novelraw Chapter 123
Chapter 123
Chapter 123
It was a monster as massive as a mountain.
Its entire body was coated in a tar-like liquid, glistening without pause.
With rotting masses of flesh wrapped around its waist like a skirt, and a long, stretched neck ending in a vile beastly face twisted into a fearless sneer, its countless fangs spoke savagery more eloquently than words, bared as if ready to bite at any moment.
The blasphemous monster that emerged from Central kept roaring as it spewed black liquid.
Like a call to primal memory, it reminded humanity—who had grown cozy and thrived within the material universe—of fear born from essence itself.
The deepest scars etched into his genes ached, and even Mister needed extra resolve to remain brave before it.
Yet, he drew his axe and stood his ground.
What gave him strength was his gratitude toward people.
The resolve to repay the favor of being allowed to live despite being a good-for-nothing—with his whole life—shone brighter than the ancient wounds in his genetic code.
Mister never wavered.
No matter what hopeless terror stood before him, he would always remain brave.
"'Big Bang Lv8'"
A derivative evolution skill from 'Big Punch.'
Its damage efficiency per MP Cost dropped, but in exchange, it delivered devastating power in a single strike.
The Knight of the God-Eater (Systeri Noteria) also entered an attack stance at nearly the same moment, bundling its swaying tentacles into a human-like arm, forming a fist, and without even winding up, drove it straight forward.
Mister's Big Bang and the black tentacle fist collided.
The impact scattered the tar-like liquid everywhere.
The clash of fists was so intense it flattened the surroundings with a shockwave.
Air was blasted outward from the center of the two, the ground peeled away, and a circular swath of destruction expanded.
"Kh!"
Mister looked at his own arm, spurting blood.
In terms of raw Power, the Knight of the God-Eater (Systeri Noteria) seemed to have the edge.
The mythic beast let its tattered garments cry out even louder, gripped the skeletal frame of its wet wings, and forcibly tore it off.
The filth-smeared object it held now resembled a black spear.
With fluid motion, it attempted to impale Mister.
Mister swung his axe with all his strength, countering with Big Slash.
"Chi!"
The Calamity Beast dove in.
Its sturdy bird leg knocked the Knight of the God-Eater (Systeri Noteria)'s black spear flying.
The massive spear, like a telephone pole, spun through the air.
The sheer weight of the spear drove it deep into the ground.
The Knight of the God-Eater (Systeri Noteria) shifted its gaze from Mister and focused its attention on the flying bean pastry.
"Chi-chi-chi!"
The Calamity Beast zipped away with flight so fast it left behind a sound unbefitting its plump body, flipped midair, and launched its next attack.
"O-o-ooh"
Black tentacles lashed out with a snap.
Though fired lightly, they possessed terrifying strength, easily catching the Calamity Beast and snapping its wings.
A monstrous, fearsome strike. The Calamity Beast was terrified.
"Chi, chi! (Translation: It hurts, chi! I can't move, chi! My wings are heavy, chi!)"
Further stained by filthy tar, its plumage weighed it down, and the Calamity Beast could no longer fly.
A spinning axe hurtled in.
Cast by the skill 'Big Boomerang Lv8', the ATK 5 million-equivalent attack severed the tentacles restraining the Calamity Beast.
"Voh, oh!"
A black arm from the tentacle creature crashed down on Mister, who had thrown the axe.
The sneak attack was a fatal blow.
Mister was slammed into the outer wall of Central and coughed up a clot of blood.
"With that kind of form, its combat instincts are terrifying... doesn't even seem like a beast..."
Mister's bitter remark hit the mark.
The Knight of the God-Eater (Systeri Noteria) was, in ancient times, an unparalleled great hero who wielded a giant spear.
As a human, he slew monsters and built a mountain of corpses.
For his devout faith and divine feats, and for his work in destroying divine foes, he was granted permission at his end to devour the remains of a god, and to join the bloodline's lowest seat.
Even after losing his humanity, his human form, and rotting away in stagnation and filth, the heat of old battles, the roars and tragedies of war, and countless memories were still etched into the soul of the great hero.
The ancient hero demonstrated his might, as if instructing the modern one.
"But I can't fall here...!"
Mister somehow rose from the wall of Central and clenched his fist.
His remaining HP was minimal. He'd likely only be able to stay standing for another five seconds.
Even so, to not betray his vow, he continued to fight to the end.
"Big... Punch."
He pulled back his arm and unleashed a punch.
His final attack in this life struck the Knight of the God-Eater (Systeri Noteria).
The giant body floated slightly. But that was the limit.
The damage was dealt, but compared to its HP, it was negligible.
In the next moment, the monster drew its giant spear and prepared to hurl it at Mister.
The Calamity Beast, trapped and immobilized by the tar-like liquid, jolted with realization.
Quickly using 'Blasphemous Regeneration' to heal herself, she shrunk to 1/1 real Shimaenaga size to escape the tar clinging to her body.
Then she expanded to 1/1 road roller size and, with a furious God Bird Attack, body-slammed the Knight of the God-Eater (Systeri Noteria). The massive body was pushed back, and the spear aimed at Mister was thrown off course—or so it seemed.
The Knight of the God-Eater (Systeri Noteria) didn't budge even after taking the Calamity Beast's maximum-power tackle.
As a result, the giant spear blasted the area where Mister had stood.
"Chi, chi...!"
The Calamity Beast's face turned pale.
Before the Knight of the God-Eater (Systeri Noteria), she was fatally shaken.
The seasoned great monster deactivated four of its six human arms.
The released tentacles reformed into one massive arm.
Immediately after reconstruction, the giant arm slammed down on the Calamity Beast.
The earth rose, and an overwhelming wave of destruction surged.
The force rivaled a meteor strike, instantly collapsing the ground across a 100-meter radius.
A massive crater formed, and dust filled the air.
Even Mister was blown far away by the aftershock.
Once everything settled, the Calamity Beast was deeply embedded in the blast site.
"Chi, chi... (Translation: T-this is bad, chi... v-very, p-painful, chi... I want to go home, chi...)"
Tears welled up in the Calamity Beast's eyes.
The giant arm came down again, mercilessly.
The great hero would not stop attacking.
Perhaps because divine wrath had been stirred.
The repeated, relentless fists of judgment crushed the Calamity Beast beyond recognition.
She endured by regenerating herself about seven times, but even her MP was not infinite.
The final blow was unleashed.
The Calamity Beast braced herself for death once more.
It's said that in the moment before death, people see their life flash before their eyes.
The function, said to arise from the instinct to survive by drawing on prior memories, was working within the Calamity Beast.
She remembered when she got lots of experience points.
She remembered when she embezzled some.
She remembered being happy surrounded by experience points.
Leveling up with other people's experience points was the best, chi.
Countless memories flowed with tears in her round black eyes.
Thank you, chi. It really was a good bird life, chi.
As she steeled herself, a flicker of light sparked in the corner of her fragmented perception.
It was coming from the giant tower.
The inside of the gate was glowing.
It was as if the sun had peeked over the horizon.
It was a massive explosion.
The giant tower burst from within.
Debris scattered like a natural disaster, raining down.
A rampaging light that seemed to signal the end of a star, the beginning of a new one—ending everything and starting anew from zero.
The falling debris poured down mercilessly even where the explorers stood, yet not a single piece harmed a soul.
Everyone's eyes were drawn to it.
Even though a piece of the tower big enough to crush them had fallen right beside them, they couldn't look away from the destruction that felt almost divine.
The Knight of the God-Eater, Systeri Noteria, also stopped moving.
The monster had known.
That a colossal enemy was coming.
With the star at his back, he walked forward.
Outlined by the light, the Finger Man approached step by step.
"Fooound you——"
He murmured with a gentle smile.