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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator – Seraph]
[Proofreader – Draxx]
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Chapter 368
Beneath the volcano, amidst the blazing battlefield, I flew toward the enemy.
The Magmasaur lay sprawled on its stomach, lifting only its head, watching me with six glowing eyes. From the inferno surrounding it, its tail surged upward then lashed out in my direction.
A casual swipe, as if it found me a nuisance. But I couldn’t afford to be careless. That tail alone stretched over 60 meters. To it, the motion was effortless but not for me.
A tail as massive as a pillar supporting a skyscraper came hurtling toward me.
Ordinarily, this would be an attack I should avoid. But I didn’t move.
｢Pain Reduction, activate!｣
The molten rock’s heat, the searing pain engulfing my body before I knew it, I was slammed into the cavern floor.
‘I expected it, but still… that thing is strong.’
The Magmasaur differs from the high-tier Apexes I’ve faced before.
Gallagons, like Adhai, hunt in packs with their advanced intelligence. Sea Demons wield a wide array of psychic powers. The Vortex One crush opponents with sheer overwhelming specs and combat prowess. And then there are other Apex-class beings with their own unique strengths.
The Magmasaur, however, doesn’t form packs. It has no psychic abilities. It possesses only a single attack skill one that demonstrates overwhelming destructive force.
Yet, despite these apparent limitations, it is ranked among the top-tier Apexes. Why? Because of its sheer, unmatched physicality.
A monster standing at 300 meters tall, its attacks are powerful enough to shatter mountains and rend the earth.
And that’s not all. Its hide is absurdly tough, nearly impossible to damage. The constant cycle of molten metals in the surrounding rock melting and solidifying has made its skin an ultra-dense composite, far more compact than ordinary materials.
In short, this thing is a living mass of high-strength alloy.
Typically, if something has both immense attack power and defense, it should at least suffer in speed. But as I just saw, its attacks are frighteningly fast, far beyond what you'd expect from a 300-meter giant.
The only real weaknesses it has? Its massive weight makes its movement sluggish, and it can't fly.
‘A powerful opponent, no doubt…’
But I’ve taken this thing down plenty of times in the game. And I’ve defeated enemies far stronger than this before.
I forced my battered body upright.
That last hit shredded the membrane of my right wing. The bone structure was exposed, piercing through my exoskeleton, a clear sign of the severity of my injuries. My bio-pipes and armored plating were also significantly damaged.
The pain was enough to bring on a headache, but I could endure it. Because this injury, this was all part of my plan.
｢Kurrr…｣
The Magmasaur tilted its head, perplexed. It had never seen a creature survive its tail strike before.
I roared back at it.
｢■■■■■■■!｣
｢Kururururung!｣
Our voices clashed, sending tremors through the cavern as if an earthquake had erupted. The magma beneath us responded, bursting upward in violent jets.
Perhaps realizing that I wasn’t an easy target, the volcanic demon shifted, preparing to stand. That was my cue.
I pushed off with my hind legs, launching myself forward like a missile. The force of each step sent shockwaves through the cavern floor.
As I charged through the rising magma fountains, its tail lashed out at me again. I didn’t slow down. Instead, I threw myself forward.
The tail clipped the ends of my bio-pipes protruding from my dorsal plating, shattering them. But the core of my body remained unscathed.
Flattening myself low against the molten rock, I propelled myself forward, using both my wing-arms and my combat limbs to crawl.
It had been a long time since I moved across solid ground rather than a spaceship. But now, using all four arms and my two legs, I sprinted across the magma while preparing my ‘Variable Biomass’.
The Magmasaur’s tail curled around, coming for another strike but by now, I had closed the distance.
‘I braced my limbs and pushed off, kicking into the half-melted ground.’
The creature’s long neck twisted, lunging toward me, attempting to coil around and constrict me. Naturally, its neck was just as indestructible as the rest of its body. If it got ahold of me, I would be crushed into pulp in an instant.
‘But I had no intention of dodging.’
Instead, I unleashed every single one of my ‘Corrosive Tentacles’ from my back.
Six whip-like appendages shot forward, piercing into the creature’s neck. The hooked barbs at their tips latched onto its rugged, uneven hide, anchoring me in place.
If it were any other creature, I would have injected it with the ‘Medusa Organ’ at this point. But unfortunately, that technique doesn’t work on this thing.
‘Right now, my tendrils serve a different purpose.’
I tensed them, pulling myself in closer—just as the monster’s head, attached to the end of its massive neck, came crashing into mine.
｢Kurrr?｣
｢Grrrr…｣
The impact must have been greater than it expected. Its six eyes widened, locking onto my shifting head.
A creature of the Fire Kingdom would never have encountered this before the head armor of an ‘Ice Horror’ shielding my central skull.
As it hesitated for a split second, my two side heads lunged forward, sinking their teeth into its neck. Acidic breath and 'Decay Spore' were exhaled directly into the wounds.
｢Kururururung!｣
The Magmasaur let out a frustrated roar, shaking its neck violently to dislodge me. But my body adapted in response to my will.
My combat arms twisted, and from my palms, a set of bone scythes extended outward.
I swung my transformed weapon 'Hellside Hornet' down onto the point where its massive neck met its torso.
｢Kurrr!｣
｢Grrrrr!｣
The blade barely embedded itself into the thick hide. Its armor was simply too dense. But that was fine.
I never expected to deal a fatal wound with this strike.
'Anchoring it in place is enough.'
The Magmasaur, finally growing irritated by the repeated attacks, prepared to rise.
But it still had no idea.
The true assault hadn’t even begun.
With my scythe-arms embedded in its body, my side heads and 'Corrosive Tentacles' wrapped tightly around its neck, I had closed the distance between us to a bare minimum.
The energy flowing throughout my body began converting into psychic power, concentrating in my head.
｢Kurrrrrng!｣
With a short but thunderous growl, the creature slammed one of its front legs into the ground, sending molten rock flying. Then, that colossal limb thick as a support pillar for a skyscraper swung toward my right head, striking it with a devastating force.
｢Pain Reduction, activate!｣
'Damn…!'
My right neck was torn open with ease. I barely avoided decapitation, but the wound was severe.
Now that it had disabled one of my heads, it attempted to kick my entire body away.
I countered with my twin-pronged tail.
One tail wrapped around its massive leg, while the claw at the end of the right tail clamped down on its ankle.
Annoyed, it hesitated, abandoning its kick. Instead, it raised its forelimb high into the air, ready to crush my tail beneath it.
If that thing came down, my tail would be reduced to pulp.
Before it could strike, I planted my two legs firmly into the ground and shoved with all my strength.
With one leg already lifted, its balance was compromised. My force sent it staggering backward. The cavern trembled, and the shifting magma exposed more of its massive body.
It tried to brace itself, pushing back with its hind legs.
If I could pin it against the wall, that would be ideal but right now, I was still gathering energy for my 'Breath Attack'. This was my limit for now.
Its tail, long enough to bridge the distance between the back wall and the ground, lashed toward me.
At this range, dodging was impossible.
The same force that had slammed me into the floor earlier was now barreling toward me once more.
Was it because of the agony of burning? Memories from the past resurfaced.
The car that had crushed me. The rancid stench of oil filling the air. The unbearable pain.
The fear and suffering I thought I had forgotten slithered back, threatening to consume me.
If this were reality, my body would have frozen in place.
But I was still moving.
Because of this pain, this situation was all part of my design.
The 'Tyrantroid' within me detected the severe injuries and activated.
It secreted substances that rapidly reinforced my body, distributing them evenly throughout. My flesh expanded at an accelerated rate.
｢Kur?｣
The Magmasaur recoiled in surprise, watching my form grow in real time.
'It’s too soon to be shocked.'
The 'Tyrantroid' adapted to the extent of my injuries, enlarging my body and amplifying my energy output.
'Which means… my Psychic Breath will be even stronger in this state.'
By now, I had gathered all the energy I needed. The tendrils sprouting from my left and central heads glowed with a vivid violet light. The monstrous tendrils that cascaded like hair from beneath my rear headplate slithered forward, aligning their aim.
There was no longer any need to hold onto the enemy.
I released my 'Corrosive Tentacles' and combat arms.
And in the same instant unleashed the massive energy I had been charging.
The entire cavern was bathed in a brilliant shade of violet.
Twin beams of psychic breath erupted forward, striking the enemy with devastating force.
The Magmasaur was blasted backward, unable to withstand the direct assault. No matter how tough its outer shell was, it couldn't ignore a 'point-blank' Psychic Breath.
Reeling from the impact, it crashed into the cavern wall. Its superheated body seared through the rock, melting it upon contact. Still caught in the blast, the Magmasaur was pushed further inward, shattering the surrounding walls.
'Good. Everything is going according to plan.'
To be honest, I never expected this to be enough to kill it.
Even with the 'Tyrantroid'-enhanced Breath, it would only sustain injuries, not a fatal wound.
And even those injuries would soon be patched over the molten rock and magma would seal its wounds, forming a fresh outer layer of armor.
But I already knew that.
There was a reason I had lured it toward the cavern’s edge and fired my 'Psychic Breath' here.
'Because I need to drag it out of this place.'
This was its home turf. Trying to force it outside through conventional means would be nearly impossible.
So instead, I had to make it leave on its own.
'For example—by collapsing the very heart of this volcano.'
The cavern was already unstable from our battle. The ceiling above crumbled, sending massive debris crashing down. Below, the surging magma churned with violent intensity.
The pressure closing in from all sides only strengthened me further.
Like a metal undergoing tempering, my Breath attack grew even more potent.
'Just a little more…!'
I could tell it wouldn’t be long before the cavern gave way.
And then a flash of light burst from the hole where the Magmasaur had crashed.
Thousands of black lightning bolts branched out, consuming the entire cavern.
The impact was as devastating as the tail strike that had previously crushed me.
Both my side heads were scorched to cinders. The tendrils of my central head were shredded apart.
My Breath faltered, breaking off midstream.
My body no longer under my control collapsed onto the ground.
A deep, rumbling sound followed.
The Magmasaur’s roar echoed through the cavern, amplified by my auxiliary organs.
That attack 'Ion Lightning.'
The Magmasaur’s only ranged ability.
The title 'King of Fire and Thunder' was no empty boast.
｢Kururururu…｣
From where I lay, half-submerged in magma, I heard its cry.
It almost sounded like a declaration of victory.
'Sorry, but this isn’t over yet.'
Its black lightning had struck the volcano at its most volatile point sealing its fate.
The magma beneath us, already unstable, erupted in response.
I was swept away by the wave of molten rock, my body slammed into what was either a wall or the ceiling I couldn’t even tell anymore.
Not that it mattered.
The Magmasaur’s domain was finished.
The explosion flung me beyond the battlefield, tearing through the ground beneath me. I kept tumbling, dragged deeper into the earth along with my fading life force.
｢Pain Reduction, activated!｣
'I can’t pass out here!'
If I lost consciousness now, everything would be for nothing.
I clung to awareness, forcing my mind to resist the endless flood of pain notifications.
'At least… I’ve made it outside the blast radius.'
My auxiliary organs confirmed my position. I had been pushed close to the surface.
Using the only intact part of my body, my central head, I clawed my way upward through the soil.
When I finally emerged above ground, the first thing I saw was an immense cloud of fire, surging high into the sky.
A detonation far surpassing that of an antimatter bomb.
The supervolcano that had been the Magmasaur’s home had erupted completely.
And there, in the heart of a hell forged from fire and ash, it stood.
A 300-meter-long sauropod, its carapace glowing red-hot, was charging straight at me.
Its nest and its food reserve had been obliterated. Its fury was inevitable. It wouldn't stop until I was dead.
'That goes for me, too.'
Dragging it to the surface wasn’t just about weakening it.
I had my own assets. But to fully utilize them, I needed a battlefield that worked to my advantage.
｢Big guy!｣
‘I have friends here to help me and traits.'
My body was at its limit after consecutive attacks and the explosion. Just enough for my 'Revenant Organ’ to activate.
｢Kur?｣
The charging beast halted. Its six eyes, perched atop its elongated snout, were brimming with wariness.
Was it because I looked different from before? Or because the opponent it thought was on the brink of death was now standing unscathed?
Maybe it’s both.
｢Grrrrrrrrr…｣
｢Grrraaah!｣
In my state, I tore through the organic membrane covering my regrown heads with my fangs.
Freshly resurrected from charcoal, my two side heads roared the moment they broke free.
Preparations for the hunt were complete.
Right here this is where I will slay the Magmasaur.
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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator – Seraph]
[Proofreader – Draxx]
Join our Discord for release updates!
https://discord.com/invite/dbdMDhzWa2
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