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 171: The Monopolizer and Invader of the Stars, Melting, Mixing, and Swallowing Them Whole

Episode 171: The Monopolizer and Invader of the Stars, Melting, Mixing, and Swallowing Them Whole

(Note: Special for this chapter the MC’s dialogue is written in ‘…..’.)

‘(…What a sight.)’

The light of destruction passed, and the view cleared.  

What stretched below me was a massive hole, so deep I couldn’t see the bottom.  

The point where I had activated [Colorless King’s Authority: Timeless Radiance] was more than a kilometer inland from the coastline. Yet the hole extended all the way to the sea.  

Soon, seawater would likely start pouring into the depths of the gouged-out hole.  

‘(Well, if that ended it, things would be easier… but that’s not how it works, is it?)’

The range of destruction caused by [Colorless King’s Authority: Timeless Radiance], which consumed almost all of my |Mana|, spanned well over ten kilometers.  

The body of Karkinos, which had been advancing toward the sea, had been blown away without a trace… but that was just the outer edge of the creature.  

Karkinos, whose form resembled a living forest, extended far beyond ten or even twenty kilometers.  

‘(Plus, without a defined form, it’s hard to land an effective hit.)’

No matter how many physical attacks were dealt, they would barely scratch the surface of Karkinos, whose physical existence was ambiguous.  

Its |Life| likely hadn’t decreased by much.  

On top of that, it didn’t seem like [Mana Eclipse]’s Mana Leak had activated either.  

While I couldn’t focus on my [Unique Skill] during the charge-up for the [King’s Authority Skill], it still felt like a waste.  

Especially after going to the trouble of getting recovery inhibition granted to me by the Demon King.

‘(Plan A is scrapped. Guess it’s back to a fistfight.)’

I looked toward the black sea of trees that continued to expand, covering the horizon.  

It looked like a dark, murky tidal wave rushing inland.  

That was the true body of Karkinos… or more accurately, the entirety of it.  

All of that forest was Karkinos.  

There was no heart or core, no vital weak point to target.  

Even after blowing away part of it at the start, over 90% of Karkinos still remained.  

“So, that’s Karkinos. Seeing it in person, the sheer scale is overwhelming.”  

Suddenly, the Demon King appeared behind me.  

Paula was with him as well.  

‘I’m counting on your support.’

“Relax, I’ve got your back. [Order Territory].”  

With a spell, the [Political Sphere] was constructed.  

The immense range of the [Political Sphere] soon came into contact with Karkinos’ [Dominion], but there was no shockwave.  

“The phenomenon of realm clash, correct? As planned, I erased the shockwave generation rule upon [Political Sphere] contact. Now, use your power freely.”

‘Thanks. The |Mana| supply is a huge help too.’

Thanks to being fed a portion of the |Mana| from the [Political Sphere], I’d already recovered over ten thousand units.  

Now, I could fight without any issues.  

‘Alright, let’s go! Activating [Territory]!’

I activated the largest possible [Dominion] by adding ‘Expansion’.  

Since the Demon King wasn’t resisting, I easily pushed back the [Political Sphere].  

While making sure to protect my two allies using ‘Identification’ so they wouldn’t be harmed, Paula cast her own magic.  

“[Area Edit: Reinforce], [Area Enchant: Invade]. I’ve strengthened your control.”  

‘Thanks. With this, we should be able to clear the first hurdle.…Now then, both of you, I’m counting on you to watch my back.’

After saying that, I flew toward Karkinos.  

Our [Dominions] clashed, causing shockwaves. But since there was still some distance between us, the impact wasn’t too severe.  

‘(To think it’s an even match after all this effort. I expected it, but it’s still a bit disappointing.)’

The white flames that turned everything into Mana Crystals clashed against the endlessly proliferating and expanding black plant life.  

The point where they met was midway between me and Karkinos.  

This meant that our [Dominions] were about evenly matched in strength.  

The Chaos Beast I fought had stronger [Dominions] than its Beast Rank. So it wasn’t surprising that Karkinos, the boss, followed this trend.  

I had anticipated this in our previous battle and had prepared backup accordingly.  

If we were evenly matched, then the minimum condition was fulfilled.  

“[Sparkle Pluto].”

“………”

As a start, I unleashed countless magic bullets.  

Karkinos’ |Mana| pulsed, and massive petals formed all across the sea of trees.  

From them, black beams were fired.  

It wasn’t the kind of black that came from a lack of light, like the night sky.  

Rather, it was a muddied black, like a color that had been created by mixing countless paints together—an indescribable, turbid black.  

The black beams detonated the magic bullets one after another.  

After the barrage was intercepted, the petals then turned their aim toward me.  

‘(A bit too late. Thanks to that, I’ve finished adjusting the [Dominion].)’

After unleashing [Sparkle Pluto], I hovered in place. I focused on expanding my [Dominion] horizontally.

Due to Karkinos having the advantage in size, if left in its natural state, my [Solar Crucible] would be outmatched by Karkinos’ vast [Dominion].

However, by spreading it wide, I could at least match Karkinos in width.

With that, preparations were complete.

‘([The Endless Cycle of Thunderous Rebirth]—Manifest!)’  

—Thud.  

The ground sank. No, it wasn’t just the ground—it was the entire world that had sunk.  

It was as if the channel on a TV had been switched or a scene from a picture-story show had been flipped—just like that, the land of the Eastern Continent vanished, replaced by a lake of molten steel.  

The brightness was so intense that the molten lake, stretching from north to south, appeared more white than red.  

‘(They say [Dominion] is a force field created by the 〔Soul Arche〕.)’

I recalled the words of the Sage who had been assisting the Great Sage in the research of the 〔Soul Arche〕.

Just as celestial bodies with massive weight form gravitational fields and distort space-time, the 〔Soul Arche〕 of powerful beasts generates a unique force field, reshaping the environment.

In theory, a [Dominion] shouldn’t be possible with the 〔Soul Arche〕 of a creature on the level of a Sovereign Beast. But that’s where the [Territory] comes into play as a supplement.

It also helps with controlling the [Dominion].

…Anyway, I digress.

The point is, while [Dominion] is an invisible force field, if it exists, I can give it form using my [Unique Skill].  

When this force field takes shape, the terrain within its boundaries temporarily vanishes, and a world reflecting the nature of the [Dominion] materializes.

—Whoosh… crackle crackle crackle…

Karkinos’ black beams were engulfed by the white flames, turning into Mana Crystals that fell to the ground.

During the manifestation, the effects of the [Dominion] are dramatically enhanced.

In the case of my [Solar Crucible], it becomes an ultra-high-temperature furnace.

Its firepower can instantly melt even the highest-grade mithril. And combined with the property of turning everything it burns into Mana Crystals, forms a scorching barrier that’s more than sufficient to deal with Karkinos.

‘(I won’t let you into the sea. I won’t let you onto the human continent either. This is the final defense line.)’