While fleeing from the awakening venue with Silvia in his arms, Liam couldn't shake off the memory of his brief encounter and exchange with Cyril, or rather, the lack thereof. He couldn't help but sense that something had happened to Cyril's psyche. Being closer to Cyril earlier, Liam was able to catch fragments of what he was muttering.
'Devour... them all?'
Liam pondered on those words as his leg muscles tightened, propelling him toward the infirmary they had visited earlier to seek treatment for Cyril's injury. Despite his deep concern for Cyril's state of mind, Liam couldn't dwell on it too much. He needed to focus on carrying Silvia to safety and getting her immediate medical attention, as her life was at stake.
...
Back at the Awakening Venue.
Cyril continued to eliminate the minions of the chaotic monster legion, while the dignified old man engaged in a fierce life-and-death battle with the giant Chaotic Monster Leader.
However, the old man's appearance was no longer dignified, and his usual aloof demeanor was nowhere to be seen. Exhaustion began to take its toll as he breathed heavily, his hair disheveled as if struck by a bolt of destructive lightning. Even his once-spotless white cloak now bore claw marks and was stained with his blood.
Standing at a safe distance away from the Chaotic Monster Leader, he took a few seconds to catch his breath, observing the shocking scene unfolding behind him with a hint of disbelief etched on his worn-out face. The seemingly weak and hopeless boy, whom he had looked down upon for having immense talent but lacking the ability to utilize it, was now single-handedly massacring the Chaotic Wolves.
The sight before him was unfathomable, even when witnessed firsthand.
As an overseer of the awakening ceremony, the dignified old man was well aware of the effects of each awakened talent during the ceremony. As such, he was certain that Cyril possessed a growth-type talent with strict conditions. Therefore, he was astounded to witness the boy, whom he had underestimated and disdained, display an ability that was not described on the scroll-like projection.
This discovery left him puzzled because, according to the awakening orb, the boy had only one talent, which involved the consumption and storage of energy in his body. However, from what he could discern, the boy seemed capable of absorbing the corpses of the chaotic monsters he had slain, rather than merely consuming them as sustenance.
'This was not mere consumption, but absorption!' He concluded inwardly.
Not only that, but he noticed that the boy seemed to grow more robust as he fought, implying that he could instantly enhance his physical abilities by absorbing the corpses of the chaotic monsters, without the need for long-term storage.
"Absorption and instant improvement of physical strength...?"
The old man muttered these words, trembling on the spot as he realized the terrifying potential of Cyril's talent.
"And this is only the first grade? What kind of monstrous talent will it become in the ninth grade and beyond?"
Filled with incredulous shock upon this sudden realization, the battered old man became lost in his thoughts, momentarily distracted from the battlefield.
Meanwhile, the giant Chaotic Monster Leader seized the opportunity and silently crept up from behind the battered old man, resembling a shadow, before fiercely slashing its metallic claws at his back.
"Shit! I let my guard down!"
Realizing that he couldn't evade the incoming attack in time, the battered old man utilized his remaining elemental energy to create a barrier made out of earth elemental particles. He channeled elemental energy into the earth. Instantly, the ground behind him trembled, and a sturdy earth wall, constructed and reinforced by his elemental energy, materialized.
However, the attack landed a moment later, and the reinforced earth wall failed to withstand the powerful impact, crumbling within seconds. Knocked forward by the intense shockwave that followed, the old man was sent flying away. He retched, coughing up a mouthful of blood, which was carried into the air by the howling intense wind generated by the shockwave.
It was evident that the old man had been gravely injured due to his carelessness. After rolling a few times like a ragdoll from the deadly steeled reinforced claw attack of the giant Chaotic Monster Leader, he sprawled on the ground motionless.
At that moment, the giant Chaotic Monster turned its attention to Cyril, who had been ruthlessly slaughtering its minions for a while. Its expression bore a mixture of killing intent and fury, but it now held a more solemn demeanor. It could be assumed that the giant Chaotic Monster Leader had previously been toying with the old man, but it was no longer in a playful mood.
Observing its minions being killed and devoured by the diminutive human, the giant Chaotic Monster Leader decided it would no longer play around with its pesky and irritating opponent. As such, with one swift strike, it concluded the fight and redirected its focus toward the diminutive human in the distance.
At this juncture, the giant leader of the Steel Chaotic Wolves, who had intentionally revealed its full appearance as a towering, steel-clad Chaotic Wolf standing on two hinged legs, and Cyril, who had just dispatched the last Chaotic Wolf minion, found themselves face to face.
The giant, Steel Chaotic Wolf leader stared at Cyril with a solemn and fierce expression. In contrast, Cyril gazed ahead with a vacant expression while continuing his mutterings.
"Devour... I will devour them all... I must devour... Devour... For Silvia, I must kill and devour it! Devour— AAH!!"
Suddenly, Cyril, who had regained a fragment of consciousness, let out a frenzied roar and began to slowly sprint toward the giant Steel Chaotic Wolf leader, gradually picking up speed. Then, at some point, he forcefully stomped his foot on the ground, leaving a foot-sized indentation, and then he used the propulsion force to charge forward like a cannonball.
Offended by Cyril's confident charge in its direction, the giant, Steel Chaotic Wolf leader roared madly in anger, also stomping its feet and charging toward the arrogant, diminutive human who dared challenge its authority as the strongest entity.
AH—!
GROWL—!
As both combatants, human and beast, repeatedly stomped the ground, they left deep craters of footprints in their wake as they madly rushed toward each other with terrifying momentum, enough to cause the earth to tremble and dust to kick up turbulently all around them.
Cyril, despite being human, managed to match the bestial momentum of his opponent, the giant Steel Chaotic Wolf leader, without falling too far behind. To defeat such a gigantic and terrifying monster, one had to become a monster themselves. Otherwise, death would be inevitable, as that was the fate of the weak.
Without any interruption, the two figures— a giant and a dwarf— quickly clashed within seconds of their initial charge.
BOOM!!
The collision caused the earth to tremble, and the clouds in the sky seemed to be infused with the surrounding dark energy, creating a suffusing effect. The powerful impact affected those nearby, as the air currents fluctuated due to the clash.