Chapter 228:


    As the Gagons flying toward me suddenly stopped and changed formation, they encircled the peak where I stood, maintaining a careful distance.


    Soon, purple lights shed from beyond the clouds, surrounding me in a ring beforeunching a synchronized barrage.


    ‘As expected.’


    A torrent of Psychic Breaths filled the vast sky, making it nearly impossible to evade, even for Adhai, the fastest Gagon I had encountered.


    ‘Not that I intend to dodge.’


    I spread my winged arms andbat tentacles wide, ready to embrace the oing wave of violet energy.


    The Breath unleashed by these cosmic dragons crashed down upon the mountain peak.


    The nest of the jewel, now devoid of its master, shattered into pieces, while the trees that formed a small forest were swept away in the tidal wave of energy. The ground beneath my feet crumbled, sending the peak itself flying away.


    The Psychic Breath barrage triggered a massive avnche halfway up the mountain. The sheer scale of it was such that it seemed to cleanse the entire mountain in snow and ice. The thunderous roar of the avnche drowned out the deafening noise of the Breath.?Cease your fire.?


    Odd Gradmanded, and the Gagon swarm halted. The coordinated Breath attack was as formidable as the fleet of the Cult Empire. Thanks to them, this ce was now so devastated that it could no longer be called the Twin Peaks.


    One of the Gagons approached through the bliZZard to confirm the result.


    At that moment, I fiercely shook the newly formed wings with red stripes. The snow and ice that had covered me fell away, and my body soared upward.


    My wings whipped up a storm, dispelling the bliZZard. The green Gagon was startled by the sight of me unscathed. It was only natural, given that not a single wound marred my form despite the barrage.


    I charged at the Green Gagon, who was unable to react properly. My horn, now far more savage than when west met, pierced through its abdomen.


    The creature thrashed in agony. To end its suffering quickly, I gripped its body with my tentacles.


    And then, with a surge of power, I tore its body apart. The Gagon''s blood drenched my cold scales. Among the scattered fragments, I didn''t miss its head, which I caught with the pincers of my tail.


    The Gagons were visibly shaken, perhaps intimidated by my brutal disy.


    Only Odd Grad, soaring regally behind the Gagons, maintained hisposure.


    ?The ck Butcher.?


    Though he hadunched the first attack as a precaution, it seemed he had expected that I wouldn''t die from it. However, he probably hadn’t anticipated that I would bepletely unscathed.


    ?You??have changed.?


    [ZZ ZZZZ ZZ ZZZZ (We have prepared to hunt you.)]


    ?Foolishness.??The great Odd Grad??will not be defeated.?


    At his nod, the Gagons that had encircled me began to close in. Having confirmed that their Breath attacks were ineffective, they seemed intent on engaging in closebat.


    I flicked my tail, tossing the Green Gagon''s head into my mouth. As I drank its sweet blood, I unleashed my most powerful weapon.


    The ck scales covering my body shimmered with eerie hues of green, purple, and an unknown color. The rainbow-colored tar from the Abyss flowed through the monster''s tentacles, which extended from the back of my head, down my neck, and to my jaw.


    Then, the essence of the Abyss formed at the tips of the tentacles. A bubble-shaped Psychic Breath moved to engulf the enemies.


    Upon seeing the bubble, the Gagons scattered swiftly. As they did, they tossed something into the air with their front ws.


    What they threw was a chunk of flesh from an unknown creature. Despite my intent, the Psychic Breath was drawn to the meat first.


    The chunk of flesh, melting under the Psychic Breath, plummeted to the invisible ground below.


    Though distant, I could see that the others also held several pieces of flesh with their front ws, hind legs, and tails.


    ‘...Clever?’


    Just as I had analyzed him, Odd Grad had clearly studied my abilities as well.


    The Psychic Breath infused with the Abyssal Hue is incredibly powerful, with a chain explosion effect, making it highly effective in brawls against groups. When it consumes an organism, it automatically targets the nearest new enemy.


    The downside is that the Psychic Breath doesn''t distinguish between friend and foe, and its projection speed is slow. Odd Grad had figured out these weaknesses in that short time and prepared a countermeasure.


    ‘If only Number 26 were here, this wouldn''t be a big problem...’


    It must have known that I was alone, which is why it chose this method.


    The Gagons that had neutralized my enhanced Psychic Breath closed in on me. With them this close, I could no longer use the Abyssal Hue.


    A Gagon with white scales swung its front w at me, its sharp talons grazing the carapace on my head.


    Feeling the sparks fly above my head, I opened my lower jaw and bit down on its arm. Before it could pull away, I grasped its body tightly with mybat tentacles.


    Another green Gagon lunged at me from behind. I swung my tail, which was hanging limply toward the ground, with all my might. I felt the satisfying impact through the pincers at the end of my tail.


    I ignored the Green Gagon as it plummeted with a broken neck and pulled back the head of the White Gagon I had bitten. The arm in my mouth was torn off along with it, and its mental waves of pain echoed through the air.


    ?All at once, surround it!?


    At Odd Grad’smand, the Gagons charged at me in unison.


    I bit down harder on the head of the White Gagon, swinging my tail. The Gagon that had been flying at me saw my tail and ducked in surprise. In that moment, I threw the headless corpse and leaped into the midst of the oing swarm.


    Green and white scales shed chaotically, and their ws raked against my carapace and scales. One of the white Gagons stabbed its horn into my side. Its sharp horn pierced through my scales and dug into my flesh.


    [Pain Nullification activated!]


    The text box warned me, but I ignored it. I had deliberately acted this way to wipe them out all at once.


    Sharp ws and deadly horns rained down on me, intent on killing me. I paid them no mind and extended all fourbat tentacles, grabbing the Gagons.


    With four long tentacles, I firmly grasped their body parts and activated the trait I had gained by devouring the Blood Reaver.


    [PR/N- In many previous chapters the blood reaver is named as blood raver which is wrong. Blood reaver sounds much more convincing so we will follow this word from now. Sorry for the inconvenience.]


    ‘Leeching Hand.’


    Immediately, the condition of the Gagons I held changed drastically.


    Their once smooth scales shrivelled rapidly, and their skin and muscles began to soften and sag. The sturdy horns atop their heads crumbled, and their once-moist tentacles withered and dried out.


    In less than a few seconds, the four Gagons had be shrivelled mummies. Simultaneously, the wound on my side healed at a rapid pace.


    While I do have regenerative abilities, this was on another level entirely. By the time I had drained the life from the one that had pierced me, even my scales had fully regenerated.


    The effect of the Leeching Hand was simple.


    It absorbed the enemy’s energy to heal my body. The difference was just how absurdly effective it was.


    ?Fall back!??Beware??of its??grasp!?


    The astute Odd Grad quickly realized the effect of my actions. The Gagons that had been wing at me swiftly retreated.


    ‘Where do you think you’re going?’


    Just as I reached out to grab the tail of a fleeing White Gagon, a powerful Breath struck me.


    ‘Odd Grad.’


    Finally, it had decided to intervene directly.


    I examined the area where the Breath had hit. The spot that took the direct hit had its scales and skin peeled away, exposing the muscles beneath, and the surrounding area was searing hot.


    ‘Even with the Mimic Scales active, it inflicted this much damage... Definitely a being beyond normal standards.’


    However, thanks to the energy absorbed through the Leeching Hand, the wound healed almost instantly.


    ‘Huh?’


    For a moment, a familiar hue shed across the searing carapace and then vanished. A strange light, a mix of green and purple, much like the Abyssal Hue when activated...


    [Pain Nullification Activated]


    ‘Ugh!’


    My thoughts were cut short as Odd Grad suddenly rammed into me.


    Perhaps due to the added momentum, his horn easily tore through mybat tentacles and wing membrane. I tried to grab him, but he had already retreated at high speed.


    ‘...Is this what it means to be a being beyond normal standards?’


    This is a tactic that Adhai often uses, but the result was on a different level. Due to the difference in size and power output, the destructive force was iparable.


    As I plummeted due to the hole in my wing, Odd Grad circled around and flew towards me. I activated ‘Observer of Terror’, enhanced with the Abyssal Hue.


    A sinister light emanated from my head carapace, and multicolored bubbles began to form.


    The moment I used the ability, another Gagon shot a Psychic Breath at the bubbles. The bubbles exploded mid-air, failing to advance any further and falling to the ground.


    Using the absorbed energy, I regenerated the membrane of my wings and tried to gain altitude, but Odd Grad blocked my path.


    His speed was astonishing, like a bolt of ck lightning. He charged at my abdomen, aiming to impale me with his horn.


    However, this time I was prepared. I narrowly avoided a direct hit, the horn grazing my side, and Ished out with my corrosive tentacles to ensnare him. One of the tentacles nearly caught his hind leg, but he kicked hard, breaking free.


    As I exchanged blows with Odd Grad, other Gagons targeted my back. Like Odd Grad, they utilized their hyper-eleration ability, shing at me with their ws before quickly retreating.


    ‘So they’re trying to wear me down like this?’


    Their numbers were in the dozens. Even if each one seeded in attacking just once, it would inflict significant damage on me.


    As expected of a clever opponent, he had chosen a crafty tactic, despite his usual arrogance.


    But I was no stranger to close-quartersbat.


    I endured their attacks, waiting for an opportunity.


    A green Gagon flew toward me, attacking prematurelypared to the others—it must have been a less experienced one.


    ‘It’s hard to change course while in hyper-eleration.’


    I predicted its trajectory in advance and dodged while extending my corrosive tentacles. Its attack missed, and my tentacle snagged its wing.


    The Green Gagon panicked. I extended mybat tentacles, ready to drain all of its energy.


    ?You cannot use that ability.?


    But Odd Grad wasn’t about to let me heal. A breath attack from the ck Dragon incinerated not me, but the Green Gagon entirely.


    True to his nature as an unusually savage Gagon, he had chosen to sacrifice his kin.


    ‘Fine. Keep doing that.’


    But I wasn’t discouraged. This, too, would ultimately work to my advantage.


    This scenario repeated several times. Each time I tried to use the Leeching Hand, Odd Grad would st away my potential healing source—his own kind.


    I tried to counterattack and close in on them, but chasing down hyper-elerating enemies was no easy task. And whenever I managed to grab one to heal, Odd Grad’s attack would quickly follow.


    I had in fewer Gagons than Odd Grad had, yet they continued to follow him. Despite the undercurrent of defiance, they showed no signs of betrayal or allegiance to a new leader.


    The battle was slowly tipping in their favor. The energy I had absorbed with the Leeching Hand had long been depleted, and my injuries were mounting.


    [Pain Nullification Activated]


    Just now, Odd Grad had torn off one of mybat tentacles. It even drank the blood from the severed limb, a tant provocation.


    In response, I unleashed a Psychic Breath. Without the Abyssal Hue enhancing it, Odd Grad didn’t bother dodging and countered with his own psychic fire.


    The sky above the dark ocean turned a deep purple, as if the sun were rising.


    It was a magnificent sight created by thebined powers of the ck Gagon and an Amorph with Gagon genes.


    But from my perspective, it wasn’t a favorable one. I was giving it my all, but Odd Grad clearly wasn’t.


    As we shed in a power struggle, Odd Grad suddenly increased the output of his breath, as if deciding to end this game. The tug-of-war had been evenly matched, but then, as if I had lost strength, the psychic power surged violently toward me.


    The Psychic Breath he fired,bined with the rebound of my own power, mmed into my entire body. The Mimicry Scales prevented my body from disintegrating in an instant, but the pain and injuries were unavoidable.


    Part of my wing membrane burned away, causing me to plummet onto a peak below.


    As I fell, a strange light briefly shed across my reddened carapace before vanishing again.


    Before I could figure out why this kept happening, a massive shock overwhelmed my mind. My body crashed into the mangled peak.


    [Pain Nullification Activated]


    Instead of pain, I felt a deep sense of weariness. Ignoring the text box, I gazed up at the sky.


    ‘How much time has passed?’


    It had been quite a while since I started fighting these creatures. The sky was still filled with dark clouds, making it impossibly gloomy.


    Except for one spot.


    The sh with Odd Grad had created a white line among the clouds. Through the crack, a sliver of white light could be seen.


    Then, ck wings blocked the light. Odd Gradnded in front of me.


    I swiftly extended thebat tentacles that had been buried in the ground, but he evaded easily, as if anticipating my move. Using his future-seeing ability, he avoided my surprise attack and struck my arm with his tail.


    The creature broke my arm and easily deflected the iing corrosive tentacle with his front paw. As I prepared to unleash a Psychic Breath, enhanced with the Abyssal Hue, he sneered.


    ?It’s useless.?


    Predicting my move, he sliced off my monstrous tentacle with a swipe of his paw.


    ?Grrr!?


    My mind went nk, and I let out an involuntary scream. Messages about pain suppression shed repeatedly, but I couldn’t register any of them.


    Such excruciating pain hadn’t hit me since being struck by the Abyss-colored Observer of Terror. I was paralyzed, unable to think or act.


    ?The ck Butcher’s weakness has been exposed.?


    ?Grrrr….?


    ?Did you not know of the great Odd Grad’s power, you fool??


    He dragged me out of the ground. I should’ve grabbed him with mybat tentacles, but Icked the strength.


    Crushing me underfoot and with his tail, he taunted.


    ?Once again, the great Odd Grad is victorious.?


    He raised his ring-bearing paw high, and sunlight streamed through the fractured sky, illuminating his back.


    It was the first time in ages I had seen such light. And as I noticed small specks moving within that radiance, I yed my final card.


    ?Die.?


    Odd Grad tore a chunk of flesh from my neck with a swipe of his paw. Blood spurted out, and my consciousness began to fade.


    Gazing at me, mortally wounded, he drank the blood from my wounds with arrogant confidence, certain of his victory.


    His attitude revealed only one truth.


    [ZZZZZ (So this is the end.)]


    ???


    [ZZZ ZZZ (The future you saw.)]


    Odd Grad recoiled, startled that I wasn’t dead. In that moment of surprise, I used the ‘Bone Scythe Arm’ that had sprouted from my back and struck him down.


    Specifically, I severed the paw bearing the ring.


    ?You wretch!?


    He quickly retreated, his front paw now severed. I picked up the fallen limb and absorbed it.


    ?Why won’t you die?!?


    Seeing my neck wound healing, Odd Grad shouted in fury.


    There was one thing his future vision had missed: the true weakness of an Amorph.


    To kill an Amorph instantly, both the head and heart must be destroyed—not the neck or any other part.


    ?Brethren! Kill the ck Butcher!?


    Odd Grad spread his wings and soared into the air, sending out a mental wavemanding them to attack me, whether by charging or firing Psychic Breaths.


    But the Gagons didn’t move.


    ?Odd Gradmands you! Kill the ck Butcher!?


    He issued the order again, but they didn’t even nce at Him. Every Gagon, except the ck Dragon, had their gaze fixed on one point.


    [ZZZZZ (Odd Grad.)]


    ?You wretch!?


    Instead of responding, I pointed a finger at the sky.


    For the first time since arriving on this, I saw a bright light. Six Gagons stood silhouetted against it.


    Odd Grad recoiled in shock as he recognized them.


    I sent out a wave, gazing at the red dragon among them.


    [ZZ ZZZ (Serve the Queen.)]


    The abandoned and the traitors.


    The remnants of the past hade to y the ck tyrant.