Boom!
The being launched its attack, but not with physical force or magic. Instead, it targeted the captain's very soul. As a vastly superior entity, the being unleashed an overwhelming soul pressure, bearing down on the captain with crushing intensity.
!!
The captain could feel the weight of the being's presence, as if his very essence was being squeezed and threatened to be torn apart.
"Urkk!" The captain gasped in pain, stumbling out of posture. He felt as though he were being crushed from within, struggling to maintain his composure.
"Mother... Guide me," the captain prayed fervently. As he spoke, a radiant light enveloped him, easing the crushing pressure.
With the divine light aiding him, his breathing became more controlled, and he regained a measure of stability.
"Blessing..." The being observed the captain with a dismissive air, its eyes reflecting a sense of disdain, as if it were looking at a mere insect.
Clank!
The captain's armor shifted suddenly, covering his mouth and hiding most of his face. The only visible part of him now were his eyes peering out from behind the armor.
[Burned Flower: Ashes]
The captain unleashed a powerful technique, setting his sword ablaze with intense fire. The temperature soared above 1200°C, melting the cave floor and trapping the being's feet in the softening rock. Though the terrain was shifting and unstable, the captain was familiar with the heat and used it to his advantage.
The sudden heat causes the rock walls to crack and splinter, while organic materials and flammable objects ignite instantly, bursting into flames
The ground begins to melt, turning into molten, glassy pools, and trapped moisture violently evaporates into steam, causing small explosions.
Sand and minerals in the soil begin to vitrify, turning into molten glass as silica melts around 1200°C.
Toxic gases like carbon monoxide and sulfur dioxide are released from burning and melting materials, making the air unbreathable.
Slash!
The sword struck the being and burned it, but the body convulsed and regenerated almost instantly.
"Kaha...hahah!" The being laughed, walking calmly despite being engulfed in flames.
"Not... bad! Why don't you... become my disciple? I can give... you anything..."
Despite being engulfed in flames, the being offered a deal, its smiling teeth visible through the fire.
"Fuck off."
He attacked the being relentlessly, striking again and again.
Slash! Slash!
As the being regenerated, it was also turning to ashes at an alarming rate. The captain seized the moment and activated his technique once more.
[Burned Flower: Wilt]
When executed, this technique allows the sword to strike with precision at areas that disrupt the flow of regenerative energy within the opponent's body. Each cut or thrust releases a pulse of energy that interferes with cellular repair mechanisms, keeping wounds open and causing previously healed injuries to reopen.
The heat from the captain's sword intensified, cutting through the being with the precision of a laser slicing through tofu. The being had no chance to retaliate against the relentless assault.
Slash!
After delivering the final cut, the captain stepped back and released a puff of smoke from his armor's mouth cover.
Tsss...
Smoke began to seep out from the captain's armor.
But before the captain could react, the being stood up once again, seemingly unfazed by the brutal assault.
"Hm..." The being inspected its limbs, opening and closing its hand as if testing its strength.
The captain, though bewildered, wasn't entirely surprised. He had expected this kind of resilience from the creature.
!!
The being locked eyes with the captain, and in an instant, the captain's body froze. A barrage of blood vessels shot toward him.
Out of instinct, the captain activated his aura, quickly enveloping his body in a protective shield. He narrowly escaped death as a few blood vessels reached his helmet, corroding part of it before being repelled by the aura.
With the helmet partially corroded, the captain's eyes were more eexpose. The being could easily read the captain's emotions just by looking into his eyes.
"Mother... bless me," the captain muttered, cupping his fist and placing it against his chest. A radiant golden light enveloped him once more, filling him with renewed strength and protection.
The being stepped forward once more, and with that single step, the ground beneath them transformed into a horrifying mass of flesh and blood, pulsating.
Soon, the entire cave began to shift, its walls and ceiling turning into flesh, with blood dripping from the roof. The once solid ground was now a grotesque landscape, pulsing and oozing with life, as if the cave itself had become a living organism.
"Give... up, you'll meet your end soon," the being said, its voice dripping with cold certainty.
The ground transformed into flesh, with blood vessels creeping and spreading everywhere.
They reached the captain's armor, wrapping around it and threatening to penetrate his defenses.
The captain stepped back, struggling to maintain his balance on the slippery, fleshy ground.
Each movement was precarious as the grotesque surface made it difficult to keep his footing.
The captain released intense heat once more, setting the fleshy ground ablaze.
The air in the cave had already become unbreathable due to the exploded minerals, but the captain used his aura to stabilize his breathing. The burning flesh emitted a putrid stench, overwhelming to the human nose.
The captain retreated, carefully making his way back until he reached the hole he had created earlier.
The being took a single step, and the gap between them closed instantly.
In its mind, eliminating such a minor threat was trivial, which was why it had been toying with the captain from the start.
!!!
The being's hand nearly touched the captain, but as it came close, the armor on his left arm began to corrode instantly.
The captain leaped up, grabbing onto the edge of the hole he had created earlier. With swift precision, he used his grip on the wall to pull himself up, quickly climbing to escape the being below.
The being refused to let the captain escape easily, leaping after him with blood vessels and flesh reaching out, nearly grabbing him. In a desperate move, the captain threw his flaming sword toward the being. The blade struck and lodged itself into the being's body.
The being continued its pursuit, undeterred, but suddenly the sword lodged in its body exploded.
Boom!
The blast sent a shockwave through the air, temporarily halting the being's advance and buying the captain precious moments to climb further.
The captain was fully aware of the being's rapid regenerative abilities, so he activated his heat ability once more as he climbed.
This decision came with great risk—melting the walls of the hole could bury the being, but it would also make it harder for him to continue climbing.
Additionally, the heat could ignite the explosive minerals embedded in the rock, further complicating his escape.
Yet, he pushed forward, knowing he had little choice.
The heat around the captain intensified as he climbed rapidly, determined to escape. Small explosions erupted from the minerals in the rock, adding to the danger, but he pressed on, navigating the chaos as the walls of the hole began to melt around him.
A few minutes later, the captain pulled himself out of the hole, breathing heavily.
He paused, noticing the unsettling stillness—there was no movement from the being below. The silence was eerie, and it struck him as very strange.
The captain noticed the footprints scattered across the ground, suggesting that his subordinates had managed to leave without any issues.
Sigh...
This small sign of their safety offered him a brief moment of relief.
Suddenly, a blood vessel emerged from the ground, oozing a trickle of blood. The eerie sight was a stark reminder that the being's influence might not be entirely gone.
Boom!
The ground erupted violently, and a mass of blood vessels wriggled and writhed from the explosion.
The being returned.
Without hesitation, the captain charged at the being, launching a powerful punch with all his remaining strength.
Bang!
The captain was thrown backward by the blood vessels, his right arm snapping with a sickening crack. The armor on right arm was shattered, leaving him severely injured and vulnerable.
He quickly got to his feet and raised his guard, determined to keep fighting despite his injuries.
"Insignificant," the being said, looking at the captain with clear disdain.
The captain's heart pounded loudly in his chest as he struggled to control his emotions.
The overwhelming fear of death gripped him.
!?
The being, sensing danger, attempted to escape but found itself trapped within a holy formation.
The priests revealed themselves, emerging from a spell scroll crafted by an Archmage, which had kept them hidden from the being.
Sixteen priests encircled both the being and the captain, their presence forming a powerful barrier.
As the being struggled to escape, the captain laughed and removed her helmet, revealing long crimson hair cascading down her back.
It became clear that the captain had been female all along.
Despite the dire situation, the captain laughed, her demeanor unshaken. The barrier, which sealed off any escape or entry, meant both she and the being were destined to die here.
The being's mind, now unraveling, began to create illusions to deceive the priests outside.
"Hey, idiot! Do you want to escape?" the captain called out, offering the being a deal.
The being looked at the captain with a mix of curiosity and expectation, hoping for something substantial in the offer she was making.
"There's no escape, fucker! We're both going to die here!" the captain shouted, laughing so hard that tears streamed down her face.
Veins bulged on the being's face as its rage intensified. It wanted to rip the captain to shreds, and for the first time, the being displayed such a raw, furious expression.
"Oh? So you can make expressions, huh? I guess that will be your last!" the captain laughed again.
Her hand growing even hotter as she concentrated her aura.
In a burst of extreme rage, the being rushed at the captain.
Swoosh!
With a defiant smile, she pointed her hand at her own neck and said, "I'll be going first! Take your time here, idiot!"
"This is my faith!" As she slit her own throat, she died instantly, leaving the being in its fury.