Chapter 370: |
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‘It was dangerous.’
Blood trickled down over the eyes. At the same time, a strong pain and dizziness set in.
Salman had kept one last move hidden until the end. The attack it launched grazed over its head, causing a wound.
‘If it had thrown the spear just a little later, I would’ve been the one hit.’
Though the attack was shapeless, it wasn’t certain. However, given the amount of blood loss and pain, it seemed to have narrowly avoided a fatal blow.
It was a significant injury, but the Mother of the Sky didn’t seem overly worried.
Just like the ‘Wendigo’s Ice Demon’ or the ‘Chimera’s Fire Demon’, the Thunderbird also had a unique trait.
It was the “Fountain of Life.”
However, poisons or viral attacks cannot be healed. Since it’s a trait that enhances natural healing, the speed of recovery depends on the severity of the injury.
‘First, let’s stop the blood loss.’
The more blood flows out, the slower the recovery of the injury.
She focused on the wounded area. Then, small hands appeared around her neck, covering the head wound.
This wasn’t the Thunderbird’s ability or hers. It was the effect of the ‘Full Body Suit’ she wears.
Among the Wolf-specific equipment, the highest-grade ones have shape-shifting abilities. These suits can morph according to the user’s transformation, whether shifting from a humanoid to a beast. That’s why her entire body appeared as though it was made from black metal right now because she was wearing a high-grade suit.
The name of the high-grade armor she wore was ‘Obsidian Arms’.
Made from the Vortex One ‘Ring of Agony’, this full-body suit, as its name suggests, can create multiple black arms. It can generate up to five arms.
At first glance, it didn’t seem particularly impressive, but the true value of the suit lay in the black arms.
When a tool was given to the arms, it would automatically store it inside the suit. Once stored, the tools couldn’t be detected by any means until taken out again, and only the suit’s owner could retrieve them.
If the items were large or had unique shapes, the suit would alter its form to accommodate them. If they were too large to be contained, the suit couldn’t store them.
Thanks to the Obsidian Arms, she could use various weapons even while transformed into a beast. Just like when she hid the Priest’s golden spear in her wings and threw it at Salman.
‘And besides…’
Unlike in the game, she could directly control the black arms. This allowed her to create a hand to staunch the wound. The arms were capable of intricate and precise movements, so they could be used for purposes other than combat as well.
‘It feels like the arms have multiplied.’
I wonder if this is how Amorph and Isabel felt.
With that thought, she descended to the place where Salman had fallen.
Breaking through the clouds, the first thing her eyes landed on was a mountain. A massive Mountain Crawler, the size of a hill, was curled up and lying down.
In front of it stood PS-111, a mutant Screamer that resembled a mix of a spider and a scorpion.
The atmosphere was not what she had expected.
‘Why aren't they fighting?’
Salman had fallen with the Priest’s golden spear embedded in his chest. Since he, too, was wearing high-grade armor, he likely didn’t die instantly. Of course, a fatal wound couldn’t have been avoided.
Therefore, the orders given to that Mountain Crawler should still be in effect.
‘By the way, where did it go?’
"Middle Child. Abnormal reactions have been detected in the Mountain Crawlers administrator’s body."
PS-111 spoke, pointing with its hook-like claws at the area under the Mountaincrawler.
There, Salman was lying, with the golden spear stuck in his chest.
｢G-g-g-g-gek! Uggggghh?!｣
It was shaking its body, wings broken, in a trembling, almost dying state. Its condition seemed unusual for something on the brink of death.
"Symptoms suggest the effects of a Psionium-based stimulant. Cellular collapse and mutation are occurring simultaneously. Loss of control over the body..."
"■■■■■■■■■■■■!"
At that moment, Salman let out a horrific scream. The piercing sound tore through the air, echoing over the scorched earth still smoldering with embers.
With his scream, bursts of energy projectiles exploded from his body. The Mountain Crawler, which had been crouched low to shield its master, was instantly shredded into a mangled wreck.
"This entity is a threat. It must be eliminated."
｢...Damn it.｣
Salman or rather, the grotesquely mutated Simurgh floated into the air next to the collapsed Mountain Crawler.
It seemed the battle was far from over.
---
｢Grrrrrrrr.｣
The Magmasaur opened its six eyes wide and growled.
It had recognized that I was no ordinary opponent. As the king of volcanic worlds, it had likely never faced an enemy as formidable as me.
Until now, I had been holding back. But now, I would fight with everything I had.
‘That goes for both of us.’
Thanks to ‘Superior Adaptability’, my body had fully regenerated. On top of that, Symbol of Hunt had infused me with overwhelming power.
Hovering above my head were Number 26 and Isabel, both fully engaged in battle mode, staring down the beast.
The Magmasaur wasn't the only one who had decided to end this fight here and now.
｢GROOOOOOAAAAARRRR!｣
｢■■■■!｣
｢■■■■!｣
｢■■■■!｣
The creature, which had been motionless until now, suddenly let out a deafening roar. I, along with my two side heads, responded in kind, unleashing a thunderous cry of our own.
As our roars clashed, a distant volcano erupted once more. A cloud of fire and ash darkened the sky, and debris blasted into the air before crashing down onto the land below.
Beneath the rain of fire, the demon of the volcano began to move. The colossal beast, spanning hundreds of meters, stomped forward with its four massive legs, each step sending a thunderous tremor through the earth.
Facing its charge, I spread my winged arms wide. The membrane of my wings flared open, rippling like fabric caught in the wind. Then, I kicked off the ground, launching myself into the air.
Despite my body being twice its usual size in the Symbol of Hunt state, I moved even faster than before.
The distance between us rapidly shrank my low-altitude glide bringing me closer as the Magmasaur barreled forward.
The moment of impact sent a devastating shockwave through my entire body. The ground beneath the beast's feet and the air enveloping my wings trembled violently from the force.
The collision inflicted damage on me as well, but not nearly as much as it did to my opponent. After all, I had struck its head with the full force of both legs while diving at high speed.
｢Grrrrrgh!｣
The creature groaned in pain from the hit to its legs. In that brief window, my two side heads lunged forward and sank their fangs into its back.
The hidden second jaws inside my mouths extended, biting deep into its lava-hardened shell. The hide was thick, preventing any blood from spurting out.
Still, the Magmasaur shuddered violently from the pain. Its massive tail lashed out, whipping toward me with terrifying force.
The air howled as the monstrous tail sliced toward me. But before it could land, six Corrosive Tentacles concealed along my back shot out, their needle-tipped appendages spreading wide as they caught the incoming strike.
｢Grrr?｣
The beast was startled, its tail had overpowered me before, but now it was being held back. The strength pressing down on my tendrils was immense, yet manageable.
But this was only the beginning. Using both my necks and my tentacles, I pulled myself closer, pressing my body tightly against the monster’s back.
When I manifest ‘Symbol of Hunt’, two additional arms sprout from my lower torso, each ending in a razor-sharp bone scythe. These scythes are as durable as my head carapace and sharper than any weapon.
Using the newly formed weapons, I slashed down at the Magmasaur’s carapace. Despite its absurd thickness, this time it couldn’t withstand the strike. The elongated bone scythes buried themselves deep so deep that even the ends of my arms disappeared into the wound.
｢Ku-KRRRRRHHH!｣
The beast let out a pained scream, likely the first agony it had felt in ages. Overcome with fury, the Magmasaur thrashed violently, then abruptly tried to flip over, intending to crush me beneath its massive body.
Of course, I had no intention of letting that happen. I spread my wings and shot upward. As the bone scythes were ripped free, molten blood gushed from the wounds, and the rock-like hide clutched in my jaws tore away.
But the beast had been waiting for this. Its elongated neck shot forward, fangs sinking into my ankle.
Before I could even register the pain, my body was yanked down. With tremendous force, the Magmasaur slammed me into the ground, then raised a foreleg to stomp down on my chest.
And then its leg stopped mid-air.
From the void, countless violet threads erupted, coiling tightly around its limbs. It was Number 26. As an Apex creature itself, the Sea Demon had ensnared the Magmasaur with its psychic power.
Behind the immobilized beast, I sensed the approach of a chrome-colored serpent. Isabel. She had silently crept up and landed on its back, precisely where I had inflicted the wound earlier.
She used her many limbs to pry the gash open further, then thrust her head inside.
｢KRRRRH!｣
The Magmasaur let out a sharp cry as something burrowed into its injury.
Its bound legs trembled violently, then snapped. The air split apart as the psychic net tore. Even with Number 26's power, restraining a creature of such immense physical strength for long was impossible.
‘That much was more than enough.’
The beast’s foreleg shot down toward my right neck. The sheer force sent shockwaves rippling through the ground. If that attack had connected, my neck would have been severed instantly.
｢Krrng?｣
But my right neck wasn’t there.
While Number 26 bought time, I had already detached it from my body.
The right head, now operating independently, used its combat arm to deliver a devastating strike to the beast.
｢GRRRRHHH!｣
｢?!｣
Staggering from the unexpected blow, the Magmasaur reeled. That was the opening my ‘third self’ the ‘left head’ leaps at him.
Using its powerful legs, it launched itself at the beast, driving it down with both winged arms and combat limbs.
Even a colossus spanning hundreds of meters could no longer withstand the assault. It crumpled to the ground.
｢K-KRHHH?!｣
It wasn’t just the pain the real shock came from the sudden appearance of my allies.
｢Grrrrrr.｣
｢GRRRH!｣
Thanks to ‘Hydra Division’, my two severed heads had now become fully functional bodies of their own. They snarled at the beast, their presence making it clear this was no longer a one-on-one battle.
I acknowledged the Magmasaur’s strength. Its physical capabilities surpassed mine.
That was why I had decided to increase my numbers.
‘It's only natural for it to be thrown off.’
Even dealing with just me and 26 was overwhelming enough. But now, it had to face two more opponents, both on par with me.
Yet, true to its Apex nature, the beast steeled itself for battle. It began rising, jaws opening wide.
｢GRRRRRR—?!｣
Both my right and left heads pounced the instant it tried to roar.
The right head clamped onto its upper jaw with its combat limbs, while the left pressed down on its forelimbs, seizing its lower jaw.
With monstrous strength, my two clones began tearing its jaws apart.
｢KUHHRRRRGH!｣
｢GRRRRR!｣
｢GRRR!｣
Pinned beneath my two clones, the Magmasaur thrashed wildly. I drove my bone scythe arms into its abdomen and twisted them violently. The rock-hard hide protecting its belly peeled away, exposing shredded entrails and blood that gushed freely.
｢Kugh!｣
｢Grrhh!｣
The beast howled in agony. Desperate, it gathered its strength and kicked the left head square in the stomach. The impact sent my clone flying, its torso bending at an unnatural angle.
‘Not so fast!’
I immediately yanked my bone scythes free and took over where the left head had left off. My Corrosive Tentacles coiled around the beast’s forelimbs, while my combat arms clamped tightly onto its lower jaw.
With its entire body restrained, the only weapon it had left was its tail. It lashed out, aiming to tear me apart but the tail never reached me.
Midair, it froze. Number 26 had stopped it with psychic force.
｢Kugh… KUUUURRRH!｣
Slowly, the jaws in my grasp began to widen. The stone-like skin stretched and tore, molten blood dripping down my winged arms.
The thick, sweet scent in the air signaled one thing: its life was nearly spent.
At that moment, the struggling beast suddenly fell still. Its six eyes glazed over as a thick membrane covered them.
That could only mean one thing the Fire and Thunder Demon was about to unleash its strongest attack: Ion Lightning.
Just before the black lightning could fire from its forcibly opened maw, its body shuddered violently.
Instead of a deadly blast, all that came forth was a choking cloud of smoke.
｢Ku-KURGH?!｣
‘Isabel!’
She had burrowed into the beast’s body through the wound I had inflicted earlier her goal: to disable its electric organs.
Of course, even for her, destroying them entirely was impossible. Though not as tough as its hide, the Magmasaur’s internal organs were still incredibly resilient.
But even a moment’s delay was enough.
I shoved both my winged arms deep into its gaping maw.
｢?!｣
｢GRRRRRH!｣
｢GRRR!｣
Winged arms clamped around its snout, two combat arms gripping its lower jaw, and its right head gripping its upper jaw. Five arms in all, all giving their all.
A moment later, a ghastly sound comes from its mouth: beyond the broken bone connecting its jaws, its head is being ripped open from top to bottom.
Blood cascades from the top. He licked the hot, sweet blood from his tongue and gave his arm one last push.
Then my body jerked backwards. I could feel the enemy's bone and flesh on the tips of my wings and combat arms. My right head, which was on top, fell backwards.
The ground shuddered in the aftermath. The headless Magmasaur finally fell to the ground.
I took a large bite out of its lower jaw.
What my tongue detected was the taste of victory.
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