The ground shook terribly, sending several shockwaves through the dry and dead soil as the cephtalurian covered the distance between us in an instant.

One of it’s tentacles hurtled in my direction, moving with incredible speed as I avoided it’s simple frontal attack whilst taking a vertical swing at it to try to severe it, but just as the tip of the blade came into contact with the tentacle and was about to slice through as more mana coalesced the blade giving it a shimmering prestige, another one merged from beneath it, and one from the side, twisted, colliding with my sword as it pushed it back, the force strong enough to push me off balance and cause me to take several steps back.

Another two shot in my direction right immediately, as I took a breath, my chest heaved as I shifted my centre of gravity, pressing my left foot strongly on the ground, taking a stance the mana coursing through my veins and muscles as I fended them off with a display of accurate and precise swordplay.

Mana channelled into my feet as I dashed forward, my feet leaving small craters in their wake as I moved, avoiding another of its tentacle which moved in a zigzag pattern, splitting through the air and making my air sway by the sheer force, missing my body by a hair’s length and drilling itself into the ground, sending cracks into the very surface as it wiggled and pulled itself out.

Firming my grip on the hilt I took that moment and lunged in the direction of the cephtalurian, closing the distance in an instant. My sword blazed with light as it cried out pushing more and more mana toward the sword as it moved closer to the cephtalurian’s body, its bulk towering high and it’s horrendous face coming into plain sight, a shadow cast over me and its maw snarled as it's sharp jaw came into clear display, showcasing rows of jagged fangs.

I brandished my sword as it burst with teal greenish light, already more mana moving closer to it’s surface as the manipulation of the particles of wind sent a loud ruffle in the air as the blade moved closer to the base of it’s thick neck surrounded by the skin lolling and protecting it.

It’s speed to react to my attack was fast, almost too fast. The moment my sword drew an arc near it’s neck, cutting the skin and digging deeper into the beast’s fat neck, I did the same thing I had done before.

I channelled the mana within me and with the skillful manipulation of the fire attribute, my sword burst with a cascade of fiery flames enshrouding the blade whole as the scarce motes of red clung to the surface, giving the bleak blade a shiny radiance, which rose high up as the heavy wind reinforced it, widening its reach, scorching the cephtalurian’s skin as it cried out in an agonising hoarse voice, but already three of it’s thick tentacles were over me and crashed into me from each side.

Already seen through its tactic, I withdrew the scabbard and parried two of the tentacles avoiding them with much ease, but when I tried to parry the third with my sword, in that short span of time, from behind me suddenly a fourth one came and whipped me—like I had been struck in the back by a ten ton hammer—, then taking advantage of my sudden distraction, the previous one penetrated through my back as I felt searing pain try to jolt me to my knees, my face distorted with a painful frown, leaving me stiff as I ground my teeth and persisted through the pain.

Forcing my body to move, I coalesced the mana inside my arm working the way I needed it to, and without wasting a single moment I hurtled my fist into the cephtalurian’s bulk with full force, my arm hissing and blurring through the air, as I felt the muscles inside it contort and convulse, causing sharp and agonising aches to spread all across the bones of my arm.

My fist tore through the cephtalurian’s skin, digging into its chest as its blood sprayed over the ground, staining my clothes, melting them from a few spots. All I heard was loud and hideous shrieks which permeated in our surrounding.

The beast winced, shooting me an animalistic glare as its eyes seemed to darken in rage.

But as my arm was healing—sticking the torn off tendons and ligaments—I sent a powerful shockwave of mana coalesced around my fist, which made the beast groan with its face tormented, causing the ugly wound on its chest to grow twice the size of both my fists, making the cephtalurian to stumble several times and crash into the ground dozens of steps away.

【Warning】

【A poisonous substance has entered and attacked the Host’s immune system】

【Detoxification In Progress】

The system messages appeared in front of me as I looked at the cephtalurian bearing it maw and snarling as it slowly got up to it’s feet, it’s animalistic voice rushing into the air as my eyes locked on it’s figure. Blood dripping from it’s open wound, face twisted and wrinkled.

【The Detoxification of the poisonous substance has completed】

The fire clung to its octopus-like face, rising high and searing away at its skin, as it struck its own face with it’s tentacle to douse the hot flames eating away at it. Low and tormented groans filled the air as the beast growled in an intense voice making a ferocious face as it’s eyes glowed even more menacingly.

The amethyst shade of its eyes turning a deep blood red. Making them looking almost black.

My brows knitted as I saw the mana inside the cephtalurian go into a flurry.

My back had already done healing itself from the damage as there was only a hole left in the back of my shirt stained with my blood and the cephtalurian's acidic poison which had melted it.

But I kept looking at it with wariness laced in my eyes. It’s ability to keep a good distance from it’s opponent whilst attacking them in a different rhythmic set of movements each time with it’s tentacles to make them waste their stamina while also slowly ingesting them with its potent poison was commendable.

But it’s poison had no effect on me, but yet again I didn’t have an infinite amount of stamina to keep on fighting it endlessly.

I had indeed built a good resistance against most poisons, but that didn’t mean I was perfectly immune from their effects. By surviving the basilisk's searing poison which had almost killed me, I had gained resistance to almost all poison, I think. But if I was affected by a poison in a heavy amount then that was a different issue.

But I had realised that, unlike it’s kind this one is quite intelligent and unique, who didn’t just attack me blindly or with just relying on its instincts to ensure its victory.

It’s ability to read between my attacks and adapt itself into quickly countering them with an almost too good of a reaction time to catch me off guard by using its tentacles—attacking in different sets of rhythms and patterns—was quite the good strategy to deal with a stronger opponent.

It held just as good of an intellect and senses as the thalassalithions for battle.

My eyes went to the dead corpses of its kin, lying lifelessly. And one more think to be wary of this creature was its ability to absorb others mana to make itself stronger and vitalise itself to keep on fighting.

But I guess it was more ruthless than the thalassalithions, considering it didn't even spare its own kin.

It knows I’m stronger than it, that’s why from the start of the fight it’s doing it’s best to keep it’s distance from me to attack in the most efficient way possible while parrying most of my close range attacks with its tentacles even if I came close enough.

But even if I do that, those tentacles are the real problem. They won’t let me get closer to the main body and even if I somehow did reach it like last time, it can just attack from all directions to take advantage of my blind spots.

It’s reach was good, so it's ability to make use of the terrain to its full advantage.

A dry chuckle left me as I glared at the cephtalurian. “These fucking sentient beings “ I said as the mana draped around me in a protective layer, oozing a very dim light to emit from my body.

It’s strength and ability to fight alone could easily place this beast in the category.

Then it moved again, the four tentacles jutting from behind it moved separately and in a manner of their own, as if they’ll had a will and held individual conscious, moving entirely different from each other.

One from the right, two from below and the last from the left.

But this time the cephtalurian chief also launched the two tentacles working as its arms in my direction as well.

Six tentacles moving in my direction as they followed each of my movements while creating perfect sync and coordination amongst themselves to counter and attack brilliantly. Honestly, it felt like I was engaged in a fight with several powerful monsters at once. Even if I parried and attacked four or five of the tentacle at once with faster speed and strength which it couldn’t follow through, the sixth one would always hit home.

The same thing happened again as a tentacle struck me from the side, it’s tip working like a blade as it drew an arc near my torso, which caused streaks of blood to drape down and stain my clothes with a dull crimson and black.

The system messages kept on appearing as I gave them a side eye before ignoring them and evading three of the tentacles launched in my direction at once as my body detoxified the poison which the cephtalurian had released each time it was able to land it’s attacks.

Yet in contrast, I hadn’t dealt even considerable damage on to it. It stood tall in its place, eyes glowing ferociously and face growling, looking ravenous. It did its best to maintain the distance between us even now, trying to make me waste my stamina as it kept launching one attack after the other.

And each strike was filled with strength greater than the previous one as my arms slowly started to flail and go numb from fending off strike after strike as the bones in them creaked. As if I was hitting hard metal itself.

I frowned as my mana flared, looking at the Cephtalurian closing the distance between us as I parried another pair of tentacles. It bared its maw, its jagged teeth shown as a tentacle grabbed a hold of my wrist pushing me off balance, as another struck me in the back of the head—making me squeal as I lost my balance and senses—, the others already restraining my limbs as I stood held in its tight grasp. Its grip tightening around my arms and legs making me squeal in pain. The two tentacles which were still free lunged at me and struck right in my chest, penetrating me.

I screamed with a twisted face, coughing blood, as I tried to pry myself free of its grasp as it gripped harder making my struggle look futile.

My breathing heaved as I felt the mana inside my body fail me, crumbling away, as the tentacles began to pull the mana out and transfer it to the cephtalurian chief. It was a similar sensation close to diving into the cold water of a lake, as my body grew numb and cold.

My body not responding properly to my commands, as I felt weakened, my limbs growing stiff and unmoving as the mana left me, being drained faster than I could even take some action against it.

My vision grew blurry, blood spilling through my mouth staining my jaw in a dark crimson as my chest heaved. I felt my insides lurch with withering pain as my body flailed, as it pumped me with its poison, my painful moans filled the air as the wound over my chest kept on healing and melting to and fro.

Damn it. I grunted through gritted teeth and furrowing brows. My eyes now barely retaining focus as I looked at the Cephtalurian moving closer to me. My vision blurred further as I felt my heart thumb faster as if it could burst in my chest.

My body shuddered with spasms as my muscles contracted making me grit in pain, trying to supress my scream.

But I took a deep staggering breath, and calmed my mind, albeit barely with strained tension lacing each action. The mana inside me swirled as I focused it toward my arms, as they were doused in a fiery inferno which danced around them.

It was a hard task to focus my mana toward my arms as the beast was draining me off of my reserves faster than I could command it. But my simple plan had worked and the flames burned fiercely around my arms like wildfires, engulfing me up to my torso like a torch, I pushed through my limits in controlling the element as a powerful gale billowed around me, howling, giving the fires more reach as they fuelled themselves, reaching high in the air and allowing the flames to travel farther and cling on to the tentacles entrapping me.

I felt the bright radiance of the heat over my own skin as my body winced. I tried to focus my mana to protect myself, but using it to conjure an unstable fire as well as having it drained at the same time, I didn’t have the time to reconsider my options, if I wanted to end up as a dried up corpse for this fucking leech bastard.

Quickly the tentacles caught on to flames which hungrily lurched forward, as they painfully winced and pulled back releasing me from their grasp as the cephtalurian snarled releasing a loud growl which made its way to my ears.

I was hurled back as the tentacles dug into my chest pulled back, making me cough blood again as I went crashing into the ground, my vision drained and blurred considerably. My body staggered to pull a breath.

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

The system messages caught my fleeting attention as I saw the cephtalurian slamming it’s tentacles to brush out the scarlet flames somehow, making the ground shake causing dust to swirl around it.

I inspected my body carefully and saw the condition I was in, the skin over my arms had also been burned and scorched, looking reddish black in colour as I felt unimaginable amount of pain clawing away at me making me frown as the potent amount of poison the cephtalurian had released into my body kept on detoxifying; my physique taking time to heal.

Despite a person’s affinity to an element if they didn’t have good enough control over that element to manipulate it to their advantage it would then simply become a double edged sword which could hurt the enemy as well as the host without any control or consideration.

So mages are first taught the basics of an element to better understand its fundamentals and workability, so they can learn to adjust just how much power and control they needed to exert when manipulating an element.

My body slowly healed itself, the blood stopped flowing from my wounds as they patched themselves. I slowly rose to my shaky feet, but I didn’t even have the leisure to relax and retrieve my footing as I felt a tentacle grab on to my ankle from behind, as I felt like the ground from beneath my feet had been swept away as I was hurtled through the air.

I cursed with a loud grunt, my body moving to pry myself lose of its grasp, my mind squirming as the poison took hold over me last second. The Chief launched me and the moment I came to be, I blanked in an out consciousness as I mercilessly crashed into the trunk of thick tree several meters away, my bones shattering as the impact caused shudders to be sent through my body as it cried in agony.

I moaned in pain, blood flowing from the side of my lips as my body plummeted to the hard ground, causing sharp aches to be sent throughout as I released the hilt of my sword and it stabbed into the dry ground. I felt every part of my body hiss in agony as I laid on ground allowing my body to heal itself.

My breathing heavy and eyes tightly shut.

Biting the inside of my cheek until I tasted iron, my body swirled on the ground like a worm, tissues and muscles stitching themselves, as bones healed.

I took a deep breath as I heard steps approaching from afar, my mana channels creaked, making a wave of nausea to hit me, as I vomited blood, every inch of me screaming.

I slowly rose to my feet, as my eyes refocused, glaring at the approaching mana signature of the Cephtalurian dozens of meters away.

I reached for my sword and took a hold of it and withdrew it back into the scabbard.

I guess, I had underestimated the cephtalurian Chief's capabilities. I hissed taking a deep breath.

It was indeed cunning and sly, like Uito had said. I released a dry chuckle welled inside me on my own arrogance.

I didn’t even have this much trouble dealing with the basilisk as much as I'm having now.

And honestly, the basilisk was also an rank mana beast. But it had only taken so much death to kill it.

I saw the cephtalurian rushing in my direction. Each step covering faster than the one before.

I searched for my mana, as a frown played over my lips. Since the start of the fight, I had already used and lost half of my mana. And most of it had been taken by that bastard .

But I stood in my position, as my body was almost healed, the poison was still detoxifying but its effects were bearable. My hands went to the sword, one firmed around the hilt and the other securing the scabbard, as I reached for the paths.

My vision brightened by the dim light casted around me, as the powerful interconnecting web flickered to life, overlapping the entire forest in it’s egnamtic sheen as far as my eyes and senses could follow and feel them. The pathways burned brightly as I looked through them, their information transmitted to me as I released my intent to them, demanding the information I wanted and needed.

Without even a moment wasted I disappeared into those streams, as I moved through the intricate highways to reach my destination. The space opened, making a clear path for me to travel through as the information coursed through my mind.

The space tore open for me, series of lightning coiling and crackling around my body, charging me with static as it lifted my hair, as I appeared right behind the Cephtalurian Chief. My arms and feet reinforced with mana as I inspected the beast and steadied my body. All the mana inside me bursted as dim light surged outward, my arms swelled and veins bulged, releasing the sword from the scabbard.

My sword hissed and billowed through the air, the tendrils of lightning which were coiling around me wrapped the surface of the blade, crackling dangerously, as the blade winced and shuddered under the force, threatening to split and break as a dark aura submerged the sword. I coalesced more mana around the blade to not allow it to succumb.

The Chief who was caught off guard, tried to whirl, but it was too late.

My sword drew countless arcs, as my arm tore through the air, the fiery lightning coiling around it giving each swing more power, as I severed all the tentacles jutting out of its back. As they plummeted to the ground. I twisted my body, my arm growing stiff under the stress, as I slashed diagonally, slicing through the left side of its torso as its screams loudly reverberated through the forest.

My free arm was already charged with mana. With each vein and muscle coalesced with mana, I took a sharp swing near it’s open wound. The air tore apart as my fist struck home and the beast’s tormented shrieks filled the air.

But I didn’t stop there. Next moment, my arm burst with flames consuming my skin and engulfing the cephtalurian, searing away at its insides as it did a final desperate act and whirled with all the energy left in its body.

It shot its remaining tentacles at me, and tried creating some distance, but my fist dug deeper mercilessly.

It’s tentacles struck me, but had no strength left in them to make a strong enough impact.

I winced, my arm causing terrible pain to arch across my body. My face twisted into a wide frown. It was left in an ugly state, as my arm bled and the skin melted by the poison.

I released a wave of my mana, a shockwave billowed through, making the cephtalurian go crashing several meters away, as its body struck the roots of a nearby tree.

“Kuh!” I gasped with a painful expression as I looked at my arm. The muscles around my wrist had completely melted and the bone visible.

The system messages appeared to me, before I waved them away with annoyance laced in my eyes.

I walked over to the cephtalurian, as it pitifully tried to get back on its feet, growling in pain.

It saw me approach, eyes now filled with fear and caution for its life. Unknowingly, I cracked a grin as each foot fall swelled in my chest.

But it brandished its fangs and screamed with all its might.

The every ground shook by its hoarse scream, blood spilling and staining the ground as its skin tone paled. I took a sharp swing near its torso. But the hair at the back of my neck stood as I twisted my body whilst changing the trajectory of my sword and severing a tentacle to my right.

But this gave the Cephtalurian Chief enough time to attack me.

I kicked back and took several steps away from it.

But my eyes swept across the forest as I saw several bright mana signatures approaching.

In only a few seconds, I was surrounded by hundreds of cephtalurians baring their maws at me. Several pairs of bright amethyst eyes hidden in the shadows or in front of me glaring me down.

I clicked my tongue as my sword shimmered and cried out. Fuck! So it was calling for its tribe.

I could still continue on fighting somehow, but after my fight against their Chief, I was tired. My body was still healing and my mind squirmed from the effects of the poison. I took a deep breath as the cephtalurians rushed in my direction.

My sword tore through their masses. One after another, they’ll fell to the cold steel, but there didn’t seem an end to them. They rushed toward me without a care to their own wellbeing.

If I killed two, four more would lurch at me, same thing happening the more cephtalurians I killed. By this time my fatigue had been build up and I felt my arms crank and eyelids glare heavily.

But from the corner of my eye, I saw the Cephtalurian Chief absorbing the mana from several of its kind and revitalising itself; several dried corpses lying still on the ground as it slowly rose to it’s feet.

Damn it. I grunted as I tore through the mass of cephtalurians and dashed in the direction of the Chief.

I had wasted my one chance at using the pathways, and now I can’t even escape if I wanted to. My feet covered the distance in an instant, mana surging through me.

But the weaker cephtalurians barricaded my path from reaching their Chief.

Their blood sprayed around the ground and on my skin, leaving me grunting in pain as I killed and killed and killed.

I brought my sword up and defended against a whip attack. The force of the strike leaving my arms numb and stiff, and body hurled several steps back.

My eyes landed over the Cephtalurian Chief, as it rose to its feet. The wounds on its body still remained, but that didn’t seem to bother it anymore.

But the next moment, it snarled, as its body began to convulse uncontrollably with spasms, it's purple tongue lolling as its eyes growing deadly still and body swelling, making its bulk tower high over the other cephtalurians in the terrain.

My breathing heaved, I felt like my chest was on fire as I tired to think of a way to win. My stamina was depleting faster. I withdrew a potion and drank it, whilst taking a swing near a cephtalurian’s torso, severing it.

The potion didn't do much in front of the damage, but still made a lukewarm sensation to course through my body and relax my mind.

But next moment I looked in complete flabbergast as I observed through Mind’s Eye the mana inside the Cephtalurian Chief’s body going into a state of frenzy as it snarled, its voice tearing through the air.

My mouth agape in disbelief as I witnessed demonic energy swelling the cephtalurian’s form. Intermingling with the beast's mana and making a glint of malevolence to release its body.

‘Huh?’ I wheezed with an almost incredulous expression. ‘Demonic energy, but how?’

The power rushed into its body, making each point of its beastly form to grow and transform into something more insidious and horrendous.

Without even having a moment to ponder over the sudden development, countless tentacles hurled in my direction as I parried as many as I could whilst getting whipped from all direction.

My grip weakened around the hilt as blood dripped from several places of my body, mixed with the murky black toxin.

Then the Chief moved, covering the distance in an instant as its bulk crashed into me—like a concrete wall had just crashed into me—, making me stumble and kiss thick ground.

My body flailed and groaned under the heavy fatigue growing over my mind.

Tentacles taking a hold of my ankles as I was slowly lifted in the air, suspended upside-down as I looked at the Cephtalurian chief with blurry half-open eyes, my breathing shallow.

I moved my body, the mana reinforcing my unsteady and weak movements as I swung my sword and sliced through the tentacle holding one of my ankle, but the swing wasn’t strong enough.

I was hurtled through the air like some rag doll, as I struck hard ground, blanking in and out of consciousness upon impact as my mind squirmed by unimaginable pain. This happened two more times—my mind growing numb from the pain—before the Cephtalurian Chief propelled me through the air.

I was moving through the air with incredible speed and barely saw that I was about to crash into a tree head on.

The impact at this speed would honestly leave me in a worse than sorry state, and I didn’t even have much mana left so that I could heal my body properly, yet again, move to defend myself.

I guess I had truly underestimated the trial.

The mana inside me swirled as I twisted my body mid-air with the final effort I could with the last bit of energy left, the attribute of wind reinforcing my actions as I changed the trajectory in which I was moving, but my shoulder struck against a thick branch jutting out from the tree’s side as I whirled in the air thrice before my crash and kissed the ground with a loud thud, which dislocated my shoulder as I didn’t even have the leisure to scream or understand what had happened.

The impact left a wide crater in its wake as I rolled on the ground with dangerous speed, what little mana I could have layered around me to protect myself from the crash crumbled and withered away, as clusters of light dissipated around me as I winced and groaned in a low and weak voice which shooed away from the loud thuds generating.

I didn’t know just how many times I rolled over the ground, but soon it stopped as I hit the hard surface of water and sank to its depth.

The frigid cold digging deep into my bones as my limbs stiffened and eyes darkened. Blood dripped from my body and scattered into the water around me, I was barely able to make out of my surroundings, as I was left breathless and vulnerable.

My body becoming unresponsive; disoriented. I searched for any options I could exploit to my advantage, but my mind just wouldn’t focus as the pain and fragility of my limbs made me sank deeper as the cold water wrapped me in its tight embrace, the last bit of energy I had left which was keeping me stable and awake crumbled away as my body numbed.

But through my blurred vision I saw two tentacle swimming my way, as one held and gripped at my throat as the other wrapped around my torso, squeezing and depriving me of the last bit of air I had left in my lungs as my ribs contorted and a few cracked sending a series of aches and blanking pain, making me scream, as air bubbles floated upwards.

The cold leaving me weakened in my bones as I saw the Cephtalurian Chief rushing in my direction with it’s red eyes looking ravenous, revelling in their own malevolence as the beast swam closer and closer.

The demonic energy making the beast go into a frenzied state, as its strength multiplied.

Should I use Acausality? My desperation evaded my mind and clouded my judgement as I tried to think of any way of ensuring my survival. But the rebound would be too much for me to take in my current state and despite that it won’t do me any good because I can’t interact with the frozen objects in that static void as much as I try to.

All that power would do was stop time, separating me from the physical realm for a short period and leaving me in a weakened state.

Then what should I—

I thought before my mind subconsciously went to the moments of using that enigmatic, yet malevolent and absolute power I had gained in my time inside the basilisk dungeon.

No! My desperation fighting and overcoming my sense of sanity and reason which grew weaker as time passed as I remembered what that power had done to me back then. I grew numb, my mind being poisoned by the enchanting allure of that absolute power, promising me victory, yet at the cost of my own humanity.

B-But...

My weakened mind no longer able to push my desperation and thoughts away. I felt it was the only way possible, for me to survive...for me to win.

In that very slight and withering moment, the dim image of Jihye appeared inside my mind. In it I saw her smile as brightly as I had ever seen her, her smile radiated a warmth which swelled in my heart, but casued pangs of guilt to rise in my chest, which I now longed to see, could do anything to see again, but next moment her image withered and crumbled away, shattering like glass.

N-No...

My own thoughts felt weak to me.

I was left in a weakened state where even holding a single thought was like walking on broken glass.

My arms flailed, as I closed my eyes, as I hardened my resolve; all sound, presence and even the beating of my own heart disappeared. I felt like I was in a state of nothingness as I felt the robust of insurmountable power surge from deep within me, shrouding me in its embrace, wrapping me in its warmth. Assuring me.

I felt the frigid bites of cold disappear as my body grew numb from all the pain spread across my physique. All the worries, pains and pessimistic thoughts disappeared from my mind as I slowly opened my eyes which felt like lead.

But the weakness had left me. My mind was as clear as the still water of a lake.

As all I felt was the insurmountable power coursing though my veins and channels. Making me feel alive and absolute. That I could do anything.

Just why was I being so fearful of this power? I asked, feeling somewhat ashamed of my own weakness to wield this enchanting power.

It was mine! A power which bends to my will.

This power...

Just as I did, the grip of the tentacles loosened over me ever so slightly, but I moved and held them tightly in my palms. My grip firm as the cephtalurian tried to pry itself free.

Its eyes looking fearful and haunted, shaking like a terrified dog. It shuddered as it tried to pull away from me, but there was no respite for it.

My face grew cold and stoic, but a vicious grin played at my lips as I pulled the beast closer, to not let it escape.

My mana worked as I flared Leap and searched for the paths, but there was a strong rejection from my body; a nudge waiting for me as I activated the skill. As if my body was rejecting the power itself, a wall, a barrier...a boundary set to stop me from wielding the power; a power which was mine, yet why was it restricting and rejecting my command?

I pushed harder, and the wall which stood tall and firm between me and that power started to grow small cracks.

All I needed now was to go beyond that boundary trying to stop me; to reach it, the power.

My grin grew even more deadly and animalistic, causing the cephtalurian to shudder in my grasp as it winced, as the wall collapsed on itself as I pushed harder and reached the power; no longer being held back as it flared to life. My body winced under the effects of my actions, trying to stop me, rejecting my command, but I didn’t care.

The pathways appeared bare to my eyes— burning with so much information and intricate power, ready to be used, to serve their purpose to me—as I looked at them—and I felt like they were looking right back at me—,through them, and felt my connection with them grow stronger and firm as I wrapped myself with a thin layer of protective mana and released my intent.

Lightning flashed around me and I leapt, disappearing into the paths pulling the cephtalurian together with me as static charged through the water, making it boil and swirl.