Chapter 86: Origin Multiplication (1)

Chapter 83

With that thought, Orion became a blur once more, activating Flash as he rushed toward the remaining Webfiends.

What followed was a massacre.

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The battle initially leaned heavily in Orion’s favor.

With Flash allowing him to move at extraordinary speeds, the Webfiends struggled to keep up with his movements. His white figure flickered through the horde, and the red dagger in his hand left behind deadly streaks that separated heads from bodies and limbs from torsos. The monsters barely had time to react before another of their kind fell beneath his blade.

Every time Orion appeared, another monster died.

Whenever the Webfiends attempted to surround him, he slipped through their attacks and retaliated with a precision that made their numerical advantage seem almost meaningless. His movements were smooth and efficient, each dodge creating an opportunity to strike before his opponents could recover.

However, as time went by, the situation gradually began to change.

Flash was an extremely powerful skill, but even an ability of such a high rank came with its own limitations. No matter how useful it was in combat, Orion couldn’t continue relying on it indefinitely without suffering the consequences.

The main cost of high-ranking skills like Flash wasn’t necessarily the enormous amount of mana they consumed. Although mana consumption was certainly a factor, the real problem lay in how rapidly such skills drained the user’s stamina.

Moving at extraordinary speeds, repeatedly accelerating and changing directions while maintaining enough control to avoid attacks and strike with precision, placed an enormous burden on the body. Every movement demanded considerable effort, and sustaining that level of performance throughout an extended battle became increasingly difficult.

Orion wasn’t fighting against just a handful of monsters, either.

He was fighting against a massive horde.

No matter how many Webfiends he killed, there were always more waiting to take their place. The constant fighting gradually began to wear him down, making it impossible to continue deploying Flash as freely as he had at the beginning.

Eventually, Orion was forced to deal with the monsters without relying on Flash.

That was when things became considerably more troublesome.

The sheer number of Webfiends began to overwhelm him. Their attacks came from multiple directions, forcing him to remain constantly alert while searching for opportunities to counterattack. Whenever he focused on one monster, another would attempt to exploit the opening, leaving him with little room to make mistakes.

Even with his extraordinary abilities, he was gradually being pushed onto the back foot.

Of course, that didn’t mean he was about to lose.

Not yet.

If anything, the situation only highlighted just how much he depended on the advantages granted by Origin State. The mastery and control it provided, combined with the extraordinary perception granted by Origin Eyes, allowed him to perceive and respond to attacks that would otherwise have been nearly impossible to handle.

His eyes could analyze the slightest movements of his opponents, allowing him to anticipate their attacks and identify weaknesses before they could exploit his own. Every shift in a Webfiend’s posture, every movement of its bladed limbs, and every change in its direction provided information he could use to decide his next move.

His mind remained calm, and his movements stayed precise. Even when the monsters attacked from several directions at once, he could still find the narrowest openings through which to evade them, preventing their numbers from completely overwhelming his defenses.

In other words, if he hadn’t been in Origin State right now, he would have already lost.

Orion dodged another strike aimed at his head, leaning sideways just enough for the Webfiend’s blade-like hand to pass by. Before the monster could recover, he twisted his body and struck out with his leg, delivering a kick toward its chest.

His kick didn’t even make direct contact with the Webfiend.

But Orion didn’t need it to.

A powerful telekinetic force erupted from his body, amplifying the strength behind his kick fivefold.

BOOM!

The invisible force slammed into the Webfiend with tremendous power, crushing its chest inward. The monster’s eyes widened for an instant before its pupils dimmed, its life extinguished almost immediately.

Another Webfiend fell.

Telekinesis was one of Orion’s trump cards, an ability capable of dramatically amplifying his offensive power. By combining it with his physical attacks, he could inflict damage far beyond what his body alone should have been capable of producing, allowing even an ordinary-looking punch or kick to become a deadly attack.

Unfortunately, the ability was also extremely draining.

He couldn’t afford to use telekinesis to amplify every punch and kick. Doing so would exhaust him far too quickly, especially in a battle where he was already struggling to manage his stamina. If he wanted to survive the horde, he had to use his abilities carefully rather than waste his remaining strength on every opponent.

He had to be selective.

Every use needed to count.

A low breath escaped Orion’s lips as he dodged another bladed hand that attempted to tear into his head. He managed to avoid the attack, but not completely; the sharp edge grazed his cheek, leaving behind a thin cut.

A line of crimson blood appeared against his pale skin.

Orion calmly raised a finger and wiped away the blood, staring at the crimson stain for a brief moment. His expression remained unchanged, showing no particular reaction to the minor injury.

Then he turned his attention back to the monsters, the blood disappearing from his finger as he prepared to continue fighting.

If only the final effect of Origin State had activated...

The thought crossed his mind as he assessed his current situation.

If that last perk had been available to him, this battle would have been far smoother and easier than what he was currently experiencing. He wouldn’t have needed to struggle so much against the overwhelming numbers, nor would he have been forced to conserve his stamina so carefully.

The difference would have been substantial.

Unfortunately, the final perk remained inactive.

And until it activated, he would have to make do with what he had.

Just as that thought crossed his mind, the system screen he had been ignoring throughout the battle suddenly displayed a new message.

Orion’s attention shifted toward it, and for the first time in a while, a small smile appeared on his face.

Ding! Congratulations, Host, for successfully reaching Level 2!