Hacking the Game Didn't Go as Intended

CHAPTER 143: From Despair to Desire - The Flames that Consume

Pant-pant-pant!

Thalia reached the heart of the current battlefield just in time to see Zephyr collapse, exhausted but victorious, after taking down the last of the Bearhounds. Her heart lurched as one of the bandits rushed toward the motionless pup, sword raised to deliver a fatal strike.

But before the blade could fall—

CHENGG!

A golden chain lashed out, wrapping around the bandit's neck and yanking him backward with a vicious jerk. Daisuke swung the Sturdy Club with all his strength, the blow landing with a sickening crack, shattering bones and sending the bastard hurtling through the air before crashing to the ground in a crumpled heap.

"KYAAA~!"

Thalia's scream only seemed to stoke the man's fury even further, his eyes blazing with hatred. The bandit, the sharpest of the bunch, charged at her with a spear, intent on impaling the sorceress who had somehow cursed him and his brothers. "DIE, YOU VILE WITCH!"

CLANG!

Sparks erupted as the spear crashed into a familiar shield bearing the menacing visage of an Orc chieftain.

DING!

[The Ironhide Bulwark's option effect has been activated, inflicting the Petrification Status. The target is now immobilized, and health will decrease by 0.2% per second for 60 seconds.]

Standing motionlessly behind Daisuke, Thalia's eyes flickered with dread as the bandit's scream was swallowed by the weight of his stone tomb. In the same beat, the vile man who had tried to force himself on her surged forward, mace raised high, his mouth spitting a string of threats and insults as he closed in with a vengeance.

Without a word, his stern expression concealed behind a black mask, Daisuke effortlessly leapt into a graceful spin. His boot struck the petrified statue's head, launching it like a projectile that collided violently with the bastard's face, shattering his features in a single blow.

Thalia's pulse thundered in her veins as the man she thought had perished now stood before her, his presence utterly dominating as he conquered her fears. He overwhelmed the bandits with ruthless efficiency, crushing them like brittle twigs beneath his heel.

Her lips parted in a breathless gasp as she took in the cold, unfeeling gaze in his eyes, and his even icier demeanor as he avenged her. Watching him, something inside her stirred, blood rushing through her veins and clouding her mind, making her head swim.

"YOU!" the bandit leader hissed as he charged forward on his horse, his face twisted into a fierce scowl. "HOW DARE YOU SLAUGHTER MY MEN! I'LL SKIN YOU BOTH ALIVE!"

Despite the advantage of higher ground, the man was no match for Daisuke's swift execution. With a fluid motion, he summoned his magic chains and wrapped them around the bandit's neck. A well-placed Magic Missile sent the horse into a panic, hurling the man into the air.

Without missing a beat, Daisuke yanked the chains, reeling in the bastard with such cruel precision that he was brutally impaled by the spear still gripped in the hands of the petrified bandit.

As blood smeared her vision and the coppery scent of iron filled the air, the final remnants of Thalia's adrenaline faded. The strain of her bruised muscles and the sharp, searing pain from her wounds crashed down on her all at once.

"Haxks...," she whispered, her voice barely audible. Her vision blurred, and the chilling embrace of unconsciousness began to claim her, pulling her into the darkness.