Chapter 1273 (1/2)

“Fine then,” As an empowered Grim Chimera continued to walk forward, a wizened and barely able to stand Straud gnashed his teeth. Sheets of skin seemed to be hanging off tent poles of bone in his body. “If truly wish to die, I’ll fulfill your wish! Tragedy Titan!”

The last of Straud’s image stopped propping up his physically weak body and he fell to his knees. Sprawled on the ground, he looked like such a pitiful creature. But in the sky above the stadium, a huge mass of blood with deep, empty eyes flickered into existence. Unlike Helen’s Tides of Blood, this creature seemed slightly more solid. It was as if someone took handfuls of congealing blood and packed them on top of each other until they had created a primitive sort of sculpture.

Yet despite its simple shape, it was not a simple thing to gather enough blood to slowly build such a creature. With every passing second, the strange blood idol's strength grew more and more oppressive as Straud brought the full weight of his image to bear on the stadium.

Make this moment meaningful. The Grim Chimera’s long tongue flicked out and ran along his teeth.

With Nether swirling to new heights within his body, the Grim Chimera didn’t slow as he proceeded toward the blood idol. But a quick mental calculation once more left the Grim Chimera disappointed; he would reach Straud before the weakened man managed to manifest his full image. Which made the Grim Chimera shake his head regretfully; what was the point of a powerful image if you locked it away within yourself in order to appear healthy? And unpacking it seemed like a process...

Yet a figure did rush at the Grim Chimera’s back to buy Straud a sliver of time. The Grim Chimera willingly let himself be distracted.

Decklan Hyde raised his daggers and shot forward with all the broadcast intentions of an arrow. And he managed to produce a rather significant amount of bloodlust that functioned quite like an image in protecting him from Reaper’s Mantle of Catastrophe at the periphery. The Grim Chimera regarded the attacker thoughtfully. From the main body’s memories, the Grim Chimera was distantly aware of this figure’s history.

Very quickly, the Grim Chimera’s face twisted in disgust. As an image built on the concept of survival, the Grim Chimera felt very little empathy for Decklan’s clear emotional turmoil. As he approached, very quickly his bloodlust began to tremble and splinter. Decklan Hyde had no true resolve. And the Grim Chimera felt not a little fury that after all the chances that the main body extended to this man, Decklan had still let despair devour him.

Snorting, the Grim Chimera decided to punish Decklan for his weakness. At least this would be a method to fully enjoy this freedom while he had it. Plus, this was a good chance to address the lackluster Skill Level of the Reaper’s Mantle of Catastrophe Skill. When he had activated it earlier, he had been genuinely shocked by how low it was in comparison to his other Grim Chimera Skills.

The Grim Chimera pressed with his will. A new wave of energy gushed outward and suddenly a thick aura of ash and ruin spun around the Grim Chimera’s body. He turned and coldly glared at the form of Decklan, who from his immediate shock must have believed he was being relatively circumspect in his attack. Yet how could such a haphazard mass of bloodlust be concealed from someone like the Grim Chimera?

Congratulations! Your Skill Reaper’s Mantle of Catastrophe (L) has grown to Level 106!

Congratulations! Your Skill Reaper’s Mantle of Catastrophe (L) has grown to Level 107!

The grey particles in the air rapidly thickened and swirled in a vortex around the Grim Chimera’s body. Despite the fact that he had been spotted, Decklan didn’t try to change his method of attack. In fact, he managed to press his bloodlust into a form dagger-like form that ripped him an opening in the exterior of the Skill. With several quick steps, Decklan was now within ten meters of the Grim Chimera.

Yet the Grim Chimera’s eyes were extremely cold as he watched the proceedings. The suppressive effect of Nether on images became increasingly apparent as Decklan approached, resulting in his bloodlust slowly wilting to nothing. Reaper’s Mantle of Catastrophe continued to grind away.

Congratulations! Your Skill Reaper’s Mantle of Catastrophe (L) has grown to Level 108!

…

Congratulations! Your Skill Reaper’s Mantle of Catastrophe (L) has grown to Level 119!

Decklan’s foot hit the ground right at the ten-meter mark and it was clear from the scowl on his face that he felt the increased pressure coming from the Grim Chimera’s Skill. Yet he didn’t falter. After planting his foot, he pressed on forward. This, at least, made the Grim Chimera’s expression somewhat soften.

Emotionally conflicted, but willing to pay for the ticket he has already bought. A broken creature. Like I was.

With each rotation of Nether in his body, the Grim Chimera felt a strange sensation of inviolability fill him. The connections and links being made as so many people watched the Grim Chimera was applying pressure to the limits of his core. Cracks formed in the Nether Gatekeeper core, which was alarming, but almost immediately they healed back stronger than they had been before. Yet the pressure internally simply kept growing.

Nether surrounded him like a cloak. Balanced by the main body’s Aether, particles began to drift outward in the surrounding area. But rather than eating at the substance of space, mostly the particles simply expanded the pressure on images that the Grim Chimera was releasing. And witnessing the way the Nether’s influence changed with each change in his Nether core, the Grim Chimera recognized what was happening.

The two energies really are so closely connected, yet separate, the Grim Chimera thought as he mobilized his Mantle to activate with even more intensity. Aether says I am free to impress my will on the world. Nether says I am free from the whims of this world.

Congratulations! Your Skill Reaper’s Mantle of Catastrophe (L) has grown to Level 127!

Decklan continued to rush forward through the screen of grey radiation, his bloodlust being slowly ripped away by the aura of the Grim Chimera’s Skill. By the time he finally was within arm’s reach of the Grim Chimera, basically his image had been completely confined to his body. Otherwise, it was completely suppressed by the presence of Nether around the Grim Chimera. His skin began to dry and flake from exposure to energies beyond his Endurance.

And suddenly, the Grim Chimera saw this figure as sad. He could see how his soul had been crippled by weakness. Perhaps not sensing the Grim Chimera’s attention Decklan swung his dagger. With all the ease of an adult taking a toy block away from a toddler, the Grim Chimera used his claws to knock away the weapon.