Chapter 405 Show-Off
?405 Show-Off
The ship forcefully tore through the blockade of Manticores, plunging into the tumultuous lightning storm, and was pelted with bullet-like shards of ice, gusts of wind and rain, and tens of lightning bolts.
The visibility was close to zero, and the chaos of various elements attempting to tear through the ship's barrier made it feel like navigating through a chaotic symphony of nature's wrath.
Both the ship's crew and guild members cast glares filled with hatred and anger toward Alex, knowing that his actions had plunged them into a risky situation, one that could potentially result in all of their deaths.
The turbulent situation only lasted for three minutes before the ship entered the eye of the storm, and to the shock of everyone, the inside, besides being calm, also held a massive island stretching for hundreds of meters.
While the surroundings were massive walls of chaotic wind, rain, and lightning, and the sky was shrouded in impenetrable, pitch-dark clouds, the island and immediate surroundings were wrapped in complete calm, which was out of the norm for even the center of a storm.
The island stood as an oasis untouched by the chaotic elements, unaffected by the torrential rain, unruffled by the tumultuous winds, and impervious to the jagged lightning strikes.
It seemed like an invisible barrier had enveloped the island, shielding it from the storm's fury, creating an eerie but captivating tableau of serenity amidst the surrounding chaos.
The island had a towering mountain peak in its center, and surrounding its base was a dense and vibrant forest stretching in every direction, cloaking the entire island in vibrant green.
Hecate's eyes shone with delight as she saw the island, and before she could even say a word, the captain yelled the order to descend to the island, and the vice-captain complied without hesitation.
The delight was short-lived for everyone, as moments after they exited the storm boundary, the Alpha Manticore came out, announcing his presence with a mighty roar.
The Alpha Manticore spread his wings wide, staying suspended mid-air for a moment before his wings moved like a blur, launching him toward them at a speed faster than the wind.
An moment later, he met the ship's barrier head-on, his two piercing dark horns pulsing with lightning, piercing through the weakened barrier, and the shock from the impact tilted the ship to the side. The sudden tilt messed with the landing and caused the ship to crash to one side, causing it to destroy tens of thick trees before coming to a halt. The captain threw the scroll back at Hecate, telling her to use it if needed, while he took out a hammer and got ready to engage with the Alpha Manticore, knowing it wouldn't be long before he ripped through the barrier.
"Get ready for battle," The Captain Roared roared, brandishing a hammer engulfed in a dense shroud of flames.
"Captain, I will take care of the Alpha and two of the early Sixth-
Rank Manticores and leave the remaining two for you to handle," Alex said as he used the Ruler Pride and Dragon Might skill, pushing his strength to its limit.
Alex didn't wait for the captain to agree to his decision as chaos wings manifested on his back, and he zoomed toward the creature who was using his lightning breath to shred through the barrier.
Alex slashed his sword, sending forth a chaos energy slash that the creature met with his already running lightning breath.
The collision of elements pushed the creature back, and as the barrier took the brunt of the knockback, Alex felt no resistance as he zoomed through the mess of dissipating elements and delivered a second attack, making the creature stumble back and drawing the first blood.
'Summon Undead'
Alex used half of his mana to summon a peak Sixth Rank Lich, and he was using the skill to show it to Hecate and her guild members, so the image of his Aeon persona became clear in their minds.
Alex had already built his persona of Aeon to be a known figure among the players, and by associating it with the element of Chaos and making his true self use the element of Darkness, he was setting them apart.
While the players would see the similarities in both characters, the majority would refuse to believe that both individuals were the same, at least not after knowing what they were capable of.
As the summoning circle expanded on the ground, Alex manifested spears and chains of chaos as he clashed with the massive creature, giving him no edge in battle.
----------------
"Hecate POV"
Hecate watched in shock as Alex went toe to toe with the Alpha Manticore, and she was not alone, astounded by his display of strength, as those who had stared wrongly at him before now had their throat turn dry.
A few moments had passed before the echoing laughter reached her ears, and shifting her gaze toward its source, she witnessed the hulking figure, who was an organization member, undergoing a physical transformation.
Andrei laughed as his towering figure grew in height, reaching close to four meters, dark fur growing over his hands, arms, and neck, and his face elongated with protruding fangs growing out from his jaw. Horned grew from his skull, dark feathery wings from his back, his lower half from the waist down transformed, his quads bulging in size, his leg twisting to form a new joint, and his feet shifting to take the form of hoofs.
Andrei's presence was a blend of majesty and terror, boasting a draconic face, the upper body of a wolf-like creature, and lower limbs and horns resembling a goat's. Massive wingspan stretched wide, resembling the intricate structure of a crow's wing.
After a mighty roar, Andrei zoomed out of the barrier, pursuing right behind Venedikt and Saahira, who had already left the protection of the barrier and were engaged with the horde of Manticores.
While one delivered invisible attacks of gravity and space, the other kept her opponent at bay using her white flames that clung to the flesh like a parasite.
"How many such monsters are a part of the Organization," Hecate voiced her thoughts out loud, not noticing that a man was standing by her side.
"Quite a few, if I have to guess," Alden said, not truly surprised by the display of strength.
"Alden, Remind me never to act against the organization's interest," Hecate said with a smile.
Before they could talk any further, a wave of dread washed over them as they shifted their eyes to the previous pool of darkness that was now gone, and in its place stood a cloaked figure with his back facing toward them, and only the dark bony hand and the staff that it held visible to them.
"He truly is a Monster," Alden said, with apprehension evident in his eyes as he looked at the status of the Lich.
------------
It took close to twenty minutes for Alex to kill the Alpha Manticore, and pursuing that, it was just a clean-up job, as the Lich was single-handedly taking on multiple creatures, his puppets engaged in every battle.
'Brother, you sure took the spotlight,' Andrei said, his voice low as a whisper.
'I am sure you have been given the nickname of a Madman or a Moster,' Alex said, with a chuckle, remembering how Andrei was a beast in rage when he battled.
"I already have a nickname, Ruinov The Destroyer," Andrei said as he flexed his arm.
Andrei had entered the state of "Avatar of Cannibalism," and even though it was far from complete, as he only had consumed three hearts, it still gave him a 300% stat boost, pushing him to the stat limit and a crazy regeneration.
While it came at the high cost of mana and extreme pain because of enhanced senses, it allowed Andrei to go toe toe-
to-toe and win against a middle-stand Fifth-Rank Manticore.
While Venedikt and Saahira couldn't leap through Rank like them, they were a class above any peak Fourth Rank warrior because of their skills and their ability to use them.
So after the battle ended, Alex and his group were left alone to rest as they were the ones who carried the whole battle, only receiving words of appreciation from the other two group leaders.
Hecate left in search of the tomb entrances while the captain and his crew began repairing the damage to their ship.