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Chapter 97

This attack, the polar opposite of darkness, was almost as powerful as the Mega Drought from earlier. The light pierced through thousands of tentacles and struck the colossal Mind Kraken.

However...

“■■■■■...?”

The creature merely flinched.

It’s not working. If we can’t strike a vital point, maybe a wide-area attack like Mega Drought would be more effective.

Leonard retreated several hundred meters, but just then, a wall suddenly appeared out of nowhere, blocking his view.

No, it’s not a wall.

Rather, a massive wave of tentacles shot upward, slicing through the air where Leonard had just stood. If he hadn’t moved, he would have been completely torn apart, mangled beyond recognition.

Indeed, Leonard would be flattened at the slightest misstep. Even if he used his augmented protective qi to defend himself against the monster, the overwhelming difference in power was undeniable.

While one couldn’t break a stone with sand, a sandstorm would certainly be capable of eroding a rock.

Using the Miniature Sun as a shield would protect him once, but it was too valuable to use up in such a manner.

Five Elements Style

Vermillion Bird Seventeenth Form: Scorching Inferno

Instead of a sword, Leonard utilized the Miniature Sun, the crystallization of his augmented qi technique, to summon dozens of muzzles.

Unlike single-target attacks, this one prioritized range and sheer volume over concentrated power. Normally, this wouldn’t work against a formidable opponent. However, given the Mind Kraken’s vast surface area and relatively low mobility, it was a valid tactic.

This time, dozens of thick beams of light rained down from the sky. The light and heat spread out, and the dark tentacles blocking them burned away and snapped. Though the beams didn’t even graze its actual body, the Mind Kraken shuddered violently, confirming that it was a successful hit.

“Indeed.”

Seeing this, Archmage Russell realized that this bizarre creature was unexpectedly similar to another kind of monster—a slime.

Although its core, which was its vital point, was concealed somewhere in its body, evaporating its slimy mass would kill the monster, just like a human would die from excessive blood loss despite their heart and brain being intact.

“O fire of Gehenna, bottomless boiling mud...”

Fire-based offensive magic was as powerful as it was popular. Even in the realm of Class 7, which few had reached, there were more than a dozen different fire spells.

Among those was one that, while not quite as potent as Mega Drought, delivered maximum firepower over a wide area; it was the pinnacle of offensive magic, classified as a large-scale spell.

“Burn. Erase. Devour. Open your mouth and spew the flames of purgatory with the maws of sin.”

Seizing the moment when the Mind Kraken’s defenses were weakened by Leonard’s attack, Russell cast the Class 7 fire spell. With one foot already on the doorstep of Class 8, his casting speed was unimaginable.

The Mind Kraken, sensing danger, shifted its gaze.

At that moment...

“Inferno!”

A wave of blood-red flames surged in front of Jack Russell. This was no ordinary fire; once they latched onto something, the flames would not vanish until the target was reduced to ashes.

Defying the laws of physics, Inferno couldn’t be extinguished with water or by cutting off the air supply. This level of magic was capable of overriding the laws of the universe with its own unique laws

“■■■■■■?!”

The Mind Kraken’s reaction was immediate. Sensing danger from the flames that were pouring down, the giant monster quickly tried to move out of the way.

However...

With that size, dodging is impossible.

The creature was far too massive to move away in time. Before it could even dodge the Inferno halfway, the flames of purgatory descended onto the writhing black mass.

Immediately after, the entire Deep Sea City shook.

“■■■■■■—?!? ■■■■―!!”

Pain and loss—mental waves from the Mind Kraken surged forth, likely a reaction to the unfamiliar sensations. Though such waves usually lacked any physical force, they caused Leonard’s and Russell’s clothes to flutter.

This reaction was proof that Inferno could inflict damage on the creature’s very existence.

The attribute is not a good match. Leonard clicked his tongue unknowingly.

The martial arts of the Central Plains were fundamentally designed for combat against humans. Even with the addition of the Five Elements Style on top of Cardenas’ formless swordsmanship, it was far from reaching the power of Class 7 magic.

To unleash wide-area firepower of Inferno’s scale, Leonard would need to exhaust his internal energy, unleashing five waves of augmented sword qi like flowing water.

“...No, I could pull that off by using the Miniature Sun as a one-time skill.”

Though wasteful, it would be a viable tactic if nothing else worked.

Leonard moved the sword beneath his feet once more. As he zigzagged through the air, darkness surged up, engulfing the area he had just left behind.

It was the Mind Kraken’s counterattack.

Sizzle...!

The dark tentacles kept chasing after Leonard, undeterred by the light and scorching heat of the Miniature Sun. It was as though tens of thousands of venomous snakes were lunging at his back, a sensation that would send shivers down the spine of any battle-hardened warrior.

So far, the Kraken has attacked with tentacles, telekinesis, and otherworldly magic equivalent to Class 5. A Master-level monster surely has more up its sleeve.

Being a Master wasn’t just about raw power. It required proof of stepping into a realm beyond standard limits, like a martial artist’s augmented energy or a mage’s supreme magic. The Mind Kraken undoubtedly possessed power of that level.

“Hmm, it’s getting dangerous.”

Archmage Jack Russell, who had been observing the now three hundred-meter tall creature, was thinking the same.

Until now, the Mind Kraken had merely been swatting the sparks that fell upon it, not fully unleashing its power. Whether it was conserving energy for some reason or simply didn’t consider Leonard and Russell worthy opponents was unclear.

However, after being struck directly by two supreme spells, the creature finally sensed the threat and became truly hostile.

“■■■■■■...! ■■■...!”

An incomprehensible wave of mental energy swept past the two men. While Leonard and Russell were troubled by the creature’s immortality and the sheer scale of its power, the Mind Kraken also recognized them as formidable adversaries—with agility and array of powerful attacks, Leonard and Jack Russell posed a real danger to the power it had amassed.

Additionally, the fact that Demon Octopuses kept dying around them was also problematic. At this rate, the expansion of the Rift could be delayed by years or even completely thwarted.

“■■■■■■....”

The Mind Kraken, at its core, was a psychic lifeform; the Demon Octopus was merely a servile species that worshiped it, and this entire Deep Sea City was its domain. If the Corrosion advanced further, the creature could very well become its king.

Thus, the Kraken decided to take some losses to eliminate its enemies.

A low hum resonated as two red orbs, resembling eyes, emerged from the dark mass of tentacles that stretched over hundreds of meters. The blazing gaze was fixated on the two humans.

This wouldn’t be alarming in the case of a creature with normal eyes, but in the realm of curses and hexes, a sinister gaze could signal the start of a curse. Even if no power was imbued into it, a gaze could disrupt someone’s senses and destabilize their consciousness.

Leonard’s sixth sense screamed a warning. He realized that what was about to come would be difficult to handle. Russell felt the same.

Those who had opened their upper dantian often awakened a kind of intuition similar to foresight. While it was limited to their own bodies and immediate situations, this sense was efficient for responding to sudden threats.

“Barrier of eternal light, protect us!”

Russell cast a Class 7 defensive spell, Prismatic Veil. Casting this was slightly taxing even for him, but his intuition assured him this was the best course of action.

Simultaneously, the Mind Kraken moved—or rather, it didn’t move, but...

“■■■■■■■■——.”

Darkness spread.

What is this?!

Leonard realized what was happening as the surroundings instantly turned pitch black, his eyes widening in shock. He couldn’t help it.

Mindscape—a domain accessible only to martial artists who had reached the Creation Realm, allowing them to project their inner microcosmos into the external world. The darkness unleashed by the Mind Kraken was remarkably similar to this.

Surrounded by blackness, Leonard could sense the malice creeping into himself.

“Is it... invading our minds?!”

The creature, with its incomparably vast mental domain and servitude to an Evil God, was attempting a mental invasion. Falling victim to such a Mindscape could result in being possessed or turned into a mindless slave.

As soon as he realized the danger, Leonard was enveloped in a radiant glow.

One Origin Five Elements Cultivation Method

The Five Elements True Dragon Ring, sensing the otherworldly power, came to his aid, repelling the malevolent force that was gnawing at his skin.

The power of the Five Elements, embodying the laws of the world, was indeed the natural enemy of abilities from the other dimension. Leonard’s energy was being consumed as he was being protected from the Mind Kraken’s mental attack, but the cost was nothing compared to the benefits.

I don’t have to worry about being possessed now, but I still can’t do anything against it.

Leonard could see it clearly—the trump card the Mind Kraken had unveiled, Mindscape Invasion, had enveloped the area, dragging him and Russell into a boundary between the physical and mental dimensions.

Slashing through the darkness with sword energy would be futile, as it would just converge back. Only a colossal force capable of destroying the Mindscape itself would be efficient in this situation.

However, Leonard also had to be careful not to exhaust his strength, as succumbing to the mental invasion would be disastrous.

A prolonged battle won’t wear us down. The problem is that the others from Aquamarine have to keep fighting in the meantime.

Russell’s defensive magic was powerful enough to sense from a distance, capable of repelling both physical and mental attacks. Despite being overwhelmingly powerful, the Mind Kraken couldn’t endlessly use such formidable otherworldly abilities like Mindscape Invasion.

At most, the monster could maintain it for an hour or two.

“They might be able to hold on, but...”

If Ninian, Galano, and Marianne surpassed his expectations, Aquamarine might walk away from this expedition without any casualties. However, if this went according to Leonard’s prediction, a delay of an hour or two could prove catastrophic.

This wasn’t a situation where he could passively endure a war of attrition.

If I cut through with my mind sword, we can escape. But there’s still no way to defeat it afterward. I haven’t found the core’s location or the creature’s weak spot yet. This is still far from over.

Dozens of tactics and scenarios played out in the seasoned warrior’s mind as he tried to devise a way to defeat this giant. And sure enough, a solution came within a few minutes.

“Hmm.”

It was a ridiculous strategy, but Leonard couldn’t think of anything better. Determined, he closed his eyes for a brief moment. Only a madman would attempt something like this, but sometimes, madmen surpassed geniuses.

After a few deep breaths, Leonard finally withdrew the Five Elements Qi that had been enveloping him. The Five Elements True Dragon Ring writhed as if rebelling but soon succumbed to its master’s will.

And then...

Swoooosh—!

The darkness released by the Mind Kraken, the power of the Mindscape Invasion, engulfed Leonard and invaded him.