Aengus quickly activated Symbol of Good Fortune, increasing his luck tenfold. He hoped this boost would grant him a better chance at survival.
With his wing now fully recovered, he vanished into space using Space Law.
The Basilisk, its eyes blazing with berserk fury, missed him by just a moment. It scanned the vast forest, trying to detect his presence through scent, but failed this time.
Aengus, cautious and intent on remaining hidden, cloaked himself with Invisible Cloak (Darkness trait) using Chaos Energy.
He reappeared at the furthest possible distance from the Basilisk, hundreds of kilometers away, moving silently.
There, hovering invisibly in the sky, Aengus spotted hordes of A and B-Rank beasts gathered in their thousands—likely evacuated to this area for safety.
He grinned and focused deeply, first attempting to replicate the Barrier of Ruination to swallow them silently. However, the complexity of that barrier proved to be more challenging than anything he’d faced before.
Instead, he successfully created a simpler isolation barrier, covering a 5-kilometer radius.
—
[ New Skill Acquired: Chaos Isolation Barrier (A) ]
Chaos Isolation Barrier: Using Chaos Energy as a source, this barrier isolates a 5-kilometer radius, making it appear like an illusion to the outside. Once activated, it lasts for 10 minutes and can be used repeatedly. Mana Consumption: 500.
Aengus revealed a predatory smile as his massive dragon form suddenly became visible within the isolation barrier, showing no signs of worry.
“Howl!”
The beasts below were terrified, frozen in fear as they gazed up at the fearsome, predatory dragon towering over them. Panic erupted as they tried desperately to flee, only to find themselves trapped in what felt like an endless illusion with no escape.
Aengus wasted no time, knowing that each second was critical.
“Buzz…”
He activated Omni-Devour once more, consuming the beasts at an astonishing rate, swallowing dozens per second. His stats began to skyrocket, and he selectively absorbed powerful skills from the creatures he devoured.
[ You have acquired a new skill: Lightning Roc’s Skybreaker Dive (A) – Drops from above with a lightning-charged impact, creating a shockwave.
[You have acquired a new skill: Tempest Tiger’s Lightning Veil (B) – Cloaks the user in electricity, shocking enemies upon contact.
[ You have acquired a new skill: Golden Wyvern’s Scales (A) – Temporarily coats the user in gold armor, reflecting a portion of incoming damage.
[ Strength +8, Agility +7, Defense +9 ]
[ Origin Mana +300 ]
[ Strength… ]
…
Just as the first barrier was about to disappear, Aengus finished devouring all the beasts within the 5 km radius.
His stats had risen to terrifying levels:
[ Strength: 9,300 ]
[ Agility: 9,400 ]
[ Defense: 9,540 ]
[ Origin Mana: 140,000/150,000 ]
He felt the immense power coursing through his veins and muscles, ready to be unleashed. Although his strength had nearly doubled, he knew it still wasn’t enough to defeat the Basilisk.
Without delay, he silently slipped through space and targeted another massive horde of thousands. Using Shadow Monarch’s Dominion, he commanded the beasts to remain silent as he cast the barrier once again.
Once more, the devouring continued.
He could hear the faint, frustrated roars of the Basilisk, but he ignored them completely, focusing solely on gaining more strength.
Once his stats crossed the 12,000 threshold, he felt almost invincible. Every cell in his body pulsed with vibrant power, his muscles condensed and fortified. Confidence surged as he realized he was nearing the Basilisk’s power level.
Just as he was about to begin another devouring session, something unexpected happened.
“Shua, shua, shua…”
He heard the rustling of winds and the sound of something slicing through the air at incredible speed.
“Crack, shatter!”
In an instant, the Isolation Barrier shattered, leaving him completely exposed. Not only that, but an ancient, metal rod-like weapon was continuing its path toward Aengus, aimed to smash him. It was nearly 1,000 meters long and incredibly thick.
Aengus realized the impact of the incoming weapon would be devastating, so he quickly moved away at high speed to dodge it, only to find that it was following him relentlessly, as if glued to his trail.
“Roar!”
In the distance, he spotted the Basilisk advancing as well.
Deciding to deal with the weapon first, Aengus used Appraisal and discovered it was a God-Weapon—immensely powerful and nearly indestructible.
[ Appraisal ]
[ Beast God’s Scepter ]
[ Description: A God Weapon crafted by the Beast God ]
[ Rank: SSS (God) ]
[ Abilities:
1. Shape shifter
2. Absolute Command Throw
3. Arcane Annihilation Throw
4. Divine Boost.
The idea of a head-on clash was dismissed immediately.
[ Primordial Beast King ]
“Rumble!”
He transformed into a form identical to the Basilisk, hoping this would stop the weapon’s relentless pursuit. Now, at a similar size to the Beast Lord, he towered into the clouds, darkening the sky. The beasts below appeared like ants, insignificant beneath his immense presence.
To his surprise, the God-Weapon really ceased its relentless pursuit after his transformation.
“What in the heavens…?”
The God-beast Basilisk, along with the other Mythical Creatures, stared in shock at Aengus, whose transformation now mirrored the Beast Lord perfectly.
“Human, what did you do?” The Beast Lord Basilisk demanded, approaching him.
Aengus smirked. “What else? I copied you and your abilities.”
Though he had only replicated the Basilisk’s innate abilities and not the full power of the Beast God’s Blessing, his transformation seemed enough to create confusion.
“Copy a God-beast? Is that even possible?” The Basilisk’s incredulous voice resonated through the battlefield.
“Come back!” The Beast Lord shouted, summoning the God-Weapon with urgency, sensing a deepening threat. As the weapon hesitated to return to his grip, he moved to retrieve it, but he was too late.
“Come here!” Aengus commanded, snatching the weapon in his Basilisk form.
The moment he held the weapon, an immense surge of energy flooded through him, amplifying his power several times over. He gripped the weapon with both massive hands and struck it against the ground with full force.
“BOOOOM!”
“RUMBLE!!”
A massive volcanic eruption erupted from the impact, sending shockwaves that tore through the ground, followed by a powerful earthquake that resonated across Solis. The explosion spanned kilometers, hurling the Beast Lord Basilisk far into the distance and scorching the Mythical Creatures beyond recognition as they were flung away by the blast.
