54 – Fissure (6)
“…….”
I stared at the being in front of me, raising the tension in my entire body.
Speaking like an ordinary person.
However, that eerie voice, those tentacle-like things on the body, just don’t seem human at all.
‘What on earth…’
Who is that person, and what is happening here?
Even without deep thought, it’s easy to guess that there is some connection between that monster and the rift that appeared here.
But specifically what the relationship is, there was no way to find out.
“Hmm… You’ve taken care of one of his kind.”
The monster unexpectedly uttered those words.
“……”
In context, it wasn’t difficult to infer that ‘his kind’ referred to the monster I had dealt with a short while ago.
However, there was a catch.
Calling it ‘his kind,’ it almost sounded like the previous monster was following someone.
It’s hard to imagine that the abominable monster, which seemed devoid of reason, would follow someone. And even if that were true, who on earth is this ‘he’ that such a monster follows?
“You look young yet possess such skill. Impressive. Calling you a genius falls short.”
Clap, clap─
The monster applauded.
Not sarcastic, but genuinely admiring applause.
The monster was sincerely praising me.
And then.
“So, you’re a perfect match to test your strength against.”
“……!”
Before I could fully comprehend the words the monster had uttered.
I urgently dodged.
Thud!
And the spot where I had been standing a moment ago burst apart.
No, ‘burst apart’ might not be the right term.
More accurately.
‘Something… struck down.’
As if struck down by an invisible giant hammer, the ground I was standing on was crushed by the impact.
And as a result, a hole the size of a house appeared.
“Oh, dodged that one?”
With a hint of intrigue, the monster laughed again.
“Where, where can you dodge to next?”
Gradually, the monster gestured again.
Almost as if in response to that gesture.
My intuition sharply warned of the imminent threat.
Thud! Clang!
In sync with my movements, an unknown force pursued me.
Continuing to evade the attacks by moving my body.
Observing the movements of the monster persistently.
“Swift and agile! Impressive!”
Seemingly delighted by the situation, the monster burst into laughter.
Continuously observing the effects of that power, I reached a conclusion.
‘Something akin to… telekinesis.’
Strictly speaking, I had only witnessed a striking force so far, but if we were to categorize it, it would be close to such kind of power.
Not visible, undetectable unless activated, and formidable in its impact, it was undoubtedly a menacing force.
However.
‘It’s not flawless.’
The attacks were not relentless to the point where there was no room to strike back.
So.
There was room to maneuver.
Swish!
Drawing my sword and raising its blade, I approached the monster.
“Ah…!”
Seemingly caught off guard by the speed, the monster stumbled back in surprise.
The fact that it could perceive my speed and react by moving its body indicated remarkable senses and speed.
Yet.
The response itself didn’t seem familiar.
Both the reaction and movement seemed almost clumsy.
Facing the bewildered monster, I swung my sword as it was.
The blade, filled with determination, swayed, a sword that could even cut through iron.
However.
Clang!
The steel sword, designed to withstand even the toughest blows, smoothly parried mine.
With a dull sound, my sword was deflected by the monster’s flesh.
“…Huh?”
The monster let out a surprised sound as it looked at its arm that had just come into contact with my sword.
And shortly after.
“hahahahaha!”
It began to laugh as if the heavens themselves were amused.
“Well, that’s right! The divine flesh bestowed upon me by the great one can’t be cut by a mere insect’s blade!”
Seemingly finding the situation amusing, it continued to laugh.
“But impressive nonetheless. Even though it’s just a bit, you managed to wound this great body.”
Regaining composure, the monster spoke with an admiring tone.
As he said, my sword did manage to cause some harm to the monster.
It pierced the flesh and inflicted wounds.
But it was hard to call them wounds, they were more like tiny scratches.
‘Sturdy.’
Just like the tentacle wolf, the monster in front of me surpassed that creature’s toughness.
Although the tentacle wolf didn’t suffer significant damage from my sword, it still ended up with minor wounds.
However, this guy’s injuries were at a level where it was hard to call them serious, and even those were healing in real-time.
“But you’re quite cocky.”
Saying so, the monster moved.
Swish!
“Talking big, huh?”
“…!”
Fast.
To the point where I momentarily hesitated in reaction, the monster’s speed was impressive.
In the blink of an eye, it had already reached in front of me.
“Looks like I need to teach you a lesson.”
Muttering so, the monster thrust its fist.
I quickly twisted my body to evade the punch.
Bam!
The missed punch pierced through the air, causing a literal explosion of the atmosphere.
The moment I heard that sound, I could sense it.
If that had landed properly, it probably would have shattered bones.
The power unleashed by the monster, who had reached a state of determination and commitment, was formidable.
Executing such power with movements that seemed oblivious to any martial art skills.
It would signify that such power simply stemmed from that body.
“hahahahaha!”
Bam! Bam!
The monster swung its fists randomly.
Though it seemed random, the speed and force behind each blow were not.
Each strike seemed capable of toppling even a fortress wall.
“Your dodging skills are quite artistic!”
Even though his attacks repeatedly hit empty space, the monster showed no sign of concern.
As if intoxicated by his own strength, he just wielded his superhuman body.
“Then how about this!”
The simple flow changed as soon as telekinesis started to mix in.
As I dodged the monster’s fist, an intangible force targeted that very moment.
Thud!
I swiftly moved to evade, but—
“Where to!”
The fist came flying in the direction I dodged.
Still lacking in technique, much like a novice’s swing, but due to its power and speed, I barely managed to twist my body to dodge the punch.
And then—
Shwaaa—
The temperature in the surroundings suddenly dropped drastically.
To the point where my movements temporarily dulled.
“Feeling the crisis now?”
With a sneer, the monster laughed.
From that laugh, it seemed like laughter was another ability of the monster.
Whoosh!
And once again, the monster’s attack poured down.
Thud!
Continuing like this will only put me at a disadvantage.
Thinking so, I eventually moved my body with all my might to create distance from the monster.
“Indeed, a mere swordsman at the level of the Ten Blades isn’t just called a superhuman for nothing.”
Even though I missed the rare opportunity to gain the upper hand, the monster remained unfazed.
With that eerie face, he still complimented my skill with a smile.
“But… I’ve seen enough at this level.”
Saying so, he pointed upwards.
And there.
Thousands of ice spears, each seemingly larger than my sword’s blade, floated gracefully in the air.
“Now, surrender and end this.”
In a haughty tone, the monster declared.
Simultaneously, a heavy force pressed down on my body.
I quickly realized the nature of this force.
It was the psychic power that had targeted me just a while ago.
And I noticed.
Through this series of events, that the monster was adapting to a new power.
What I witnessed was only a ‘part’ of the power the monster possessed, still unadapted.
A formidable power.
Even the calamity-class and peer-class tentacle wolves were not at this level.
If we simply consider the magnitude of power, it would be right to say that it surpasses comparison.
Hence, my understanding faltered even more.
The identity of the ‘great being’ who seemed to have bestowed such power upon the monster.
The crack in the air, and the world beyond it, seemed to be related, but I could only speculate up to that point; anything beyond was beyond conjecture.
Regarding that, it was not even mentioned in the original work.
Anyway, I was lost in thought in a way that didn’t suit the situation.
“…Strange. Aren’t you afraid?”
The monster asked in a puzzled voice.
“Now you will die. I do intend to make your passing as painless as possible as a reward for testing your strength… But still, death is inevitable. Aren’t you afraid, even so?”
Aren’t you afraid?
To that question, I calmly replied.
“Not really.”
“…What?”
The monster’s expression twisted.
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Covered in tentacles, it was hard to recognize him completely, but his subtle squirming was enough to tell.
As I looked at that monster, my face, on the contrary, remained calm.
Certainly, at first, I was tense.
Because there was a bad intuition coming from the monster.
And that intuition, as if it were never false, the power the monster possessed was undoubtedly remarkable.
Just by its size, it was at a level that could easily overwhelm even a calamity-class demon, yet it hadn’t even unleashed its full power yet.
If the monster were to fully harness that power, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call it a calamity descending upon the world.
However.
Facing that opponent, there was no fear within me.
“Are you not afraid of this transcendent power, the power bestowed upon you by the great one?”
It was a gaze of incomprehension.
I simply nodded lightly.
“Hmm.”
“…It seems your mind has been consumed by fear.”
The monster shook its head slightly.
“I pity you, I will end you soon.”
Swish—
The monster raised its arm.
Even amidst that series of actions, my expression remained consistently composed.
Fear hadn’t consumed me, of course.
I was perfectly composed.
I simply wasn’t truly afraid.
The monster, that power.
Undoubtedly, the monster’s power was formidable.
A power that everyone in the world covets, a power that could move the world as desired if used skillfully.
However, that’s all it was.
Simply put, the magnitude of the power it possessed.
“Consider it an honor to die by my hand.”
Swish—
As the monster’s arm swung down, I wielded my sword.
“I don’t know what your intentions are, but no matter how you resist, you won’t be able to escape—”
Seeing me like that, the monster seemed about to say something but didn’t finish.
The next moment, I surged forward towards the monster.
“…! How?!”
How did I break free from the telekinesis.
Roughly meaning that.
It’s simple.
I just cut through it.
Using determination.
The physical force of the monster’s telekinesis is formidable.
However, while neutralizing that power entirely may be difficult, creating a gap in its structure is not so hard.
“…Whatever has happened, it’s useless.”
The monster, who had briefly widened his eyes, regained his smile.
“You can never defeat me with that sword of yours.”
It was clear where his confidence came from.
He had just confirmed with his eyes and body that I had only managed to scratch him with my sword earlier.
“Stop your pathetic resistance and just die now.”
The monster gestured.
Thousands of ice spears floating in the sky rushed towards me.
The tentacles growing from the monster’s body thrashed towards me.
Telekinetic forces pressed me from all sides.
I sensed them not with my eyes but with my instincts.
Swinging the sword filled with all my power, I struck forward.
And then…
“…Huh?”
Everything shattered.
The ice spears, telekinetic forces, tentacles, and even the monster.