The power Marshmallow had attained rose to heights that were hard to imagine. His true power did not lie in his brute strength, the constitution he had achieved, or his incredible perception. No. His real power lay in the incredible amount of abilities he had accumulated and could switch between.
He had Statis Shock, a Unique Skill that allowed him to emit an immobilizing ray. He could immobilize opponents for a few seconds or, if too powerful, slow them down. On the surface, it didn't look like much, but it was a skill that allowed him to hit enemies with full force. It had no offensive characteristics, but it had crowd control characteristics. It was not to be underestimated.
He also possessed no less than three Very Unique Skills: Lumokinesis, Spatiokinesis, and Necrokinesis. The first was both offensive and defensive. It was offensive because it allowed him to emit glowing beams of light that had the potential to incinerate anything. And defensive, because it could create a light barrier that would protect him from any physical attack for as long as it lasted.
Not to mention the incredible Oblivion Overdrive, a beam of light so powerful it could vaporize an entire mountain. If you were to see this in a movie, it would certainly leave you speechless.
Combined with his level 100, these two powers alone would have easily made him one of the strongest players in the Survivor Game. With Necrokinesis, Marshmallow had gained the power to summon an army of undead to his aid or raise a monster so powerful that it would make even the bravest of Novgovians weep with fear.
Spatiokinesis, on the other hand, allowed him to create rifts in space that would allow him to teleport. It also had offensive value, allowing him to open a sucking black hole.
Marshmallow had finally received an upgrade to his Titan Hammer in Supernova Titan Hammer, giving him a Dark Fire Element and an incredible increase in his Strength stat. From the paltry 30% increase before, Marshmallow would now gain a substantial 200%. The Supernova Titan Hammer alone would allow him to triple his already titanic Strength stat.
At this point, Marshmallow was practically a god who had come down to Earth. But Serthar's mere presence had crushed him.
Standing before him made him feel helpless as if he were facing a god. If he had his Lumokinesis at his disposal, he would have been able to face him as an equal; it was definitely his skill and the one he knew how to use best, not to mention that it was the only skill whose Overdrive, the most powerful attack associated with a Unique Skill, he could use.
In a brief moment of focus, Marshmallow used all of his power to open a gap and teleport far away. Just before escaping, he had grabbed the goat's horn and taken it with him.
And where did the duo end up?
At the entrance of the Utlima Gate. The place they had passed through after repeatedly disintegrating King Balor the Immortal.
"Marshmallow, why are we here?" The Goat Horse, who had returned to his humanoid form, asked him suspiciously. "What are you going to do, run away? You can't run away, you know that. If you do, the Wyolands will have automatically lost. You will die, everyone will die, and everything you went through will have been for nothing."
Marshmallow knew exactly what the goat horse meant. Time was running relentlessly in his head like a ticking clock. How could this abomination be defeated in just one hour?
"Quiet." Marshmallow blurted out as he turned toward the Last Gate. "Do you take me for a fool? I know I have to deal with this and that there is no time. But this is a truly, truly impossible quest. I am at a disadvantage here. I need help, and I know who I can ask.
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The Goat Horse looked at him questioningly.
"I don't understand. What do you want to do? Wait, you don't want to-"
"That's right." Marshmallow nodded with a confidence that seemed to ooze from his pores. "By hook or by crook, we'll get King Balor the Immortal to help us."
What Marshmallow was talking about made no sense at all. Why would he help them? Until recently, they had been enemies. But now that they were here, they might as well try. The Goat Horse sighed, and together they walked backward through the Ultima Gate.
The Crypt of Balor was exactly as it had been before. The giant titan with the flaming armor and the oversized sword sat on a golden throne in the middle of a huge hall lit by flashlights and decorated with banners and armor.
As soon as Balor saw them walk through the door, he let out a laugh so thunderous it shook the walls. Marshmallow and Goat Horse could only cover their ears.
"You really are absurd dicks, ha ha!" Balor taunted them with tears in his eyes and his finger pointing. "I can't believe you came back, you were scared shitless when you saw those unclean beasts, weren't you? You felt crazy, didn't you, Marshmallow?"
Marshmallow had an absurd urge to plunge the Supernova Titan Hammer into his side, as he had done before. But he stopped himself. He needed his help.
"We didn't run away." Marshmallow shook his head. "We face a challenge we cannot handle alone. We need your help, King Balor the Immortal."
"Help us, King Balor, please!" the Goat Horse added.
"What?!" King Balor the Immortal sprang to his feet. Flames erupted around him as he did, showing the fury that had risen with him. "You? Mortal fools like you come to me for help? The great Balor? Take it easy, you maggots. The fact that you defeated me certainly does not mean that I will become your puppet."
As expected, King Balor the Immortal was not easily persuaded. His eyes were bloodshot; he hated them, and not just a little. After all, to a king like him, a defeat was still a defeat. A disgrace to his own honor. If he could have avoided helping them, he would have.
Marshmallow stepped forward. One way or another, Balor would help them.
"We faced several trials after going through the Ultima Gate, including a group of Novgovians. Do you know anything about that? So we and Raven were not the only ones who defeated you."
King Balor calmed down inadvertently. "Well... yes. They actually defeated me, but there were many, many of them!" The Titan replied piquantly. "I counted almost a hundred of them, and among them was one who raised the dead and one who teleported all his companions with gaps."
Then Marshmallow gave a sneer. He stretched for a second, and then a dimensional portal emerged from his left hand, and a miasma of death from his right. At this sight, King Balor's eyes widened as if he had seen a ghost.
"Y-You." Balor's finger trembled as he pointed at Marshmallow. "You have the same powers as those two... how did you get them?"
"Secrets of the trade," Marshmallow replied dryly as he withdrew the powers. Meanwhile, the Goat Horse watched the scene petrified. Marshmallow had stunned an immortal being like Balor as if nothing had happened.
"Now listen to me." Marshmallow continued. "I did not come back here to escape. I came back here because I cannot face the enemy before me alone. If I could use my light, I might have hope, but in this dark place, my Lumokinesis has no effect, it is swallowed by darkness. You are the keeper of the eternal flames. I don't need you to fight, you can stay on the sidelines if you want."
"What? You damned worm, how dare you talk to me like that? Stay away..."
Marshmallow frowned, and his icy gaze petrified Balor. He had dared to interrupt Marshmallow, and now he felt her weight crushing him like a breadstick. Balor was forced to shut up and let Marshmallow continue.
"I was saying..." Marshmallow continued, keeping his composure. "The only thing I need is for you to come with me beyond the Ultimate Door and vanquish the darkness with a blaze of eternal flames, so I can use Lumokinesis again."
"Huh? Is that all?"
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