, to protect his family. He’d do anything for them, something I failed to do,” Mike said with a tinge of sorrow.

“Come on now, let’s not get emotional. We’ve got work to do. Let’s capture these pieces of ** and get back home,” Anon said, offering reassurance as he tapped Mike’s shoulder.

“I-I apologize, Master. I shouldn’t behave like this. It’s just that when I met that man and heard his wife’s name, it reminded me of my daughter, but that’s impossible because she is… sigh”

“What are you talking about? Don’t dwell on it. Let’s focus on our mission,” Anon said, trying to ease Mike’s distress.

“Right, Master. Let’s go inside,” Mike replied, his grip on his daggers tightening.

“Don’t worry, Mike. Everything happens for a reason,” Anon said reassuringly as he kicked open the door.

Thud

Anon and Mike swiftly entered a vast white hall filled with people wearing white coats. Around 20 individuals were present, and at the center of the room, two women were hanging from poles, restrained by ropes, while blood was being drawn from their hands and legs. Numerous blood bags surrounded them, and their long hair concealed their faces.

The intruders’ appearance took the occupants by surprise. One of the white-coated individuals spoke up, demanding to know their identity and daring to intrude.

“He is your father, and I am the grandfather. Now, come and give us a hug,” Anon replied calmly, unsheathing his sickles with a resolute air.

Clank

Clank

The daggers slipped from Mike’s hands as tears welled up in his eyes, and he reached out towards the two women in the middle of the room.

“Mike? Are you alright?” Anon inquired, concerned about his companion’s sudden change in demeanor.

“Alisa and Jenna?” Mike muttered softly, his voice filled with disbelief and emotion.

The words reached the women’s ears, and they turned to look at Mike.

“D-Daddy?” Alisha said with a faint smile on her face.

“Darling… You’re here,” Jenna exclaimed, her eyes welling up with tears of joy.

“Hey, human. Remember what I told you the first day? My father will come for me someday, and look, he’s here now. So, who’s in trouble now?” Alisha said boldly to one of the men standing nearby.

“Guards, kill the intruders,” one of the men commanded, prompting 12 giant human Chimeras to charge forward from the back of the room.

“Mike, we have to—”

Crackling

Anon noticed pitch-black sparks crackling around Mike’s body before he could finish his sentence.

“Mike, calm down. We need to capture them aliv—”

Before Anon could complete his sentence, Mike vanished from his position, reappearing beside his wife and daughter.

Everyone in the room froze for a moment, and Anon observed that Mike’s daggers were dripping with blood.

“Fuck…” Anon swore under his breath, realizing the extent of Mike’s unleashed fury and what he had done.

Instinctively, Anon touched his temples, and in an instant, everyone in the room dropped dead, including the formidable human Chimeras. The white room was now engulfed in crimson, the floor covered in a pool of blood.

Overwhelmed with emotion upon discovering his wife and daughter were alive after all this time, Mike’s mind had lost control of his anger, leading him to unleash a forbidden skill.

The skill known as “Endless Shadow Strikes” is a formidable and perilous ability that taps into the untamed mana present in the surroundings, channeling it into its darkest manifestation. When invoked, this skill transforms the user into a beast of shadows, granting them unprecedented power and speed for a brief but intense period.

To activate Endless Shadow Strikes, the user gathers the wild mana from the environment, drawing it into themselves in its unfiltered form. The mana courses through their veins, suffusing them with the essence of darkness. During this process, the user’s intelligence is reduced by 50%, their mental faculties temporarily suppressed as they become consumed by the overwhelming power of the shadows. 𝒃𝙚𝙤𝙫𝒆𝒍．𝙘𝒐𝙢

However, this dark transformation bestows immense advantages upon the user. Their damage output is multiplied by a staggering 500%, turning them into a force to be reckoned with in combat. Their speed is also amplified to an extraordinary level, enabling them to move with swift and elusive grace, leaving their opponents struggling to keep up.

To sustain this potent state, a significant 90% of the user’s mana is instantaneously consumed, reflecting the tremendous energy required to maintain such power. It is a costly investment that demands careful management of the user’s mana reserves.

Yet, as the name “Endless Shadow Strikes” suggests, the skill’s duration is limited to a mere 5 seconds. Once this brief period elapses, the user will face a painful and potentially dangerous backlash.

The backlash may manifest in various ways, such as physical strain, mental exhaustion, or even temporary incapacitation.

Author: We have come a long way and those who are still with me. I want to thank you guys for all the support and love for the novel.