Chapter 77 - Beast Tattoo (1/2)

'Spider Carapace, Attack Mode'

While his opponent was still disoriented by the previous exchange of blows, Hei took the opportunity to use Spider Carapace.

Spider Carapace was a defensive technique that condensed one's spirit power to form a sort of armor similar to an exoskeleton. However, what Hei was using now was a variation he had devised.

Instead of using it to protect delicate parts such as the heart or the head, he would condense his spirit power on his limbs so that he could freely attack if they came into contact with weapons.

Unfortunately, Hei was only able to cover his arms from the hand to the elbow. With more practice, he would be able to increase the affected area, even going to wrap his whole body and creating a combat armor to attack without worrying about the damage.

Immediately after covering his arms, Hei approached the enemy again.

Jin, who recovered from the initial confusion, tried again with a rapid lunge towards the boy's chest in front of him. Even if Hei dodged, he was ready to change the direction of his weapon at any time. But Hei didn't avoid contact using Snake Run this time.

Instead, he used his right arm to deflect the blade of the longsword laterally, and with his left fist, he hit the enemy in the face.

”Vibrating Fist”

Bam!

Jin made a few steps back while a trail of blood came out of his mouth. The impact hadn't been so violent as to render him unconscious, but he could still feel the enemy's spirit power flowing over his body.

”Bastard! I never imagined using it against a brat like you. But you asked for it, and now you really pissed me off. Beast Tattoo - Gorilla Mode.”

Suddenly, Jin's body began to glow with a yellowish light as various black symbols emerged all over the body like a kind of tattoo. Then, slowly, his whole body began to swell as his upper clothes were torn to pieces by the increase in size.

Hei, incredulous at the scene before his eyes, was undecided whether to act or proceed with caution. But he wasn't the only one who was surprised. Bao Bei also was shocked.

'What is this? I feel the blood of a spirit beast on his body, and yet it isn't a bloodline... What have humans invented in these one hundred thousand years? Or did the demons invent it?'

At the end of the transformation, Jin had doubled its size. In particular, it was the muscles of his arms that had swollen disproportionately. His hands gave the sensation of being able to crush anything under their grip.

”What's wrong, brat? Have you finished playing the big man? Admire the true power of a beast tamer. This is another small family gift. You must know that one of my ancestors was a beast tamer from the continent. My spirit beast bag and this formation tattoo are his. However, you should consider yourself lucky. You're the first person I show this move, although you wouldn't be able to do it for much longer.”

When his speech ended, Jin snapped vigorously towards Hei. His speed was faster than before. The swelling of his muscles had given him an explosive increase in his muscles' power, thereby increasing his speed and acceleration. But, those improvements weren't comparable to the rise of his arms' strength.

With a horizontal blow, he waved his longsword. The weapon took on an incredible speed, and Hei couldn't avoid it in any way. So he decided to receive it, reducing the damage by countering the longsword his spear and wrapping himself with Snake Hair.

Despite the measures taken, the blow sent him flying several meters until he landed abruptly on the ground. Soon after, he coughed up a handful of blood.

But if this blow had a strong impact on him, it was even more so for his companions. Lian, Shui, Xing, and Ye were taken by the terror that Hei could be seriously injured. However, this did nothing but favor their enemies who took advantage of the moment to attack with ferocity, reducing Hei's companions in a passive situation.

Noticing their mood, Hei stood up quickly. Then, without wiping the blood from his mouth, he made a series of sounds using the language of spiders.

”We are spirit beasts! If you want to worry about me, then defeat your opponent first! Show them what we are capable of.”

Toward the battle cry of Hei, Jin could only tilt his head. He couldn't understand what Hei was saying. But the spirit beasts around, and Lian, thanks to the translation of Bao Bei, understood it. In particular, the spirit beasts of the two enemy beast tamers were impressed by that event, so much so that they lost the newly acquired advantage.

Xing, Ye, Lian, and Shui recovered thanks to Hei's words and fought with even more vigor than before, emerging from their passive situation.

”You said it's the first time you show someone your skill, right? Then I will also show you something I have never used against my enemies. Unfortunately, you won't be able to live long enough to tell it.” Hei said aloud with a smile.

”Brat, are you out of your mind? There is no way you can defeat me, not now that I have activated this ability. It isn't one of those trashy sects' techniques. This technique comes from the Continent. It isn't something that someone like you can defeat.”

”So? The techniques I learned are even more incredible than those taught on the Continent.”

Right. His techniques were the legacy that the divine beasts had left to him. There was no way he could lose against someone else technique, regardless of whether it came from the Continent.

Hearing Hei's words, Jin laughed mockingly and then assumed an expression of anger. He was already looking forward to the fear in the brat's eyes who grew up in cotton wool. Yet Hei hadn't at all diminished his fighting spirit; instead, it had even increased. Therefore, Jin decided to end it immediately. He would show him that you shouldn't be joking with him.

Loading the force on his legs, he jerked forward with his longsword in his hands and then slashed with all his might.

Seeing him arrive, Hei prepared to receive him.

'If I can't react in time to the speed of his blows, then I won't dodge at all. I'll block his shot.'

Grabbing his spear with both hands, he used his weapon to ward off the slash that came from above.

The impact was crazy. Every bone in Hei's arms trembled from the force of the impact between the two weapons. But Hei didn't give up. Despite being sunk deeper and deeper into the ground and his arms hurting, he didn't let go of his weapon. If he did, nothing would stop the longsword from hitting him.

And in the end, Hei stopped sinking into the ground. He had made it. He had successfully blocked the shot.

Jin dazedly looked at the scene before his eyes. Even though he could accept that his blows had been blocked earlier, he absolutely couldn't believe that Hei could parry a slash of his with his maximum power.

Screaming, he tried to kick Hei in the stomach, but it was too late.

Hei had taken advantage of Jin's surprise moment to move the blade of his longsword over his head to the ground. Then he jumped up.

”Spider Thrust.”

The spirit power on his spear concentrated on the tip and struck Jin's throat. Despite being unable to penetrate his defense, it still managed to reduce the thickness of spirit power in that area.