Chương 389: Chapter 360: 10/10 Would Cast Again

Strong explosions ripped through the jungle, echoing like thunder. Screams and battle cries filled the air as the Thornbelly Colossus went completely berserk. After losing one of its eyes, it clearly decided there was no reason to hold back anymore and chose mass murder instead. The first thing it did after powering up was activate a support skill that sent all its minions into a frenzy, doubling their strength and rage. Then, to make matters worse, its appearance began to change.

Maybe it was burning too many calories, but its massive gut shrank while thick muscles bulged everywhere. With every passing second, its power grew and so did its speed, turning the battlefield into a slaughterhouse as weaker fighters were torn apart. That should've been Josh's cue to get the hell out and run for his life. The only thing keeping him from bolting was the points. The bigger the beast, the bigger the payout and this monstrosity had "leaderboard jackpot" written all over it.

In his beastform, maybe, just maybe he could actually bring it down.

"Ah, crap!" one of the mages screamed as a smaller beast lunged at her, claws extended and jaws wide. Josh darted in, slicing the creature cleanly in half with a single swipe of his translucent claws.

"Thanks—hey, what's happening to your body? Oh no, please don't tell me that's some freaky buff skill!" she yelled when Josh started to shapeshift. E-Grade had done wonders for him. He grew a bit taller, his chitin armor looked sleeker, and tiny thorns now sprouted along his shoulders and upper arms. Josh loved his new beastform. His boosting skill would make him grow another half meter, but he decided to save that for later. For now, his current form would do nicely.

He blurred forward, no longer picking off stragglers from the sidelines. Instead, he threw himself into the chaos — tearing through enemies left and right. They couldn't even scratch him unless they caught him completely off guard, which wasn't happening. Josh was fully focused, committed, and having the time of his life. When your enemies were on the defensive, everything became easier. His leaderboard score was skyrocketing with every swing.

This must be my lucky day, Josh thought, grinning as he ripped two beasts apart with one strike. The Thornbelly's buff made them stronger but also blinded them with rage, easy prey for someone like him. But then the Thornbelly Colossus finally noticed him. Josh's little farming session instantly turned into a fight for survival as the giant appeared before him, fists and tentacles swinging wildly. The "belly" part of its name no longer fit. It was now a solid mountain of muscle.

Its strength and speed had skyrocketed, and Josh barely managed to activate his boosting skill in time to avoid being flattened. One of the colossal tendrils still clipped him, launching him backward like a cannonball. He slammed through trees before crashing into the ground, gasping. The beast roared in triumph. A sound so powerful it hit like a physical wave, hurling Josh even farther back. And then, the Colossus's aura exploded, doubling in intensity. Josh's heart clenched in dread.

Okay, maybe this one's a bit too strong. The smaller beasts' auras also flared, but none got the chance to attack, because suddenly, an entirely new presence descended. An aura so overwhelming it crushed the Thornbelly's power into nothing. The monstrous giant froze mid-roar. Josh looked up and his stomach dropped. Floating above the battlefield was a towering insectoid woman, her presence suffocating. Her dark golden chitin gleamed with crimson streaks that almost looked like living runes.

Two pairs of wings beat so fast they blurred, filling the air with a high-pitched hum. She was… disturbingly similar to Josh — a humanoid shape covered in refined carapace, black eyes filled with shifting irises, and a mouth lined with sharp teeth and clicking mandibles that twitched in amusement as she studied the chaos below. She was enormous — at least three meters tall — and when her gaze settled on Josh, curiosity flashed in her alien eyes.

First Daughter of the Hive – Level 99 Alright, that was definitely not good. The first place on the leaderboard was standing right before him, looking directly at him. Josh froze in disbelief as the First Daughter suddenly moved. Her speed was so absurd that she almost vanished from sight, reappearing right in front of him. With a blur of motion, she grabbed him by the throat and lifted him clean off the ground. He was too terrified to react, too stunned to even think.

Instinctively, he reached for his escape token, only to see his own hand tumble to the ground a split second later. The pain hit him like a wave.

"Interesting. You'd make a fine specimen to breed with for one of the Hive Queens," she said, her voice calm but carrying a regal, otherworldly tone. Her dark eyes studied him up and down, analytical and disturbingly curious.

"Your origin is human, correct? How did you manage to become insectoid?"

"Item… from the system shop," Josh gasped out. His head felt like it was going to burst from all the blood or whatever insects had instead. Only then did he realize they were hovering several meters above the ground. She must have flown up effortlessly with him, not that it mattered much at this point.

"Did you abandon your human form completely?" the First Daughter asked, tilting her head slightly.

"N–No… I can still swap back," Josh stammered, his voice breaking as her grip instantly tightened the moment he hesitated. He had been trying to buy time, even though he wasn't sure what for. Maybe some miracle, maybe pure denial. Then pain exploded through his chest. The First Daughter had bitten him, tearing out a chunk of flesh and leaving a gaping wound.

"Hmm… you've progressed far with your body-tempering," she murmured, almost impressed.

"Your armor is rather resilient. You're lucky. You may be of use to us. We'll meet again after this system event. For now, stay out of these zones. More high-rankers will arrive soon." And just like that, she released him. Josh plummeted, crashing hard into the dirt below. Through the haze of pain, he saw her unleash pure devastation upon the battlefield — humans and beasts alike torn apart, their corpses vanishing into her amulet or belly. The Thornbelly Colossus didn't even stand a chance.

One moment it was roaring, the next it was nothing but shredded pieces. Josh couldn't even tell if she'd used a skill or simply flown through it at impossible speed. Gritting his teeth, he fought against the crushing weight of her fading aura and stumbled toward his severed hand. He pressed it against the bleeding stump and downed one of his strongest healing potions. A searing pain ran through his arm and then, slowly, the hand reattached. Within moments, it was as if it had never been cut off.

The First Daughter was long gone now. Josh lay on the ground, chest heaving, unsure whether to be relieved or horrified. Yes, she had spared him but why? What could he possibly do against power like that? It felt as if he was living on borrowed time. They would meet again. Of that, he was certain. A creeping thought gnawed at him: had she done something when she bit him? Josh pulled at his armor, checking the wound, but found nothing. Only a faint red line where the gash had already healed. Probably just a scar.

Probably. Love what you're reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. He forced himself up, still trembling. He needed to get back to the others and warn them. If more monsters like her were showing up, they had to change their plans immediately. Because if he ended up in the same safe zone as one of those big shots… he was dead. <-- This stage had been exceptionally good for Thalion.

He could finally focus entirely on refining his skills and had made far greater progress than he'd dared to hope for. It was nothing short of a breakthrough. Of course, his control still wasn't flawless, but it was precise enough for him to take on stronger opponents with confidence. Most importantly, he now had sufficient mastery to begin practicing the ritual skills.

It was already getting darker, which meant he should probably start looking for one of the safe zones, but at the moment, his sense of danger was low and he wanted to make the most of his remaining time for more training. What if he ended up surrounded by a group of weaklings again, like last time? Maybe he should just kill them if they started acting out. He was far too soft before, and that softness — above all else — could cost him this entire treasure hunt. Otherwise, things had gone better than expected.

He could now use both his movement abilities and the Crimson Eidolon efficiently. The movement techniques still had the occasional hiccup, but they were good enough for now. The finer details could be perfected once he mastered the ritual spell. After that, he'd probably head out to hunt for treasures and experience levels. The levels would transfer to his higher evolutions, and the treasures would hopefully aid his body tempering.

If not, he could always test his current limits in his human form, which was equally important. He needed real battles before he could even think about challenging a Chosen. For the moment, he tried to calm the Sanguis Impera, which was constantly urging him to spill more blood. It was difficult to suppress the hunger for carnage while being stuck in training, but Thalion knew once he started killing again, it would be almost impossible to stop.

Especially as each new stage promised better rewards and stronger opponents. He still needed to find something beneficial for Eagly, so it was best to train now and only pause if he came across truly valuable treasures for his body refinement. The Sanguis Impera reluctantly returned its focus to refining essence blood. It had already strengthened Thalion's essence blood to incredible levels. He had never felt this good before. Everything improved with potent essence blood.

His reflexes, the clarity with which he perceived his surroundings, and even his physical strength — though his stats hadn't changed, which was mildly irritating. Still, Thalion didn't care too much. His only real desire was power; whether it was displayed on a screen or not was irrelevant. His progress didn't slow down in the following hours. Thalion followed the scroll's complex instructions and successfully cast the blood spike skill for the first time.

It wasn't technically a ritual spell, but it required an immense amount of power to function properly. For Thalion, a ritual circle wasn't strictly necessary, though he'd also mastered drawing one or two of them instantly when needed. They served as amplifiers, and if he ever had a moment to stand still, why not use them? It was easy enough to craft smaller ones from his own blood, taking only a heartbeat to complete.

After hours of relentless practice, Thalion finally succeeded and to his surprise, a system notification appeared before him. Phalanx of the Blooded Templar (Celestial) A forbidden art of the Blooded Templar, this ability gathers the wielder's blood into the heavens above, shaping it into jagged crimson lances that gleam with both divine and grotesque light. For a fleeting moment, the very sky seems to bleed, droplets merging into spearpoints that hang suspended like a celestial judgment waiting to fall.

With a single gesture, the Templar commands them to descend — a storm of piercing blood and merciless retribution. Each lance tears through flesh and armor alike, and the essence within seeps into the wounds, corroding vitality and burning the target from within. The Blooded Templar's oath echoes through every strike. A covenant of sacrifice and domination, where the warrior's own blood becomes the weapon of heaven's wrath.

"Jo—what?!" Thalion shouted when the notification appeared on his status screen. Why was there suddenly a new skill and why, once again, did it carry the name of the Blooded Templar? At first glance, it seemed amazing. After all, that meant the ability would be enhanced by his bloodline, something that usually didn't happen with his blood manipulation. But that realization brought another, more puzzling thought.

He'd made countless adjustments before like refining his fireball spell, learning to control blood in new ways — yet never once had the system given him a skill or a notification for it. His fireball hadn't even changed its description. And now, suddenly, he had a completely new ability of his own creation? That was… suspicious. And the rarity Celestial was absurd. Why would something like this rank higher than his fireball, which was still Ancient tier? Well, there was only one way to find out.

Time for a field test. Thalion's curiosity flared as he scanned his surroundings. He was currently in a section of the jungle where numerous Thornbelly Colossi roamed freely. They were clearly the apex predators of this area — massive, hulking beasts that wallowed in muddy brown ponds until prey dared come too close. Then they would rise, furious and unstoppable, chasing their victims until exhaustion or death.

Their hides were so thick that even piercing them was a challenge, and their sheer mass made killing them an ordeal. Perfect test subjects. He hadn't fought one directly before, only observed small hunting parties either triumphing after long, exhausting battles or being crushed into the ground. None of those fights had ever ended with a single strike. That might change today. Thalion perched on a thick tree branch high above one of the creatures.

With a thought, he traced a blood circle around himself, its sigils glowing faintly as it enhanced his power. Then, raising his arm skyward, he channeled the ability. Where he expected a swirling veil of blood, a crimson inferno instead erupted in the air above the Thornbelly Colossus. The air trembled with the sinister aura of his blood and the will of the Sanguis Impera pulsed within it. The beast barely had time to react. A rain of lances, each one over five meters long, descended from the crimson portal.

The spears tore through the monster's hide as though it were parchment, bursting through bone with explosive cracks. By the time the last of the lances fell, the Thornbelly Colossus was already dead. One strike. One instant. Gone. Thalion landed lightly, inspecting the corpse for any skills or useful drops. but found nothing of real value. Still, the test was a success. This new power wasn't just impressive — it was devastating.

A grin tugged at the corner of his lips as he glanced up at the crimson sky still faintly shimmering from the attack. It was time to play this entire system event far more aggressively.