You obtained 01 status points.
Congratulations! The skill Bronze Skin has reached the max level.
You obtained 01 status points.
Congratulations! The skill Steel Skin has reached the max level.
You obtained 01 status points.
Congratulations! The skill Mentality Augmentation has reached the max level.
You obtained 01 status points.
Congratulations! The skill Enhanced Mentality has reached the max level.
You obtained 01 status points.
Congratulations! The skill Perseverance has reached the max level.
You obtained 01 status points.
Several hours passed after the start of the battle. It looked like Netro expected to see Leon crumbling apart just by using spells to fight on equal terms, but that never happened. Thanks to that, Leon's replica had enough time to master several skills. It wasn't nearly enough to defeat Netro, but at least that forced the creature to give up on fighting using his bare hands.
"It is finally time… I just hope that I won't regret this later."
Leon thought that while he was observing Netro, grabbing the spear on his back. Leon didn't even see what had happened… he had relaxed a little because Netro's spear was being pointed toward the ground. All that Leon felt was his body being split by something absurdly hot.
"What the…"
Before he could lose consciousness, Leon used Gravity and made his lower and upper body that had just been cut apart, stay connected. At the very same moment, he used Full-Recover, and the wound disappeared instantly. However, Leon still could sense the effects of having almost died. His body was cold… because his spirit had almost left his body.
Leon bit his lips and prepared to be attacked again, but he only saw Netro facing him as usual without expressing a single sentiment. It looks like that attack couldn't be used repeatedly. However, Leon was fully aware that his defensive spells couldn't protect him from that. Now that he thought about it, it was also weird that he reflects Armor could reflect a physical attack when Mana Armor never did… most likely, Netro didn't know that spell.
"Hey, Leon… you almost died there," Efreet said, visibly worried. "It is time to count on our help."
"For a change, Efreet is right," Celsius said. "Why are we just watching this battle? Aren't we supposed to help at times like these?"
"… I can't access or measure Netro's true power, so summoning any of you would be too risky," Leon replied. "Unlike before, in your evolved form, you guys can be seen and thus being damaged."
"We are spirits. We won't die that easily," Undine shrugged.
Leon was thankful for the fact that they were willing to help, but he already knew that the one hundred or so harvesters Ilyana had mentioned had the power to kill the greater fragments. Although Leon didn't know them for long, they were as important as his friends from Earth… he wouldn't take any chances when they were part of the equation as well.
Suddenly, Leon felt like his life was at risk again. He didn't see Netro doing anything, but it looked like whatever he did, it could be done after waiting after ten or so seconds. Using Teleport, Leon left that area immediately and appeared ten kilometers above the battlefield. However, he again felt his upper body being split from his lower body.
"Just what the hell is going on…"
Leon reattached his body and healed his wounds. However, that was only delaying the inevitable… Leon couldn't understand that technique, so he couldn't make a plan to counter. However, he did understand one thing… Netro couldn't control that attack perfectly. If he could, he would have split Leon's head instead of just his upper and lower body.
Regardless, he had to find a way to deal with that because Leon didn't want to keep dying so frequently. After a few moments, Leon understood another thing… Netro couldn't move at all when he intended to use that attack… or perhaps he could and was just baiting Leon.
"It can't be helped… any need to heighten my senses to understand attack better."
Congratulations! The skill Dragon Force has leveled up.
You obtained 01 status points.
Congratulations! The skill Dragon Force has leveled up.
You obtained 01 status points.
Congratulations! The skill Dragon Force has leveled up.
You obtained 01 status points.
…
Given that they wanted to help if the spirits didn't say anything, it was because they couldn't understand what was going on either. Even Sekundez was totally in silence. If even she never saw something like that, then Leon truly was in a bid.
Regardless, Leon didn't know if he could trust in something like that given that Netro could be holding back even on the use of that skill, but he still counted the time between the attacks. After fifteen seconds, he felt his life in danger again. This time, he teleported himself to outside that planet atmosphere… but he still got hit the very moment he appeared out there. Not even Mana Barrier, Reflect Armor, or Mana Armor could protect him from that… not even Mana Dominion could tell him what was going on.
"Shit…" Leon bit his lips after healing himself again.
Leon used Teleport and moved to different parts of that planet. However, every fifteen seconds, his upper and lower body would be severed no matter what happened. At some point, Leon became able to heal his wounds a fraction of a second after suffering it… but it was clear that he still was slowly dying.