The Ultimate Support Character

PA!

A loud snapping sound came from behind me and almost threw me off course.

The Rank 4 Transcendent's whip tried to catch my foot before I could get away. With his expression that would be hard to read, I focused more on the movement of his Source Energy.

Looking back, I could see his Weaponforce taking the form of a navy-blue snake with slithering tongue and fangs that threatened to gnaw at me.

"Running away?! Like hell, I would let you! Fight me! Show me what you've just done!" His voice was once again delivered clearly. My ears hurt as though it was drilling a hole in my eardrums.

I quickly circulated my Source Energy there and cast my elemental healing spells to repair the damage. But they're not enough. They're only able to mitigate the pain.

This guy. He truly misunderstood my quick disposal of his subordinates. He believed I could stand against his strength and give him a good fight.

While it would also be beneficial for me to sharpen my dulled combat senses from my past life, my loss was already predetermined against him.

I could only try contesting him if I managed to breakthrough to the 3rd Realm of my Transcendent Pathway. But that's probably weeks or at most a month's worth of my normal Source Energy absorption volume.

"Yeah. No! I'm not your match and I'm not some training bag to give you enlightenment. Catch me if you can but I'll definitely be escaping from you!"

I shouted my reply even though he might not even be able to hear it.

Speeding through the seemingly endless void that was the Chaotic Space, I rode the Chaotic Energy wave to slip past asteroid belts and other heavenly objects floating around.

The closest Star System from our location was at least a day away based on the speed of the Kingfisher but if I only relied on my body, it's at least a week.

With that estimation, there wasn't anywhere to hide for me except those space rocks that littered our surroundings.

My plan was going well but this was the trickiest part. Considering some of those small Space Vessels from earlier sailed through the direction that the Kingfisher was taking, I also chose to fly towards that direction.

It was to give an illusion that I was still diverting their attention to where my Companions were supposed to be going.

Thankfully, the six-eyed Transcendent isn't idiotic at all or this won't work. He's the type to think it through. If he noticed what I was doing, there's a high chance that he'd order them to focus their search away from here.

Ten minutes.

Twenty minutes.

Thirty...

As mystical as it appeared in his eyes, I continued with my success of evading his whip.

He threw a lot of his skills at me, however, all of those were also dodged or often missed their mark on my back.

The environment wasn't working well in his favor. On the other hand, I feel like being a child taken care of in the Chaotic Space's warm embrace.

If I only relied on Energy Control and an abundant supply of Source Energy, this wouldn't be possible. I would have been by him at the fifteen-minute mark.

In any case, it's still not time for me to relax.

He still kept sending his weird inherent ability along with his words, causing my ears to hurt. It already bled a lot and I could only maintain my hearing through the nonstop activation of my elemental skills.

"Fine! This has gone on for too long. You're still buying time for your comrades, huh?! It's about time I end this farce and drag you back with me!"

Another fifteen minutes before he reached his boiling point.

Cracking his whip, I didn't need to turn around to feel his Transcendent Aura from expanding.

And along with it, his Domain that I continued to escape out of also expanded, catching my foot in it.

Despite only being partially subjected to its authority, I could feel my Adaptability churn in full activation to weaken its influence.

[You have entered the Realm of the Damned]

[Your Adaptability reduced the Domain's effectiveness on you to 50%]

[Your Speed has been reduced by 20%]

[Your Strength and Endurance have been reduced by 20 points]

[Every few seconds inside the Domain, restricting vines will be produced in an attempt to root you in place. They'll apply the negative status effect Weaken to further take away your ability to escape]

"Shi—" I halfway cursed inwardly. Even if he only caught my feet, my whole body could feel the sensation of having my speed and stats suffering from the effect of his Domain.

And because of being slowed down, it didn't take long before my whole body became encroached inside.

The vines sprouted ceaselessly trying to hold me down.

Seeing all that as he gradually closed our distance, the six-eyed Transcendent triumphantly laughed.

"If you only listened to me, I wouldn't resort to this."

Even with difficulty, I responded to provoke his ire, "Yeah, right. As if you'd let me off if I fought you. In the end, I'm going to lose."

"If you know that, you shouldn't have wasted my time chasing after you. Don't worry. It won't take long before your friends are also captured. They're escaping in the opposite direction, right? To the lower Layer. Pray for that Sage Rank to go back and pick you all up."

Hearing all that from him, I became afraid to break my poker face and laugh at his wrong assumptions.

He bought all of my deceit without testing it first.

Well then, I should continue acting to keep him satisfied.

I started circulating my Source Energy and also simultaneously opened my Domain to counter his.

Although they failed to fully remove his Domain's influence on me, I managed to slip out of those veins that were more akin to tentacles wrapping around my body.

Without looking back, I sped through another asteroid belt.

My body, ears, and insides were being racked with pain by now. Even my reserve Source Energy had started to get drained from all of my skills that were currently activated.

It wouldn't be long before the World's Wills nagged at me again for crazily using up their resources. They'll tell me that they also need time to replenish.

But what else could I do? There's no available Source Energy to absorb. I also emptied the tanks I brought with me. And with the inherent Chaotic Energy in space not viable for absorption, I'd be dead once I exhaust my energy.

"You won't get away! Come back here!"

The six-eyed Transcendent unleashed another strong skill and it's something I couldn't block.

However, it was at this moment that something unexpected happened.

As the threatening force of the six-eyed Transcendent's attack gradually encroached on my body, searing and stabbing into my flesh, a gigantic shadow suddenly emerged out of nowhere, blocking the light from the distant stars and nullifying his attack.

There was no indication that it was originally there or where it came from or else we would've detected its approach. It mystically emerged like a deepwater fish finding the surface of the ocean.

ROAR!