Void Spawn - A litrpg adventure fantasy

A cold, lone bead of sweat meandered down Samael's forehead, staining his cloak and mending with the stains of blood marring his armour.

His gaze darted back and forth, his jaw clenched tight as the Arfin's came pouring down. Their maws akin to endless gaping holes, ready to swallow everything blocking their path.

Samael, Ajax, and Erubin, along with his men, huddled closer, their blades upright, as the Arfin's swarmed the ship mercilessly, their lifeless eyes peering deep into their souls.

Samael could hear the galloping hearts of Erubin's men and the way they trembled under the stampede of abominations hurling their way.

"Stand your ground, men!" Erubin roared.

Samael shot a glance towards the reinforced pilothouse, where the old man frantically swerved the helm.

They said we have roughly four minutes, but judging by the violent currents and the Arfin's weighing us down, it will take longer than that Samael thought.

The boat had significantly lost its speed even under the paddling force of a dozen echoes; that's how many abominations have climbed their walls.

If we want to survive, we'll have to clear the hull and get rid of the bodies on the deck, Samael concluded.

"Ajax," Samael called out, luring the attention of the Shadow Saint.

Noticing the glint in Samael's eyes, Ajax gave a stiff nod.

"I'll take the deck; you take the hull," Ajax commanded as he zoomed forward, dark, elongated shadow tendrils latching out of his back.

Samael lowered his stance, his hand grasping the crimson-stained deck as he propelled himself forward.

The Arfin's marching forward fixed their gaze towards Samael, a bloodcurdling screech blasting from their lips.

Samael's arm recoiled back, his blade drawing arcs in the air as severed heads soared high in the heavens.

Samael rolled off the wooden deck as he swiftly rose up, his feet whipping forward, sending the dead corpses of the Arfin's flying.

Erubin on the other side of the deck threw a myriad of precise thrusts, each blow tearing a hole through the skulls of the creatures.

His men, however, didn't fare well as the abominations ruthlessly flocked them, leaving them tired and wounded.

They're not going to last much longer, Samael thought.

Taking a glance forward, Samael stepped back, nimbly avoiding an Arfin's claw. He countered with a flying knee, caving the chest of the abomination as it fell off the ledge.

Meanwhile, Ajax calmly broke through the horde, his elongated shadow tendrils impaling the enemies as they fell back to where they came.

Without sparing a single second, Samael ran full speed ahead, his blade weaving back and forth as the sharp edges of Crimson Raven cleaved through the enemies like butter.

Blood fell down like rain, bathing Samael and all aboard the ship in their iron stench. Guts, flesh, and organs slid off the wet floor, gathering in bundles for all to witness.

Grunts, screams, and roars thundered in the air, along with the sickening bangs of corpses plummeting down the deck.

However, the enemies remain steadfast. Samael would cut one head only for two to replace it.

Samael withdrew his arms as he muttered. "Hover blades."

Solidified Void matter swivelled over Samael's forearms, taking the shape of three black daggers.

Through his will, the daggers coursed through the air, circling his body in their embrace. Each time faster than the last, until all that can be seen is a dark ring surrounding Samael.

Samael burst forth, meeting the abominations head-on.

Screams of agony reverberated in the air as the Arfin's were torn to shreds. However, Samael showed no mercy as he mowed down through the enemy ranks, turning them into nothing but pieces of flesh.

Near the middle of the deck, Erubin cleaved through two abominations, his gaze shifting towards the unguarded door leading down.

"What the..." Erubin muttered under his breath.

"Where—" Erubin's words were cut off as he stepped foot on a torn arm.

"This tattoo... Fuck!" Erubin scowled.

"MEN! GUARD THE DOORS! DON'T LET ANYTHING PASS THROUGH!" Erubin roared as he billowed forward.

The two remaining soldiers under Erubin followed closely, their faces grim and their shoulders slumped. They cannot mourn yet. No one can. Not here.

The Arfin's shifted their attention towards the men, their gazes glinting malevolently.

Near the front of the boat, Samael severed another head, its corpse falling limp.

They're endless! Samael thought.

He shifted his vision forward, towards the other side of the river— His ears perked up as a scream echoed in the air.

"ARGHHH!!!"

Samael jerked his head back, his eyes jolting open.

Erubin and his men fought waves upon waves of Arfin's slowly overwhelming their formation.

The abominations clawed, bit, and held them down, their wounds piling by the second.

With a forceful kick to the ground, Samael zoomed ahead. His arms recoiled back as he catapulted Crimson Raven in full force, the sharp edges of the blade humming in the air.

The axe drew an arc, steadily mowing down the enemy as their bisected corpses piled, forming a small mountain.

"Return!" Samael roared as he catched the weapon mid-air.

Utilising his momentum, Samael came crashing down with reckoning force, blowing away the dead Arfin's off deck.

In the midst of chaos, Samael swiftly lashed his arm forward. The hover blades followed close as the daggers shot forth, cleanly punching a hole through the enemies.

Samael wiped a bead of sweat from his forehead, his gaze fixated on one of Erubin's men laying on the ground, cold and lifeless. His arms and legs clawed off his body.

"Fuck!" Erubin spat out in pure rage, his bloodshot eyes locking into the approaching Arfin's.

The man rose to his feet, his hands tightly grasping the hilt of his blade, when Samael's hand held him in place.

"Don't," Samael warned.

Erubin jerked Samael's arm, but to no avail.

"WHY?" Erubin roared.

Samael's arm whipped back, a loud bang resonating in the air.

"Revenge is a privilege every man deserves, but that doesn't mean I'll let you go at the cost of your life, wasting all your men's sacrifice," Samael said.

Life was simply cold and ruthless. Deaths were as common as the cold morning wind.

"Wake up, we're in battle; get your shit off the gutter," Samael harshly uttered.

Right now, they have no use for people being driven by their emotions. They need warriors, men who can fight so they may live to see another day, and if Erubin were to be a burden, then Samael would be glad to knock him out.

Erubin held his crimson cheek, a smudge of clarity resurfacing off his pupils.

"I'm sorry," he muttered.

Samael tilted his head back. "I don't need your apology; I need you to kill."

Erubin raised his blade, his eyes sharp and cold. "I understand."

"Good," Samael replied.

Clattering sounds whispered in Samael's ears as another group of Arfin's came aboard, although they're significantly lower compared to the previous swarms.

Ajax has slowed them down; we mustn't waste his effort, Samael thought.

"You guys kill anything that gets past me," Samael said before his figure turned to a blur.

The abominations screeched, their jagged teeth wide open for all to witness.

Samael's eyes narrowed, his lips parting ways.

"Void Bind."

Pitch black chains of Void matter rose from the ground, tightly latching onto the Arfin's, searing their skin and digging deep into their green flesh.

Screams of pain and torture escaped their lips, but were soon silenced as they fell like shards of broken glass, destroyed and dead.

Samael whipped his axe back, ridding its dark blade of blood and flesh.

Devoured Void Essence of "Arfin" [Larvae II]: +170 pts.

Devoured Void Essence of "Arfin" [Larvae II]...

Devoured Void Essence of "Arfin"...

Devoured Void...

Devoured...

The shore is not far off; just a few more minutes, Samael thought, his gaze reaching far, a plethora of thoughts wreaking havoc in his mind.

However, a single question remains above all.

How did the Arfin's go undetected by his Void Compass? A skill built to sense the presence of something or someone.

Samael weaved to the side, nimbly dodging an abomination's claw. He planted his foot on the ground as he delivered a sickening kick, pushing the creature off deck.

As far as he knows, nothing should be able to go undetected within the range of an astral compass, much less something enhanced with his Void element.

Unless...

Does Arfin's have great stealth capabilities? Samael couldn't help but ask.

No... Samael thought.

If Arfin's did indeed possess great stealth prowess, then why do they move so frantically?

Their movements alone suggest they aren't the type to move silently. Sure, they're smarter than some, but not enough to fool a compass.

Samael threw a downward slash, tearing an enemy in half and staining his cheeks.

So a question remains.

Just how did they go unnoticed?

Focusing on his Void compass, Samael felt nothing but the violent waves and the cold wind caressing him. It was as though they were one with nature.

Samael fixed his gaze upon an approaching abomination, carefully examining each and every movement it made.

The Arfin ran on webbed feet, its arms freely swinging in the air. It looked almost sluggish, like a child learning to walk.

Samael clenched his jaw as he severed the head of the beast.

Ajax always told him to observe. Yet he fails to see anything. The only thing he notices is how oddly these creatures fought.

They would throw themselves and swing their arms as though they were boneless. It's certainly easy to dodge, but they more than make up for it with their numbers.

Thinking about it, Icarius's words kept echoing deep in Samael's mind.

"Everyone fights in their own way."

Why does it bother him so much?

Samael dove down as an Arfin breezed past him.

Are they perhaps undetectable due to the way they fight?

Samael's gaze narrowed, his focus sharp as a finely honed blade, as he laid eyes upon an attacking foe.

The arfin swung its arm sideways, yet he failed to sense it even as he watched it. He could only feel the wind brushing up against him.

The creature opened its maw as it lunged forward. But to Samael, it felt like he was facing nothing but air.

"Everyone fights in their own way."

Everyone fights in their own way... Samael thought as he nimbly dodged one attack after the other.

The Arfin's moved in a unique way. They attacked as though their arms were whips and their bodies fleeting.

It was exactly like...

"Wind..." Samael muttered under his breath.

Samael's eyes widened.

The Arfin's were naturally gifted swimmers; their bodies are highly flexible. They also lurk within waters all their lives, enabling them to become highly accustomed to their environment.

The way they ran looked odd. The movement of their feet, their arms, and the way they bobbed was as free as the wind.

Because they're mimicking the wind! Samael concluded.

The Arfin's bodies moved along with the wind. They're also highly receptive to water due to their biological characteristics.

They weren't using a stealth skill; they were merely blending with how the wind and the water flowed, allowing them to advance undetected!

It all makes sense! Samael thought.

Whenever he focused on his senses, he couldn't feel Arfin's go. Instead, he could only feel the violent waves and the malevolent winds.

But to make sure...

Samael closed off his eyes, effectively cutting off his vision.

Extending his Void compass out, Samael fixed his focus on how the wind flowed, strictly disabling his other senses.

It was a gamble, but one he had to make.

Sensing a gust of wind traversing his way, Samael tilted his head to the right. Noticing another wave, Samael jerked his head left.

Did it work? Samael slowly opened his eyes, his gaze landing on an Arfin standing inches from him, confused and unsure of what just occurred.

A small smile tugged at the corner of Samael's lips.

Jackpot.

Samael threw his arm forward, cleanly separating the neck of the abomination.

"Ajax!" Samael called out, luring the attention of the man.

"I found it!" Samael said.

Ajax's visor perked up.

"The reason we couldn't sense them!" Samael resumed.

"Elaborate," Ajax said as he ripped an abomination in half.

"It's not that they possess stealth! They were merely mimicking the way the wind moved and the waves flowed!" Samael roared, his voice reaching far and wide.

Ajax shifted his gaze back down the hull, where dozens upon dozens of Arfin's crawled out of the violent waters.

Following Samael's discovery, Ajax expanded his astral compass; his vision fixated on how the creatures crawled up.

"So that's how it is," Ajax muttered.

Erubin and his man exchanged looks as they too expanded their astral compasses, their jaws slowly falling down the longer they watched the abominations move.

"Son of a bitch," Erubin whispered in disbelief. To think the Arfin's were capable of doing this baffles him. To think that the answer to one of their biggest problems stood under their very nose.

With this, they have a chance.

Now, it was their turn.