Chapter 278: Fighting a Late Immortal

Chapter 278: Fighting a Late Immortal

Jack and Shol prowled through a dense jungle.

Well, prowled was an understatement. They shuttled through at hundreds of miles per hour, dodging trees and animals as if everything else was moving in slow motion. A lion tried to jump out of the way, only for Jack to circle around it regardless.

I wonder how it feels to live on the same planet as your ancestors, Shol said. I see lions here. The leonines originate from them.

Its not that weird, Jack replied. We come from monkeys, and my Earth is full of themkind of. We just never give it a second thought.

Hmm. I guess.

Shol glanced at his wrist, where he wore a clock-like device whose surface resembled a scanner. A blinking dot was slowly but surely approaching the center. Were getting close, he said. On your guard. This could get messy.

You got it.

They fell silent, letting only the sound of splitting air accompany them. Thanks to their speed, even the animal roars sounded oddly. The terrain around them had transitioned from a forest to a thick jungle, making its navigation difficult and time-consuming.

Before long, the sounds of explosions came from up ahead.

Careful, Shol instructed telepathically. I think someone is after him.

What careful? We have to hurry! Jack responded, accelerating ahead and taking charge. Gritting his teeth, Shol followed.

The explosions kept growing stronger. Suddenly, a shockwave crashed down, flattening an entire area of the jungle around them while the ground shook heavily under their feet.

With the surrounding trees demolished, they had a clear view of the sky. Jack drew a sharp breath. Captain Dordok was there. His steel club was held high, emanating a formless, intimidating aura, and his once kind face was warped into an angry scowl.

He swiped once. The very air was pushed away from his club, creating a vacuum. A wide shockwave spread out, impacting the distant jungle and flattening another part of it.

Four cultivators stood against Dordok. One was a goateea goat personwielding a large, golden halberd. The second was a bearfolk with patches of gray on his fur and scars all over. The third was a human, surprisingly, wearing long black robes, and the fourth was an one-eyed ogre just like Dordok, wielding a greatsword that emanated an aura of brutality.

Jack inspected them all.

Goatee, Level 236

Bearfolk, Level 221

Human (Parniol), Level 240

Cyclops, Level 230

All of them were in the late D-Grade, and all shared the same title: Eighth Ring Conqueror. Each of these four individuals had once been a dominant Lord in Trial Planet.

Jack also inspected Dordok, whose level was finally visible.

Cyclops, Level 245

Faction: -

Title: Far Traveler

Traitor! Dordok roared, bringing his club down. The ensuing shockwave cracked the air as it traveled, but oddly, it was off the mark. It simply passed by the opposing cultivators, ruffling their robes before digging a deep crater into the earth.

You are out of your mind, the other cyclops replied calmly, hefting his greatsword. Only an idiot fights for a lost cause.

A powerful idiot. ORAAA! He swung down again, also missing.

Whats wrong with him? Jack asked, narrowing his eyes.

Shol pointed at the human man wearing black robes. Its that guy. I can sense hes up to something. Humans in the Animal Kingdom are generally Mental or Will cultivators.

We should help.

Absolutely. Lets go.

Due to the distance, the other cultivators hadnt noticed them yet. That was about to change. Jack and Shol pushed powerfully off the ground, shooting up like missilesone left a purple trail, the other an orange one. The moment they rose above the treeline, eight eyesthree pairs from the enemy cultivators and two eyes from Dordok and the other ogre put togetherfell on them.

Whos there!? the human shouted, turning an open palm towards them. Suddenly, Jacks world turned dark. He was trapped in an endless night where his eyes were useless, and even his Dao perception was baffled by bodiless impressions. He was lost and alone. State your identity! the human roared again, the sound clear despite Jacks blindness.

Jack leaned back to avoid a swipe, then ducked below another to unleash a straight punch into the bearfolks torso. The impact was enough to shatter mountains. The bearfolk grimaced but took the hit, then matched it with her own. A set of sharp claws raked down Jacks arm, drawing thick red lines, but contrary to her expectations, he did not even try to dodge. He didnt need to; his Neutron Star Body could protect him.

Instead of dodging, he leaned into a hard uppercut, rocking her head back before following his own momentum to rise above her and slam a second punch into her face. The bearfolk, still dazed, could not respond. She reached the ground in an instant and was nailed into it. Jack immediately shot a Meteor Punch after her, unwilling to hold back, detonating the earth around her in a wide radius. The jungle around that spot was already ruined, but rocks and dirt flew everywhere, and a tall cloud of dust rose for miles.

Not seeing a level up notification, he shot another Meteor Punch. Again, apocalypse came on Earth, and the System finally acknowledged his efforts.

Congratulations! You have reached Level 180.

Congratulations! You have reached Level 181.

The higher level opponents he fought, the faster he leveled up. As counter-intuitive as that seemed, Jack was very thankful, as even finding late immortals to kill was a tough task. Maybe the System calculated that scarcity into the level reward.

He looked around. Dordok was standing alone in the sky over a smoking crater a hundred feet deep. Impressive, given that he was captured by three mid D-Gradesthen again, he had been heavily injured when fighting them.

Shol was still wrapped in battle, but not for long; as Jack watched, the light of day slowly extinguished the darkness, and Shols palm strike penetrated the night. The wizard created a black shield to defend himself, barely weakening the impact enough to survive.

As he was sent flying back, he leaned into the momentum and tried to escape, shooting away at a speed far faster than Jack could accomplish.

Unfortunately, no matter how fast he was, teleportation was always faster. Shol appeared over his head and brought his heel down on it, releasing a very audible crack. The wizard was dead before he even hit the ground.

Well done, Shol said, eyeing the four craters in the ruined jungle. Now lets hurry the hell up.

Not just meall immortals are environmental hazards, Jack thought, inspecting the very same craters. Each battle destroyed a large section of the terrain. His heart ached when he thought of the many innocent creatures dragged into the aftermath of his strikes, but it was something hed already accepted. As sad as it was, there was just nothing he could do about it.

Well, he could fight in higher altitudes, but that wasnt easy if no one else cared about the casualties.

Dordok, I need you to stay very still, Shol said, approaching the cyclops, who eyed him warily.

Why?

The Wardens mark is still inside you. I can burn it out, but youll need to bear with me.

Dordok glanced between Jack and Shol. His one eye hid a thousand questions, but despite his surprise, he made the right call.

Okay, he said, sticking out his chest. Shol reached him and placed a palm over the cyclopss heart.

Do not resist.

Instantly, blazing light erupted where the two made contact. Dordoks eye widened, but he gritted his teeth and did not scream. Smoke wafted upward, and the stench of burning flesh filled the air. Jack watched calmly.

Half a minute later, Shol pulled back his hand, revealing a patch of coal-like flesh underneath. The sight was so revolting that Jack wanted to puke.

Done, he said.

What did you do? Dordok asked, panting and grunting. It felt like you seared my very soul.

Close. The mark was attached to the outer walls of your soul, so I had to burn that entire section. The physical heat was only a small part of it. He threw Dordok an acknowledging gaze. You endured it well.

Naturally. Did you expect me to scream like a little girl?

I expected you to scream like a cyclops.

Can we get the hell out of here? Jack intervened. The Warden must have felt that. Every deacon in Hell could be on their way over.

Right, Shol said. Vegna is already in position. Jack, take out the bromobile and lets go. We cannot stay on this planet any longer.

The what? Dordok asked.

Jack reached inside his robes. Before he could finish the motion, a heavy aura blanketed him. His hand went rigid. His Dao grew weak. A leonine suddenly stood before them, only a mile away, and his eyes shone like suns, and his body exuded an aura of majesty that Jack could only barely resist.

Leonine, Level 249

Faction: Animal Kingdom (B-Grade)

Title: Grade Defier

Shit, Shol said.

Facing all three of them, the leonine smiled confidently. Got you.