Chapter 313

At this level—

Size meant nothing.

A massive body did not necessarily equate to overwhelming combat power.

And besides—

It was just a fist the size of a planet.

Not that big.

Taking an opponent’s attack head-on was also a way to test their strength. If the opponent could kill you in a single blow, then no amount of evasion would matter anyway.

Lomor raised one hand.

It met the descending mutated fist from the sky—

But the instant contact was made, every piece of flesh in Lomor’s body transmitted a signal.

Mutation?

Its body swelled violently, mutating in an instant!

The mutation... had transferred onto it?

Lomor saw Roya’s body rapidly shrinking back to normal—

While its own body expanded uncontrollably, flesh undergoing continuous mutation in rapid succession.

SNAP—

But in the next moment—

Lomor’s entire body tightened!

The mutation was forcibly suppressed!

"You dare try to attack me with mutation?"

"Ridiculous! Laughable!"

In an instant, Lomor appeared before Roya, who had already returned to his original form.

Behind Roya, Rhein crouched with his hands over his head.

"If you enjoy using someone’s methods against them so much—"

"Then taste this!"

SHLUK!

Lomor suddenly wrapped itself tightly around Roya!

His body was completely restrained—unable to move!

"Uh? Your intelligence... isn’t that high after all, huh? I just came to take a look—why are you so insistent on fighting me?"

Roya’s tone carried a strange sense of helplessness.

But in the next instant—

He felt his body melting.

He was being absorbed—

Dragged into Lomor’s body.

A sinister whisper echoed beside his ear:

"You and I share the same origin."

Lomor could feel Roya being pulled in, devoured—

Even an 8th-tier Ascended was being affected by it.

But then—

Why had that mysterious child not been affected at all?

Perhaps—

Aside from that sword, he also had protective items given by Zhuya.

It seemed that child was highly favored.

Come then...

Let me see how you respond.

Roya’s body continued to be devoured—

His face had already merged into Lomor’s flesh.

Half his limbs were gone—

Swallowed into its body.

And yet...

Roya made no resistance.

No resistance?

Was this a fake body?

No...

The sensation was undeniably real—this was his true form.

What trick is he playing?

Gulp...

Lomor’s mind tensed.

Every 8th-tier Ascended had their own path of power—

Each one had pushed something to the extreme.

Though it believed itself strong—

And not inferior to 8th-tier Ascended—

It refused to believe that one could be killed this easily.

Gluuup—

The sound of digestion echoed.

Bit by bit—

Roya was completely devoured.

No resistance.

No struggle.

And then—

He was simply... eaten.

Completely.

Lomor felt Roya fully merge into its body—

And froze in confusion.

What...?

He just died like that?

Why were the Ascended it encountered today all so... bizarre?

Rhein, still crouching, looked up at Lomor.

"Could you... maybe not kill me?"

"I’m afraid of pain."

Afraid of pain?

What kind of reason was that?

Lomor almost laughed in disbelief.

Was there even a normal human left here?

Its attitude toward the weak shifted once more.

"Not kill you?"

"I, Lomor, take the greatest pleasure in denying... the wishes of those who beg to live."

As it spoke, Lomor raised its hand—

Preparing to mutate Rhein into a monster.

"Grotesque Transformation."

But in that instant—

[Karmic Sinflame Style — Second Form: Sin Severance]

SHING!

A flash of light cut through—

And Lomor’s body was instantly sliced into countless tiny fragments!

Golden Holy Flame ignited across them!

The severed pieces, reduced to burning remnants, scattered—

But Lomor’s awareness immediately shifted aside—

And it saw the figure drawing a blade.

Kanzaki Rei.

That bastard again!

Why won’t he just go away?!

Doesn’t he realize his attacks are ineffective?!

Even with a divine artifact—

The gap between them is far too great!

BZZZT—

Rei raised his hand—

Light burst forth in every direction, illuminating the abyss like daylight!

It was illumination magic.

The severed body parts had already been discarded—

Reduced to remnants of flame.

Yet Lomor’s voice still echoed through the world:

"Human!"

"Is that sword the only trick you have?!"

If I have no physical form—

What can you possibly do to me?

PSSSH PSSSH PSSSH—

Rei saw it—

All around the abyss, masses of vague, black flesh began to form out of nothing.

Each one—

Capable of becoming a new Lomor at any moment.

Then—

In the very next instant—

All of them contracted and vanished.

Lomor seemed to disappear into thin air.

Life...

From form to formlessness.

In this world, most life existed materially—

Flesh guided by soul.

But it didn’t have to be flesh.

It could be liquid.

It could be gas.

Mist-like entities existed as well—

Like the Soul Mist he had encountered before.

Thoughts surged endlessly through Rei’s mind.

Even without trying, battle itself flooded him with insight.

As the fight continued—

His emotions settled.

Calm.

Composed.

He would kill it.

That was certain.

Otherwise, it would become a knot in his heart.

But—

There was no need to abandon reason for hatred.

Every battle was a chance to learn.

Now, he had found his parents.

He had found Earth.

That alone was a blessing.

No matter what they had become—

He would find a way to restore them.

To revive them.

In a world where even the dead could be brought back—

What was impossible?

So all he needed to do—

Was grow stronger.

Strong enough to crush everything.

To accomplish anything.

With that realization—

His mind became clear.

Hatred and anger still burned within—

But they no longer clouded his judgment.

Rei instead observed the 8th-tier entity with calm indifference.

Watching as Lomor vanished completely.

He slowly raised his hand.

Within the hollow abyss—

A vast mass of liquid began to gather.

"Tier 5 Water Magic—Oceanic Expanse."

WHOOSH!

"Transform into... you."

The endless ocean suddenly turned deep crimson—

Chunks of flesh and blood foam rising within it.

Rei slashed countless fine, elongated arcs of light across the blood sea!

SHHK!

Even though he was merely cutting his own conjured magic—

Lomor felt pain surge through its body!

What the hell kind of technique is this?!

Lomor realized—

Its body had somehow become linked to the magic.

As if it had become part of it.

How was that even possible?