Absolute Cheater - Chapter 510
Chapter 510: Bionics XIII
The Knight closed in from the other side. It jumped high and came down with a full overhead strike aimed at the chimera’s neck. The chimera reacted instantly. It caught the Knight mid-air by the torso and slammed it into the floor, the sound sharp and heavy.
Asher didn’t wait. He appeared at the chimera’s flank and drove a kick into its knee joint to disrupt its balance. The chimera staggered half a step, more annoyed than hurt, and swung its tail around again. Asher blocked with his forearm, letting the force slide past him as he stepped back.
The chimera opened its mouth slightly. That same hum started again—charging another beam.
Asher didn’t give it the space.
He sprinted forward and jumped, putting himself right in front of the creature’s head before it could fire. The chimera reacted on instinct and snapped its jaw shut, canceling the beam. Asher planted his foot on its snout and pushed off, flipping over its head and landing behind it.
The chimera twisted fast for its size, but not fast enough to hit him.
The Knight recovered and rushed forward again. Its sword swung low, targeting the chimera’s ankle. The armor cracked this time—barely, but enough to leave a visible mark.
The chimera roared—not loudly, but in a low, focused sound that vibrated through the room.
Its spine glowed brighter than ever, and its body shifted again. The plates on its arms opened slightly, revealing blue light inside. Its speed doubled in an instant.
It appeared in front of the Knight in less than a blink. One claw hooked under the Knight’s blade, lifting it, and the chimera slammed its other arm into the Knight’s chest, sending it crashing into the far wall.
Asher moved in again, refusing to let the creature focus on one target.
He struck its shoulder joint, then its ribs, then its lower spine—each hit checked for weaknesses. The chimera blocked with its tail and countered with a backhand that would have shattered a boulder. Asher leaned back, the strike passing right in front of his face.
He slid in low and kicked at the cracked ankle again. This time the chimera felt it. Its leg wobbled, and its weight dropped slightly.
“Good,” Asher said. “You can be hurt.”
The chimera slammed its hand into the ground. A wave of force shot out again—stronger this time. Asher braced, but the shock still threw him back several meters and forced him to dig his heels into the floor to stop himself.
The chimera straightened, armor plates shifting.
Its eyes locked on both of them.
It was done testing.
It was getting serious.
Asher wiped dust off his cheek.
“Alright,” he murmured. “Let’s finish this.”
The chimera lowered its stance one more time.
Then it launched forward with full killing intent.
The chimera closed the distance in an instant.
Asher barely shifted to the side before the creature’s claw tore a straight path through the air where he had been. The impact smashed into the floor, digging a deep crater and sending cracks racing outward.
The Knight rejoined the fight the moment the chimera landed. Its sword came down in a heavy diagonal slash. This time the chimera didn’t block—it met the hit head-on. The blade struck its armor and skidded off, sparks spraying across the chamber as the Knight was forced backward from the recoil.
The chimera didn’t let up. It lunged, grabbing the Knight by its arm and dragging it forward. Its tail rose behind it like a striking whip.
Asher jumped in.
He caught the tail mid-swing with one hand, the force sliding past his body as he redirected it. The floor cracked under his feet, but he held long enough to pull the chimera’s attention off the Knight.
The chimera released its grip on the Knight and spun toward Asher with a stabbing thrust from its metal-smoke arm, now reshaped into a drill-like point. Asher moved sideways and cut at the joint right before the drill. The impact sent a ripple across the armor, another faint crack forming.
It growled, clearly irritated.
The Knight used the opening. It moved behind the chimera and slashed at the already damaged ankle again. The chimera jerked its leg up to avoid the blow but couldn’t dodge completely. The Knight’s blade carved a longer crack into the armor.
The chimera reacted by releasing a burst of blue energy from its spine. The pulse knocked the Knight away and pushed Asher back a few steps.
Then its body shifted again—its shoulders expanding slightly, the segments along its spine flaring wider. More power. More speed.
It shot forward and went straight for Asher.
Asher ducked under the first swing and countered with a rising slash aimed at its chin. The cut met the armor and skidded away harmlessly. The chimera twisted and drove its knee forward, slamming into Asher’s side. The hit sent him sliding across the floor, metal grinding beneath him until he forced his boots to lock in place.
He got up immediately.
The chimera was already on him.
The next attack came from above—a double-handed smash. Asher crossed his arms and blocked. The pressure was huge. The floor buckled beneath him, and the stone around his feet exploded from the weight.
But he held firm.
The Knight appeared behind the chimera again. This time it didn’t attack the ankle. It went for the tail. Its sword came down in a clean chop, and the tail cracked loudly. Not severed—but damaged enough to stiffen its movements.
The chimera jerked its body around, frustrated, and swung a backhand at the Knight. The Knight blocked, but the force still sent it tumbling across the room.
Asher took the chance.
He leapt forward and drove his blade into the growing crack on the chimera’s ankle. The armor split further. A thin line of blue energy leaked out.
The chimera staggered, then snarled—a low, sharp sound of anger.
Its spine glowed brighter than any moment so far.
Asher backed up a step.
“Right… you’re about to do something big.”
The chimera braced its legs. The segments along its spine spread wide, revealing the bright core of energy inside. The air around it began to distort from pressure alone.
The Knight stood beside Asher again, ready.
The chimera crouched low.
Then the light inside its spine surged—
—and the entire creature vanished in a burst of speed.
Asher reacted instantly, eyes locking onto the movement.