Banished from the herd, I was actually a member of a very rare species. ~With the unique skills that only I can use, I can grow and evolve quickly. I will become an unrivaled monster~ - Episode 102: One to Many

Episode 102: One to Many

“(Is this some kind of analysis magic… how troublesome.)”

A strange sensation of |Mana| crawled down my spine. It seemed to be coming from that man of the Demon Cult. Was he staying back there to continue his analysis or to observe how the magic beasts were fighting? Or maybe he was even giving commands from a distance. 

…But I don’t have the luxury to worry about him right now. I need to focus on the Sovereign Beasts.

“Gruoooaaah!”

The first to make a move was the third Sovereign Beast that appeared—a deep green dragon. With two powerful legs, it kicked off the ground and leaped into the air. From the tip of its horns to the end of its tail, it was like something straight out of a picture book. Unlike the slender, Eastern dragon style of the left arm of the divine machine, this one looked like a classic Western dragon, complete with wings—a true reptilian beast.

(Note: I’m too lazy to insert images right now. In short, eastern ones are like the one in dragon ball and western ones are like those stories that has a princess trapped in a castle, and a knight trying to rescue her) 

“(Now that I think about it, this is the first time I’ve ever seen a dragon.)”

As I casually thought that, the Dragon flapped its two wings, grabbing hold of the air and propelling its massive body toward me. In the blink of an eye, it closed the distance between us. Its gigantic claws were raised, looking like they could slice a truck in half with a single swipe.

“([Cross Counter], [Compact Slash]!)”

I barely dodged the claws by a hair’s breadth and slashed at it with my halberd as I passed by. But I felt a hard, rigid resistance. Even with the |Toughness| penetration, the Dragon’s scales were absurdly hard.

“Hiiiyoooaaaah…!”

Behind the Dragon stood the first Sovereign Beast that had been summoned—a skeletal monstrosity. From the head to the neck, shoulders, and chest, it resembled a human skeleton. It was familiar enough to be unsettling but not terrifying, like something you’d see in pictures or paintings. 

But the real problem lay in the rest of its body. From the shoulders and down below the ribcage, countless decaying arms were entangled and fused together. It was incredibly grotesque. The arms were unusually long, branching off into multiple tendrils. I had seen long arms before with Fisu’s [Physical Extend], but seeing so many writhing at once was truly disturbing.

The Skeleton was getting closer. It had three legs, with one of the arm clusters stretched out like a camera tripod. They moved with a bizarre, rapid, slapping motion.

“(I’ve got eight legs, though!)”

My competitive spirit flared up. I had entered its range. The Skeleton used its numerous arms and their reach, coupled with quick footwork, to try and grab me.

“(If it’s trying this hard to touch me, there’s definitely something behind it!)”

Earlier, when one of its arms had knocked me down, I felt a strange sensation—an unknown weakness, and some of my cells even started necrotizing. My |Life| points had decreased slightly too. There had been no pain, so it probably wasn’t some form of |Toughness| penetration.

I didn’t know exactly what it was. But for now, it was best to stay cautious.

“(Not that any of those sluggish attacks are gonna land on me!)”

I have eight legs, after all. I won’t lose in footwork. With the boost from [Multi-Sword Style], I could swing four weapons quickly and efficiently. And for any attacks I couldn’t deflect, I could rely on the forest chains to cover for me. As a result, I slashed through every arm before they could even touch me.

Though the arms kept regenerating after being severed, it seemed to resemble my own [Storage] ability. It was likely replenishing from a stock of |Life| points. If I kept wearing it down like this, eventually its regeneration would hit a limit.

But right now, what I should be focusing on is…

“(Where did that third one go?)”

The last Sovereign Beast had disappeared. In the moment I had been distracted by the Dragon’s charge and my counterattack, the third one had vanished from sight. From past experience, I suspected it might have camouflage or invisibility abilities. So I stayed on guard, ready to respond to an attack from any direction.

“(I’ve also got to keep an eye on that dragon. This is getting tricky.)”

I maneuvered in such a way that the Skeleton was between me and the Dragon, trying to prevent them from teaming up against me. It was refreshing in a way to fight while being so conscious of my surroundings.

“(Wha… what is this!?)”

In the midst of my struggle with the Skeleton, I suddenly found myself frozen. It was less than a second, but I felt as if I had been hit by a paralysis spell or something, unable to move.

“(Damn it! [Thunder Strike]!)”

To buy some time and create space for evasion, I used my [Unique Skill] to repel the approaching arms.

In that brief moment, I readied my weapon again, aiming to slice through the arms. But just before I could, I leapt to the side.

“(From below, huh?)”

“Kekekekeke!”

Suddenly, the shadow beneath my feet swelled upward. Emerging from it was the third Sovereign Beast, a black shadowy figure. As soon as it appeared, it threw an uppercut at me. I narrowly dodged by jumping away, but the air behind me twisted violently.

──BOOOOOMMMM!

“(Whoa!?)”

At the same time as the explosion, I was blasted by an immense shockwave. The Shadow Beast hadn’t done anything special—just clenched its fist and swung. Yet, it unleashed an attack so powerful that the sheer sound of it was enough to reveal its destructive force.

“(Haha, that’s insane. Its |Power| must be off the charts!)”

It might be like my own [Powerful Throw], where there are restrictions or drawbacks to such a powerful attack [Skill]. Either way, it’s probably best to avoid taking any direct hits from that thing.

“(No, actually, that’s true for all of them.)”

As I distanced myself from the skeleton, the Dragon dove at me from the sky. Its rows of massive fangs came rushing toward me.

“([Instant Shift]!)”

I flattened myself to the ground, avoiding a bite that looked like it could crush me into pieces in one go. My Slime-like physique and [Mollusc Body] traits allowed me to turn my body flat like a puddle and slip away. After that, I used [Jump] to put some distance between us.

The Dragon landed with a heavy thud, and now the three Sovereign Beasts stood in a line before me. For a moment, we paused, glaring at each other.

“(When they line up like this, it makes understanding their [Dominions] a lot easier.)”

All three of them had activated their [Dominions]. The Skeleton’s [Dominion] was the graveyard at the center, and tombstones were sprouting up all over the area. It had the widest range. Next to it, the Dragon’s [Dominion] was one of fire. The entire ground was engulfed in flames. It reminded me of the first time I saw a [Dominion]—that one was fire too, which made me feel a bit nostalgic.

The Shadow Beast’s [Dominion], on the other hand, was exactly what you’d expect: darkness. The surroundings grew dim, like twilight. Without my [Clairvoyance], it would’ve been hard to even track the Shadow Beast’s movements.

“(Hmm, nothing too dangerous here.)”

The graveyard is a nuisance, but with my |Power|, I could crush the tombstones without going all out. The Dragon’s fire isn’t as hot as the lava from the Red Lizard I fought before, and the Shadow Beast’s darkness can be negated with [Clairvoyance].

There were probably some secondary effects from the terrain changes, but the proficiency of their [Dominions] didn’t seem to surpass the “Earth Splitter”. They couldn’t harm me while I was under the protection of my [Factory].

“([Conduction])”

I reapplied the enhancement buffs that were about to expire and once again glared down the Sovereign Beasts.

“(They probably still have hidden abilities, but I’ve roughly figured out the direction of their powers.)”

The Skeleton drains |Life| by touch. 

The Dragon might have claws, fangs, or maybe even all of its attacks can ignore |Toughness|. The Shadow Beast has an extraordinary attack power. 

I haven’t uncovered all their secrets yet, but knowing what would be dangerous gives me enough to counter them.

“(Alright, alright, now let’s figure out how to pin them down and—wait, what?)”

Just as I was brimming with fighting spirit, something caught my eye. It was between the three Sovereign Beasts and even farther back—on the mountain where the man from the Demon Cult stood. It was hard to see clearly from over 100 meters away, but it looked like Fisu. With her axe in hand, she was attacking the man.