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 174: The Monopolizer and Invader of the Stars, Melting, Mixing, and Swallowing Them Whole 4

Episode 174: The Monopolizer and Invader of the Stars, Melting, Mixing, and Swallowing Them Whole 4

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

A [King’s Authority Skill]—one that grants immense power, but requires a long charging time. During which, the user must concentrate fully, making combat nearly impossible. For most Beast Kings, it’s impractical for real battle situations. However, with Karkinos, things are different.

“([Manifest]! [Compact Slash]! Damn, it won’t stop…!)”

I continued slashing through Karkinos’ limbs with a flurry of lightning and blades, but its |Mana| forging remained uninterrupted. It didn’t seem to feel any pain, and its resilience was to be expected. I tried using empty Mana Crystals from the sky, hitting it while using [Sun Sovereign], attempting to absorb its |Mana|. But it had no effect. Even the highest-grade Mana Crystals couldn’t significantly hinder Karkinos’ overwhelming |Mana| reserves.

Despite my continuous attempts to inflict damage and test other tactics, I couldn’t achieve meaningful results.

/Time’s up, can’t be helped. Let’s retreat./

/Got it. [Area Hole]./

As I communicated through [Telepathy], one of the silver slaves approached, and a portal opened. The portal led far behind me, into the [Solar Crucible], creating a safe distance from the enemy so I could observe the situation.

“(Alright, let’s see this [King’s Authority Skill] of yours.)”

If it’s a straight-line attack like the “Polar King,” it might still reach me here. I prepared to react defensively while watching for the activation. Having continued cutting down the forest until the last moment, it didn’t take long for the moment to arrive.

“…………”

Between the sky and the earth, a black pillar of water shot up. At least, that’s what it looked like to me. Despite the great distance, I could still see the enormous water pillar spreading into multiple arcs as it approached.

“(Is that… a trunk?)”

I focused on identifying what it truly was. The “water pillar” was actually a collection of countless trunks. But even a single one of these trunks, after branching off, was absurdly thick. It was far beyond anything imaginable.

The trees that made up Karkinos had always been abnormal, but this was on an entirely different scale.

“(So, it’s a [Skill] that causes the trunks to grow massively for an attack?)”

I hypothesized the effect while unleashing sun lasers and molten metal. If Karkinos was simply extending its main body through the trunks, normal attacks wouldn’t be effective. So this was more of a test shot. The lasers easily pierced through the trunks.

This meant one thing—the trunks were generated by the [Skill] and were not part of Karkinos’ actual chaotic body. Yet they seemed too fragile. Was their rapid growth making them hollow inside?

“(No way a [King’s Authority Skill] would be that flimsy.)”

I immediately discarded any optimism. There had to be another reason for this. I kept firing lasers in quick succession while observing closely, searching for the cause.

“(Wait… even after falling, they’re still moving…)”

Then I noticed it—the trunks I had shot down were writhing, crawling across the ground. Up until now, Karkinos’ severed parts had never moved on their own. This must be the influence of the [Skill]. But what was the true nature of this effect? I continued watching, and then I realized something had been off.

The trunk I shot earlier had split into two the moment it hit the ground, and each half was moving independently. It hadn’t broken from the impact of the fall. No, the trunks had been intertwined with each other from the start.

“(So that’s the structure here!)”

Looking more closely, I could see it was the same for the other trunks. What I had thought were single trunks were actually multiple plants twisted together.

The original “water pillar” (tentative name) was a collection of trunks, and each trunk was a collection of smaller plants. And finally, I understood the true nature of Karkinos’s [King’s Authority Skill].

“(It’s… the creation of minions!?)”

I unleashed a barrage of lightning strikes with my [Unique Skill]. Confirming my suspicion, the lightning stole the 〔Soul Arche〕 from Karkinos’ minions. However, I only managed to destroy a few.

Each trunk held over ten minions, and new trunks kept growing one after another. Even with [Sparkle Pluto], there was no way I could stop them all.

Once the trunks had grown enough, Karkinos’ minions began to fall to the ground, one after another. Some slithered like snakes, others moved by rapidly shifting their roots. While others spun their branches like helicopter blades, advancing quickly.

They were heading toward the sea while avoiding entering the [Solar Crucible].  

“(Crap, so that’s what it’s after…!)”  

“……….”  

If I were to express Karkinos’ emotions, “frustration” would be fitting.  

It was being hindered by pesky units that couldn’t be harmed. And just when it seemed to make some progress, it was sent back to square one by a meteor attack.  

Determining that continuing to advance would not lead to the human continent, it resorted to a second-best strategy: sending in its minions.  

According to the god, when a minion dies, the <Soul Fragments> it had accumulated are returned to Karkinos.  

This allowed it to continue growing even after reaching <Level 999>, resulting in its current monstrous size.  

However, if it were the seeds Karkinos had been sending before, that would have been better.  

Those took time to parasitize living beings and gain strength.  

But this time, the minions were created through a [King’s Authority Skill].  

I could sense that they possessed strength roughly between [Sovereign Beasts] and [Calamity Beasts].  

If they landed and began to devour the nearby magical beasts, there was a worst-case scenario where Karkinos’ |Life| would increase from growing larger and outpace the damage I inflicted.  

/Demon King, this has become a serious situation!/  

With the distance too great, [Challenge] was out of range. And perhaps because they weren’t looking my way, [Scorching Treasure] was ineffective.  

To deal with this, I needed to strike directly.  

/I understand the situation! I would like to say that I won’t let them do as they please within my [Political Sphere]… but it seems they’re annoyingly wrapped in their own [Dominion]. With this, I can only defend one front./  

This is bad, bad, bad.  

I don’t have enough hands!  

(Note: You don’t have HANDS!!)

Karkinos was also beginning to advance.  

I couldn’t displace it here.  

That said, it was impossible to deal with an endless swarm of Sovereign Beasts aside from me and the Demon King.  

The Margraves or Grand Dukes can’t be called here immediately, and even Paula couldn’t win against sheer numbers.  

Should I have the Demon King teleport back and forth?  

No, with the quality and quantity of what I was facing, that might leave some unchecked.  

But there had to be another way…  

/Oh, the other side is fine now./  

Paula’s cheerful voice broke through my swirling confusion.  

/What do you mean by that…?/ 

/The helper who was training to the last minute has arrived!/  

Through the vision I gained as a Beast King, I spotted a single human standing on the hazy horizon.  

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