Transmigrated As An Extra In The Apocalypse-Chapter 84 - 83: Attack On Orc Lord (8)

Fast.

Faster than anything his massive form should have allowed.

One second, he was standing amidst the dust and rubble, his chest still heaving from his roar.

The next...

He was right in front of me.

I barely had time to process it before a shadow loomed over me.

His massive club, thick as a tree trunk and lined with jagged spikes, was already descending.

The sheer force behind it sent a wave of pressure rippling through the air, and I knew, if it landed...

But before it could reach me, it stopped.

Not on its own.

Edward.

His hands were wrapped around the weapon, muscles tensed, veins bulging as he held the club back.

"You’re not touching her." he said.

The sheer impact of the orc lord’s swing had sent cracks spiderwebbing beneath his feet, but he didn’t waver.

"Go," Edward said, his voice low, strained, but unshakable.

I hesitated.

"But—"

"Go!" His tone left no room for argument.

I clenched my jaw, fists tightening.

I hated this.

I hated running.

But Edward... he wasn’t asking.

He was ordering.

I turned and moved, forcing my feet forward even as my instincts screamed at me to stay, to fight.

A deep, guttural growl rumbled through the battlefield as the orc lord pushed against me, his monstrous club pressing down with the weight of a mountain.

Edward arms trembled, every muscle in his body pushed to their limit as he held it back.

The sheer force behind his strike threatened to crush him where he stood, his feet sinking into the cracked ground beneath him.

But he refused to let go.

The air around us thickened, an invisible force pressing down on Edward shoulders like iron chains.

Gravity.

He was using it against Edward, trying to force him to his knees.

Edward gritted his teeth, his breath coming in short, ragged bursts.

Damn it.

He wasn’t just strong, he was smart.

He was trying to break Edward, piece by piece.

The club in Edward grip vibrated, his arms screaming in protest.

I could hear his bones creaking under the immense pressure.

It was like trying to hold up the sky itself.

But Edward had no choice.

If he faltered for even a second, that club would come crashing down.

No.

He couldn’t let that happen.

He shouldn’t.

Edward dug his heels into the earth, his entire body being strained as he fought back.

A wicked grin stretched across the orc lord’s face, his glowing red eyes burning with cruel amusement.

He could feel Edward struggling.

He knew he had the upper hand.

Edward knees was buckling, his strength seemed to waver.

A deafening series of gunshots cracked through the thickened air.

Beth moved like a phantom, her body a blur as she circled the battlefield, firing shot after shot with unerring precision.

The bullets streaked toward the orc lord, cutting through the invisible barrier that protected the orc lord.

And then...

Clink!

The first bullet hit his armor and bounced off.

Beth didn’t stop.

She fired again.

Another perfect shot, straight to the chest.

Clink!

The bullet ricocheted, disappearing into the distance.

Beth’s brows furrowed.

Her stance shifted.

She adjusted her aim, narrowing her eyes as she squeezed the trigger once more.

Clink! Clink! Clink!

The sound of failure rang in my ears.

My heart sank.

The bullets were passing through his barrier but not his armor.

It was as if the metal itself was rejecting her ability, nullifying the very force that made her such a lethal opponent.

Beth’s face remained unreadable, but I knew she was piecing it together just as fast as I was.

Her nullification wasn’t working.

"Amber," her voice was calm, too calm for what was happening. "That thing’s armor—"

"It’s resisting your ability," I finished for her, my voice rough from exertion.

My breathing was still ragged, but I forced myself to stand straight.

"It’s not just enchanted, it’s reacting to you."

Beth exhaled sharply.

"Figures. That bastard’s armor is countering my counter. It’s almost like it was made for this."

The orc lord’s grin widened, his crimson eyes locking onto Edward.

He didn’t bother looking at us.

Because he knew that Beth strength had just been rendered useless.

Beth didn’t hesitate.

She reloaded in a flash, her fingers moving so fast they blurred.

"Well, that just means I’ll have to get creative."

She lifted her gun again, her expression set in stone.

And she fired.

Bang!

Edward’s arms trembled as he struggled against the orc lord’s club.

His feet dug into the cracked ground, the weight of both the monstrous weapon and the gravity bearing down on him pushing him past his limits.

His muscles strained, his breath came in ragged bursts, I saw it he was losing.

I clenched my fists.

I couldn’t just stand here.

The orc lord’s armor, his strength, everything about him was unnatural, but if there was one thing I could do, it was take.

And I would take everything from him.

I moved without thinking, darting forward, my fingertips glowing with raw energy as I moved towards the orc lord.

But just as I was about to unleash my draining ability, a firm hand gripped my wrist, stopping me cold.

"Don’t try it again."

Beth’s voice was sharp, urgent.

I whipped around to face her, frustration boiling in my chest.

"Beth, we don’t have time for this! Edward--"

"Do you think i don’t know that," she snapped, her grip tightening. "But you have no idea what you’re messing with."

I tried to yank my arm free, but she held on.

"Beth, let go. I could try to drain his armor again, weaken it. Edward can’t hold on much longer!"

She didn’t let go.

She looked me dead in the eye, her usual detached demeanor gone, replaced with something I rarely saw in her, maybe concern.

"Amber," she said, voice lower now, but firmer, "do you know what that armor is made of?"

I swallowed, my impatience gnawing at me.

"Yes, but it doesn’t matter---"

"It’s enforced by ash of nullification," she cut in. "You drain too much of it, and you might just nullify yourself."

"I might be able to drain it without any problem?"

Beth’s grip finally loosened, but her gaze never wavered.

"Use your head. That armor, it’s not just some enchanted metal. It’s fused with ash of nullification. It cancels out abilities, disrupts energy, it literally nullify anything. If you try to absorb it, you might not just drain it, Amber. It might nullify you if you take in too much, simply erasing you."

My breath caught in my throat.

Erase... me?

I looked back at Edward, his knees nearly buckling under the force of the orc lord’s attack.

His teeth were gritted, his arms shaking as he pushed back with everything he had.

He was strong, but even he had limits.

And yet... Beth was right.

If I drained too much, if I pushed past a threshold I didn’t even understand... I could be gone.

Not just unconscious, not just weakened.

Gone.

I clenched my jaw.

My instincts screamed at me to act, to save him, but for the first time, hesitation crept in.

Beth saw it in my eyes.

She gave a slow nod.

"Now you get it."

I exhaled, stepping back.

My hands curled into fists.

If I make a wrong move... I wouldn’t be there to fix it.

"Now we need to look for another way" Beth said.