Surrounded by multiple ck-d individuals, Aric figure skillfully moved around them.


    -Swish!


    Appearing behind one of the ck-d individuals, Aric swung his board sword towards the back of his head.


    As he swung, the image of the sword blurred as it coursed through the air in a lightning-fast manner.


    -nk! -nk!


    "kkhhh…damn it!"


    As if predicting Aric attack, quickly turning around and parrying Aric surprise attack, two ck-d individuals appeared next to Aric and attacked him from both his right and left nk.


    Ducking down and dodging the two attacks, Aric dashed forward and slid between the two ck-d individuals.


    -sh


    -Slit


    As he slid, two deep cuts appeared on the two ck-d individuals'' calves as Jin made sure to cut their legs and intend their movements.


    Stumbling a couple of steps due to the cuts on their legs, the other ck-d individual, whom Aric tried to ambush, stabbed his sword downwards.


    -Roll


    Rolling to the side to avoid the sword, Aric tensed his core and with the aid of his back jumped up in the air.


    -nk! -nk!


    Whilst in the air, Aric forcefully twisted his body and spun like a wheel as he parried all the attacks that came from all sides.


    -Thud!


    "Huff…huff…huff…"


    Landing on the ground, Aric heavily panted for air as he wiped the sweat that had started umting on his forehead.


    Looking at the five individuals before him, Aric face became grim.


    Despite being stronger than them, it somehow felt as if he was fighting against an insatiable beast.


    No matter how much Aric tried, the ck-d individuals he was fighting would quickly respond to his attacks and counter them with an even more fearsomebo.


    It was to the point that his breathing started to be heavier and heavier by the second.


    ''Who are they? And why are they attacking me?'' Aric didn''t have time toplete his thought as they started to attack again.


    Aric, faced with the relentless onught of the ck-d assants, began to strategize on the fly. The adversaries, seemingly synchronized in their attacks, pressed forward with unwavering determination.


    -Swish! -sh! -Thrust!


    Aric deftly parried and dodged the strikes, showcasing his agility andbat proficiency. However, the relentless assault took a toll on him as the attackers skillfully exploited any opening he revealed.


    Realizing the need to change the dynamics of the fight, Aric focused his energy, drawing upon his magical abilities.


    "Wind des!" he eximed.


    Sudden gusts of wind manifested around Aric, forming razor-sharp des that sliced through the air towards the assants. The unexpected elemental attack caught them off guard, creating a temporary opening.


    Seizing the opportunity, Aric lunged forward, his sword bing a blur of motion


    -sh! -Thrust! -Spin!


    He struck with precision, exploiting the momentary disarray of the ck-d assants. Yet, the attackers, though momentarily staggered, quickly regrouped with an eerie coordination.


    With a synchronized and almost unnerving coordination, the ck-d assants regrouped, their movements harmonized as if guided by an unseen force. Aric, despite his impressive disy of wind magic and swordsmanship, found himself confronting adversaries who moved with a disconcerting fluidity.


    -Swish! -Parry! -Duck!


    Aric continued to engage in a dance of des and magic, his every move met with calcted responses from the assants. It was as if they anticipated his actions, adapting seamlessly to his evolvingbat style.


    As the battle raged on, Aric''s mind raced. These attackers weren''t ordinary foes; their proficiency hinted at extensive training and an understanding of his abilities. The air crackled with tension as the adversaries closed in, their movements synchronized with an unsettling precision.


    Amidst the sh of steel and magic, Aric''s mind worked swiftly. He needed to exploit their coordination and find a weakness in their seemingly wless defence.


    "Thunderstrike!" Aric eximed, channelling a surge of lightning magic into his sword. Bolts of electricity crackled along its de as he unleashed a series of electrified shes.


    -Zap! -Zap! -Zap!


    The electrifying onught disrupted the rhythmic movements of the ck-d assants, causing momentary disorientation. Seizing this opportunity, Aric pressed the offensive, aiming for the heart of their coordinated strategy.


    -sh! -Thrust!


    With each strike, Aric aimed to disrupt their synchronization, introducing chaos into their calcted approach.


    But that wasn''t enough! Aric was losing his ground against them. His mana pool was emptying at rapid speed.


    From the way he saw things, the most he couldst would be five more minutes.


    Any longer than that and he would be too exhausted to move.


    -Gulp!


    Frowning, Aric took out a couple of potions from his storage dimension and quickly downed them.


    Though he could replenish his stamina and mana with potions, because he didn''t expect such a situation to arise, he only had a couple of stamina and mana-recovering potions with him.


    Therefore, even though he had potions, they could at most only help him fight for a bit longer.


    They weren''t a solution for his current predicament.


    -nk! -nk!


    Parrying the attacksing from the ck-d individuals, Aric mind raced as he looked for a solution.


    Looking at his room which had now be a mess, Aric frantically looked for anything that could aid his escape.


    Looking around and seeing nothing, Aric clenched his teeth.


    Aric''s mind raced as he desperately sought a solution within the chaotic confines of his room. The relentless assault from the ck-d assants showed no signs of abating, and the limited potions could only dy the inevitable.


    -Swish! -sh! -Dodge!


    Aric continued to fend off the attackers, his movements fueled by a mixture of determination and the urgency of his situation. The walls of his room seemed to close in as he dodged strikes and parried attacks.


    -nk!


    -Swoosh!


    Parrying one of the ck-d individuals'' attacks, Aric ducked and avoided another attacking from behind him


    Jumping backwards, Aric continued ducking and defending against the ck-d individuals.


    "Khhh…"


    The more he fought, the more tired Jin became. Looking towards the entrance of his apartment, Aric slowly moved in that direction.


    He needed to escape.


    He couldn''t defeat them. He had to survive.


    He was the future of the Thorn Heart family. He couldn''t die. Not when a lot of people had expectations of him.


    Making his way towards the door, Aric continued to struggle against the continuous attacks from the ck-d individuals.


    He had to live.


    "So you want to escape from here? Let me grant your wish." The ck-d individual muttered to himself before vanishing into the shadows.


    In the blink of an eye, the ominous figure materialized near Aric,unching a powerful kick that sent him flying. Aric''s attempts to dodge proved futile, and the force of the impact propelled him through the door, shattering it into pieces.


    Thwack!


    BOOM!


    Thud!"


    marked the abrupt end of Aric''s resistance as he collided with the unforgiving wall.


    "W-What the fuck," someone eximed.


    a curse punctuated the air. As Aric slowly turned his head, irritation etched across his face, he beheld an unwee presence – Lucas.


    Aric''s irritation deepened; thest person he wanted to encounter in this dire situation was Lucas.


    The room buzzed with tension as Aric, recovering from the forceful impact, locked eyes with Lucas.


    ***


    Lucas, standing amidst the chaos, met Aric''s gaze with an unreadable expression. The air was thick with unspoken tension, and the room buzzed with an ufortable silence as the two locked eyes.


    Aric, brushing off the impact of his abrupt expulsion, took a step forward, his irritation transforming into a steely determination. "What the hell are you doing here?" Aric''s voice cut through the charged atmosphere, demanding an exnation.


    Lucas, maintaining aposed demeanour, finally spoke, "What do you think, Idiot? I was trying to get the hell out of hear but some idiot blocks my path."


    As Aric assessed the situation, he couldn''t shake the feeling that Lucas knew more about the current crisis than he was letting on. The shadows concealed not only the assants but also the motives and alliances that lurked in the background.


    "So what are you waiting for? Get the hell out of hear" Aric pressed, a mixture of frustration and suspicion coloring his words. The circumstances demanded transparency, yet Lucas remained enigmatic, leaving Aric to navigate a web of uncertainties.


    Lucas sighed, a flicker of something akin to regret crossing his features. "I want to but I can''t since they already noticed me. Let''s just say our paths are intertwined, whether we like it or not." His cryptic response only fueled Aric''s frustration, leaving him with more questions than answers.


    The urgency of their predicament pressed upon them, and it became evident that cooperation might be their best chance against the shadowy adversaries.


    Reluctantly, Aric acknowledged the need for a temporary alliance, albeit one clouded by past grievances.


    "Fine, for now, we work together. But once this is over, we settle our score," Aric dered, his tone unyielding. Lucas nodded in agreement, acknowledging the temporary truce forged in the face of amon threat.


    ''Oh, well let''s get this over with.'' Lucas thought as he took out his sword.