106 DXD 24

"D-did you kill it?" stuttered Olivia, giving my deepening frown a confused glance.

"No." Her confusion only deepened as I replied, my expression grim and my attention fixed on the world around us. Despite my best efforts, I could find no trace of the God of Monsters, no flicker of energy to indicate its continued existence.

With a frustrated curse, I summoned forth a massive magical circle, ten kilometers in diameter, and focused all my power on it. With a single thought, it unleashed a devastating ray of energy that drained the thermal energies of the universe around us.

As the beam made contact with the miniature star, a dazzling display of exploding vapor filled the celestial expanse, freezing in time mere moments later. Using my gravity manipulation, I seized hold of the stellar body and tore it apart, scattering its remains to the far corners of the universe.

Yet once again, no notification greeted my sight and my heart sank as I realized that that thing had eluded my grasp. It was clear that the creature had used some sort of last-resort ability to escape, perhaps even before my first attack had fully taken effect.

Despite Olivia's level-ups, I knew that it was too dangerous for her to stay here any longer. Luckily, I had taken advantage of our time here to analyze the dimensional portal spell created by the crystal, allowing me to recreate it in a fraction of a second.

Disregarding the countless kill notifications that flooded my vision, which only granted me a measly 2.3 million experience and raised my global level to one hundred, I focused instead on my own physical state. The intense strain of the boosting skills had taken its toll on my body, and I knew I needed to take action to prevent any further harm.

With a sense of urgency, I quickly deactivated the skills that were slowly sapping away my vitality, allowing my body to begin to recover. Taking Olivia's hand, I spoke firmly, "We're leaving right now," my intuition screaming at me that something was horribly amiss.

Without waiting for her to protest, I summoned my mana and tore a hole in the dimensional barrier between this realm and the DXD world. I wasted no time in throwing Olivia through the portal, but as I attempted to enter myself, without any warning I felt an impact.

In a cruel twist of fate, I found myself caught off guard by an overwhelming force that transcended the limits of my perception. It moved with such unimaginable speed that I had no time to react, no opportunity to defend myself. In an instant, my lower half disintegrated, reducing me to a state of shock and disbelief.

The force that had assailed me showed no regard for my physical resilience or vitality. It was as if I stood defenseless against an indomitable power, an unstoppable force that shattered my defenses with ease.

In the midst of this harrowing moment, a glimpse of desperation flashed before my eyes. Through the portal that remained open, I caught sight of Olivia, her expression etched with shock and concern. She peered through the portal, her desire to help me palpable. But before she could fully emerge, I forcefully flung her back and I summoned all of my strength then forcefully shut the portal.

[Mana's Blessing] once again roared to action. Followed, by [Bestial Physique], [Regenerative Healing Factor], and [Immortality], rapidly restoring me to my former glory. Yet, the lower part of my DanMachi armor was gone without a trace, unable to bear the impact of whatever had attacked me.

"Yeah, that stung a bit," I said cracking my neck, as I tried to locate my assailant.

Though my blood boiled within me, a side effect of the sudden exposure to the vacuum, my regenerative skills swiftly countered the detrimental effects. They coursed through my veins, restoring equilibrium and protecting me from the ravages of the hostile void.

In a mesmerizing display, my watch pulsed with renewed vigor, fed with hundreds of thousands of points of mana its enchantments reignited. A shimmer of radiant energy cascaded through my garments, as the intricate network of nanites that composed them sprang into action. They diligently repaired any damage inflicted by the attack and the harsh environment, mending tears and restoring the fabric to its former glory. Simultaneously, the enchantments woven into my attire were revitalized and repaired by my diligent little helpers.

Despite my heightened senses, I could not detect even a hint of mana within the desolate void. The emptiness around me remained silent and impenetrable, refusing to yield any information. Even my normally reliable [Spatial Senses] failed to provide any meaningful data in this inhospitable environment. Similarly, my [Seismic Sense] and [Echolocation] abilities proved utterly useless in the vacuum of space, leaving me with a sense of anxiety.

A shimmer caught my attention, and instinctively recognizing the imminent peril, I swiftly activated [Annihilation], enveloping myself in a shimmering shield of energy. But before I could fully comprehend the situation, a colossal ball of rapidly spinning energy slammed into me with such tremendous force that it catapulted me out of the solar system in a matter of seconds.

As the force of acceleration pressed against me with unyielding intensity, the g-forces threatened to tear me apart. In the midst of this turmoil, a startling revelation pierced through the chaos—I discovered that whatever had collided with my barrier possessed a power that suppressed the disintegrating effect of [Annihilation].

Compounding my growing concern, was that the relentless assault inflicted upon my protective shield gradually eroded its integrity. With each subsequent second, the shield weakened, its defensive prowess gradually diminishing. The onslaught was unyielding, an unrelenting force chipping away at the barrier that had once stood as my last line of defense.

I strained against the mounting pressure, forcefully activating [Space-Time Manipulation], and space itself convulsed and warped as I reestablished my position, teleporting back to the hearth of the battle. The unfathomable power of [Infernal Mastery] surged through me, igniting a cataclysmic inferno that melted the celestial bodies within reach into a molten state. Physics itself seemed to surrender in the face of such extraordinary temperatures, as unimaginable thermal energies, surpassing the bounds of this universe, erupted from my very being affecting even the building blocks of reality.

Yet, to my dismay, the colossal snake before me, a titan of planetary proportions, remained unscathed, unfazed by the sheer magnitude of the unleashed power. Its indomitable presence loomed over the battlefield, a testament to its unparalleled resilience and an ominous reminder of the formidable challenge I faced.

My entire being was electrified with excitement as I gazed upon the magnificent beast, its sheer size alone was enough to make my heart race with adrenaline. Its massive jaw was capable of devouring continents, and the very fabric of space distorted with every movement it made.

The deafening hiss of the colossal snake reverberated through the empty void of space, dispersing the blazing inferno and piercing through my protective barrier, assaulting me with a relentless force that tore open my skin. Its six pairs of eyes burned with an overwhelming hatred, their intense gaze sending a chill down my spine. Despite the mounting danger, a twisted grin spread across my face, a manifestation of my exhilaration in the face of this formidable adversary.

[Link], buzzed urgently as Olivia attempted to reach me with haste. However, I only had a fleeting moment to respond, quickly assuring her, "I'm fine. Engaged in a battle with a colossal snake. No assistance is required. We'll talk later." With a swift motion, I deactivated the spell, abruptly cutting off our connection.

With lightning reflexes, I once again invoked my teleportation ability, vanishing from the path of the snake's menacing tail just as it descended upon me. Its massive appendage, emanating an eerie radiance, swept through the space where I once stood, unleashing a devastating impact on a nearby planet. The aftershocks of its attack ripped through the celestial body, tearing it apart in a cataclysmic display of raw power.

"Okay, playtime is over." My mental skill activated one by one propelling my cognitive functions to a new height, and the world around me froze in place, as my mind worked at unrivaled pace. Within my grasp, Cataclysm manifested. Space itself contorted and contracted, erasing the distance between the blade's edge and the monstrous entity until they converged into a singular point.

"Spatial Slash," I uttered with unwavering determination. In an instant, a blinding line, extending infinitely, cleaved through the beast with precision, severing it perfectly in two.

Yet, to my dismay, once again no kill notification appeared before me. Instead, one half of the creature withered away into disintegrating flakes, while the other swiftly regenerated to its full form, defying the very concept of death.

"Fuck." Frustration welled up within me, mingling with the intensity of the battle. The creature's unwavering resilience ignited a fiery determination within my core. With a vehement curse escaping my lips, my eyes blazed with a brilliant blue light, a reflection of [Observational Learning] activating to its full potential.

The savage behemoth wasted no time in launching its relentless assault. Its scales shimmered, crackling with ethereal power. Its jaws opened wide, and with a sudden burst of immense force, an invisible attack struck me, defying the laws of distance, reminiscent of the incredible impact that had hurled me beyond the confines of the solar system.

In a daring move, my instinctively raised blade clashed with the incoming attack. A shower of sparks erupted as Cataclysm met the force, my arms bucked, as the sword redirected the energy sphere towards the blazing sun.

The sphere traveled only a fraction of a second before surging through the colossal star, piercing its core and exploding out the other side. A cataclysmic shockwave of solar energy raced through the solar system at lightning speed, setting ablaze the planets in its wake. The sun, unable to withstand its own weight, imploded violently before erupting into a dazzling supernova, instantly consuming the first three planets and continuing forward.

But I couldn't care less about the cataclysmic destruction around me, a ferocious grin appeared on my face as a system ping notified me of my new skill acquisition.

[Skill: [Kinetic Burst] unlocked.]

Dimensional waves erupted from within me, while the solar wind washed over me, tearing reality apart, distorting space and time. They shredded the creature's scales as they swept through. Kinetic bursts, highly condensed balls composed only of kinetic energy, shoot out of my palms, ignoring the limitations of physics and moving at speeds way exceeding light, impacting the beast. Yet, once again, my assault was nearly ineffective. The monster's regenerative abilities kicked in, swiftly healing its wounds.

I surveyed the battlefield, evading attacks while unleashing wave after wave of dimensional energy accompanied by kinetic bursts at my formidable foe. Yet, with each strike, it seemed as if my power diminished, and the creature slowly adapted to my onslaught. Each attack dealt less damage than the previous, reaching a point where one of my strikes dissipated into the void, failing to even reach the beast.

Amidst my astonishment, I realized the monster possessed a similar ability to my own [Adapt], enabling it to gradually acclimate to different energies, forces, and environments. This explained its complete immunity to the scorching heat generated by [Infernal Mastery], but I couldn't understand why [Observational Learning] nor [Empathic Mimicry] didn't pick it up. I acknowledged that the beast posed a far greater threat than I had initially anticipated. Nevertheless, a wide grin of excitement spread across my face.

At that moment, the monstrous God of Monsters grew annoyed at waiting. The world around us shifted as it unleashed its divine domain, consuming vast amounts of divine energies, dwarfing my own several times over. With a reality-shaking screech, pools of darkness spewed from every scale of its body, painting the cosmic expanse in an ominous black hue. In a blinding flash of light, the abyssal pools birthed an army of monsters, all but one, tier three.

Raising my sword, I clashed with the claws of the tier four humanoid beast that appeared out of nowhere before me, causing my arms to tremble and my bones to ache. This Demon Lord-like monstrosity, adorned with spiraling goat-like horns and a bodybuilder's physique, struck my weapon with such overwhelming force that it sent me hurtling through the void. But its assault didn't end there. Its claws crackled with ethereal energy, its movements surpassing my ability to perceive. In the blink of an eye, it was behind me, aiming to impale me. Yet, neither the army nor the God adhered to the rules of our sacred duel, forcing me to teleport repeatedly to evade the physical attacks and seize control of spells launched my way.

Indeed, around one-third of the newly spawned monsters were spellcasters, hurling their arcane incantations, casting buffs, and tending to their wounded comrades. But I refused to let them succeed. A parallel mind instance emerged within my consciousness, solely dedicated to absorbing mana, disrupting their spellcasting, seizing useful spells and redirecting them back at their originators, or targeting the rest of the army.

As the battle raged on, the full potential of my [Mental Domain] surged forth. However, to my dismay, the battlefield remained eerily devoid of any discernible consciousness. I furrowed my brow in frustration, realizing that the entities before me were mere puppets on strings.

I manipulated time, bringing it to a near standstill, allowing me to teleport away from multiple simultaneous attacks with flawless precision. The coordinated assault of these creatures was no match for my strategic prowess. Thousands of magical circles materialized around me, unleashing concentrated rays of mana that cleaved through the enemy army like a hot knife through butter. The battlefield became a symphony of destruction as kill notifications flooded my vision.

But a surge of realization coursed through my veins as I comprehended the true extent of the serpent's power. Its power was not limited to its colossal size and overwhelming strength, or even its divine domain over monsters. Two previously overshadowed domains, concealed by the enormously first one, hid in the depths of its being, now revealed themselves to me at their fullest.

Its second domain, Devouring, had been unleashed upon the battlefield, in the form of ethereal tentacles. Consuming and reabsorbing the essence of the fallen creatures, empowering the serpent, and refueling its previously lost energies.

A chill of realization coursed through my veins, piercing my resolve like an icy gust, as I finally detected its last domain: Mutation. It was this insidious power that had systematically eroded the effectiveness of my attacks, rendering them feeble and impotent. Each strike, every spell or ability I had unleashed, had inadvertently contributed to the serpent's evolution.

"I've got to wrap this up fast before it transforms into something I won't be able to overcome," I muttered, feeling a tinge of irritation, as this battle had been the most enjoyable one I'd experienced since the lower levels of the DanMachi dungeon.

In the face of this relentless adaptation, I knew that a change in strategy was necessary. The battle had reached a critical juncture, where my every move needed to be carefully calculated and infused with innovation.

I unleashed the full might of my domain, disregarding the costs of its upkeep, and the battlefield descended into utter chaos as a whirlwind of abilities clashed in a spectacular display of power. Reality itself trembled under the weight of the unleashed forces. Spells crackled and surged, threatening to tear the fabric of existence apart.

With lightning reflexes, I contorted my body, narrowly evading the razor-sharp claws of the Demon Lord that aimed to claim my life. In that critical moment, I tapped into the depths of [Bestial Physique] and a surge of raw power rushed through me, doubling my physical capabilities in an instant. My sword became an extension of my will as I executed a swift and precise spatial slash, tearing through space and severing the demon's neck from its body.

However, as the severed head tumbled through the void, no kill notification greeted my senses and I was starting to get annoyed by their resilience. Activating [Annihilation], I unleashed its corrosive energies upon the fallen foe and watched as it gnawed at the demon's body, fighting against its regenerative abilities and devouring its very essence.

The battlefield became a crucible of attrition, where the forces of Annihilation and regeneration clashed with relentless determination. A titanic struggle unfolded as the powers of destruction and renewal wrestled for dominance. But, alas, it proved futile. The demon, unable to withstand the ceaseless onslaught of Annihilation, contorted and twisted in agonizing defeat. With each passing moment, its form eroded until nothing remained but a fading memory. And then, in a blaze of triumph, a notification materialized before me, confirming the demon's demise.

With the formidable "Commander" vanquished, the remaining remnants of the once formidable army stood no chance. With deftness and agility, I evaded the serpent's relentless assault, my magic surging forth to tear through the remaining adversaries. In mere moments, they fell, vanquished by the fury of my arcane might. The battlefield, once a chaotic tableau of violence, was now strewn with the lifeless remains of the defeated.

Now, only two figures remained in the blood-soaked void: myself and the God of Monsters. A silence settled, punctuated only by the echoes of my ragged breaths. The weight of the moment hung heavily in the air, a palpable tension between two beings of immense power. And in a split second, both of us sprang into action.

As I once again manipulated the flow of time, bringing it to a complete standstill, but the relentless God continued its inexorable advance. It defied the constraints of temporal manipulation, evolving beyond the bounds of time itself. A surge of unease coursed through me, as it opened its enormous maw letting out a purple mist, I realized that my usual tactics would no longer suffice against this formidable foe.

"Okay if this doesn't work, I'm shifting my race to Voidborn," I said with a grimace, as I channeled my mana.

In that instant, my divine domain roared to a second life, channeling the depths of my knowledge and experiences. Drawing upon the wisdom gained from Olivia's soul realm, inspiration from the killing curse from the Harry Potter world, and my extensive research on souls, a new spell materialized before me, crackling with immense power, ready to shatter the very essence of the beast.

With unwavering determination, I called forth the forces of [Sage's Wisdom] and [Magic Penetration], infusing the spell with an unprecedented surge of energy. But I knew that wasn't enough. I needed to tap into the depths of my divine power, channeling the very essence of my being.

In an instant, [Divine Empowerment] coursed through me, amplifying the potency of the spell to unfathomable levels. The celestial energies responded, as [Halo] shimmered into existence, forming a radiant circular disc of holy light above my head. Its luminous glow illuminated the void, imbuing me with an aura of divine power.

But I sought to push the boundaries even further. With a swift activation, [Holy Enhancement] infused the spell with the utmost potential, elevating it to heights previously unimaginable. The incantation formed on my lips, resonating through the empty expanse.

"Soulrend!"

The very laws of the cosmos buckled to my command, as I bent space, eliminating any notion of travel time, and unleashed the spell crackling with energy, that rent reality asunder, spreading waves of destruction on planetary scales, consuming anything material or immaterial. In an instant, it converged upon the beast, its radiant power infusing the surrounding space with a shimmering golden glow.

With a thunderous impact, the spell tore through the beast's formidable body, rending its essence asunder. The dazzling display of golden energy consumed the creature, fragmenting its soul into countless pieces. There was no escape, no time for the beast to evade or defend against the onslaught.

The battlefield was enveloped in a cataclysmic surge of divine energy, basking the cosmic expanse with a golden glow. The beast writhed in agony, as its very being unraveled under the overwhelming force of my attack. Its once mighty form quivered and convulsed, unable to withstand the unstoppable power that tore through its core.

As the radiant energies subsided, and a profound silence descended upon the battlefield. The beast, once a fearsome adversary, now lay broken and defeated, its shattered soul scattered throughout the cosmos.