Kain's eyes widened as Ram stood once more, the glow of restored vitality radiating from his body.
"What... how?!" Kain bellowed, his voice tinged with disbelief and exhaustion. "Arrgh... Damn it...You're just a Tier 3! Why do you refuse to die?"
Kain's chest heaved as he struggled to catch his breath, his tattoos now completely dim. The once-mighty lizard totem had dissolved into faint wisps of energy, leaving him drained and bewildered.
In the center of the crater, Ram's battered figure stood tall amidst the debris. His bio-armor was in tatters, most of it broken or hanging loose from the relentless onslaught he had endured.
Deep cuts and bruises covered his body, and his breathing was ragged.
Yet, despite the huge amount of pain coursing through him, there was a faint smile on his lips as he glanced at the sky, mentally counting the minutes.
Four minutes. Just enough time for Mai and the others to get inside the city.
He swiped his hand, summoning a holographic panel before his eyes.
[ Name: Ram]
[ Health: 320/1000 (+23,531)]
[ Spiritual Power: 671/1000 (+34,482)]
"Hahaa..." Ram chuckled weakly but triumphantly as he stared at the numbers.
Even after enduring Kain's relentless barrage, he still had over 300 points of health and 600 points of spiritual power left, not to mention the extra tens of thousands in reserve.
Then, the change began. His body, fueled by the Life Spirit Body, initiated rapid regeneration as his health began to decrease below 320 points.
Before Kain's shocking gaze, Ram's broken bones fused, his torn muscles knitted back together, and his deep wounds sealed shut, same as before.
Even the shattered pieces of his bio-armor seemed to grow back, the fibers weaving themselves into an unbroken shell.
If not for the Life Spirit Body, Ram would have succumbed six times over by now. With thousands of points of life energy stored within him, death remained a distant threat.
But he wasn't done yet. A faint emerald glow surrounded him as he finally released his hold on his reserve life energy and spiritual power.
Within a blink of an eye, his stats surged back to full capacity, as good as before.
[ Name: Ram]
[ Health: 1000/1000 (+22,851)]
[ Spiritual Power: 1000/1000 (+34,153)]
Standing upright, Ram wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, a calm yet steely resolve in his eyes. The repaired armor shifted and solidified, covering his face once more.
His voice was cold, unwavering. "I told you... you should've been the one worried."
Kain let out a choked cry, blood spraying from his mouth as he struggled to rise. But Ram didn't stop yet.
In the blink of an eye, he was on Kain again, his next strike a devastating downward kick that cratered the ground beneath them.
The shockwave rippled outward, scattering debris and carving fissures into the earth. Ram's every movement radiated an aura of dominance, the translucent green flames intensifying with each strike.
"You asked if there was a limit to my regeneration," Ram growled, his voice cold and resolute. "But now you'll learn—there's no limit to how far I'll go to stop you."
Kain, now battered and barely holding himself upright, struggled to comprehend the overwhelming power before him.
He didn't understand how Ram could become so strong, if he was this strong why wait so long?
"Stop... wait...!" Kain stammered, fear flashing in his eyes as Ram loomed over him.
But Ram had no intention of showing mercy. His armor blazed brighter as he raised his fist, green flames coalescing into a searing point of concentrated energy.
"This is the end," Ram spoke, his tone leaving no room for argument. With a final, explosive strike, he brought his fist down, the ground beneath them erupting in a cataclysmic burst of green light.
When the dust settled, the battlefield lay in ruins. Kain lay unconscious, his body broken, with blood all over the ground.
Ram stood amidst the destruction, his bio-armor flickering as the [Energy Surge] reached its limit and disappeared with Groot, whose body filled with cracks appearing beside him.
The translucent flames faded, and the strain of maintaining such immense power finally caught up to him.
Ram staggered but remained standing, he swiftly collected Groot's body into his space and shifted his gaze toward the distant city walls.
"Four minutes," he muttered to himself, a faint smile on his lips. "Should be more than enough."
Turning back, Ram collected Kain's unconscious body into his space with a swift motion. His eyes flicked to his attribute panel, the flickering holographic display summarizing his current state.
[Name: Ram]
[Health: 271/1000 (+22,851)]
[Spiritual Power: 403/1000 (+34,153)]
Looking at the remaining health and spiritual power, Ram couldn't help but smile faintly. "Four minutes of relentless beating... and I still needed to burn through more life energy and spiritual power to end it in under ten seconds," he muttered.
The absurdity of his own resilience and power brought a rare sense of satisfaction, but he wasn't naive enough to revel in it for long.
His overwhelming display of strength had undoubtedly drawn attention. Powerful creatures and factions, like Shane and the Shadow Society operatives in the area, would have surely sensed the chaotic energy surging through the battlefield.
Which was also the reason why he didn't use such power from the beginning, but waited until now.
The aftermath of his [Bio-Life Core - Energy Surge], combined with the destruction wrought by their battle, was like a light beacon for anyone nearby with even a shred of spiritual awareness.
Ram glanced around, his eyes scanning, seeing that there was no one around, Ram activated his spatial ability. His figure flickered, and in an instant, he vanished.
Leaving behind the broken battlefield, with the empty sound of wind and eerily quiet, the only evidence of the battle was the shattered ground, and lingering traces of emerald flames fading into the air.