Chapter 986 Metamorphosis
Chapter 986 Metamorphosis
As Sarohan and Whisker swiftly dashed toward the nearest gate, their plan was to encircle the enemy. Meanwhile, Arthur turned his attention to the fierce battlefield, where he saw the brave men who believed in him valiantly fighting off hordes of monsters breaching the walls. He knew that as long as these men were here, Sith Town wouldn't fall until they dealt with Lian, the mastermind behind it all. With determination in his eyes, Arthur hurried towards the scene where Lian was engaged in an unexpected struggle with a formidable creature.
Lian's face, covered in tattoos, showed signs of confusion and frustration as his monsters were being slaughtered despite their fearsome abilities. Sweat dripped down his forehead as he frantically ordered more monsters to gather using peculiar hand gestures, each finger shining like stars. As they connected, a mysterious hymn played, summoning even more monsters from the surrounding forest.
From his vantage point atop the giant's feet, next to the breached walls, Arthur's heightened senses allowed him to understand the ethereal hymn's purpose. The monsters rushed towards Lian, responding to the tamer's call. The forest echoed with the roars of countless creatures, encircling the demon, but she remained unimpressed, her eyes fixed on Lian with disappointment.
"Why would a demon like you be guarding a place like this?" Lian muttered apprehensively, observing the demon. "And why do you control these creatures?"
With a tone of immense disappointment in her voice, Seraphine replied, "Is this the best you can do? Controlling ants to block my path?" Her words seemed to cut into Lian's flesh, and her red mist transformed into countless spears hovering in the sky. "No matter how many eggs you use to strike a rock, the result will be the same."
The blood spears darted towards the monsters with a mind of their own, slaying them on contact. The monsters let out pained roars as they fell, revealing Lian, who wore a frown that quickly turned into a smile.
"I've always felt limited by what I could do," Lian answered as the tattoos on his face shifted, forming a different pattern. "I believed I could only control lesser lives until I discovered I could also reform them."
Lian raised his hand towards the sky, and strange lights covered his fingers. Flying monsters, including wyverns and imps, began to coalesce together. Arthur and Seraphine watched in shock as their flesh and bones merged, creating a new creature before their eyes.
"This goes beyond taming," Arthur mumbled, a frown forming on his face. "This is metamorphosis. How could Lian achieve such an absurd feat?"
The manipulation of flesh and bodies was more complex than the mystical nature of spiritual energy and mana. After all, physical forms were bound by the laws of the universe and physics. The sight they beheld was one that could not be achieved without breaking those laws or expending absurd amounts of mana.
Lian smirked, as if he had proven his point. "This new creature is the result of years of perfection. Countless tamed monsters sacrificed, but I finally succeeded. I call it⦠Thousand Wings."
As the monsters finished their formation, Arthur understood the creature's name. With a giant, bizarre humanoid body, the dark purple monster possessed a thousand wings protruding from its back, all moving in unison to keep it aloft.
"A homunculus," Seraphine announced as she observed the creature. "An ancient clan was eradicated from the universe for their experiments on living creatures, including intelligent races. The gods protected them until they tried to create a perfect creature with no flaws."
Arthur sensed that Seraphine had knowledge about the mysterious power Lian had mastered. Faced with her recognition, Lian didn't seem bothered; instead, he smiled.
"My creations are incomparable to theirs," Lian proclaimed confidently. "Prepare to experience the true terror of facing my creature!"
Thousand Wings emitted a roar, whether of anguish or rage, and swooped towards Seraphine. The demon showed no fear and used her blood mist to form a giant sword. Seraphine gripped the handle and swung the sword at the colossal creature, only to be taken aback when it caught the sword in its hand.
"Blood demons have one significant weakness," Lian taunted with a smile. "Their lifeforce must surpass that of their opponents. However, my creature is the combination of a hundred monsters, and it cannot be harmed by your pitiful lifeforce."
"Intriguing," Seraphine remarked as she braced herself against the incoming claw, using a blood barrier to block the attack. Yet, she was still sent flying, and her barrier shattered. The demon crashed through the walls, buried beneath the rubble.
With a victorious smirk, Lian started advancing towards the walls and his frost giant. However, atop the giant stood a figure cloaked in black and golden robes. Lian halted his march, glaring at the figure who had brought down his giant.
Arthur had donned a wooden mask to conceal his identity, obtained from Peter. He didn't want other worlds to know him and potentially cause trouble if he returned to Earth. Some might even pursue him to his home world.
"Your masked face and the strange sense of familiarity suggest we know each other," Lian remarked, squinting at Arthur. "But whether you are a friend or foe doesn't change anything. I will eliminate anyone who knows me."
"What basis do you have for such confidence other than your bizarre monster?" Arthur retorted with amusement. "You speak and march as if you've already defeated my friend, but the fight is far from over."
"Demons are cursed by the gods. All it takes is one prayer to obtain their blessings and strength. Are you sure you've chosen the right ally?" Lian asked with a grin, lowering his hand and making the giant land on the ground. "And are you sure you can handle my monster, especially when you're so afraid of revealing your identity?"
"Perhaps you're right," Arthur replied, grabbing his mask. "Those who hide their identity fear their enemies. But I no longer need to worry, for I have become the enemy to be feared."
Arthur removed his mask, not because it was necessary, but because it was his choice. Though he knew his concerns about revealing his identity were valid, he refused to be constrained by fear. If he wanted to ensure that these enemies wouldn't come after him, he would simply crush them.
Lian stared at Arthur's face for a moment, realization dawning on him, deepening his frown. It seemed he had never considered encountering someone so seemingly insignificant within the red tower. Then, the tamer burst into laughter.
"Hahahaha! I thought you would be someone worth fearing," Lian chuckled heartily. "Turns out, a small fry made its way to a bigger pond!"
Arthur remained unfazed and asked with a steady tone, "How long have you been inside this tower?" Lian paused, taken aback by the question. "Or, let me rephrase that: Do you know my name?"
Confused by the assumption that he should know Arthur's name, Lian retorted, "Why should I know the name of an ant?" However, Arthur's grin made him hesitate. "Who are you?"
"I am neither someone you know, nor someone you should know or might know," Arthur replied as he stood tall on the giant. "It appears you've spent most of your time inside the red tower after the First Holy Crown Trial. You may have grown stronger, but with the limited time I had, I feel I've grown stronger too."
"No matter what you say, you're just a weakling who was a mere neo-ranker two years ago," Lian retorted angrily. "Even if you possess the crown, I won't lose to someone barely at the Vetus-rank level."
The tamer's assumption was grounded in the fact that reaching the Vetus-rank typically required at least five years. However, he relied on common sense to judge Arthur, something the latter was all too eager to defy.
"I don't need to prove anything to you, Lian," said Arthur as he looked down at the tamer. "I have a simple question. Why are you attacking Sith Town?"
"You're asking naive questions," replied Lian with a stoic face as his creature began its advance. "This is the purpose of this tower! To defeat others and conquer them! I heard of what happened inside Sith Town, and since Vesper is gone, I can loot it as I like!"
"Have you not wondered why Vesper is gone?" asked Arthur with a shake of his head as he shifted his attention towards the homunculus. "Let me show you... what defeated him."
"Keep your hand off my prey, Seika," said a voice from the walls as a figure emerged. Seraphine looked enraged with blood streaks running across her skin like veins of fire. "I have never suffered a defeat, and I never will."
"It seems that we are not meant to fight, Lian," said Arthur with a smile as he looked at the demon. "Not even I can deal with her at the moment. He is all yours."
Arthur then sat back down, and the tamer faced the demon with a frown. His monster turned toward the demon before giving a roar and bolting forward with its claw. However, the earlier scene did not repeat itself.