Hacking the Game Didn't Go as Intended [Part Two]

CHAPTER 249: The Cost of Miracles

Lugene stumbled back, her throat dry. "Wh-What is that?"

No answer came. But they both felt it. That thick, suffocating presence that brushed across their skin like the claws of an Ice Goblin.

The room grew darker. The coins Rue once cherished no longer shone. Instead, the nauseating smell of iron filled their lungs. The pressure of judgment loomed. Death had come, and it wore the coat of a Divine Beast.

Rue's eyes trembled, sweat trickling down the leathery folds of his chin as he stared at the bloodstained fiend before him. Slowly, subtly, he reached for the knife strapped to his thigh.

SWISHHH!

"...!?"

"AAUGHHHH!"

He howled in agony, crumpling forward while clutching his wrist. Blood sprayed across the floor from the mutilated stump where four fingers used to be.

Zephyr landed smoothly, skidding to a stop. His head turned slowly, jaws parting. With a sickening wet sound, Rue's severed fingers slithered from the wolf's tongue to the floor.

The room fell into a frozen silence.

Then Lugene shrieked and rushed to the shelf. Her fingers brushed the smooth glass of a healing potion, only for the vial to sink into the shelf and vanish into a black void.

"What the hell?!" she gasped, watching in disbelief as every last bottle dissolved into the darkness, sucked away as if into quicksand.

Across the room, a shadow rippled, and from within Zephyr's own, Midnight slinked out, olive eyes gleaming like a blade drawn beneath moonlight.

"There's another one!" Lugene scoffed angrily. "It took all our potions!"

"Dammit!" Rue cursed. "Just what are they? It's obvious they're working together."

The man snarled and limped toward a hidden compartment behind a crate, yanked it open, and pulled out a loaded crossbow. His fingers fumbled, but he managed to notch a bolt using the thumb still left on his right hand. With a sharp curse, he raised it and fired.

THWIP!

The bolt shimmered midair and bounced harmlessly off a golden barrier. Zephyr didn't even blink.

[Divine Armament]

[Rank: Unique

Classification: Active Skill

Lvl: 1

Proficiency: 74.3%

Tapping into the vein of divine providence, Zephyr envelops his entire body in a translucent armor forged of holy magic, significantly bolstering defense. This sacred and formidable barrier protects against both physical and magical attacks.

Skill Effect:

▪︎ Enhances Physical and Magical Defense by 65% for a duration of 3 minutes.

▪︎ As proficiency increases, the intricate details of the golden armor become more pronounced.

Mana Cost: 50% of Max Mana

Skill Duration: 3 Minutes

Skill Cooldown: 45 Minutes]

Rue staggered back, groaning as Lugene tightened cloth around his ruined hand. "Accursed fiend!" He spat, sneering at both creatures as the crossbow slipped from his hand.

"We need to run," Lugene hissed, eyes darting with calculation. "We can't possibly defeat these monsters—not without sacrificing more than we're willing."