"Hah!"
Each strike had to be filled with as much force as he could manage to match the toughness of the skin he was trying to damage. The towering monster of a frog in front of him had him wondering who he was, where he was, and what he was doing. Clay couldn't help but curse in his mind for the predicament he had gotten himself into.
Agamemkeru was not your typical General of the army, he was a Grand General under the direct supervision of the emperors and empresses of the Demon Empire for years and even millennia. His level and overall strength wasn't something that can be underestimated or look down on.
"For a puny human, you sure are stronger than most! That's right, suffer more before I am satisfied!"
And Agamemkeru was instead of fearing for his life, enjoying the battle with this little human. From the start, Clay had never ended any lives since arriving in Alleucanth. His level stayed the same. Only his skill levels ranked up. And so, a level 1, of incredible bloodline, couldn't possibly top a general that had lived for thousands of years already. That was simply bullocks.
"Ah, shit! I've even fully utilized my transformation abilities and multiplied my already enhanced strength by ten times more, and yet I can only tickle this frog's skin?! How durable is he?!"
This was the first time that Clay saw the limitation of even the god's blessings called [Status] although it could show quantifications of certain attributes, it couldn't display attributes that exceeded 999 points. This was true for Agamemkeru. Divine Sight couldn't display value above 999 as well and this encounter made it obvious and apparent to Clay that his suspicions were spot on.
He'd seen Agamemkeru's status earlier and assumed that he was a fellow at the same level of attribute strength as him. He was utterly and fatally wrong! When he was in the perceived Super Saiyan form of his Perfectly Mutated Saiyan Bloodline, the same bloodline of the highly popular Dragon Ball Super series' Broly, one that Clay was a fan of, apart from all the comics and anime, and manga he consumes daily on Earth previously, his overall attributes shot up an was displayed as 999 across the board with his Status Blessing even at MAX level. That was simply the limit of this world's abilities in terms of quantification of ability and attributes. Clay suspected.
"I should run. Even if I can't damage him, it should be fair that he can't be that fast right? I can travel at literally faster than light right now and have been fighting him at the level that can't be said to be slow-paced, and yet, he was able to keep up with me, no, not even keep up, he was just toying with me. Shit, I'm in real trouble."
His heartbeat that hasn't shown any kind of nervousness for the past days facing fellow human beings in the kingdom of humans and their human-controlled continent, was now beating almost to a bursting degree within his chest cavity. There was nervousness and the fear of death. Yes, in fact, Clay no matter the kind of role play he was trying to do, was just an ordinary human of marriageable age who lived in peaceful times, hyped up by the fighting and the action sequences in film, anime, cartoons, comics and such choreographed movements and maneuvers. That changed deep down when he was intercepted by that immensely powerful being called Imhoteph, who subjected him to infinite tortures before he was released. He understood that it was for his good, but his pain and resentment bordered hatred already and the amount of control he had mentally was infinitely close to zero. His peaceful personality nurtured in a peaceful world, was easily driven to a small corner to make way for almost barbaric belligerence in a bid to release some of his frustrations, even to the point of pointing his fingers on gods.
However, even Clay had yet to realize this. He still thought that he had retained his peace-loving personality, because he stays rational and not easily swayed by emotions, on the surface. In fact, he could only act like that in front of the weak. His was the attitude of fearing the strong and bullying the weak.
Now, fear was present in himself. He was afraid that he'd die and not be successful in escaping. He miscalculated and now, he had to pay for it, dearly.
Seeing as he was only attacking with such reserved strength, Agamemkeru with his immense experience as a general in battle, had two suspicions. One, that this puny human was conserving his strength to launch himself in full force to escape, and two, his sudden transformation only lasts for a few seconds before expiring.
"Are you trying to escape now, puny human? Are you perhaps thinking that I should be slow in moving since I am gigantic, do you want to try?"
With a provocative expression shown on that frog-face, Agamemkeru looked at Clay like he was looking at a clown. A clown that truly entertained him. Moreso than his pet Salamander that's already stopped wailing after its regenerative healing factor set in. It grew its lefg that was blasted to mist earlier.
At his provocation, Clay flinched and expressly showed Agamemkeru that his first suspicion was spot-on!
"Would you look at that. He was really thinking of running away after attacking my pet and walking in front of me confidently."
Agamemkeru further spoke. This only added insult to injury on Clay's now pale face. Having his next move read out loud like this put him in an embarrassing situation. Although there were no fellow humans here, to be laughed at by demons, was no comfort. Sinking deeper into a hole of self-deprecation that he had already started digging since deciding to escape, Clay became silent. He was in despair.
"What did I do wrong? Where did I go wrong? What am I doing here? Why am I risking life and limb for something so trivial, so egotistical as 'getting the girl' like this is a game? When did I get such lofty and arrogant thoughts? Who am I?"
Having an identity crisis in the middle of a fight was tantamount to death. It cripples your mental strength, and even your physical body. It shows in such an obvious manner that enemies would see openings everywhere on you. Agamemkeru was not just an ordinary general, he was a Grand General above all in the Demon Empire, his rank and position wasn't achieved merely by inheriting it through lineage. Seeing numerous obvious openings on Clay, he knew that this dish was thoroughly cooked already, ready for savoring. Without further dilly-dallying, Agamemkeru raised his front frog-leg and smashed it towards Clay who was defenseless. Even the blinking of an eye couldn't reach the same speed as the downward movement of this attack. It slowly raised, his arm, and it disappeared only to reappear on the ground along the earth-shaking rumble and explosion issued by the earth and a scream that fully encapsulates the term, devastated. Clay was in such a sorry state. His body was pinned to the ground, his bones shattered to a billion pieces. His organs, in a mush. His lower body was unresponsive or just that he couldn't feel it anymore. In a word, devastated.
"Such a puny human, you're just level 1 and you wanted to face someone like I, whose level exceeds 500, alone? Never have I seen such foolishness even in my younger years. Judging from your incredible strength beyond your level, you must be that rumored Hero that's recently just been summoned? Strong, but mentally naïve and reckless, maybe arrogant. Yeah, arrogant is more fitting. Why not go to whatever afterlife you humans have and contemplate further before reincarnating?"
Without further ado, without caring whether Clay understood his words or not through the listless eyes, Agamemkeru charged a blast with his mouth and shot Clay's head with it. The result was an obvious annihilation of his upper body. Scorched blood stopped flowing from his broken body.
"Such a young hero, he would have been a threat had I not killed him. Without his support, the human intruders should be ousted without much hassle. I'll go report to the empress then. Men! Clean up in here and go back to the Capital, our work here is done."
"Hah!" all the demons that came with Agamemkeru responded in unison.
They didn't even give Clay's body a second look. They simply sweeped the battlefield once and left his carcass to be food for the critters in here. A few hours after being left alone, that same body that was perceived to be dead, suddenly squirmed and started a process of regeneration. As if a source of infinite life energy was being produced by his remains, Clay's body reformed and within a short period of time his incomplete body was back to its normal state, his base state, not his transformed self.
With black hair, and black eyes, his looks were unique in this world. Slowly, his eyes opened and within that split second, he gasped for air and tears, saliva, and snot were ejected from his face's orifices. And his face that was rosy turned pale for a second before returning.
"Cough, cough, cough, cough!"
A few minutes later, some light returned to his eyes, and he naturally felt that his power had doubled somewhat. He, of course, knew the reason for it.
"Zenkai Boost, huh…?"
Clay still looked towards nothingness. He had a thousand thoughts to process, and he kept processing them. Feelings that should naturally be there surfaced. When half a day had passed with him just sitting there unmoving, Clay finally stood up and a desperate expression appeared on his face, almost crying. He was indeed traumatized by this event. If not for the fact that he had a life-saving means, he would have forever lost his chance to live a life of adventure that he so longed for.
"I want to have the strength to face all adversities in this world with ease, to do that, I need to match up to the level of that frog monster, Agamemkeru! A level exceeding 500, is quite frankly insane. I need to return quick. Hopefully, the men hidden in the Demon Empire can last while hiding for a while."
Clay felt responsible for their lives, but as he was now, he was zero percent confident he could escort them out of demon territory alive. So, he chose to return home and merely task those people like Sunshine who were the best at hiding their presences to deliver the message. Without further ado, Clay disappeared from the spot.
Imperial Capital, Throst. Imperial Palace.
A man that wore the skin of a reptilian stood before the empress, Jacqueline, the Frozen Throne.
"Reporting to your majesty."
"Grand General Agamemkeru, you've returned so early?"
The man was indeed, Agamemkeru. He was once a frog that was lucky enough to consume a mosquito that had also luckily chanced upon blood that contained the bloodline of an extraordinary being. After digestion and integration, he became a demon, the first of his kind and obtained a unique bloodline which propelled him to become a Grand General in the Demon Empire. At his level, things like transformation and morphing into a humanoid shape was like breathing. He only transforms into his true form when he needs to intimidate and make the world cower in fear before him. His most notable skills were that of the [Breath of Nihility] the one which he shot at Clay, [Unique Bloodline Skill – Demonization], and the last being his [Tough Hide]. After millennia of mastering and leveling them up, they were already close to perfection at the MAX level. And so, his destructive power was apparent.
"I have, your majesty. I bear good news. I was fortunate to have encountered the hero that has recently been summoned. He was stronger than most, but compared to our foundation, he was nothing. He was beaten and, in the end, his life was ended by these hands of mine. The threat that is the hero is no longer present."
Hearing his report, Frozen Throne—Jacqueline's face turned furious instead of the expected proud and praising one he was expecting.
"Did you just say that you killed the hero and ended his threat?! Have you gone mad, you stupid oaf?! You killed that fledgling hero that couldn't even fart loudly in front of us because you considered him a threat? How could he even be a threat in such a short amount of time, huh? How?!"
"Y-Your majesty, I have sinned! Please punish me! However, why is your majesty so concerned for this hero?"
"You oaf, Agamemkeru! What even is our 10-year-plan's ultimate goal?"
"To destabilize the central continent that the humans have in control so we can slowly eat away at their territory…?"
"That's right! Now, the chance that we have painstakingly worked on for years, has been killed by you! The very presence of the hero ensures us the protection of all other races if we dare to fight with the humans in the open! Without the hero, because you killed him with your stupidity, we don't have justification, at all! What a total waste!"
"This…!"
"Argh! Stupid! Make yourself scarce Grand General or I may decide to send you to the afterlife and get that human hero back. Shit! Our plans are ruined! What did I even order you to do?"
Jacqueline didn't even bother to filter her words because she already ordered Agamemkeru to go away. Lest she may as well send him to his death because of ruining her plans. Albeit, unintentionally, it was still a lost of more than the frontline legion they scattered that the humans killed in just a few days' time.
"This is such a headache!"
Agamemkeru who was ordered to go away left with his heart feeling aggrieved, but it was indeed true that he had ruined the plans of the empress. He was indeed just ordered to sweep the villages, and cities towards Mount Moribor, the border between the human continent and the Demon Empire.
"I have made a huge mistake."
He admitted. He could still hear the empress' words filled with pure rage as he left. Agamemkeru bowed his head once more towards the throne, before leaving. Resolving himself to try and find a way to salvage the situation.