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 105: One to Many 3

Episode 105: One to Many 3

I closed the distance with the Sovereign Beasts, the forest chains clattering. On the way, I also changed the weapon configuration. I undid the imitation of the hydra weapons, which were found to be ineffective, and imitated the forest turtle halberd and the forest hammer set on either side. Additionally, I changed the poison whip to the red whip.

“Kikeke.”

Before I could enter striking range, the Shadow Beast on the right end moved. However, it wasn’t an attack; it was healing. Consuming a significant amount of |Mana|, it regenerated its severed leg. Is it a [Skill] similar to my [Body Repair]? Although the wound was healed, its |Mana| reserve was depleted, so let’s consider it a win.

“Guuoooh!”

Next, the Dragon on the left let out a roar. With a roar that shook down to its core, the Dragon’s scales began to change color, shifting from a heavy, deep green to a dawn-like golden hue.

“(So you’re going all out too, huh?)”

The sense of intimidation grew stronger. It must have used some kind of enhancement [Skill]. However, the fact that it hadn’t used it until now suggests there was a reason for holding back. Maybe there’s a time limit, a usage limit, an activation condition… or perhaps a cost. In any case, if it’s heavy, it means it’s powerful. I need to stay alert.

“(Well, the first one to take down is the Skeleton, though. [Charge Slash]!)”

I suddenly lunged, striking with both halberds simultaneously. The Skeleton standing in the center tried to block with its countless arms, but I cut through all of them. And the blades reached its bony shoulders.

“([Compact Swing]!)”

Immediately after, I thrust forward with the forest hammer. The Skeleton, which was about to counterattack despite its injuries, was knocked back about ten meters by the strike.

“([Parry]…!)”

Before the follow-up attack—defense with the halberd. As expected, the Shadow Beast didn’t move, but the Dragon on the left did attack. It struck with a flash of its claws, displaying the terrifying |Speed| it had shown many times before. I deflected it with the handle of the forest hammer, using the momentum of the claw attack to move toward the Skeleton.

“([Swing], one more time!)”

I rotated my body and struck with the forest hammer. Crushing its arms further, I sent it flying. Fragments of shattered ribs scattered in the air. I pursued it while keeping an eye on what was behind me. The Dragon, now turning back, charged forward. The Shadow Beast followed a beat later.

“(I can’t afford to be caught, [Thunder Strike], [Flee] activate!)”

I shot multiple bolts of lightning outward like a fence to slow them down, escaping to significantly increase my speed. I closed in before the Skeleton could regain its posture and swung the forest hammer down on its defenseless skull.

“([Charge Swing]!)”

“Korff…?!”

Half of the Skeleton’s head was crushed, and it collapsed violently.

“([Compact Slash]!)”

With the right halberd, I decapitated it, and with the left halberd, I severed an arm. The series of attacks layered with [Storm Strike] effortlessly sliced through the sturdy body of the Sovereign Beast.

―――Non-Notification Information Recording Zone―――――――――――――

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>> The Weapon Born from the Fire of War, Fuwa Katsu’s Soul Accumulation Level has increased to 237.

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With the <Level Up>, I felt my body lighten. To be sure, I severed one more arm, but it seems the head was indeed the weak point. It also seemed to have exhausted its stored |Life|, as the Skeleton stopped moving.

“(That’s one down…!)”

Immediately afterward, the Dragon caught up. I blocked the claw strike from behind with the forest chain, jumping to dissipate the impact. The Dragon immediately went for a follow-up attack. I turned to face it head-on.

“Grurrrrooo!”

“([Parry], [Block], [Parry]!)”

I deflected the sharp claw strike with the right halberd. Immediately, the other arm swung, and I countered with the left halberd. Claw strikes, bites, charges, claw strikes, claw strikes, tail sweeps. I kept deflecting the relentless barrage with the imitated weapons. The deflected claw struck the ground, creating a deep fissure with the accompanying tremor.

Such overwhelming strength. The |Power| boosted by the golden transformation would overpower normal weapon handling. 

“[Parry]!”

That’s why I kept using defensive [Weapon Skills] repeatedly. Normally, it’s tough to use them in quick succession, but I have [Brilliant Technique of the Storm]. I could fend off the Dragon’s fierce attacks without the slightest mistake.

“(—Ah, it’s about time.)”

After a while of this exchange, the Dragon coughed up bl00d just as I narrowly dodged a bite.

It wasn’t that I had launched an attack. Since the Dragon had transformed into its golden state, I had been focusing solely on defense.

“(It seems like the Poison has finally taken effect.)”

This was a setup I had prepared beforehand, before it turned golden. With how many times I landed hits with the hydra weapons, the effect would show even amidst the high-speed battle between Sovereign Beasts.

“(If it had been golden from the start, it might have been troublesome—)”

In the first place, there were traces of Poison already visible. One of them was the sluggishness in its movements. The Dragon’s agility didn’t change much before and after the golden transformation, which was strange in itself. If the golden transformation was not just a bluff [Skill], it should have provided some sort of enhancement. The fact that it wasn’t visible means that the enhancement was likely offset by the weakening effect of the Poison.

“(You were just one step too late in using it.)”

The Dragon’s |Speed| was the highest among the Sovereign Beasts. If it had transformed into its golden state before being affected by Poison, I would have had a tougher fight. However, it’s pointless to talk about “what ifs” in a life-and-death battle.

“Graah!”

“(I’m already used to that move.)”

It went for a high-speed bite, even while coughing up bl00d. I dodged it with a ring-like motion and immediately contracted around its neck. I wrapped around it, imitating numerous blades, and used [Tear Off]. The golden scales—hardened compared to when they were green—were bitten into. And with the assistance of [Strangle], I bit through its neck.

―――Non-Notification Information Recording Zone―――――――――――――

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>> The Weapon Born from the Fire of War, Fuwa Katsu’s Soul Accumulation Level has increased to 244.

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“(Second one down, now, [Aerial Jump]!)”

Immediately, I jumped to the side to avoid a shadow that rose from the ground. A blast erupted, and the Dragon’s corpse nearby was blown away several meters.

“(That’s some insane |Power| as always!)”

I marveled at the force of the shockwave turning into an area attack. Come to think of it, the pure offensive power that could potentially break through my |Toughness| hasn’t been an issue since I got caught up in a fight between Sovereign Beasts back when I was a Lesser Beast.

“Keh, kukekekeke!”

“(Whoa, hop, [Jump]!) Damn, it’s getting all riled up now that its allies are gone!”

A flurry of blows with super high |Power|. Even a mere graze could cause a considerable amount of cell necrosis. Its current aggressive stance was the complete opposite of its earlier passive attitude, but I could guess the reason. It probably had some command like “no friendly fire.” That’s why it couldn’t attack earlier to avoid involving its allies. Even when I was surrounded by the Dragon and the Shadow Beast earlier after knocking the Skeleton away, it didn’t show any signs of attacking.

“(Maybe I should’ve kept the Dragon alive in a near-death state as a shield… No, if I did that, the Shadow Beast would have kept its distance, and I might have gotten an unexpected counterattack from the wounded Dragon. Alright, let’s switch gears! I’ve figured out this guy’s weak point, so now it’s just a matter of smashing it!)”

I observed the opponent’s movements while avoiding the punches that tore through the air. I didn’t forget to hit it with the red whip whenever I found an opening. I attacked from a distance that allowed me to respond immediately in case of a counterattack.

“Kakekek!”

“(Whoa!?)”

I dodged the Shadow Beast’s direct punch and retreated. Then, just as I stepped out of its range, its arm swung again. The arm had transformed into a long, whip-like shape, reaching all the way to me.

“([Jump]—gah!)”

My evasive movement was forcibly halted. For a moment, it was like I was under a Paralysis spell. I had experienced the same symptom when I was entangled by the Skeleton, so this was also apparently one of the Shadow Beast’s [Skills]. The Paralysis lifted immediately, but I couldn’t dodge the shadow whip in time now.

“(No, this is actually convenient! [Block]!)”

This is a good opportunity to test my hypothesis—I’ll take the attack head-on. I stabbed six forest chains and two red whips into the ground, preparing for a sideways strike.

──Goooon!!

It was an impact like nothing I had ever experienced. A roar echoed, and nearly 20% of my body, which should have been hardened by [Block], necrotized in a single blow. The blow even broke through the resistance effect of [On the Edge of the Ring], and the chains left a trail on the ground. In an instant, I was blown back more than twenty meters.

“(That hurt…)”

When I checked my |Life|, I had lost five hundred. Thanks to my [Storage], I didn’t have any physical injuries, but this was the highest damage I had ever taken.

“(Well, the same goes for that guy, though.)”

“Kukeke…”

The Shadow Beast’s arm that had transformed into a whip was blown apart halfway through. It’s natural logic—if you punch something hard with your bare hands, you get hurt.

“(Normally, you’d just get a little skin scraped off… This guy is definitely unbalanced.)”

Since my attacks were working normally, I had guessed that the Shadow Beast’s |Toughness| was much lower compared to its |Power|. And if it tried to surpass my |Toughness|, it would inevitably exceed its own limits.

“(What a pain, [Wave Slash].)”

“Ka-kak!”

I launched a slash at the Shadow Beast, who had regenerated its arm. But it avoided it by turning into a shadow. It kept approaching me.

“([Quake Swing]… The vibrations have no effect, huh.)”

Even though I shook the surroundings with the forest hammer, the shadow clinging to the ground continued moving as if nothing happened—I couldn’t see its expression, though. To damage its body, I’ll probably need to strike that shadow directly.

“(Expand, [Dominion])”

Preparing for the Shadow Beast’s attack, I placed the area around me under the control of [Factory]. Since I added ‘Domination’ to it, the shadow was easily overwritten. The thin darkness that had been lingering quickly dissipated.

“(Hmm, a shadow clone, huh? Not bad.)”

Naturally, the Shadow Beast didn’t just charge straight at me. Along the way, it created four dummy shadows to throw me off. …Or maybe they’re split bodies sharing its power, or worse, they might all have the same strength as the original. It’s possible. I shouldn’t make any assumptions. I’ll deal with them before they spread out.

“([Compact Shoot]!)”

While manipulating [Dominion], I shot the prepared explosive arrow. The arrow didn’t hit any of the shadows directly, but the explosion engulfed all of them. It gouged a crater in the ground, swallowing and erasing many shadows.

“Ku, kekeke!”

Only one shadow remained. It seemed to be the main body. It had unraveled its shadow form, and its body was quite tattered, likely due to the explosion. However, the right arm, which had transformed into a whip, was still intact. It swung it horizontally to strike me, who was finally within its range.

“([Weapon Creation]!)”

Just before it could strike, a shield rose from the ground. No, it was more like it was assembled rather than simply rising. This shield was made from the nearby rocks. [Weapon Creation] is a [Skill] that can freely change the shape of materials to create weapons as desired. I used it to turn the rocks in the area into a shield. Thanks to creating countless weapons out of the magical minerals in the Goronomea Mountain Range, I can now shape them instantly. Moreover, this time I added ‘Mass Production’ and ‘Masterwork’ as additional effects to [Dominion]. This allowed me to quickly create a high-quality rock shield.

The shield was partially embedded in the ground. So depending on how you look at it, you might even call it a wall.

“Keka!?”

The moment the rock wall was completed, the whip attacked. The newly created rock wall was crushed in an instant, and the shadow whip was repelled by the rebound.

“([Whip], Double!)”

And since its whip could reach me, that meant my whips could reach it too. I swung two red whips from the sides, striking the Shadow Beast’s knees and neck. The Shadow Beast was distracted by the pain in its exploding arm and couldn’t defend or dodge.

“([Frenzied Charge], [Lightning Strike]!)”

But it wasn’t over yet. A little while ago, when I tried to [Strangle] the Shadow Beast’s neck, it felt strange. It was like there was no core… like it didn’t have any bones. Also, the Shadow Beast could transform its arms. Although it looks humanoid, it might actually be an amorphous species like a Slime.

“([Charge Swing], Double!)”

Which is why I followed up with another attack. Using the momentum from my rush, I struck the Shadow Beast’s body hard with the forest hammer.

“Keh… ka…”

The reaction was dramatic. Its body bent into a sharp angle—no, it was split in two at the abdomen, and the Shadow Beast’s upper and lower halves floated in the air like leaves. Then, as if blown away by the wind, its entire body disappeared.

―――Non-Notification Information Recording Zone―――――――――――――

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>> The Weapon Born from the Fire of War, Fuwa Katsu’s Soul Accumulation Level has increased to 248.

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“(All three targets eliminated. Ah, that was fun!)”

I let out a shout of joy. Each one of them was a formidable opponent that wasn’t easy to deal with, but that’s what made the victory all the sweeter. The exhilaration of having my self-constructed strategies successfully take down a strong enemy is hard to describe.

“(But, I can’t just stand around here. I need to go save Fis—)”

At that moment, a powerful shiver ran through my entire body. I turned around sharply and glared at the source of the sensation. It was where Fisu had been fighting. From the rocky mountain at the edge of the clearing, a giant tree root was stretching into the sky.

(Note: There is side story for this chapter that you can buy using coins or membership).