Assimilate All Talents

As the blood rained upon him, the cannon hummed loudly, drawing the crimson torrent into its barrel. The deadly rain unraveled as it entered, transforming into concentrated energy that replenished the weapon’s depleted reserves. For a moment, Sol smirked, confident in his strategy.

"Thanks for the charge." he muttered, his tone laced with mockery.

He knew Nisha was channeling a large spell. Beyond sending a few shadow beings to stall her, he had done little to intervene, trusting the Tynamo Cannon to handle it. He calculated that the massive spell would not only drain her mana but also fully recharge his weapon, granting him at least one more devastating shot. The cannon had endured Torben’s law technique before; this should have been no different.

But as the blood rain was siphoned into the cannon, a memory surfaced. It was Deus’s voice, a grave warning echoing in his mind:

’When blood rains, don’t look up. Look behind.’

The words struck him like a thunderclap. Instincts flaring, Sol released the Tynamo Cannon mid recharge and dove to the side.

SHINK!

A blade whizzed past, grazing his side. The attack was so precise it would have cleaved him in two had he stayed a moment longer. Sol rolled to his feet, clutching his side. The wound wasn’t deep, but the cold burn of the blade’s touch sent a chill through him.

Worse, the injury wasn’t regenerating. Even with [Invincible Body], which accelerated his healing fivefold, the wound remained stagnant. Sol quickly identified the issue: foreign mana from the blade lingered in his body, countered only by his regeneration barely keeping it at bay.

His eyes narrowed as he turned toward the attacker who now stood between him and the trio of enemies.

The figure paused, tilting its head as if intrigued. It hadn’t expected Sol to evade.

"Who—?" Sol began, but the figure snarled, pulling back its hood.

It was a goblin.

Unlike the wild goblins Sol had encountered before, this one was refined. Its green skin bore ritualistic tattoos that glowed faintly under the shadow moon’s light. Yellow eyes gleamed with cunning intelligence, and a fanged grin stretched wide with malice and confidence.

"You dodged." the goblin rasped, its voice deep and gravelly. "I’m impressed. Did you know I was there, waiting for that fake opening? Or did you just react fast enough?"

Ignoring the question, Sol countered with one of his own. "I heard you’ve been pursuing me for months. How did you know I was here?"

The goblin offered no answer, nor did Sol expect one. Instead, the goblin turned toward Nisha and her allies, Carmilla and Itaya.

"Let’s work together." the goblin offered. "I’ll help you kill this bastard."

Nisha hesitated. Though they were at a disadvantage, accepting help from a stranger was risky. "What do you want in return?"

"Nothing." the goblin replied, shaking its head. "I just want him dead. Once that’s done, I’ll be out of your way."

Before Nisha could respond, shadowy chains erupted from the ground, reaching for the goblin. Sol wasn’t about to stand idly by while his enemies conspired to team up against him. But the goblin moved too quickly, leaping clear of the attack, as he expected such an attack.

The sudden assault helped Nisha come to a swift decision. She raised the Blood Reign and began chanting letting her actions speak for her. "[Blood Skewer]!"

A crimson spear shot toward Sol, but he countered with a shadow sword, cleaving the spell in two.

The attack didn’t end there. Sol sidestepped just in time to evade the goblin’s swift strike. The creature’s movements were impossibly fast, its small frame darting unpredictably like a predator unleashed.

The goblin’s law technique, [Swift End], caused its movements to become erratic, leaving afterimages in its wake.

Sol gritted his teeth, struggling to keep up. The goblin’s technique specialized in misdirection and surprise attacks. Every time Sol adjusted his defense, the goblin appeared in an unexpected position, launching another strike. Most of these he parried, but several landed, leaving shallow cuts across his body.

Meanwhile, Nisha, Carmilla, and Itaya pressed their assault. Carmilla’s whip lashed out from unpredictable angles. Itaya struck with her spear, forcing Sol to avoid every hit with precision, while Nisha’s spells added unrelenting pressure and healed the damage he managed to inflict on his opponents.

Sol spun his shadow sword, using [Reflect] to deflect two blood spears and parry Carmilla’s whip in one fluid motion. But in doing so, he left an opening for the goblin, which seized the chance to land another shallow cut along his arm.

"Four against one." Sol muttered under his breath, frustration mounting. "I feel like I’m a dungeon boss being ganged up on. This isn’t fair."

Despite his irritation, he fought on, each movement calculated and deliberate. Every swing of his shadow sword carried immense power, but even that wasn’t enough. The palace walls crumbled under the intensity of their battle, forcing them to continue on the ground. The soldiers and vampires had long fled, unwilling to be caught in the chaos of an A-rank clash.

At first, Sol had managed to control the fight’s momentum, but the goblin’s addition tipped the scales. Even with his considerable skill and strength, the combined assault of four A-rankers began to overwhelm him.

He dodged another blood skewer but instead of replying with an attack of his own, he was forced to retreat as Carmilla’s whip slithered toward him, attempting to ensnare him. The goblin darted forward, its blade slicing a thin line across Sol’s cheek.

"You’re slipping." the goblin taunted, grinning wickedly. "Overwhelmed, are we? This is justice for killing my brother."

Sol said nothing, his breathing heavy. His mind raced as he calculated his next move.

’Should I ascend another skill? No, I can barely handle one as it is. Disable their abilities? Too risky, that’s harder than ascending a second skill. And the tether… If it breaks, the shadow moon will vanish, and she’ll recreate the blood moon.’

If the blood moon returned, Crestel City would be doomed, with no way to stop the empowered vampires.

Before Sol could act, a blinding flash of golden fire erupted from the side, forcing the goblin to retreat. The intense wave of heat shimmered in the air, momentarily halting the fight.

"What—?" Nisha exclaimed, raising an arm to shield herself.

A new figure entered the fray, cloaked in golden flames. He descended from above, sending a torrent of fire toward the four attackers.

Sol’s eyes widened as he recognized who came to help him. "Victor?" he asked, surprise evident in his voice.

Carmilla’s shock mirrored his. "The hell do you think you’re doing?!" she demanded.

Victor looked at her with a hardened gaze. "Doing what I should’ve done long before this turned into a complete shitshow."