“The angle is just right.”
“The field of vision is very wide.”
“Even with an attack, there’s room to dodge.”
Will was contemplating a “safe” way to end the battle, to avoid the most unexpected outcomes. As an “adventurer” who had lived here for eighteen years, as an “adventurer” who had studied how to conquer various dungeon monsters since birth, and as the first and only student of Liya, the witch whose ultimate research goal was flame magic—
He knew with certainty…
The best method was to make it and anything it produced vanish in an instant! To incinerate this bug, four to five meters tall and over ten meters long, on this land of endless yellow sand. To hone his entire magic circuit to its extreme, with the greatest firepower, highest power output, and bid farewell to all unknown, unpredictable, and unfathomable monsters!
—Speaking of which, this sounded like something Liya would say.
With that thought, Will injected a tube of Blood Mint Essential Oil into his arm.
“Urgh… Although I was mentally prepared, injecting it directly… is still a little… stimulating.”
The moment the Blood Mint Essential Oil touched his body, which was infused with the witch’s blood, his magic circuits became agitated as if playing rock music. Will could even feel his temples throbbing with a rhythmic beat.
“But, it’s still not enough…”
He took advantage of this moment to inject the second tube into his arm, with a time difference of less than five minutes. He gasped, feeling the intense and stimulating surge of blood, his heartbeat quickening, and the sound of the wind and sand in his ears was drowned out by this thumping from his very blood.
“I need… just… one more hit!”
Then, he injected another tube into his arm. Compared to the first tube, which went from zero to its effect, and the second, which doubled the effect, the third tube was less stimulating. Yet, Will still felt the surging stimulation from this third tube of Blood Mint Essential Oil. The blood flowing through his veins felt like a torrent of a raging flood, churning up the mud and sand from the riverbed, expending everything within his blood vessels.
And, what he could feel… was a power like Liya’s passionate kiss.
He slowly straightened his body and raised the staff in his hand, aiming it at the giant bug’s body. An unprecedented brilliant light gathered on his staff. He noticed that the “Death Eater Bug” seemed to sense that something was wrong and didn’t attack him but instead moved away. It was afraid, it was terrified, it cowered. As if it possessed an insectoid’s innate premonition of “power,” it curled up its plump body, covered in corpses.
“Heh, I never thought I’d see my enemy act like this one day.”
Will chuckled, feeling that the staff’s charge had reached its peak. The swirling storm kicked up nearby sand and dust into the sky.
“Thank you. Teacher Liya.”
“It’s because of you that I felt for the first time… your love for me, and how passionate it is.”
He raised his head and glanced at the light emanating from the staff in his hand. In the center of the black and white staff, a light shone, illuminating the desert before the sun had risen, leaving him with only the brilliance of sunlight in his vision.
“And it’s because of you that I have the chance to shine like this!”
“Extreme Flame Meteor · 1000% Power Form.”
He hadn’t obtained any more “ancient magic” related to fire. But this move, Extreme Flame Meteor, was by no means its initial version. It was the culmination of his several years of “research,” years of research with Teacher Liya, and the ultimate “Extreme Flame Meteor” enhanced by three tubes of Blood Mint Essential Oil!!!
Boom—
Amidst the deafening explosion, although it was still early morning and the rising sun had yet to show its face, the explosion of this Extreme Flame Meteor, at the edge of the desert, lit up half the blue sky.
“Hoo… Witch… Witch’s blood is indeed… indeed incredible. If it were my past self, I would have fainted by now.”
Will merely caught his breath, his posture still perfectly straight. He looked towards the direction of the explosion. The bug that had coiled itself up was gone from the desert, leaving behind “dust” slowly drifting in the sky; even its corpse had been pulverized, not even burning.
“However, I can’t be careless. Something wasn’t right just now…”
If the “Death Eater Bug” before him wasn’t just an “elite” from a certain layer, but a BOSS appearing on a BOSS level… undoubtedly, it possessed a “second form.”
“This is also why I wanted to prepare for it. If… it turned to ash, could its second form still appear?” From the perspective of “game mechanics,” it was clearly two health bars, each independent! But in “reality,” if it vanished completely, it wouldn’t reappear, unless…
“Its final action was very suspicious. Insect… pupa… butterfly… Wait!”
Will’s left hand glided over his left eye. In that instant, his sight in his left eye turned into various “vivid” colors, as if enhancing his vision. Simultaneously, he could see, emerging from the smoke and dust, an undeniable… deep crimson. This color was “killing intent” and “caution”—Will had figured this out during this period.
“As expected, I guessed right. It’s just that this bug doesn’t seem like it’s here to counter me, unless its second phase…”
As the last of the smoke gradually dissipated, the “early morning” of this desert finally ended. At the end of the desert, the sun finally began to rise, slowly illuminating the land. And in that light, Will could see, amidst the sand gilded by the sun, a solitary “pupa” standing erect. Its tip was deeply embedded in the ground, its exterior scorched black, and scattered around were the ashes of complete incineration. The “threads” entwining it, though scorched, were still discernible… They were “corpse fragments” and “bones,” corpse fragments with solidified black blood, forming a large pupa compressed to the size of a person, standing there, enveloping something unknown. It was truly disgusting. And truly “from beginning to end.” Since its birth, this “Death Eater Bug” had been intimately connected with death, corpses, and blood scabs. Someone lacking in adventurous research might think, “Dust Bone Corridor” has “Bone,” so there would be corpses; it’s normal. But Will was not… The more it revealed this side, the more Will became certain that this thing came from “another dungeon.” Because damp, cold, and dying things were more descriptive of “the disgusting nature of death” rather than “dust-covered remains.”
—It moved.
As he pondered these thoughts while advancing, it trembled, like all pupae about to “hatch,” and emitted the tremor of “life.”
“As expected, if it’s an ‘insect larva,’ such a thing is very likely to happen…”
He was still thinking about how to destroy the pupa when, as if answering his question, an opening split open from the side facing Will. Before he could even prepare to retreat to a safe distance… it broke free. The first thing he saw were its wings, pieced together from “bloody skeletons.” As if adapting to its new life, it spread its wings wide, like the outstretched hands of the grim reaper. And its body—
Before Will could analyze it, it leaped into the air, kicking up sand from the ground. “Five meters, ten meters, twenty meters—!” Will’s glasses proved useful, sensing the magic traces on it. He watched from the ground as it flew higher and higher.
“Damn it, it knows I can’t fly!”
It had shrunk considerably compared to the giant bug before, now only a meter tall. If Will hadn’t misread it, it was holding a sword in its hand… a sword crafted from a human “spine,” a design that concentrated the most potent elements and was highly characteristic of its nature.
“It’s a… flying… melee fighter?” Creatures that fly in the desert inherently have an advantage. Will raised his head, his eyes fixed on it as it circled and spun in the dazzling sunlight. First, the excessively bright sky interfered with upward vision. Second—
It dived down, its sword aimed at Will. The moment it landed, it braked, stirring up a gust of sand. The dust kicked up during landing also interfered with ground judgment!
*Clang.*
Will had already drawn his sword, blocking the first strike. He could hear the crisp sound of metal clashing against bone. It was also the first time Will had seen the full appearance of this large butterfly. It was extremely ugly; its body was a patchwork of various mismatched, slightly decomposed limbs stitched together. If it weren’t for the ongoing fight, Will might have vomited on the spot. It flew away again.
“I can’t continue like this.”
Will held his sword. His sword wasn’t any “custom” equipment; it was likely just a slightly more expensive sword for an “heir.” And before this, due to his physical condition, he had never considered “melee combat.” Just by hearing the sound of the first contact, Will knew that his sword’s durability could not withstand the impact against the opponent’s spine sword. It would likely shatter with the next collision, putting Will at a disadvantage in melee. Regrettably, though he realized this problem, he didn’t have time to commission a suitable sword. If only his staff weren’t iron-made, he might have had a chance to resist a little longer. If the first phase hadn’t required such full-power firepower to resolve, he might have been able to shoot it down. After an explosion that used all his strength, he was unwilling to expend his remaining, potentially battle-ending magic on a flying object whose trajectory was difficult to predict.
So… he was forced to engage in close combat with this death butterfly. And that too, “land” versus “air” melee.
“Hoo…”
He took a deep breath and closed his left eye. Speaking of melee, he had to rely on the “demon’s” power. This contract wasn’t “complete,” which was why Treya couldn’t pinpoint his location. However, this incomplete contract with the demon still granted him extraordinary strength. The strength to “lend” his body to the demon for its use.
If it was for survival, to see you again, to save you, then it would be acceptable to lend this life to the demon, even now.
—Perhaps these were words Treya, who always had to face the heavy fate of the royal family, would say, making every sentence sound particularly somber.
Open your eyes! The moment he opened his eyes, Will saw the entire world “slow down,” entering a strange black and white filter. He could feel the “demon’s” power that Treya had once bestowed upon him, not only the ability to directly alter bodily functions but also the power of “phantasmagorical dreams.” It allowed him to recall that long dream once again, that strange but unfinished wedding, the purest and only desire of the Empress of the “Zero Demon City.”
When his vision was focused on a single target, his concentration became exceptionally sharp, and he also found that the target’s speed was decreasing. The death butterfly’s wing beats in the air also slowed down, and he could see the trails left by its wings. As long as its wings were destroyed, this flying creature would be forced to the ground to fight him to the death!
At this moment, he was no longer the weak youngest child of the Hysterm Family, someone who had never succeeded through his own body and swordsmanship. As the fiancé of Treya, who had witnessed all the disputes of the Entak Royal Family, who had witnessed the birth of the Entak Sword Style, and who had proudly grown from a naive innocent to an empress capable of stepping over everyone to ascend the throne—he believed that this sword, imbued with Treya’s proposal oath, would surely be able to sever the enemy’s wings at the last moment.
“Buzz—”
The death butterfly didn’t give Will much time to rest. In the next second, it flapped its bone-like wings and dived down from the air again! Seeing through its every move, Will extended his sword forward. The death butterfly, believing it had gained the upper hand, didn’t slow down at all and swung its sword down! But…
Then, Will shifted his foot, stepping aside. In his brief, demon-granted vision, the death butterfly’s speed and trajectory were incredibly “slow,” so slow that he could predict it walking into his trap. He hadn’t even extended his sword. The death butterfly saw an “illusion” in the air, a false shadow—so it missed its attack and fell into Will’s trap. This was Will’s first time using “demon” abilities on an enemy. He had thought it wouldn’t work on dungeon monsters, as they might not have consciousness and thus wouldn’t experience hallucinations. But, it worked. With Will’s step back, one of its wings was exposed to Will’s sword.
“Thank you, Treya.”
“It’s because of you that I understand your love has a power beyond my control.”
At this distance, he slashed down with his sword. Along with the sound of the sword shattering, half of its bone-constructed wing turned to dust.
“And it’s also because of you that I can utilize this dream and reality.”
The death butterfly let out no sound of pain, which Will found a little regrettable. It used the strength of its other wing—though it could no longer fly—to jump half a step back.
“Now it’s time for the final phase.”
Will took a deep breath. Without his sword to block close-range attacks, he gently touched the collar around his neck, feeling the Ice Array magic stored within by Iaar.
