My face turned pale seeing its claw latched on the sword while other claw also launched my shield. ’’Grrr?" Growling weirdly, it mouth again come down on me. Seeing that my mind lost, of if stayed in this position one more minute, it will definitely have my head. I have to do something very quickly, I only have one choice but I don’t want to do that. I can easily manipulate the size of my shield and sword, by doing that, I will escape from its clutches but I do that then I will be seriously in trouble. I have seen undisguised lodging and greed in the eyes of normal adventurers when they looked an elite member of organization wield Knight grade artifact. Till now, I haven’t manipulated the size of sword and shield openly if I do that now some people definitely noticed and I will get it a lot of trouble once I get out. I might even get killed, I have many times seen friends killed the simple monster core and I have freaking knight grade artifacts, two at that, I will not use that option as long I will see no option other than that. ’Ahhhh!’ I screamed loudly in my mind and use all the skill’s power coursing through my body, even started circulating supreme combat exercise madly, without any care for pain. ’’chi..chiiiing" My sword and shield come out it and I swiftly put some distance as seeing it still in shock and drank bottle of potion while being pleasantly surprised seeing I broke into the 11th circulation of supreme combat exercise. ’’Roaar!" It roars with anger and came at me with a fierce expression. Seeing its craftiness last time, from this time, I mostly focused on dodging and only clashed with when there is no option and even then I quickly take away my sword and shield before it tried to grab them again. I perfectly understand if I fell into a predicament as earlier, there is an eighty percent chance that my head end up in its teeth and I don’t want that happen. We continue to fight and injuries of my body keep increasing, it a good thing that I drank potion earlier which giving me little relief about my injuries but it is big. If these injuries kept piling on then even healing potion won’t able to save me if injuries exceed its limitations. One thing has me solace is mournful cries around me, it let me know that I am not the only one who is wretched state, there many others like me who are wretched under the monsters constant attacks. Their scream and cries were even worse than me, I really want to crane my neck and looked at them but I can’t divert my attention even for a moment. "Clank clank clank!" I clash against it with high vigilance, it had many times to grab my sword and shield but I quickly take them back, out of its reach. I had been searching for the perfect chance to use the skill but this damn monster is not giving me any openings to attack. That’s the main problem of it, I had tried one other time but its no use, it was still able to counter my skill with its claws. I don’t know what I am going to do other than just keep fighting like crazy. There is one option but it is a very desperate one and I don’t want to use unless I see no other option even smallest one. The option in my mind has, is that to use the power of forth tide forcefully. Normally there are two conditions to use forth tide or above. The first one must have four seals of supreme combat exercise and other is to be at Corporal level. The first Thee tides of Nine Raging Tides are considered half skills and forth to Nine Tides are considered the skill. If I used skill forcefully it would be very dangerous with unforeseen circumstances, unlike knight grade skill which had no distinction half skill and skill. There is a difference between knight grade skill and Grade 1 skill which is Nine Raging Tides. Knight grade skill, the lowest level they that may be are more than ten times powerful than normal Grade 1 skill. One is like a thatched hut while other is a big brick house, there is a difference of foundation between them. Most of Knight Grade Skills are the only Corporal or above grade evolvers as per its condition, even the skill that rhea got can only be used by Corporal grade or above. I can say, I was quite lucky to get an elemental type Knight Grade skill which brought down its restrictions on the user. I can use it as long as I have enough mana and it is pure enough. I sigh internally when I thought that, because of the great limit, my mana purity had been increasing at a very slow rate. It will take month even in this realm much less outside to reach 90% purity. Jill had used two skills so far, one is probably Grade 1 and other I am sure is Knight grade. That spindle skill definitely is Knight grade, even against the hard defenses of Black Earth Bear it did not feel any resistance, it pierced through it like it was butter. Jill’s mana had reached that purity somehow, I have read that no method or medicine could purify mana after 65% percent but I am sure various organizations have their means around it. ’’slice!" ’’Fuck!" I cursed as my hand had nearly cut by its claws but due to instinct, I quickly move it back and only grazed by it. ’There is no other way!’ I said exasperation as quickly cast a look over my body. My whole body became bloodied and even my face was saved, the accumulation of these injuries became serious and I can feel slight weakness started to creep inside my body. If I didn’t do anything soon enough they I would have to suffer very serious consequences or even death. The sky had started to darken but the fight is still going on in full force and there seems to be no rescue. Making my mind, I decided to use that option, from what I see there is no option but that. "First Tide! Second Tide! Third Tide!" I shouted and attack the monster. It swiftly moved his claws to intercept my sword as it going tower its chest but as my sword and its claws at a short distance. ’’Forth Tide!" I shouted and forcefully activated the power of the forth tide without care. The next moment I activated forth tide forcefully, I felt like all the vitality inside my body sucked and only skeleton will remain. It is ten times dangerous than when I activated the third tide a few days ago as it only had sucked very little vitality compare to this. After activating forth tide I felt the qualitative change in skill, not only my power had increased again onefold but my senses had also become abnormally sharp that I can sense even smallest change around me. Not forgetting myself in feeling, I flicked my wrist and change the course of my sword but a monster could register anything, my sword swooshing its neck and when it noticed, it had become too late. Its head had been already near me, as its mouth came down to bite my neck of as usual and it saves me a lot of trouble to take my sword toward its neck. ’’Road" "Puchi!" it roar cut of in middle as my sword pierced its head through its neck. I just watch the light vanished from its eyes and both of its claws fell as the just about to reach me. Suddenly I felt immense weakness inside me as the power of skill stopped coursing through me that even lifting a finger and forming a thought had become impossible. ’’Thud !" I fell on the ground on the monster and fell unconscious before I could check my condition. ______________________________________ Support me through your donations, Every donation you make will inspire me to become a better writer and I might even able to buy that MacBook Air that I wanted to buy for some time but can’t afford it. Paypal Paypal.me/monsterintegration Kofi Ko-fi.com/monsterintegration