410: One-two!One-two!One-two!
410: One-two!One-two!One-two!
âROAAARRâ!â The Stone Scorpion King let out a savage roar, its eight blood-red eyes locking onto the glowing stone tablet in Ethanâs hand.
It sensed the energy pulsing from itâand without hesitation, it raised one massive claw and lunged straight at him.
It was like watching a tank-sized armored vehicle charging head-on.
Ethanâs eyes narrowed.
He stopped holding back.
With a surge of power, he unleashed the full force of the Domain of the Dead.
A wave of oppressive energy exploded outward, sweeping across the battlefield, stretching hundreds of feet in every direction.
The surrounding boulders, caught in the domainâs grip, began to crack and crumble, disintegrating into dust that drifted into the air like ash.
It was as if a natural disaster had descended.
The Scorpion Kingâs enormous claw, the moment it entered the Domain of the Dead, began to tremble and hum.
Its momentum slowed drasticallyâuntil it came to a complete stop mid-air.
Then it started to shake, as if it might shatter at any second.
The sight was nothing short of jaw-dropping.
Ethan had used the sheer force of his domain to halt the Scorpion Kingâs devastating attack in its tracks.
Thomas and the others stood frozen, overwhelmed by the pressure radiating from Ethan.
Their bodies trembled involuntarily.
âThisâŠ
this isnât human,â Thomas muttered, eyes wide.
âHeâs a Zombie King!â They hadnât fully grasped it beforeâEthan had barely shown his power until now.
But now it was undeniable.
No wonder heâd scared off an entire flock of mutated vultures.
No wonder he could move through a beast horde like it was nothing.
Judging by the aura he was giving off, he had to be at least S-rank.
This was a clash between two kings.
Jenny stared in awe, a chill running down her spine.
The realization hit her hardâsheâd been traveling with a Zombie King this whole time.
âThis fightâŠ
whoâs gonna win?â she asked, voice barely above a whisper.
âIs that even a question?â Sean replied confidently.
He had faith in Ethan.
Mia crossed her arms, tilting her head as she watched.
âDonât underestimate the Stone Scorpion King.
Itâs no pushover.
Ethanâs gonna have to push himself to beat it.â âWhat do you mean?â Thomas asked, frowning.
âYou think he could lose?â Mia had proven herself more than capable on this journeyâwhen she spoke, people listened.
But she just shook her head.
âNo.
Iâm saying heâll need to use at least sixty percent of his power.â ââŠSeriously?â Thomas and Sean exchanged stunned looks.
Sixty percent?
Against the Stone Scorpion King?
Back on the battlefield, the Scorpion Kingâs massive claw hovered inches from Ethan, frozen in place.
It hadnât even scratched him.
Then Ethan bent his knees and launched himself into the air.
The force of his leap cracked the stone beneath his feet.
His tall, lean figure soared upward, silhouetted against the sun.
In one hand, he raised the stone tablet high.
Energy surged into it, wild and chaotic, distorting the air around him.
The tablet blazed with light, its power building rapidlyâuntil it reached a blinding peak.
With a roar, Ethan brought it down toward the Scorpion Kingâs face.
The trailing light behind it flared like a comet streaking through the sky.
The Scorpion Kingâs instincts screamed danger.
Its primal senses kicked in, and it raised both claws to shield its head.
BOOOOM!
The impact was like two comets colliding.
A shockwave ripped through the mountainside.
Rocks shattered.
The ground split open.
Mosca Peak trembled under the force.
The Scorpion King let out a low, guttural cry of pain.
It glanced at its clawsâone of them now had a deep crater punched into it, cracks spiderwebbing out from the center.
Blue blood oozed from the wound.
âROAAARRâ!â The pain sent the Scorpion King into a frenzy.
Its killing instinct flared to the max.
It reared back and raised its massive tail, the hooked stinger gleaming wickedly.
With a violent thrust, it lunged forward, aiming to impale Ethan.
The tail sliced through the sky, blotting out the sun like a falling pillar of doom.
The air screamed in protest as it came down, the sheer force of it warping the atmosphere.
But Ethan didnât flinch.
His eyes stayed calm, locked onto the incoming strike.
He didnât even use the Domain of the Dead to block it.
Instead, just as the stinger was about to hit, he vanishedâhis body flickering sideways in a blur.
The Scorpion Kingâs tail slammed into the ground with a deafening crash.
Dust and debris exploded outward.
A massive crater opened up where it struck, cracks radiating in all directions.
Chunks of shattered rock flew through the air, tumbling down the mountainside.
Mia and the others shielded their eyes with their arms.
The shockwave alone whipped their hair around like a storm.
âSo damn powerfulâŠâ Thomas couldnât help but whisper in awe.
The battle unfolding before him had completely shattered everything he thought he knew about combat.
Every strike felt like it could end the world.
Even an S-rank Awakener wouldnât be able to pull off something like this.
âCould he be⊠SS-rank?â But what happened next blew his mind even more.
Ethan had used the concealment ability of the Domain of the Dead to dodge the Scorpion Kingâs devastating tail strike.
By the time he reappeared, he was already directly above the massive beast.
âHuh?â The Scorpion Kingâs eight crimson eyes flicked upward, a flicker of confusion and alarm in their depths.
Ethan was already descending from the sky, one leg extended downward.
Compared to the monsterâs colossal size, he looked tinyâinsignificant even.
But the moment his foot slammed down on the Scorpion Kingâs backâ BOOOOM!
The impact echoed like thunder.
The beastâs mountain-sized body buckled under the force.
All ten of its scorpion legs bent inward, its abdomen slammed into the ground, and the surrounding rocks crumbled as dust and debris exploded outward.
Ethan stood tall on its back, and once again, the Domain of the Dead expanded to its full intensity.
The crushing pressure rolled out like a tidal wave.
The Scorpion King tried to riseâbut the moment it moved, it was forced back down again.
Its body trembled, as if it were being crushed under the weight of a mountain, or drowning in the crushing depths of the ocean.
âIf you wonât cough it up,â Ethan muttered, âthen Iâll just have to dig it out of your gut.â Without another word, he raised the stone tablet highâand brought it crashing down on the Scorpion Kingâs back.
BAM!
BAM!
BAM!
Each strike landed with bone-rattling force.
The entire Mosca Peak trembled in rhythm with his blows, like a drumbeat of destruction.
Cracks split open across the Scorpion Kingâs armored back.
Blue blood sprayed into the airâonly to be instantly vaporized by the oppressive energy of the domain.
One-two!One-two!One-two!
Mia and the others found themselves echoing the rhythm under their breath, eyes wide and locked in.
Thomas and Jenny stood frozen, stunned speechless.
Their eyes were locked on Ethan, unblinking.
âThis is insaneâŠâ Thomas breathed.
The sheer brutality, the overwhelming strength, the cold precisionâit was all wrapped up in one unstoppable force.
Ethan looked like a god of war.
The Scorpion King writhed in agony, its cries echoing through the mountains.
Its massive body twisted and convulsed, and a deep crater had already formed in its back from the relentless pounding.
Then Ethan noticed somethingâfaint streaks of glowing light drifting up from the crater, all of them converging toward the stone tablet in his hand.
âThere you areâŠâ he murmured.
He could feel it nowâthe tablet in his hand was being pulled by something.
Two streams of radiant energy met in midair, and then, as if guided by an invisible force, another stone tablet emerged from deep within the Scorpion Kingâs body.
It floated upward, suspended by some unseen energy field, and hovered in front of Ethan.
This new tablet was the same size as the one he held, with two matching holesâbut the carvings etched into its surface were different.
And the broken edge?
It was a perfect complement to the one in his hand.
Ethan didnât move.
He just watched.
The second tablet floated closer on its own, aligning itself with the one he held.
The jagged edges metâand locked together seamlessly.
The moment they connected, a brilliant light flared from the seam.
The break vanished completely, as if it had never existed.
ââŠThatâs incredible,â Ethan whispered, eyes reflecting the glow.
âŠ
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