Chapter 83: Wrath of Thunder

Chapter 83: Wrath of ThunderChapter 83

The boss monster froze for a moment, stunned by Han’s words.

Where it came from, it was feared—respected as a sovereign of the skies. Yet this mere human had the gall to look down on him?

With a roar of pure rage, the monster lunged.

It closed the distance in an instant, aiming a massive fist straight at Han’s head.

But it struck nothing.

Only a crackle of lightning remained where Han had been.

Before the boss could even process what happened, a thunderous punch slammed into the side of its skull, launching it across the air like a broken doll.

Han blurred into view, merged with his skill Thunderwrath, his movements electrifying and almost too fast to track. He pursued the creature mid-air, then slammed his fist into its chest like a hammer from the heavens.

The impact sent shockwaves through the forest, carving a deep crater into the ground.

The boss groaned and slowly rose, now staring at Han with a different kind of gaze—not contempt, but wariness.



Speed... He’s too fast. I can’t win that way.

Snarling, the monster gathered swirling black energy into both palms. It thrust its fists forward, releasing two massive bat-shaped projectiles made of compressed dark matter—each one homing in on Han like predators.

Han could have dodged them easily.

But he didn’t.

He wanted to test something.

He raised his hand to the sky, bolts of lightning forming around him in a chaotic dance. The sparks coalesced into one massive bolt—roaring and unstable, promising absolute devastation.

Han swung his arm forward.

The colossal lightning bolt surged out, clashing against the incoming dark bats. The shockwave split the sky as both forces collided.

The bats were shattered.

Han smiled.

Then his smile froze.

[Status Effect: Toxic Inhalation]

> -5 HP per minute while inside the poisoned zone.

A foul, invisible mist spread from the remains of the shattered bats.

Han realized the black projectiles weren’t just weapons—they were poisoned constructs. The very air around them had turned lethal.

Without hesitation, he moved out of the affected area, electricity sparking around him as he forged twin lightning blades in both hands.

He launched forward like a living storm.

The bat boss met him with a roar, claws flashing—but Han’s strikes were sharper, faster.

Each clash left the monster reeling until, with a final blow, it was sent flying through multiple trees, splintering trunks as it crashed through them.

"You’ll regret using that poison against me," Han said coldly. His expression was unreadable, but the fury behind his eyes crackled louder than any thunder.

He raised a hand to the storming sky.


"Lightning Wheel."

Above, a spinning wheel of pure lightning condensed, its radiant form absorbing more and more energy as it spun.

Then it struck.

Bolts rained down like divine punishment—one after another—relentless.

The bat boss couldn’t even comprehend the barrage. He was hit again and again, stumbling backwards, his body twitching violently as his nervous system overloaded from the continuous shocks.

Lightning didn’t carry the raw destructive force of fire, but its speed and piercing precision left no room to breathe.

By the time the Lightning Wheel dispersed, the monster was on one knee—his body steaming, his breath ragged.

"This human..." the boss muttered. "Too much... far too much..."

But it wasn’t over.

With one last defiant roar, the bat boss threw its head back and fired a condensed dark beam into the sky.

Above, space itself cracked.

A jagged dark fissure tore open, and from its depths, more bat-like projectiles began to emerge—first one, then dozens, then hundreds.

Han narrowed his eyes.

Each of the bat-like monsters was formidable in its own right. Their strength varied from low to high A-rank—making them a terrifying force even without numbers. But what made them truly dangerous was what happened upon their destruction: they released toxic particles into the air, an invisible mist that began corroding Han’s health.

[Status Effect: Toxic Inhalation – HP Decrease Over Time]

Han raised his palm skyward. A crackling orb of condensed lightning surged into existence, growing rapidly with violent sparks spiraling around it. With a quick motion, he hurled it into the swarm.

The orb struck the largest bat, erupting in a dome of roaring electricity that engulfed the group in a blinding flash. When the light faded, only a handful had been destroyed.

Worse—those who survived seemed to absorb the remnants of the lightning, their bodies pulsing with corrupted energy. They had become even stronger.

Han clenched his fists.

"Tch... I should’ve known. Red Portal bosses always play dirty—strong or weak, they’re never easy."

The bats charged.

Han met them head-on, lightning crackling around him as he conjured twin whips of pure electric energy. With each swing, arcs of lightning lashed across the battlefield, tearing through the enemy ranks.

For a moment, Han was overwhelming them—his speed, his precision, his fury—too much for the swarm to handle.

But as they scattered and dispersed into clouds of poisonous miasma, the thing Han feared most began to unfold.

> -5 HP

-6 HP

-7 HP

-9 HP

-8 HP

-4 HP

-6 HP

The damage notifications kept appearing one after another. The bats hadn’t even struck him directly. It was the air—the lingering toxins eating away at his health every second he remained.

This wasn’t a fight of strength—it was attrition.



But Han wasn’t out of cards.

With a smirk, he launched himself into the sky, lightning dancing across his form like a storm god descending from the clouds.

He recalled the feeling from before—when he had first tested this skill—and couldn’t help but let out a small laugh.

"Let me show you... the pain of lightning."

He clapped his palms together, lightning spiraling into a chaotic surge between them.

"Lightning Force: Thunderclap."

---

Meanwhile – Preston City

The group had finally begun to settle. They’d agreed to forgive Ronan—for now. Ronan nodded in appreciation, but kept his distance. He might trust the group, but one person he would never trust was Aiden.

Just then, Aiden turned to him and flashed a thumbs-up. The smile on his face, however, didn’t look like a smile at all.

Aiden had come the closest to killing his target.

And Ronan took that chance away from him.

Nearby, Silver Wing—now partially recovered from earlier injuries—observed the group quietly. One thing was painfully clear: if they hadn’t intervened during the battle, they would all be dead by now.

Even so... those giant monsters?

They weren’t the boss.

They were more like elite guards.

That means the actual boss... must be far more dangerous.

Silver Wing’s eyes narrowed.

"I wonder how he’s holding up..." he muttered, thinking about Han.

As if on cue, a deafening BOOOOOOM tore through the skies.

It was the unmistakable sound of thunder—but not natural. The shockwave shook the ground beneath their feet. Even from this distance, the blast reached them like a war cry from the heavens.

Silver Wing instinctively flinched, his gaze darting toward the source with concern.

"That kind of power... could he be in trouble?"

He glanced at the others—Clara, Ronan, the blonde-haired boy, and the rest of the group.

They were talking casually.

Laughing.

Smiling.

As if nothing in the world could possibly go wrong.

That’s when it hit him.

This wasn’t ignorance.

It was confidence.

Unshakable confidence in their leader.

_ _ _ _

Back to the Battle

The air still buzzed with lingering electricity. Arcs of silver lightning flickered around the battlefield as Han slowly descended from the sky, his silver lightning wings folding back into his body like they had a will of their own. Yet, his feet never touched the ground—he hovered, calm, suspended in raw power.

His brow furrowed.

In the distance, a condensed dome of dark energy shimmered ominously before it collapsed inward, being absorbed into the body of the bat boss.

The swarm of black bat projectiles had returned—shielding the boss—and now merged with him completely, empowering him once more. His form pulsed with an even darker energy.

The bat boss raised his gaze, a wicked grin stretching across his monstrous face.

"Impressive. You’ve given it your all... but me?" he chuckled darkly. "I’ve just fully recovered every ounce of energy I used."

His voice dropped an octave.

"You’ve lost—accept it."

Han lowered his eyes, staring at the ground in silence—as if admitting defeat. The bat boss grinned wider, stepping forward with confidence, sensing his enemy’s despair.

Then Han’s shoulders began to tremble.

His arms shook—then his chest.

A sound escaped him.

He was laughing.

It was quiet at first—barely audible over the humming charge still in the air—but it grew louder.

The bat boss froze, confused.

Why was he laughing?

He was supposed to be afraid—broken, even.

Han raised his head slowly, his blue eyes shimmering beneath his fringe as the laughter faded into a quiet grin.

"You’re truly entertaining," he said. "One of the more amusing opponents I’ve faced."

Han gently landed on the ground at last, dust stirring at his feet.



Then his expression turned calm—deadly calm.

"But the truth is... I haven’t even shown you a glimpse of what I can actually do."

The bat boss scoffed.

"Bluffing, are we now?"

Han raised one hand, lightning crackling at his fingertips like a warning storm.

His next words cut through the tension like a blade.

"Then allow me to fight... for real."

He drew a deep breath, and with a low voice, he declared:

> "Lightning Style: Jungle Art."

To be continued

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To be continued...