Chapter 377: Growth And Life On Kraken
Chapter 377: Growth And Life On Kraken
The 25% defense ignore ripped past the creature’s energetic shielding, and the high-tier hellfire detonated its core from the inside out. The fourth Nabuyak exploded into a massive shockwave of grey ash, the kinetic force blowing away the surrounding dark fog for a three-mile radius.Kyle hit the ground sliding, his right leg smoking, his breath completely ragged as his HP indicators flashed warning symbols.
[HP: 150/1000]
[Demon Energy: 1300/2500]
[Shadow Energy: 750/1000]
Behind him, the massive pile of debris began to explode upward. The first two Nabuyaks, though heavily damaged and scarred by the runic timber, had finally broken free from their wooden prison. Their structures were cracked, their red circles flickering unsteadily, but their hatred had reached an absolute boiling point. They slithered forward, dragging their broken energy matrices, ready to drag Kyle down into the dirt with them.
Kyle stood his ground, lifting his fists despite his trembling muscles. He was completely out of high-tier tricks, but his killing intent remained completely steady at 25 points.
But before the two damaged beasts could close the distance, the runic tattoo on Kyle’s left hand flared with a blinding, incandescent crimson light.
The shadow cloud of the Rootcrystal Deer suddenly manifested from his flesh, expanding into a massive, ethereal projection of the majestic horned beast that towered over the clearing. The deer didn’t attack. It simply let out a low, resonant snort that rippled across the plains like a localized electromagnetic pulse.
The moment the sound wave struck the two remaining Nabuyaks, their black snake eyes dilated with a sudden, absolute terror. It was a hierarchy suppression—the authority of a higher being completely paralyzing a lower-tier apex predator. Recognizing the ancient presence within Kyle, the two beasts slowly backed away into the deep fog, their forms dissolving back into the planetary miasma until their signatures completely vanished from Snow’s radar.
The crimson projection receded back into Kyle’s hand, leaving behind a faint, pulsing warmth.
’A passable performance, student,’ the deer’s telepathic voice resonated inside his mind, its tone carrying a hint of genuine, albeit cynical, respect. ’You managed to survive without forcing me to break the terms of our little contract. Perhaps you aren’t completely entirely useless.’
Kyle dropped to one knee, gasping for air as the Medium Regeneration of his devil scales slowly began to patch up his blistered skin and torn muscles. He looked over at Elara, who was still resting peacefully under the protection of the life crystal blessing, completely oblivious to the absolute carnage that had just transpired around her.
[Tactical threat eliminated. Scanning area for secondary entities...] Snow’s voice chimed in, returning to its standard, automated pacing. [Perimeter clear, Host. You have successfully unraveled the first layer of the localized anomaly.]
Kyle pushed himself back up, bracing his hands on his knees as he stared out into the dark, endless plains of Kraken. The battle was won, his stats were tested to their absolute limits, but the mystery of this planet—and the shadow of Vladimir’s apocalyptic army—was looming larger than ever.
The acrid stench of grey ash and charred ancient timber hung heavily in the freezing atmosphere of the plains. Kyle stood in the center of the devastation, his breath coming in ragged, visible plumes as the invisible devil scales of his passive Demon Scales worked to knit his torn muscle fibers back together. His HP was sitting at a precarious 150 out of 1000, and the continuous 15% life-force drain from his soul-bound companion felt like a slow, rhythmic leeching of his core.
"We can’t stay here," Kyle muttered, his voice gravelly. He looked down at Elara, who remained entirely dead weight, her face peaceful under the absolute vitality protection of the 3-week life crystal blessing. "The blast from that final Divergence Flame probably alerted everything within a ten-mile radius."
[Host, I highly recommend immediate relocation,] Snow’s voice chimed inside his skull, shifting back into an advisory, tactical drone. [My localized geographical mapping has identified a small, semi-subterranean cave structure exactly 1.2 kilometers north-northwest. The cavern is sheltered by dense basalt formations, which will naturally mask your heat signature and demonic energy residue from roaming predators.]