Otome Game Mob Villain

Chapter 558

"You sure have a sharp tongue. Well then, let me show you my new power."

A wave of demonic energy surged, and Gabriel transformed into a six-tailed silver fox.

However, unlike Rafa's silver fox, a dark, swirling aura of malevolent energy surrounded him.

Considering that his beast form was a four-tailed black fox when we faced off earlier, it's clear that he absorbed the mercenaries as a source of magical energy to enhance his power.

As I suspected, the ominous feeling I got from that emerald  gem wasn't wrong.

"Not yet. This isn't all I've got."

With a defiant smirk, another wave of demonic energy erupted around him.

I deployed a magical barrier in front of me, watching intently as the dark energy began to envelop Gabriel's six tails.

The six tails transformed into what looked like serpent heads, their crimson-black eyes glowing as they opened their mouths wide, glaring at me.

The sheer grotesqueness and eerie aura made me want to avoid touching them at all costs.

No, I knew better—I couldn't let  it touch me. A chill ran down my spine, and goosebumps rose on my skin.

"Seems like you've realized how terrifying this is. You look like a frog staring down a snake."

Gabriel chuckled with a sense of superiority, his throat rumbling, but I just shrugged and smirked back.

"Oh, you didn't know? Big frogs eat snakes. Or are you just a coward who only picks on smaller frogs?"

"...What?! I'll make sure you never open that mouth again."

Veins bulging on his forehead, Gabriel leaped toward me, using his dark energy to summon a broad-bladed buster sword that had been lying nearby.

"Disappear without a trace."

With the greatsword slung over his shoulder, Gabriel brought it down with all his might, using the momentum of his jump.

I flipped backward, creating distance to dodge the slash.

I could have blocked it with a magical barrier, but I wasn't sure how the six serpent heads that his tails had transformed into would move.

"You won't escape. Attack!"

Gabriel roared, and the six serpent heads let out a hissing roar before lunging at me one after another, their mouths wide open.

As expected, those serpent heads weren't just for show. However, their movements were monotonous, relying on their long, massive bodies to try and bite me.

Their serpentine attacks were a bit annoying, but compared to Curtis's "Demon Cloth Technique," they were nothing special.

"You really think you can catch me with attacks like this?"

I dodged while muttering under my breath, then activated "Fire Spear: Second Form, Six Spears" with my left hand, firing them at the six serpent heads.

However, the serpent heads narrowed their eyes, stopped moving, and opened their mouths wide to swallow the fire spears.

"What...?!"

I blinked in disbelief at what had just happened.

The serpent heads wore expressions of bliss, as if they had just enjoyed a feast, and let out a loud belch before flicking their forked tongues in and out rapidly.

It was almost as if they were saying, "Give us more."

They were kind of cute, in a way.

No, maybe not.

"Fool, fool, fool, fool! You'll become my nourishment, just like that magic!"

Gabriel let out a triumphant laugh and ordered the serpent heads to resume their attack.

I kept my expression neutral, but inwardly, I smirked. "Just as I thought."

Since the dark energy had absorbed my attack, I had considered the possibility that the serpent heads could do the same.

The reason I was surprised when they swallowed the fire spears was because my assumption had been correct.

Moreover, his words, "You'll become my nourishment," were also crucial information.

It confirmed my hypothesis that he had absorbed the mercenaries as a source of magical energy.

As I continued to dodge the serpent heads' relentless attacks and retreated, I noticed their movements slowing down slightly.

Then, Gabriel, who had been standing imposingly, furrowed his brows slightly and began to move toward me.

I see. So this is the effective range of the serpent heads.

The reason I had been retreating and dodging was to gauge the range and movements of the serpent heads.

Now, armed with this information, it was time to counterattack. I used earth attribute magic to create a large boulder from the ground and then wove sturdy vines using tree attribute magic, quickly encasing the boulder.

"What the hell are you trying to do?"

"Isn't it obvious? It's my turn to attack."

I gripped the vines, now with the boulder attached at the end, and activated body enhancement and flame magic.

I began swinging the boulder like a flail, spinning it rapidly.

"Your beloved serpent heads could absorb magic created from pure energy. But let's see how they handle an attack made from physical matter created with 'Material Manipulation Magic.'"

When I restrained Gabriel and the mercenaries earlier, the vines I used had been swallowed by the dark energy.

However, when Gabriel transformed into his current form after absorbing the mercenaries, fragments of those vines had fallen at his feet.

Tree and earth attribute magic are known as "Material Manipulation Magic," which allows the caster to manipulate and alter existing materials using magic.

If my assumption is correct, the dark energy can only absorb things created from pure magic or living beings as a source of energy.

Well, the range of living beings it can absorb is still unclear, but at the very least, this attack should be harder to absorb.

I reinforced the vines with magic to prevent them from breaking and hurled the boulder at one of the serpent heads, smashing it to pieces.

It seems my hypothesis was somewhat correct.

"How's that? Your attacks won't work anymore."

"Tch...?!"

Gabriel grimaced in frustration, but soon, dark energy spilled from his chest, and the destroyed serpent head regenerated.

"So what if you destroyed one? I can regenerate them as many times as I want."

"Is that so? Then let's see how far you can go."

Without wasting a moment, I swung the boulder with both hands, crushing two more serpent heads in one go.

Gabriel clicked his tongue, and the remaining four heads turned toward me.

I smirked and leaped back, and the serpent heads' movements immediately slowed.

Seizing the opportunity, I smashed the remaining four heads with the boulder, causing Gabriel's eyes to widen in shock.

"What... what's going on?!"

"Your power is nothing more than a temporary boost. You don't even understand your own strength."

The range of my boulder flail was over twenty meters.

On the other hand, the effective range of the serpent heads was about fifteen meters.

Once they went beyond that range, their movements became sluggish.

Gabriel must have sensed this on some level.

But this power he gained so suddenly was beyond his comprehension.

Not only was he unable to control it, but he was also being toyed with without even realizing it.

Taking advantage of the gap while the serpent heads regenerated, I swung the boulder down toward Gabriel's head. He blocked it with the broad blade of his greatsword.

The impact caused the ground beneath his feet to crack.

"See? That sword's more of a shield now, isn't it?"

I taunted him, but Gabriel was too preoccupied to respond.