“For God’s sake, Lucas, I told you we should leave… But now, we’re all doomed.”
“This is actual Hell!”
The humans who stayed trembled in fear as they gazed upon the massive dragon in the sky. The sight was nothing short of catastrophic.
They began to run alongside some smaller beasts, but they, too, were swallowed.
With Devouring still active, Aengus flew from place to place, shifting locations after each round of Devouring until nothing was left.
His stats crossed the 6,500 mark, and low ranks were becoming almost useless at this point.
Sticking to his initial plan, he pulled the lower ranks, ranging from F to C Rank, into his Dimensional Space using hundreds of invisible strings each second.
On the other hand, his legion had quickly surpassed the 20,000 mark in numbers, making a formidable power to be unleashed.
While his Devouring continued, targeting higher-rank beasts and occasionally humans caught in the crossfire, he selectively absorbed skills best suited for himself from thousands of duplicate abilities gathered from the beasts.
—
[ You have acquired a new skill: Phantom Mirage (B) ]
[ You have acquired a new skill: Hurricane Gale (B) ]
[ You have acquired a new skill: Ghostly Steps (C) ]
[ You have acquired a new skill: Aqua Serpent’s Vortex (B) ]
[ You have acquired a new skill: Ice Breath (A) ]
[ You have acquired a new skill: Arctic Bear’s Glacial Shield (B) ]
—
Within just a few minutes, nearly one percent of the Darkwood Forest had been wiped from existence. Considering it’s size of millions of square kms, it was a significant proportion.
If left unchecked for even an hour, there would be no one capable of stopping him.
But, as is often the case, everything don’t go that easily as you wish.
Aengus could feel a multitude of powerful presences closing in. The rumbling of the earth and the shift in the wind from their overwhelming power told him all he needed to know.
Still, Aengus didn’t halt his actions. He was like a relentless leech, swallowing everything in his path.
In no time, another percentage of the forest was gone, and his stats had crossed an average of 7,500.
Every fiber of his being pulsed with raw power, which only continued to surge.
—
“Rumble! Rumble!”
“Screech!”
—
Before Aengus could inflict further devastation, he suddenly found himself surrounded by nine massive mythical creatures. They were nearly comparable to his size and appeared even stronger than S-Rank beasts.
Using his Appraisal ability, Aengus confirmed his suspicions; they were the legendary nine mythical creatures he had heard about.
The first to arrive was the massive seven-tailed fox, renowned for its incredible speed. Following closely was the Thunder Griffin, its hawk-like eyes scanning the surroundings with sharp precision. Next came the kirin, a magnificent creature that combined features of a deer, dragon, and horse, radiating an otherworldly aura.
Then, there was Fenrir, the monstrous wolf, whose presence alone sent chills through the air. The Frost Bear from the north lumbered forward, its thick fur shimmering with icy power, while the Flaming Tiger flickered with flames, a living embodiment of fire and ferocity.
The nine-headed hydra Serpent slithered ominously, each head hissing and snapping with a hunger for battle. The Ancient mammoth stomped onto the scene, its sheer size a testament to its long history. Lastly, arriving slowly and with an unyielding presence was the Earth Turtle, famed for its impenetrable defense.
Together, they formed an imposing alliance, their collective gaze locked onto Aengus’s Dragon form, ready to tear him apart.
Aengus paused his Omni-Devour skill and fixed his gaze on them.
“Swoosh!”
In the next moment, the seven-tailed fox attacked, using its tails as sharp as deadly spears.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Aengus remained unfazed as he allowed the strikes to hit his tough dragon body, having assessed their strengths and weaknesses. It felt barely an itch.
His gleaming ashen-black scales seemed indestructible, with all 7,500 of his defense boosted by his dragon form, resulting in raw physical prowess that reached into the hundreds of thousands. He was overpowered among them all in terms of raw power.
However, their combined might and tactics could prove troublesome.
All the mythical creatures, including the fox, were astonished, but they expected as much.
“Awoooo!”
“Haha… just as the Beast Lord said, you’re truly a menace… Human!” Fenrir spoke first, laughing at the absurdity of the situation.
“Screech! I can’t believe he is human. Truly terrifying,” the Thunder Griffin added fearfully.
“Roar! it’s a mystery what his true identity is. Human? Dragon? Or perhaps… a demon?”
Understanding their language thanks to Manas’ implementing the beast language on him, Aengus opened his mouth and spoke:
“Stop trying to buy time, all of you. Your intentions are easy to read.” His voice was thick and imposing, resonating like that of a true dragon.
“Tell me, who placed the curse on her? Was it you? Or your Beast Lord? Who… Is… It?”
He fired off his questions relentlessly, his gaze piercing.
The nine mythical creatures narrowed their eyes, caught off guard by his perceptiveness. They hadn’t expected him to be so clever.
They were truly buying time for their Beast Lord to arrive, but he was preoccupied with something important, causing a delay.
Now, with his awareness, every passing second will be increasingly difficult to manage.
“Hiss, hiss! We don’t know what you’re talking about. Who is this ‘her’ you speak of?” the Nine-Headed Hydra hissed, feigning ignorance. They knew better than to further enrage an already furious dragon.
“Hmph!” Aengus snorted, his nostrils flaring.
“Fine. I will lift that curse by killing every creature in this forest. You’ll all pay for trying to harm my beloved,” he declared with fierce resolve.
“Howl! How arrogant! We’re not here just for show, human. We’ll kill you first, even if it costs us our lives,” the ancient Mammoth, towering like a mountain, bellowed, its voice filled with hatred and unyielding determination to defend their home.
The Fox and the other eight mythical creatures exchanged glances, reaching a silent agreement.
“Whoosh!”
“Roar!”
“Screech, screech!”
“Hiss…”
Each creature activated its unique abilities and lunged at Aengus’ Abyssal Blazing Dragon form. Their intention clear: Kill or buy time.
Can Aengus defeat them all? Or is something even more dangerous waiting on the horizon, threatening to be his downfall
