V2 Chapter 155
“Urro?!”
“Looking for me?!”
A sneering voice rang out from behind it.
The Silver Scaled Ape was startled and swung its gigantic arms behind him but there was no sign of Cian. The Silver Scaled Ape leader was stunned when suddenly a light touch appeared on his back.
BOOOOM!!
When the Silver Scaled Ape was about to turn around, a deafening impact struck its back. The poor monster could only let out a painful cry as it tried to stop its body by grabbing the tree that it passed using its feet that look like a pair of massive hands. However, once again Cian suddenly appeared before it like a ghost and swung his black heavy sword.
The Silver Scaled Ape managed to block Cian’s sword with its arm, but the impact still caused its arm to spurt out blood after its scales got broken in. But the Silver Scaled Ape managed to grasp the [Imagis Realis] blade.
When Cian tried to take it back, he frowned. It’s as if there was a pair of metal vise that clamped on his sword that it couldn’t move. As expected of the Boss of the Silver Scaled Apes… its strength was actually on par, or perhaps even stronger than his herculean strength…!?
The Silver Scaled Ape grinned as it saw Cian. It seemed like its confidence had returned when it was able to catch his sword. It then raised its arm, wanting to smash Cian into a pulp.
Roooooooaaarr!!
A lion’s roar.
Cian saw at the corner of his eyes, the Manticore desperately running towards them but it was being besieged by dozens of Silver Scaled Ape. This cat has some loyalty…at the very least, Cian grinned.
The Manticore watched in horror because the Silver Scaled Ape Leader’s speed was too fast. From the moment Cian appeared before it and slashed with his heavy sword, then it blocking it, catching it successfully and then swinging down its massive fist on Cian’s small head, it all happened in a blink of an eye.
Cian did not seem to react in time, as though he was sillily standing in place.
The Manticore didn’t know why it was worried about the ash-haired demon but it felt angry at the impending disaster that would dawn upon him.
In its eyes, Cian did not dodge, and at that moment, it was already too late to dodge!
ROOOOOOAAAAR—!!!
The Manticore desperately runs towards him, while even allowing several attacks of the Silver Scaled Apes around it to penetrate its defenses due to panic. It then prayed in its heart for a miracle that the ash-haired demon it had met would be able to dodge the terrifying strike that seemed to be a hammer that can destroy a mountain at the last moment.
But a miracle did not happen.
The Ash-haired demon; Cian remained in his spot even when the fist was about half two meters away from him.
A smile curled on the demon prince' lips.
Then suddenly, he ducked as he let go of the sword, clenched his fist and under the stunned gaze of the Silver Scaled Ape, Cian met its fist with its own.
As for dodging?
There was no need for that!
At that moment, every creature who was watching the battle stared with widened eyes.
Even the Manticore, who was in the distance, widened its eyes slightly, stopping its run!
There was no way for you to imagine such a strange scene, but it really happened!
A right-arm as slender as a girl's reached out towards the sky.
A gigantic arm full of silver scales that could crush down everything into pieces.
They met at a particular point, like a gigantic boulder smashing on a slender willow. But the outcome wasn't the boulder crushing the willow. Instead—
A stalemate?!
The Silver Scaled Ape angrily roared as its body bent slightly. It sent a strong downward force, but it was unable to crush the ant-like existence beneath it. It was unable to snap the slender arm that seemed to be capable of holding the vast sky.
“ROOOOOAAAAR!!!”
It roared in anguish and humiliation. It actually cannot defeat a mere small ant in a contest of strength?!
“Impressed yet…?” Cian grinned coldly.
“However, you’ve just seen a small tip of the iceberg. There are still many surprises to come!!”
After saying that, Cian’s free hand clenched and then made an uppercut, hitting the extended arm that tried to crush him.
Baaang! Crack!!
A sound of bone cracking could be heard, followed by a loud cry of agony. The Silver Scaled Ape roared in pain as the heavy sword fell into the air before the black sword flew towards Cian and then latched into his arm, turning into a black gauntlet like a living organism. All of this happened in an instant, that it looked as if a black shadow appeared, covering his arm.
Cian stomped the ground, breaking it in the process and stared eye to eye with the giant Silver Scaled Ape—
One was full of hatred and anger, while the other was mocking and indifferent.
The Silver Scaled Ape angrily opened his mouth and tried to bite him. But Cian sent an uppercut with his left hand, causing it to close its mouth with force, blood leaked from the corner of its jaws.
“You’ve been an annoying one,”
Kachinng!! Three dagger-like sharp blades suddenly appeared on Cian’s right knuckles, appearing like a certain mutant and plunged it on the Silver Scaled Ape’s neck.
Spurrt! Blood spurt like a geyser. Cian pulled back his hand, and the three black blades on his gauntlet retracted back and [Imagis Realis] turned into a great sword once again. Grasping its hilt, Cian swung it like a baseball bat going for a homerun!
“Arrrrrrooooooaaaahhhhh!!!”
The Silver Scaled Ape Boss tried to block Cian’s attack and regained its form, but when it did, its arm flew in front of it, severed from the elbow. Its eyes widened in shock. The pain has yet to realize when Cian appeared in front of it with a cold smile and slashed the heavy sword horizontally.
The Ape felt the world rotated and flipped over, then a thud sounded as the Ape’s vision slowly faded.
The last scene it saw was its body without a head and arm, standing there with blood spurted like a fountain on its severed neck. Its head rolling on the ground until it stopped in front of Cian’s feet.
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
Cian stared indifferently at the still-standing headless corpse of the Silver Scaled Ape, and then to the head that was rolling on the ground, stopping in front of him. Its eyes still wide-open, its hate and rage open to see, seemingly not knowing its end had come.
Cian swung the blood-covered heavy sword in the side, before the sword’s blade wriggled, turning into a liquefied form as it covered his arm into a black gauntlet, dying his entire right arm till his shoulder, ink-black. Blood had already lost in its transformation, and Cian’s arm looked like a metallic arm.
The area turned solemn and quiet as if a mourning parade had passed through.
Cian’s gaze turned around, everywhere his icy cold gaze landed, bodies of the remaining Silver Scaled Apes trembled as if he was a Ghost Reaper, arrived to reap their souls from their bodies.
No one moved, every creature stiffened as they look at him and the 3 – 4 meters tall headless corpse of once was their leader. Then, suddenly a ‘Giiiiiiiikkkkk!!’ cry echoed in the entire forest. As if it was the signal bell, all the Silver Scaled Ape immediately scattered, running away in every direction like little spiders, not knowing where to go, but never have a second of thought to stay in this place.
Hell… in their hearts and minds, this place was Hell, the most horrifying place to be at!
In just a blink of an eye, there was nothing in the place, aside from the Manticore and Cian, and all the other corpses and destruction that gives the proof of what had transpired into this place just a few seconds ago.
The beautiful forest has now a bald spot, painted in red blood, giving it a magnificent art. At least, in Cian’s eyes, it was one of the grandest landscape paintings he had seen in his life—a picture of hell...
Cian smiled with his pair eyes with different colors gleaming in madness and lunacy.
Cian chuckled in amusement. He was confused, when did he become acting like a psychopath?
I thought I know myself well…
Cian turned his eyes towards the walking Manticore, and his eyes turned into a cold glare.
“The interlude of fools had ended…now onto you,”
“… …”
The Manticore seemed to understand Cian’s words and it halted, staring at Cian.
However, Cian’s eyes narrowed and his icy cold heart somewhat moved. These eyes… there was no hate, no anger, no fear, no anxiety for death…nothing. Only clarity—a peaceful sky without clouds, clear and tranquil.
Cian never doubted that the Manticore understand what the end of the arc of this story was.
No, it understands better than anyone in this world…
That is death…!
The Manticore didn’t have any affection for Cian, even though they had fought alongside each other, passing through great pains and blood, and had survived in the end. Much less, Cian, he never had compassion for camaraderie for a stranger he had met for the first time, much less for a beast.
Cian had kept it alive because he wanted for it to deal with the Silver Scaled Ape—with his powers, it was an unnecessary worry, but Cian didn’t like trusting the Absolute.
Unless it ends, there was still a factor that the tide would change beyond his expectations. Hence, Cian had kept it alive as insurance after seeing it moving bravely and courageously despite the odds. Its raging heart had somewhat touched him. Hence, he let it live.
Now that all of it had ended, the arc was finally coming to its last words…
Cian didn’t have any use for it anymore—aside from being a meal!
However, even though it had known its fate, the Manticore didn’t falter, nor showed any expression or emotion as it stared straightly into his eyes. His reflection engraving on the beast's pair of ruby orbs, gleaming with peace and acceptance.
“…I had promised you, to keep you alive until the end. Now the end has come… that promise had faded. Our battle cannot be disturbed by anything anymore—no fools rushing towards here, trying to break the mood.”
Cian turned to face it. Its roughly three meters height was enough for it to look down on him as if it was Aslan, and he was Lucy.
Cian stared at it, his indifferent eyes look straight through its eyes; “…I had time until the fruit ripened. If you want that fruit, you can pass through me… though, only death waits in this road. But a fitting end for a true warrior like you…”
“… …”
But the Manticore remained silent…not even a groan, or a frown, its eyes remained tranquil.
It's as if the beast was awaiting its judgment--
Cian’s eyes twitched…annoying, irritation flashed through his eyes.
“When did you become mute? Can’t even say anything? Growl. Gwaaar...?” he gritted his teeth. He was never the type to punch an innocent face, nor a smiling one…unless it came from an annoying face as a package. But this Manticore was neither, its lion-like face and smooth-looking mane, swaying in the breeze felt so peaceful and tranquil.
It felt as if Aslan truly had lived in this day.
They once said that Manticore has the face of a man… but this one is surely not.
Cian lost his appetite and took a deep breath.
“Forget it, I needed a hand anyway. Grab those corpses and piled them up in one place…” as he expected, the Manticore blinked and then turned towards the scattered corpses which were now dismembered and incomplete, with their limbs and viscera littered in the ground. Then, he turned back at Cian, staring at him for a while before turning around and started dragging the corpses with its mouth.
This beast actually submitted…
…and I lost my boss level Michelin meal… well, at least I have my Silver Scaled Ape… Cian sigh, storing the entire corpse of the Silver Scaled Ape along with its severed head. Cian felt somewhat regrettable as he slowly walked towards the tree. However, nevertheless, he can still find another one in the future anyway.
He raised his head and look at the Crimson Blood Fruit.
“As expected, it really is Crimson Blood Fruit!” Cian scratched his chin, and said to himself, “According to what I know, Crimson Blood Tree is something formed when the Earth absorbed the blood of powerful expert, perhaps among those that possessed the blood of God—at the very least Demi-God level. It’s super rare, but here…”
Why is this tree inside this place?
What kind of expert had died in this place…?
Why has no one had ever found it?
For such a tree that sticks like a sore thumb with its red maple-like leaves, it’s extremely hard to ignore it.
Cian suddenly raised his head, his right eye twitching. Then, he suddenly realized that there was something behind the tree. It was covered in vines and plants, making it hard to see in a distance. However, when you look at it closely, this coiled vine-like thing was actually a large bone—no, a huge monster’s skeleton was behind the Crimson Blood Tree, stretching dozens of kilometers.
If not for his [Nights Eye] detecting a magical resonance, Cian would hardly able to notice it, due to its present appearance, covered by thick bushes, vines, and plants, making it as if it was just a part of the landscape.
Cian walked towards the skeleton and brushed past the vines. He sniffed it, smelling nothing wrong. But it probably wasn’t as simple as it seemed!
The Magic Power was… eerily congealed.
Even though this monster should have died a long time ago, leaving only dried fossils. But how can bones retain such pure magical power?
Cian’s eyes widened in shock.
What kind of monster is this…?!
However, curiosity got the better of him, compelling him to take a bite. Then, as if guided by instinct, Cian opened his mouth and bite—Crunch! It seemed really crispy.
Cian tasted something like a sweet but a bit bitter. Nothing happened. Cian frowned and was about to take a second bite. However, his eyes suddenly widened in shock as a fiery heat of energy flowed into his stomach.
The hunger in his stomach vanished in an instant, and even his originally empty spirit was roused.
“T, this is?!” Cian’s eyes flashed a color of fear as he suddenly felt a surge of violent power that appeared like a wild beast that was attempting to break out. This explosive power caught Cian unprepared. His mind buzzed, and his gaze turned fuzzy.
It’s beyond what he’s currently able to contain!
It’s going to explode!!
This heatwave was like spilled mercury that pervaded every pore as it wildly surged through his whole body… four limbs, internal organs, bloodstream, bone marrow…
As if every part of his body, every single cell, had scorching oil poured into them. In addition to this, his bones and his soul were thoroughly in pain…
It was an extremely excruciating pain where his whole body seemed to completely crack apart and completely explode.
The bone wings on his back spread out like a blossoming flower, seemingly excited as it trembled. He curled into a fetal position on the ground. Black flames ignited, burning with vigor. However, what something to take note of, was that the black flames were slowly transforming into black feathers, attaching themselves into the bone wings.
One feather, two feathers, three feathers… as time passed by, the feathers slowly increased as the black flames congealed. The Magic Power that Cian couldn’t contain was being sucked into the Bones of the Nether Hawk, becoming its nourishment. This would have been better, but the power was just too strong. It’s like trying to kill a forest fire with only a cup of water.
Cian who was being attacked by this sudden surge of power fell to the floor.
The sweat on his forehead rained down.
In an instant, this sweat had completely evaporated, and his body staggered backward, falling onto the ground. His body spasmed from the pain, and his face distorted greatly.
This power is truly beyond his imagination!
This is not something he could take in, with his current physical power.
His body would explode!!
Cian’s face paled.
Whoosh!
The clothes on his body were burnt to a crisp and the pieces were sent flying away by a strong breeze, revealing crimson red skin. This crimson red was deepening in color, eventually becoming a frightening dark red color. A frightening “pa pa pa” snapping sound rang out from every part of his body…
That sound of his bones cracking apart, being calcined!
The cracking sounds echoed throughout the entire area that it even alarmed the Manticore as it hurriedly rushed towards Cian’s direction, but before it could approach closer, it felt as if a horrifying monster appeared in front of it, its knees turned weak and thud! the manticore slumped in the ground, in shock and fear.
It didn’t know what had happened but its entire energy inside its body seemed to been sucked out, every part of its body trembling.
“This demon boy… is he tired of living?!”