Chapter 224: Beast

Chapter 224: Beast

The Skystrider Beast uses a shockwave roar again, but this time I burrow the feet of the armor into the ground, and the attack mostly disperse on the mana surrounding me.

Like a strong wind, the shockwave tears off chunks of my mana, but I ignore it all. As I take a step toward the monster, I continue to radiate more of it, repairing the damage done.

The sword in my mana hands resonates and clashes against the monster's skin. Unlike the ranged attacks, the sword is surrounded with [Resonance], so it doesn't disperse, and I finally draw more blood, making the monster roar. A swing of its fists sends me flying, the armor crumpling. The Skystrider Beast is still three times as tall as me, vicious and quick, and while I'm restoring the damage, it uses a shockwave and pushes me even further.

And then another one.

One more after that.

Each attack is stronger than the previous, craters forming around me, pieces of stone as big as cars flying to the sides. The air itself vibrates and roars under the force of the monster's skill.

Bigger and bigger chunks of my armor get pulled away from me like a building getting torn apart by strong winds.

So, I reach into my reservoir, and within my domain, mana moves quickly, filling the gaps, the armor becoming denser, and the sword even longer.

I take another step and the ground under me cracks. The mana has weight to it, either by itself or because of the combination of my skills.

As I run towards the monster, each of my steps breaks the surface under my feet, and with each passing second of the fight, my control over the armor improves.

I dodge the shockwave. I duck under the swing of the monster's fist. While doing so, I lose balance and use my hand to push myself back up, taking a hit from another fist but swinging my sword and dealing more damage.

[Mana Domain] expands, and mana from the Reservoir flows into the air, filling it with a pale blue shimmer. In the air, I form projectiles that fly toward the beast's eyes, trying to blind it. A hand forms there as well, expanding and growing until it's as big as the monster's, but when it hits, it disperses, unable to endure the monster's disruptive field on its skin.

Unlike my armor around my body, my ranged attacks do not have [Resonance] fighting against its barrier.

I stop releasing mana and just focus it more on the armor. I use [Redistribution] and [Mana Infusion] to make it stronger and slimmer, and then I charge the beast again.

My movement is awkward, yet so much better than before. It's getting easier to keep balance, and I slash with the sword again, tearing the barrier on the monster's skin and burrowing the sword deep into its side.

The beast's fist hits the head of my armor, destroying it, but my body is lower, in the middle of the chest.

I duck under another swing and then again when the monster uses a shockwave to boost its body toward me.

A giant fist hits the ground, creating a crater, and it roars again. This time the shockwave hits me but slides on the armor that I move. The armor is more durable than before.

When the beast attacks again, I'm ready, already knowing what attack it will use.

I dodge to the side and swing the sword towards the fist, the blade humming audibly and for a moment shining brighter than before. It cuts through the monster's skin, flesh, and bone. Easily as if there is no resistance. The cut-off hand falls to the ground, it being as big as a car.

More mana radiates from me as I move again while the monster holds the stump.

Both the monster and I move quickly, but slower than I would be if I was smaller. The mass and weight of [Armament] not allowing me to move faster.

When I step close and am about to attack, the beast waves its hand at me. The moment blood makes contact with the mana surrounding me, it immediately disrupts it and consumes it like poison. It causes a burning sensation, and large sections of the armor begin to disappear. I disregard this, even as the blood reaches my real body.

A few scary minutes pass like that. My consciousness is kept only thanks to strengthening through the sword and flames that feed my passive. I watch as my hand shakes, and observing my body, I find out that I nearly depleted my body's mana. The Mana Reservoir also took a bit hit, with less than a third of its capacity remaining.

But as always, good things do not last.

The monsters start moving towards me from all sides, not scared anymore by the Skystrider Beast. There are dozens of them.

With a sigh, I pull the sword from the corpse and dodge to the side as a leech breaks the ground. I send a sharp pulse of mana through my body, strengthening it shortly at the top of the sword, and slash.

[You have defeated Mana Leech - lvl 170]

I move away from the corpse and my body staggers a bit as I feel weak in the legs. That makes an attack hit me, and I absorb only a bit of kinetic energy before I'm sent rolling on the ground.

Sensing another mana signature underground, I use the collected kinetic energy and send my body to the side, rolling even further before I stop.

When I get on my feet, I can barely stand, my body shaking and screaming in pain, and each use of mana sends sharp pain through my head.

Dozens of monsters start hungrily eating the giant corpse, disgusting noises sounding as they tear the skin and flesh from the body. Their devouring movements twitch the body, making it seem as if it's moving.

For a moment, I feel a hint of a weird emotion.

What a scary opponent the beast was, how far it pushed me. Yet now its lifeless body lies here, devoured by monsters that wouldn't even dare to come close to it while it was alive. And now they eat it, not even giving it enough time to cool down.

I feel the strengthening I'm getting from the sword weaken as the mana it was able to absorb starts to deplete and looking around, I detect a few dozen monsters moving toward me from all sides.

Breathe in.

Breathe out.

[Focus]

More.

[Focus]

MORE!

[Focus]

My body stops shaking, all the emotions gone other than one. Sheer arrogance I show against all the odds.

How dare they try to attack me like hyenas, thinking I'm easy prey.

The pain is still here but pushed to the back of my mind, and I squeeze the sword I'm holding. My mana starts filling my body once again, as always, giving me all these powers and skills I got so used to.

My heart beats, and this time it's I who attacks first.