Free Web NovelChapter 467: Core Values
Persephone, along with the others, seemed more than willing to vent off some steam.
Particularly Eliza and Elina, since they were still slightly shaken by their last encounter with the illusion that had almost ended their lives.
Michael was the first one to act. Using Lightning Surge, he blurred forward, leaving a trail of crackling thunder in his wake.
The fighting illusions, which all bore the appearance of werewolves, didn’t get the chance to spot him until it was too late.
Appearing behind an oblivious foe in a flash, Michael opted to use his physical strength rather than rely on Devil and struck the enemy with his fist.
Whoosh!
The werewolf-like illusion was swept off its feet and flung to the side.
Although the creature dimmed ever so slightly, it was by no means defeated.
Letting out a deafening howl, the creature rose back onto its two legs, shining eyes locking onto Michael.
The subjects in MSAP-8’s domain were accustomed to only encountering creations of light and flame. How an existence operating on different metrics had appeared here was irrelevant.
All the werewolf cared about was killing Michael!
Not only had he been the first to strike, but perhaps the blood and flesh he was made of could prove the key the illusion was in desperate need of to reach greater warmth!
Its two muscular arms bulged, charging in while also attempting to assault his mind.
[Archwarlock activated!]
Michael remained unfazed.
Stepping forward, his eyes gleamed crimson with the faint hue of gold.
Boom!
Responding to the werewolf’s attack in kind, he spread out his arms and grabbed its two limbs before the slashes could connect.
Despite towering over Michael with more than two heads, the werewolf-like creature was shocked to learn that the human before it was superior in strength!
Michael chuckled upon seeing the creature’s bewildered expression.
Naturally, he didn’t pause.
His arm’s muscles hidden under the robes swelled, pulling in two different directions.
Before the werewolf could realize what was happening, Michael tore its two arms apart.
"Don’t try to run. I am far from done." He declared coldly.
Given the nature of the illusions, he knew that their cores allowed them to recover from all damage.
However, he wasn’t willing to allow that.
While the werewolf was still in a daze, he kicked its left leg, fracturing it on the spot.
The illusion’s body tilted to the side only to be met by Michael’s headbutt.
Falling to the ground, its form temporarily dispersed, exposing the core resting in its torso.
Michael’s eyes gleamed as he took firm hold of it, accomplishing his aim.
Of course, he could have relied on Devil’s sharpness as a Supreme Rank weapon to sever it and kill the creature on the spot... But that would have shattered the core beyond repair.
Instead, he was curious to put Elina’s words into practice.
Focusing on the orb, he forced his spiritual energy within it.
At first, the core protested, doing its best to fend off the foreign energy.
Yet it became apparent that its struggles were for naught. With Elina’s confirmation that the method worked, Michael didn’t have a problem redirecting more of his power into the core until it was forced into submission.
Giving in, the core shuddered a couple of seconds later, losing a portion of its shine and, with it, the spark of consciousness.
"It worked." Michael murmured, examining the core by bringing it closer to his eyes.
Even if extracting the cores was more tedious than outright fracturing them, they were still a form of currency that could prove useful.
"Would giving them to the fox benefit her more when they are in this state?" He wondered out loud. "Also, what about Devil? Since the core doesn’t have a will of its own anymore, would he be able to consume them without experiencing any backlash like before?"
Several hypotheses came to mind.
Theorizing was all well and good, but he required more cores to conduct tests.
Fortunately, the werewolves that had gathered in this place were more than enough.
Shortly after Michael charged, the others of the squad pounced on the creatures.
The illusions, which had once battled against one another, temporarily teamed up against the newcomers.
Only to realize that even with their might combined, they still fell far too short.
The nine-tailed fox, battling in her true form, tore through their ranks with ease. Not only was she colossal, but she was also agile and flexible enough to leave the illusions for a spin whenever she ran across the sky.
Elina and Eliza were more than content with finally battling creatures they could take on solo.
Devil welcomed the werewolves’ hostility with open arms, eager to show his dominance by exerting superior force.
With Michael reassuring her that he was going to be alright, Angel morphed into her true form as well, joining the fray.
Undoubtedly, Persephone was the most remarkable.
She walked nonchalantly, darkness spreading outward from her path. Every werewolf that dared venture too close was met with a chain locking around the base of its neck.
With their strength snapped, they could only kneel helplessly in place.
Persephone met their pitiful attempts with a maniacal grin. Lifting her slender foot, she stomped on their cores, killing them in a particularly humiliating way.
"Neither brain nor might... disappointing." She sighed dejectedly.
At least Devil had the power to exert his overconfident personality... These creatures were but insects that Persephone could eliminate with a mere stomp.
Soon after, the plaza turned silent with the battling illusions eliminated.
Content, Michael looked at his stash. He had managed to extract twenty cores successfully.
"Try eating that!" He said, throwing one to Devil.
Raising an eyebrow, Devil observed the orb with curiosity, shrugged, and devoured it in a single bite.
"It doesn’t burn anymore." He said, spitting it out. "But the taste is abysmal. No way I am eating that."
"Human..." Noticing the cores, the fox glared at Michael. "How did you obtain so many?"
’Now that I think about it, illusions don’t seem to have conscious control over spiritual energy as we do. Obtaining them must be much harder for them, explaining their value.’ Michael realized.
He smiled warmly. Finally a chance to ensure the fox stayed by their side had presented itself.
"Unlike you lot, we can extract them much easier." Michael explained.
For the first time, the fox’s usual demeanor wavered, her eyes enlarging slightly.
"How about it?" He continued. "You help us kill the Titan, or the Almighty as you call it, and in return you have a guaranteed stash of extracted cores."
The fox pondered for a few moments.
"Before announcing my decision, I have to test them."
Michael chuckled, hurling one in her direction.
Leaping high, almost like a dog, she caught it in midair and shattered it with her jaws. fɾeewebnoveℓ.co๓
Particles surged from the fading orb, embracing her figure.
"The potency is unusually high... almost like I have devoured the core straight from a still-living source." She shuddered in delight.
The reason the cores were so sought after was because they were a last resort in case of emergency. If the fox ever found herself on the brink of death, she could consume already extracted cores to recover her vitality, effectively delaying her demise.
Unknown to her, Michael’s experience with the feline plague had assisted him in the extraction process.
Still baffled, she studied him. Michael was becoming less of a burden and more of a golden goose that she was willing to follow along just for the benefits.
"Just so you know... My service doesn’t come cheap."
Michael grinned, offering her the rest of the haul.
With a nod, the fox stored them in her body for rainy days and glanced to the side.
"To show my gratitude, come with me. I’m detecting signals from more of your kind."
