Chapter 202: Broken Despair
‘My next goal is to reach the limit of everything. Only then can I make full use of the blessing of order.’
Zyrus’s cold eyes focused on the coming enemies. The end of Flag March wasn’t too far off. Thus, it was about time he started preparing for the third ring.
As for what to work on right now, it was made pretty obvious from the last fight as well. His biggest disadvantage right now was his inability to use blood fusion and recover his vitality.
He had shrugged it off as something that had no solution since the mermen turned into puddles of water after death. It wasn’t the wrong assumption, but at the same time, it was wrong to say that there was no solution.
*Clang*Clang*Clang*
The merfolk marched at a steady pace. Crab soldiers, mermen that rode on seahorses, octopuses that wielded weapons in each hand….there were all sorts of strange yet powerful creatures.
Zyrus realized that he had neglected something important. He was neither a human nor from a humanoid race. The Sylvarix were notorious for their ability to evolve. Perhaps it was due to his past memories as a human, but Zyrus never really thought of fighting like a real monster.
He used his brain to create new skills. He used his hands to wield an epic weapon like the twilight crusher. He used his scales to defend against all sorts of attacks.
But what about his horns? What about his tail? What about his teeth? He had never used them to their full potential.
And starting from today, that would change.
Zyrus roared and charged at the merfolk army with his jaws wide open. Since he couldn’t use blood fusion on them, then he’d just eat them alive.
“Vyrun nok(Surround him)”
“Kelzhun thar(Prepare the net)”
The lobster general shouted off one command after another. After gathering enough intel on the players, they were well-prepared to deal with Zyrus.
Be it the noxious shrine or the twilight crusher, the merfolk had created plans to deal with all of Zyrus’s moves. Nothing was impossible when an army of 50,000 was fighting against a lone king.
*Crunch*
Unfortunately for them, the one they were fighting against was the last Sylvarix, an entity far more horrifying than anyone’s imagination.
Zyrus tore apart an octopus with his sharp teeth and devoured its flesh. This was the first casualty; one that raised the curtains of a brutal fight.
*ZZzziiiingg*
Hail of spears broke the sound barrier and struck him from all sides. Instead of counterattacking or dodging by using the void quandary, Zyrus went in for another kill.
“Kiek-”
The poor crab soldier didn’t have a chance to resist before it was engulfed whole. Zyrus was afraid that fighting like this would affect his palate, so he decided to coat his mouth with mana.
This would also help in case some merfolk had annoying abilities like self-explosion.
‘And this is working better than I thought.’
Zyrus realized that blood fusion and devour had a great synergy. It wasn’t simply limited to one recovering HP and other MP. The activation of one talent made the other’s task easier. Blood fusion considered everything except the target’s vitality a waste, and devour did the same for mana.
The process became much more efficient with one expelling the waste and the other absorbing it.
*ZZzziiiingg*
The merfolk were unfazed by his retaliation. It didn’t matter whether he killed one or a thousand. All they cared about was inflicting as many wounds as possible.
‘Damn it hurts.’
Not only did the wound made by spears hurt, Zyrus was also suffering from internal damage.
There was a fraction of time before the merfolk were turned into water. He ate them in order to use blood fusion in that window, but it didn’t solve the fundamental issue. The merfolk still dissolved after their death, and he didn’t have the method to deal with that.
It definitely didn’t feel nice to have a stream of water running rampant in your body. Zyrus was left with no choice except for using mana to expel that water.
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He utilized the wounds inflicted by the merfolk and turned them into outlets for his skills. He was well aware that this wouldn’t work if he kept taking damage at the current rate.
‘Just a while longer….’
Zyrus gave it his all in defending and waited for his hidden card. He hadn't wasted the past few days waiting above this bubble.
It was true that he was essentially trapped in this bubble, but who’s to say this wasn’t the other way around?
He slashed the octopuses with his claws and slammed the seahorses with his tail. Those that approached closer were either pierced by his horns or torn apart by his jaws.
He could’ve used spear aura or arcane lance to ease the burden, but deep down, he knew that it would be the easy way out.
‘Since I’ve decided to fight like a Sylvarix, I might as well go all in.’
The clashes went on and more and more wounds accumulated on Zyrus’s body. The once majestic azure dragon now looked like a beat-up worm.
His mobility was restricted due to the king’s role, and to top it off, he refrained from using any skills. The difficulty of the current fight was simply absurd. If not for the fact that the lobster general was trying to wear him out, Zyrus knew that it would’ve been impossible to fight like this.
This was a painful and exhausting battle, and the system acknowledged it.
The great thing about sanctuary was that one’s efforts wouldn’t be in vain. They would be rewarded as long as they worked hard enough and earned the system’s acknowledgment.
Zyrus had proven his worth time and time again during this fight. His tenacity and bloodthirsty nature had earned him the power he desired.
[Congratulations! You have earned the achievement: Child of Gluttony(S)]
[You have obtained the skill: Maw of Oblivion]
[SP +3]
[EP +1]
[Congratulations! You have earned the achievement: Rampage of the Tyrant(S)]
[You have obtained the skill: Eclipse Snare]
[SP +3]
[EP +1]
Zyrus roared with his bloody mouth and lunged at the coming army. He was more than eager to put his newly gained skills into use.
There were no screams.
There were no corpses.
Anyone that came near his maw was sent to oblivion.
‘The skill’s name is well-earned indeed.’
Even the dauntless merfolk couldn't help but retreat in fear, giving him room for a breather. Zyrus opened the status and looked at the skills he had acquired.
[Maw of Oblivion (C): Once your jaws close, nothing but silence shall remain]
[Ingest your enemy to send their lives to oblivion.]
Effects: Shrinks the enemy inside your mouth depending on their level. Incapacitated and fatally wounded enemies will be killed instantly.
CD: 10 minutes
It was a rather meaningless skill since its only practical use was to stuff more enemies inside your mouth. The insta-kill effect was useful in eliminating any last-minute struggles, but that was all it was good for.
Besides, how many had a mouth big enough to eat their enemies? The skills' C rank was enough of an indicator. Nonetheless, the skill that was suitable for you was more important than one that had a higher rank.
This was the perfect example of that. Maw of oblivion was of great use to Zyrus’s talents.
“Shoval nokath.”
“Tch...same old trick,” Zyrus scoffed at the lobster general who was deploying a familiar formation. The merfolk stepped away from him and prepared their long-range attacks. It was a cowardly tactic, but there was no denying its effectiveness.
‘I might’ve had some trouble before…but not now.’
Zyrus flew higher and higher while avoiding as many attacks as possible. He needed enough space to use the skill, and the merfolk’s strategy made it all the more easy.
[Eclipse Snare (C+): Fleeing is but a fool’s dream]
[The cowards are unworthy to remain on the battlefield. It is your duty to exterminate either them or their cowardice]
Effects: Sweep your tail to create a mana eclipse. Enemies who are avoiding you will be dragged inside and be ensnared. The effect is negated against courageous foes.
Ensnare: Movement restricted to the skill’s area, reduces the rate of MP and stamina utilization.
Consumption: 10/20/50% of your MP and Stamina.
CD: 10/30/240 minutes
Eclipse Snare was the exact opposite of the Maw of Oblivion. The Maw of Oblivion was created based on Zyrus’s actions whereas the Eclipse Snare was a stroke of luck. There were times when sanctuary awarded one with skills that were niche but great in power.
The sole reason behind their low ranking was due to their restrictions for usage. This was a double-edged sword as one might find the skill that was utter trash or extremely useful.
‘As they say, fortune favors the bold,’
This skill would be great even without his transformation. Needless to say, the current him was most suited to use it.
*Fwooooom*
Zyrus flew in circles and swept his tail towards a singular direction, almost as if he was sweeping in mana from every direction.
This was quite an energy-draining skill as it consumed his mana and stamina in an instant. And the result was, of course, just as great.
Hundreds of nearby merfolk were pulled towards the white eclipse. Zyrus didn’t know the exact workings of his new skills, but it was easy to figure out that they had good synergy.
The combination of a crowd control skill and an area of effect skill was fatal to the merfolk. This also proved just how difficult it was to kill someone like Zyrus.
The lobster general had gravely underestimated him by choosing to tire him out. It was one thing to attack him with an elite squad, but to send these common soldiers was nothing but idiocy. An army of ants could kill an elephant, but what if that elephant could regenerate? What if it could get stronger by killing the ants?
There would be nothing but a brutal massacre.
Time trickled by under the menfolk’s stubborn assault. Their deaths started to pile up from tens to hundreds and from hundreds to thousands.
In fact, it would be less frightening if the dead were piled up instead of being eaten by Zyrus. The merfolk weren’t without emotions. No one could remain sane after seeing their comrades being eaten alive one after another.
Perhaps this was the hypocritical nature of most sentient beings. They could kill another without batting an eye. They had no qualms against eating the beasts slain under their blades.
And yet, they couldn’t accept when the same thing happened to their kind. They were angry at Zyrus who invaded their holy land and caused countless deaths. That anger could be a great weapon, and that’s what the lobster general was aiming for.
It was a pity that it was destined to fail.
The sword of rage shattered and left nothing but broken despair. The wounds inflicted by their emotions were more fatal than anything Zyrus had done so far.