CHAPTER 173: | TIME FOR THE LOOT
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"Huhuhu, indeed, let us end this small talk and settle this." Said Alister before he took a step with [void steps], the air warping around him with a faint whoosh as he vanished then reappeared inches away from the lion's face.
His fist connected with its crystalline nose, as the impact of his attack crackled like thunder, as crystal shards were sent flying in a glittering spray that tinkled against the ground, sending the lion flying across the room before it crashed into the walling mana crystals, creating a crater in its impact with a deep rumble that shook dust from the ceiling.
"Impressive, I didn't think that a mere human would be able to injure m..." but before it could finish its words, the lion was shaken to its core, as a tremor could be felt running through its massive form that made the ground vibrate underfoot.
As it saw the very same human to ridiculously transform into a demonic sentinel with armors so artistic that it wouldn't be called armors but instead it should be called ceremonial armor that is only used to hold a ceremony because it wasn't practical for battle, the plates of the armor shifting with a metallic groan that echoed in the cavern, gleaming under the faint mana glow.
But its transformation didn't end there, because in its forehead, twin horns sprouted then elongated as it took a circular form like that of a ram's horns, curling with a bone-like crack, as golden runic markings could be seen gleaming in them, pulsing with a warm light that cast flickering shadows.
Then in the next moment, his back exploded, as a burst of energy ripped the air with a sharp tear, but no chunks of meat could be seen flying in the air, instead, the lion saw eighteen pairs of seraphic wings protruding from his back, as feathers like carapace shimmered with an ethereal glow that filled the air with a faint, holy hum.
But before the human could flap them to show their majesty, the seraphic wings broke into millions of tendrils that were as fine as threads, writhing like living silk, as they then conjoined into a pair of hands right above his shoulder disc, it was massive and claw-tipped, hovering with a low buzz. And before the lion could regain its senses from its stupor, the human...
No, the demonic monster that exuded the angelic aura of that of a seraph, pure and radiant like morning light, and the aura of a demon that came from the deepest part of hell, dark and sulfurous, with a heat that scorched the air.
Then that monster took a step, and in its wake, the ground where he took his step caved in tens of meters deep, as a massive cavity could be seen in there sending cracks spiderwebbing out with loud snaps, as that monster reappeared in front of its face, as the displacement of the air whipped like a gust of wind.
The lion, still deep in its reverie, was sent to the next tunnel in a single punch that amounted to force equivalent to three zen, the blow landing with a resonant boom that echoed through the passages, but instead of stopping from there.
The monster, or Alister von Fai, didn't give it a chance to retaliate as he sent another bone-rattling punch into its face, the impact of his attack shattered more crystals with a high-pitched screeching sound, sending the lion shooting to the crystalline wall and cratering into the next tunnel, while debris rained down with clatters and thuds.
The cavern shook violently at the force displayed by Alister, tremors running through the earth like distant earthquakes, as it threatened to collapse, as loose rocks on the ground tumbled with growing rumbles.
The crystalline lions inside of the cavern were shaken to their core as their instincts screamed for them to flee, ignoring their pride as lions, their paws scrambling over the uneven ground with frantic scratches as they've flees out of the cavern.
On the other hand, Alister could be seen pummeling the lion again and again, each of his strikes landing with a thunderous crack that sent echoes bouncing endlessly, sending it through wall after wall, shards flying in glittering arcs that caught the light like falling stars.
But instead of stopping, Alister had no intentions of stopping, since how could he stop now? When his nourishment was already on the point of breaking, the thrill of the hunt buzzing in his veins like fire, so he continued, ignoring the fact that the cavern was rapidly collapsing at the impact of his attacks, boulders could be seen crashing down with deafening roars that filled the air with dust and the sharp scent of pulverized stone.
In Alister's numerous punches that spanned for hours, a third of the cavern had already collapsed, burying the fleeing lions in the debris of the earth with muffled cries and crunches, as the lion, finally out of its stupor hours earlier, tried to resist his combination of punches, swiping with its sharp crystalline claws that whistled through the air.
But to its dismay, it couldn't break free from the flurries of attacks that rained on it, as Alister's speed was too fast for it to escape, his form was a blur just like shadows dancing under the canopy of the trees.
In the end, the lion merely accepted its fate that it couldn't escape the monster's combination of attacks as long as it wasn't tired, so the lion, smart as it was, used the mana crystals in the walls to mend its battered body, drawing in energy with a glowing hum that knit fractures with faint pops, only to be destroyed in the next second by another relentless blow.
"Huhuhu, I didn't think that you'd be able to resist me for a couple of hours, but so what? What could you do but stall your demise for a couple more?"
Then Alister sent it into the ground with a single kick, the impact cratering the floor with a boom that sent shockwaves rippling out, as he vanished from the air then smashed its crystalline face into pieces, the shards exploding outward with a symphony of tinkles and cracks, as he shouted, his voice echoing wildly. "Come on, resist my attacks!!!"
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The lion, unable to bear the humiliation its opponent had inflicted into it, let out a deafening roar. The cavern, riddled with mana crystals in every corner, exploded like grenades, shards and shells levitating into the air amid the chaos. Dust choked the space, a sharp, metallic tang filling the damp air as fragments hovered, glinting under the faint glow of residual mana.
In that standstill, lasting no more than a split second, all the fragments were pulled by an unknown force. Some conjoined into one hundred and one stalactites, which then systematically pointed toward Alister's monstrous form, and before anyone could predict their next move, all one hundred and one stalactites vanished in a blur of motion, streaking through the collapsing cavern at a speed indiscernible to the naked eye. The air whistled with their passage, shaking the walls in their wake, loose pebbles rattling like distant thunder.
Alister, already expecting this, could only chuckle in elation. He couldn't believe that someone possessing such a massive mana reservoir, amounting to millions, wouldn't have the finesse to hide their projectile's weak points from it's opponents discerning eyes.
He himself couldn't believe it, since his mastery of [The World of Intent] allowed him to discern those weak points in the form of veins, or sometimes a bubble, or perhaps a thread, quite easily.
So after witnessing the hundreds of threads that laced through the projectiles, Alister couldn't help but smirk as he tapped all the incoming projectiles' weak points in a single stroke, without even using [THE FIRST ZEN OF DISTORTION: IRIECE STYLE: RIPPLE OF THE VAST MULTIVERSE].
Nor did he consider using the lower version of it, which was [THE FIRST ZEN OF DISTORTION: IRIECE STYLE: RIPPLE OF THE NIGHT SKY]. Not because he was arrogant enough to think he'd already won this battle, believing himself invincible just because he had some leverage over this beast.
No, instead, it didn't require him to utilize either of those techniques to dismantle an attack as low-level as this. Not because Alister had never underestimated the lion, hell, he knew better than anyone that underestimating your opponents is a recipe for disaster.
He'd witnessed great figures from the erased history of the multiverse fall to their demise because they'd underestimated their foes, and that made him all the more cautious. How could he not be cautious? This was his final chance to reach ascendance itself, the sweat on his brow was a cold reminder of the stakes, as the cavern's humid air clinging to his skin felt like a warning from nature itself.
So Alister, having finally dismantled the stalactites the lion had sent in the hundreds, turned his attention back to the beast. He lifted his foot and stomped down, sending it crashing into the cavern floor below. As he readied his fist, though, Alister faltered, as his [Eyes of Truth] foresaw a future where those hundreds of stalactites were nothing but a distraction. As thousands more had already pierced his form in an instant during his attempt to pummel the lion into the earth. The vision hit him like a jolt, the illusory pain was like a phantom arcing across his torso.
Foreseeing this, Alister clenched his teeth, the grit crunching audibly in the tense silence, then he flicked his hand. The earth all around him obeyed, terraforming itself into fortified walls that rose with a low rumble, isolating his opponent's mana control inside a massive dome.
The structure had the durability to withstand twenty zens of force and beyond, the dome would strain itself, into distributing the force into the ground with deep, echoing vibrations like what Alister could feel through his feet. The air inside grew thick, charged with trapped energy, a faint ozone scent building all over the place as mana clashed against the barriers.
The lion, noticing its connection to the outside world severed, grew confused. Then its confusion twisted into worry as the dome groaned in the next second. The lion, knowing what this meant, grew fearful, as all its projectiles, each packing the killing power of twelve zen on average, were intercepted by this unimpressive dome without a hitch.
The impacts thudded like muffled drums drumming the dome, while cracks could be seen spiderwebbing across the surface but to it's dismay the dome was still holding firm like it could still tank another rounds of hail.
"You damned monster! How did you cut off my connection to my true form?!" The lion shouted in fury, its voice echoing hollowly within the dome, as it swiped its extremely sharp claws toward the monster charging at it. The claws whistled through the air, leaving faint trails of displaced dust.
But instead of dodging, the monster cackled with insanity evident in its eyes, the wild gleam reflecting off the dome's inner walls. Its two pairs of arms, located above its shoulders, broke into millions of tendrils, writhing like living shadows, slick and cool against the humid air.
Then all of the tendrils funneled into its left arm, coiling with a wet, slithering sound. In the next second, the monster vanished in the air like a ghost, leaving the lion confused by its actions. But then, in the following seconds, the lion's spiritual vision shattered like fragile glass, the crackling sound reverberating in its mind as confusion deepened into panic.
Alister, on the other hand, could feel the tremor his attack sent through the whole cavern, the ground quaking underfoot, stones grinding together with a gritty rasp. Through his affinity with the [Sacred Earth], he could easily distinguish that the cavern was collapsing in a rapid state.
His danger sense screamed at him to flee right this instant, a prickling needle poking at the back of his neck but he ignored it, as the scent of crumbling rock filled his nostrils. But for him, who held authority to command the earth, the dangers of being buried alive in this cavern were next to impossible.
Such threats, posed no real peril to him, for him this degree of threat were trivial, so he took his time, disbanding his augmented arm and transformations, the tendrils retracting with a faint, fleshy pop.
And he returned to his human-like appearance in the next seconds, as he let his eighteen tendrils, attached to his back with human-like mouths at their tips, feed on the crystalline lion's carcass. The mouths slurped greedily, crunching through the glittering remains with wet smacks, mana essence humming in the air like a faint buzz.
He waited for the notifications to appear, the cavern's distant rumbles fading into a tense hush. A few seconds later, they arrived, and he smiled softly at their arrival, the glow from the screens casting a cool light on his face amid the settling dust.
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[You have slain.]
S: 1| T: 10 | Level 50 | Sentient Crystal Mine [9★]
[You have gained.]
[45 Trillions - EXP.]
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[You have successfully devoured]
? [Sentient Crystal Mine 9★]
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[You may devour one of the following.]
? Stats
? Select a Skill
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[You have chosen to devour the stats from the following Demonic Beast.]
? Sentient Crystal Mine (9★) x1
[You may choose which stat to extract.]
? Health
? Stamina
? Mana
? Physique
? Mystique
[You have selected Mana from the available target.]
[Would you like to proceed?]
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[You have successfully devoured Mana from the selected Demonic Beasts.]
? +66,666 Mana Acquired
