Chapter 191 The Art And Act Of Copy [Part 2]

Chapter 191 The Art And Act Of Copy [Part 2]

The Corpse Eater launched itself at Northern, leading with its right clawed hand in a vicious swipe.

Northern's eyes narrowed as he studied the monster's form and movement.

Then, in one fluid motion, he mirrored the Eater's attack with his own right hand extended into a powerful folded fist instead of claws.

Their makeshift claws met with a clash, the force of the impacts causing tremors.

The Eater recoiled, surprise flashing in its burning red eyes. It paused for a moment, its stance wary and evaluating.

Northern grinned savagely, not breaking form.

"You'll have to be better than that."

Although his said that, crimson blood was slipping through his fingers. In the end, the fact that he didn't have a claw really bit back at him.

With a roar of anger, the Eater reared back and attempted to bring both clawed hands down onto Northern's head.

But he was already moving, twisting his body with unnatural dexterity to avoid the blow, his movements perfectly synchronizing with the Eater's.

As the monster's hands slammed into the floor, cracking it, Northern brought his own hands up in a copied strike aimed at its exposed flanks.

His fist fell upon the Eater's body, instead of raking blood with a slash, it was like a powerful sledgehammer had fallen on its form.

The Eater howled in pain and fury, rearing back.

Northern flowed back into a ready stance, his grin widening as more azure sparks danced in his eyes... madly.

Ellis watched in awe and horror, 'This is splendid, he is matching the monster's every move. And that things is undoubtedly a Abysmal danger level.'

His hands were tapping his jaw. For one, he had no idea how Northern could pull this off.

There was no other explanation, even though he didn't want to think about.

That seemed to be the answer in this case. '...that must be his talent... but what then explains dark terror...'

But then he really needed to consider things unconventional.

'...or does he have two talents?' Ellis immediately shook his head and gave a silent absurd laughter. 'That would mean he has two soul cores, that is practically impossible'

It has never happened, never have been recorded and Ellis didn't think it will ever happen.

Whatever would cause a human to have more than one soul core, one might as well refer to them as monsters.

Because only monsters have more than one soul core.

The fight was going on nonetheless...Northern increasingly taking on the feral, bestial mannerisms of the monster itself.

He stormed in while it reeled, unleashing a convulsion of crippling strikes from elbows, knees, and booted heels.

Bones audibly snapped and grated with each thunderous impact that cratered the Eater's once-formidable musculature.

The barrage culminated with a leaping knee that demolished its lower jaw, shattering the bone into splinters embedded in the shredded ruin of its throat.

It collapsed in a gurgling heap, thrashing weakly as its lifeblood poured out in pulsing jets.

Northern pinned one of its remaining limbs underfoot with disturbing tranquility, reaching down to grip the ragged remnants of its face in an iron grip.

Ellis cringed, half-expecting the man to simply crush its skull against the floor.

Certainly, none would have faulted him for such merciful savagery after the beast's vile attempt to consume him.

Yet Northern did something far more disturbing.

Cradling its shattered head gently, he leaned in until they were almost nose to...ragged nasal cavity.

His lips parted in a psychotic grin, baring teeth slick with its blood and spittle.

"I can taste your despair," he growled, voice guttural and hauntingly feral. "It's absolutely...exquisite."

The Eater shuddered, a pathetic whine rattling from the ruin of its throat.

Northern's laugh was a hair-raising cackle of pure, gleeful malice.

"So much hunger..." He inhaled deeply through flared nostrils, savoring the reek of charred flesh and voided bowels. "I can smell it all over you. The ravenous, gnawing emptiness that fuels your existence."

Dropping all pretense of mercy, he wrenched the Eater's head sideways with an obscene crunch of vertebrae.

It shuddered once, weakly, and fell horribly still.

Northern rose fluidly, ripper claws scoring deep furrows across his back and shoulders from the Eater's death throes.

Black ichor matted his hair and ran in thick rivulets down his chest, but he paid it no mind.

His gaze was distant, alight with something far beyond mere battle-mania.

Raising his hand, Northern smeared the congealing filth across his lips, tongue darting out to taste the foul corruption.

His eyes rolled back in his skull and his breath escaped in a throaty moan of pure, debauched ecstasy.

Ellis looked on in abject revulsion, all thoughts of talents and souls driven from his mind. Whatever Northern had become in that moment, it was far beyond human - or sane.

Ellis had witnessed true, unadulterated madness.

And in the back of his shattered psyche, a tiny voice asked if there were any differences between Northern and the Eater he'd just so savagely broken.