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 172: The Monopolizer and Invader of the Stars, Melting, Mixing, and Swallowing Them Whole 2

Episode 172: The Monopolizer and Invader of the Stars, Melting, Mixing, and Swallowing Them Whole 2

(Note: Special for this chapter, telepathic conversation will be in /…/.)

The [Dominion] created by the manifestation possesses several unique traits.

One of those is its overwhelming control. In an experiment conducted a few hours earlier, even when the Demon Lord exerted full strength, he couldn’t seize more than a few meters of my [Solar Crucible].

“(Alright, come at me!)”

Karkinos, undeterred by the sudden appearance of the mysterious furnace, continued its advance.

I also moved forward, and I reached the boundary between my [Solar Furnace] and Karkinos’ [Dominion] first.

The second trait of the manifestation is that the range doesn’t change even if I move.

It probably has something to do with it being anchored to the land. Once activated, the area of influence is fixed, and it persists for a while even if I leave that spot.

Thus, I can stand right on the edge of my [Solar Crucible].

Although, since my [Dominion] is also active, the white flames extend even outside the manifested boundary… but that’s not important right now.

“……!”

“(Take it down!)”

And the third trait: the manifested terrain can be manipulated at will by the caster.

A torrent of white molten steel burned through the black storm of leaves and petals unleashed by Karkinos.

The source of the molten steel was the golden ring floating in the air at the center of the [Solar Crucible].

Molten steel endlessly flowed from this golden ring, pouring into the furnace below, which I unleashed as a torrent.

The burned black leaves transformed into Mana Crystals and were stored in my [Yin and Yang Wisdom].

Another tool added to my arsenal.

“(Oh, here it comes.)”

At the same time, more tools were arriving from behind.

Slicing through the wind came an array of pure mithril weapons—the silver slaves of the Demon King.

Although most had been shattered during our previous battle, they had been hastily repaired.

/As planned, I will handle defense. You focus on the attack./

/Understood!/

After replying via [Telepathy], I quickly launched myself forward, chasing after the silver slaves that had overtaken me.

Karkinos launched a variety of—no, a chaotic assortment of attacks, but the silver slaves were fortified with indestructibiliy and resistance to the influence of Karkinos. They held their own to some extent.

Of course, we were still at a distance, and Karkinos’ attacks seemed like preliminary probes.

Once I got closer, the ferocity and precision of Karkinos’ attacks would increase, and those weapons alone wouldn’t be able to keep up.

“(Which means I need to launch my attacks to force Karkinos to divert resources to defense! [The Endless Cycle of Thunderous Rebirth]!)”

At my current level, I could control thirteen lightning bolts simultaneously.

A substantial amount of |Mana| was siphoned off as I sent thirteen bolts of lightning piercing through Karkinos.

“…….”

But Karkinos ignored the lightning and extended its shadowy grasp toward me.

It twisted its roots, trunks, grasses, and even flowers together to form a massive spear, thrusting its sharp tip directly at me.

/The silver slaves won’t be able to stop this. I’ll handle it!/

/Understood./

I stood in front of the dispersed silver thralls, wielding a spear I had mimicked.

The spear Karkinos formed was thicker than my own body. The sheer difference in mass meant that I couldn’t physically compete with it, but I had a reliable [Skill].

“([Super Jump], [Explosive Charge], [Perforation], [Charge Thrust]—)”

I stacked [Skills] that enhanced my charge.

I felt my speed jump two levels. And just before the clash, I activated my [Unique Skill].

“([Manifest]!)”

At almost the same moment the lightning struck, my spear collided with Karkinos’ massive spear.

I felt a solid impact through the shaft of my spear. With the manifestation, Karkinos’ spear lost its chaotic properties and was pierced through as if it were ordinary wood, scattering wooden fragments.

However, Karkinos was a Beast King. Even if its abilities were nullified, it wouldn’t go down easily.

It forcibly compressed its overly large spear, trying to blunt my momentum as I drove deeper into its core.

“([Super Jump]!)”

I kicked off the air again, pumping all the |Mana| I could into my flight artifact to maintain my acceleration.

I regained my initial speed.

/[Order Alteration]—You shall not slow./

/Nice!/

Thanks to the Demon King’s support, I was granted resistance to deceleration.

Maintaining my momentum, I broke through the spear and closed in on Karkinos.

At that moment, the Demon King’s deceleration support was released. With the [Order Surveillance] spell, the Demon King could track the battlefield even from a distance.

Karkinos sent out a barrage of vines and branches, but I dove down to avoid them, causing its attacks to miss.

“([Divine Staff], [Manifest], [Compact Slash]!)”

I aimed at the edge of Karkinos—the front line of the dark forest—as I fell. I locked the area with my [Unique Skill], then struck with my spear.

The spear, already long, had an additional effect that expanded its attack range, delivering a devastating blow.

“([Cloud Hiding], [Charge Slash]!)”

But I wasn’t satisfied with just one hit.

I dodged Karkinos’ counterattack with a sideways leap and swung the blade horizontally for a follow-up strike, then soared into the sky to prepare for my next move.

Karkinos, having no sense of pain, barely flinched at the attack. In fact, even my spear’s extended-range strike was less than a scratch on Karkinos, considering its massive scale.

The ancient spear has an irreversible damage effect. So theoretically, I should be able to kill Karkinos eventually. But if I take too much time, Karkinos might shift its target to the human continent.

I have to take it down before that happens.

“([Manifest], [Replicant Form]!)”

While scattering lightning strikes to increase the number of damageable spots, I mimicked another ancient spear. Then, like a spinning top, I whirled around, slashing in a wide area.

Increasing the number of weapons means increasing the number of weaknesses, but I can’t afford to worry about that now.

From here on, it’s all about how much firepower I can unleash.