Chapter 45: Change in Aura
And even as they obeyed his commands without hesitation, a part of them seemed drawn toward the distant figure who stood at the center of the devastation, silently wishing to witness the strength of the one they served.
Theodore stared at the distant figure standing amidst the devastation and couldn’t help but mutter,
"So he wasn’t bluffing when he said he would take care of the three beasts... though he doesn’t feel human anymore. He feels more like a demon."
Of course, Theodore wasn’t saying this because Nova had killed the Hydra.
If he wanted to, Theodore himself could have slain the creature without much difficulty. After all, he was Level 250, while the Hydra had only been Level 200. The true reason for his reaction was something else entirely.
Nova’s aura.
Theodore had never felt such a terrifying presence from a human before. The oppressive darkness surrounding the masked man, the overwhelming killing intent, and the sheer destructive force behind that attack made him feel as though he was looking at a creature that didn’t belong among humans.
For the first time in a very long while, Theodore found himself unable to gauge someone.
Meanwhile, Nova stood at the center of the destruction, silently assessing his condition.
The attack had consumed a considerable amount of energy, nearly thirty percent of his total reserves. Fortunately, the energy was recovering at a surprisingly fast rate, so he wasn’t particularly worried. Even so, a slight feeling of fatigue lingered within his body.
{You shouldn’t do something like that unless you become more proficient at using Demonic Energy.}
Liya’s voice suddenly echoed in his mind.
{Let me make something clear. The demonic energy you consumed wasn’t completely pure. It originated from demonic beasts, after all.}
Nova listened quietly.
{However, through the adaptation abilities of your Innate Skill, it was continuously refined and transformed into its purest form—a type of demonic energy that normally only exists within high-level demons.}
Nova raised an eyebrow. "Hmm... are demons different from demonic beasts?" Until now, he had assumed they were simply different names for the same creatures.
{Of course they’re different.}
Liya sounded almost offended by the question.
{Demons are the true native inhabitants of the Abyss. They are intelligent beings capable of creating civilizations, ruling territories, and commanding armies. Demonic beasts are merely secondary creatures that possess traces of demonic energy within their bodies. The gap between the two is much larger than you think.}
"Well... that’s new to me." Nova nodded thoughtfully.
His understanding of the world was still limited, and every new piece of information seemed to reveal an even larger picture hidden beneath the surface.
Pushing those thoughts aside for the moment, he gazed across the battlefield. The effects of his attack were immediately noticeable.
The beast tide had been heavily thinned, and the pressure on the defenders had decreased significantly. Warriors who had been on the verge of being overwhelmed were now steadily pushing back. The morale of the defenders had also risen dramatically after witnessing thousands of beasts vanish in a single attack.
Even Nova had to admit that the sword technique was far stronger than he had expected. Killing thousands of enemies in one strike...The results were certainly satisfying. Seeing the situation stabilize, Nova finally allowed himself to relax slightly.
The city was no longer in immediate danger. Only two Rank A beasts remained. Just as that thought crossed his mind—
ROOOOAAARRRRR!!!
A deafening roar suddenly shook the entire battlefield. The sound was so powerful that the ground trembled beneath everyone’s feet.Nova’s eyes instantly narrowed as he turned toward its source.
The colossal Earth Dragon, a creature barely any smaller than the Hydra, let out a furious roar as it witnessed Nova kill the nine-headed monster. However, it wasn’t enraged because the Hydra had died. To a creature of its level, the death of another beast meant nothing.
What truly angered it was the fact that a mere human had displayed such overwhelming power right in front of it. In its eyes, Nova’s actions were nothing less than a challenge to its authority.
ROOOOAAARRRR!!!
The Earth Dragon charged forward.
Its massive body crushed countless demonic beasts beneath its feet as it advanced. Every step caused the ground to tremble violently, creating cracks that spread across the battlefield. The sheer pressure of its approach was enough to make countless warriors pale.
Back on the defensive line, Theodore’s expression immediately changed.
"Everyone, fall back! Strengthen the defenses!"
His voice echoed across the battlefield.
The other commanders quickly reacted as well, ordering their forces to retreat and reorganize. None of them were foolish enough to underestimate a creature of that size and power.
Meanwhile, Nova wasted no time. The moment the Earth Dragon began moving, he raised his hand toward the scattered remains of the Hydra.
<REQUIEM>
Dark energy surged outward.
The countless pieces of the Hydra’s corpse trembled before shadows gathered around them. Moments later, the massive beast rose once again, its body now formed entirely of darkness with purple patterns swirling across its scales.
The Deadborn Hydra lowered all nine of its heads before Nova in absolute submission. A faint smile appeared beneath Nova’s mask.
"Go distract the Chimera."
He pointed toward the distant Rank A beast.
"I know you won’t be able to kill it, but keep it occupied for now and don’t let it approach the city." The Deadborn Hydra immediately obeyed. freёwebnovel.com
Without hesitation, it turned and charged toward the Chimera’s location, its enormous body shaking the battlefield as it moved. Nova watched it leave before turning his attention back toward the approaching Earth Dragon.
However, something suddenly struck him as odd. After killing the Hydra, he hadn’t felt the familiar surge of experience. Normally, a beast of that level should have rewarded him with an enormous amount of EXP.
Nova frowned slightly. Before he could question it, Liya’s voice echoed in his mind.
{I didn’t want to distract you while you were concentrating on your attack. The system notifications would have been quite annoying.}
A playful tone entered her voice.
{So I temporarily held them back for you.}
{Here you go~}
DING!!
[You have killed a Level 200 Hydra.]
[Your Deadborn has killed a Level 117 Ogre Chieftain.]
[Your Deadborn has killed a Level 102 Troll Berserker.]
[You have killed a Level 96 Orc Warlord.]
[Your Deadborn has killed a Level 131 Stone Golem.]
[Your Deadborn has killed a Level 109 Bunny Tyrant.]
[You have killed a Level 88 Venom Drake.]
[Your Deadborn has killed a Level 145 Abyssal tiger.]
[Your Deadborn has killed a Level 124 Imp Archon.]
[You have killed a Level 113 Ironhide Orc.]
[...]
[...]
[...]
[+EXP Earned.]
[+EXP Earned.]
[+EXP Earned.]
[...]
[...]
[You leveled up.]
[You leveled up.]
[You leveled up.]
[...]
[...]
[...]
[All Stats increased by 1.]
[All Stats increased by 2.]
[.....]
[.....]
[You have obtained 5 Stat Points.]
[ You have obtained 10,000 Evolution points]
[You have obtained 1 Luck Point.]
=========================
[Host Profile]
Name: Nova Valencrest
Age: 15
Race: Human (???)
Class: Slaughter Monarch [Level 1]
Level: 205 (Rank: B)
Bloodline: Human
Affinity: Lightning , Chaos
Mana: 2460/ 2460
Stats:
Strength: 508
Agility: 442
Stamina: 388
Intelligence: 239
Luck: 31
[Stat points: 00]
[ Evolution points: 109,960]
[ Gacha key: 00 ]
==========================
Nova instantly felt the surge of power coursing through his body. The effects of the level-ups were immediate.
His exhausted mana rapidly recovered, the fatigue lingering in his body faded away, and a fresh wave of strength flooded every muscle. His physique became even tougher than before, while his already monstrous attributes climbed to another level.
The sensation was intoxicating. Raw power overflowed through his body, making him feel as though he could tear apart the battlefield itself.
At the same time, the Earth Dragon continued its charge toward the defensive lines. Nova narrowed his eyes. He couldn’t allow that creature to get any closer to the warriors behind him.
CRACKLE!
Lightning suddenly erupted around his body.
With his increased Agility and Strength, Nova’s speed reached an entirely new realm. The ground beneath his feet exploded as he launched himself forward like a bolt of lightning. Air screamed around him as he crossed hundreds of meters in an instant, heading straight toward the colossal dragon.
The Earth Dragon noticed the approaching figure and roared furiously.
ROOOOAAARRRR!!!
Yet Nova didn’t slow down. His purple eyes gleamed beneath the mask as lightning danced around his body. The distance between them vanished in a heartbeat.
BOOOOOOM!!!
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