Nocthar grinned.
A suffocating wave of bloodlust poured out from him, thick and oppressive, perfectly masking the flicker of surprise hidden beneath it.
He wasn't giving his all on the earlier attack, he was just probing his opponent. But even then, it was at least 70 percent of his base strength. To tank an attack of that magnitude without any physical sign of damage and still standing.
But that was all there was to it. He was done with the meaningless probing. He's already gotten a feel of his opponent, it was finally time to get serious.
Nocthar leaned forward slightly.
Then he moved.
His body blurred, not with exaggerated motion, but with a speed so fast it was almost invisible.
In that instant, he compressed the strength of his entire body into a single point.
His fist tightened.
Bones shifted, and muscles contracted.
A series of faint popping sounds echoed subtle, but deeply unsettling, revealing just how much raw power had been condensed into that one strike.
Then, he released it, forming a straight punch simple, direct but devastating.
Steven barely saw it coming.
His reacted immediately, trying his best to evade by shifting his centre of balance to enable free fall with maximum speed, but it still was too late.
The attack was far too fast and his senses couldn't keep up.
Seeing how impossible it was to evade, he stopped his earlier approach, then crossed his arms over his chest in a desperate attempt to defend.
The impact landed.
A violent crash echoed through the room.
"CRACK"
The sound of snapping bones rang out clearly.
Steven's arms bent unnaturally under the force, collapsing inward as the power tore through his defense without resistance.
The momentum carried him off his feet.
His body flew backward before slamming into the bloodstained table.
The structure shook violently on impact.
He landed face-first as the table groaned under the force.
For a moment, everything stilled.
Steven's body lay motionless with a deep imprint of a fist was clearly visible on his sunken chest.
His arms were twisted into broken and useless bones.
The force released by the attack was far more terrifying than his arms could bear. He has been successfull in defending his body from getting damaged but lost his arms in the process, which wasn't a fair trade at all.
Nocthar appeared beside him almost instantly and looked down at the broken figure beneath him with a calm and unbothered expression.
At the same time, he silently activated his ability. Reaching out with his will and searching. He was anticipating the despair and fear waiting for him to absorb with an intoxicated and crazed eyes.
He searched, feeling nothing.
Not even a trace.
Nocthar's expression slowly morphed into a frown. His grin fading, he creased his forehead in confusion.
Strange.
But he didn't worry much . No matter how strange it was, he'll still get what he wants at the end. It's already a forgone conclusion.
He lifted his right leg deliberately slow. Muscles tightening, and power gathering.
Every fiber in his leg coiled with controlled force, amplifying the strength behind the impending strike.
Then, it was brought down ruthlessly.
His foot slammed into Steven's face.
The impact was brutal.
Every facial bone shattered instantly.
His facial structure collapsed under the force, twisting into a grotesque, unrecognizable form.
Blood splattered outward.
Thick and dark, slowly spreading across the already chaotic floor.
Nocthar's grin returned, wider, crueler and more twisted.
But he didn't stop, instead he pressed his foot down harder.
Dragging, grinding and crushing what remained of Steven's face against the floor.
The sound was sickening, wet and heavy.
Flesh tore apart, bones snapped, emitting a sizzling sound while it scrapped the floor.
Blood spreading in thick streaks beneath the motion.
The metallic and bloody scent in the room intensified.
Time passed even more slowly until there was no resistance left.
No movement nor any sign of life.
Nocthar finally stopped.
He stepped back slightly, looking down at what remained of his opponent.
A corpse.
Broken, destroyed and humiliated.
His expression turned cold.
Almost bored.
"What a waste…" he muttered under his breath.
His tone carried clear disappointment.
"I gained nothing after wasting my time on this trash."
He clicked his tongue lightly in annoyance.
"I can't feed on him without the cause of death being fear and despair."
His gaze lingered for a moment longer still hoping to gain something from the fight, but he still felt nothing.
He became a little more disappointed.
"Such waste" he sighed while lamenting.
He turned away, with his earlier interest gone completely.
His steps were slow, lazy and unhurried. As if everything that had just happened meant nothing to him at all.
He walked deeper towards the darkness, likely to complete whatever it was he was busy with before getting interrupted. But still, a faint crease of confusion was left on his forehead.
Something didn't add up.
He thought back briefly.
That pressure from earlier, the one Steven had released after the first strike.
It had felt real, sharp and dangerous.
Yet now, this?
Pathetic.
A quiet snicker escaped his lips.
"Guess i was just being cautious over nothing."
He shook his head slightly.
Disappointed.
"This was really a waste of my time."
His voice was low and dismissive.
He hadn't even finished his previous meal before being interrupted.
And for this?
It was pointless.
Just as he was about to disappear,
He paused slightly, because something had changed subtly.
The air and energy of the room shifted and warped.
Nocthar slowly straightened.
His expression stilled.
Then he turned.