A Bad Taste

The light had its brightness cover the figure while creating something alive from nothingness. However much Leon wants to know how the light does this, his priority is dealing with the thing it will form.

Finishing its job, the light had faded away in silence before showing what was behind its brightness.

Gray scales, a muscular body, a tail, a head that belongs to a reptile, and finally those vertical, emotionless blue pupils which belong to a hunter. With the size of taller than a normal human man, it was a body that was created for only battle. One sword in his hand with the spare one sheathed on his back, and an armor presumably made of metal that perfectly fit his size and his style.

It was a lizardman. But different from what Leon had met before, this one has some kind of humanoid style with that armor and sword.

Grasping the Torchlight, "Analyze," Leon said to observe deeper his foe.

[Whitemoon Lizardman Lv.20]

[Name: Jazakoz]

[Race: Lizardfolk/Lizardmen (Mutation)]

[STR: 150]

[AGI: 143]

[VIT: 110]

[INT: 40]

'Good thing I improved my cultivation rank or I would be weaker compared to him. But what is "mutation",' Leon thought, wondering what it meant.

"Anyway, if he bleeds, he dies," Leon said confidently.

When their gaze met, "Let's start!" Leon announced the start of their battle without losing time before both sides started running towards each other.

With their inhumane speed, it didn't take them long to draw up their swords.

*Clang*

*Clang*

Within seconds, their swords had touched one another over 10 times while leaving behind a spark and their impact's sound to echo through the eternal whiteness.

Trying to attack his lethal organs, Leon was brutally striking the lizardman by taking advantage of his higher stats. Attack after attack, Leon directed more power into his arms to break the lizardman's defense.

But, no matter how much strength Leon uses, somehow, all of his attacks were successfully blocked by the lizardman. Actually, Leon even had felt that with every attack of his, the lizardman was getting stronger rather than getting weaker.

*Clang*

As the two swords met again, this time neither of them couldn't push the other.

Leon understood something was wrong when his attack that carried all of his strength suddenly stopped by the lizardman he had pushed back with his strength easily until now. Looking at his body, Leon saw the lizardman's eyes were glowing in blue while releasing some heat from his body.

To clash their swords again, both of them raised their swords before landing them.

*Clang*

Suddenly, the prey became hunter, and Leon understood tables were turned when the lizardman's sword had pushed Leon back for a few steps back.

Can't find a reason, "Wha- How?!" Leon got surprised by the unexpected strength increase.

'Did the analyze show wrong information?' Leon thought before using the analyze for the second time.

[White Moon Lizardman Lv.20]

[Name: Jazakoz]

[Race: Lizardfolk/Lizardmen (Mutation)]

[STR: 163↑]

[AGI: 159↑]

[VIT: 110] [HP: 988↓/1100]

[INT: 40]

Rechecking the lizardman's stats, "I see now... You are burning your vitality for power increase," Leon announced.

Before repositioning himself, "But how long can you keep up like this?" Leon said as the lizardman started swinging his sword again, knowing he didn't have so much time.

*Clang*

*Clang*

As the two swords clashed to overcome each other, they sent a metallic sound to echo through the white void as if they were trying to show their master's strength. Leon was at a disadvantage because of the lizardman's powerful attacks that pushed him back with every strike. And the worst part about it, the more the lizardman burns his life essence, the more his attacks feel heavier to Leon.

[-60 HP] [HP: 990/1050]

Leon couldn't react to the attack in time before the lizardman's sword hit his chest. Good thing his armor was there to absorb much of the attack's damage and to prevent the sword from going into Leon's inner parts.

The lizardman tried to pull his sword out of Leon's chest when a hand grasped wrist.

[-120 MP] [MP: 480/960]

Putting his hand on the surface of the lizardman's chest plate, "I heard lizards are cold-blooded creatures, so this might be a little too hot for you," a smile bloomed on Leon's face before the magic circle appeared in his hand.

As the magic circle's color changed to orange before releasing a fireball, the lizardman was desperately trying to save himself from Leon's tight grip.

*Boom!*

But it was already too late for him to escape from the spell. In milliseconds, the fireball had exploded on his armor's chest plate before melting first his armor, then burning the skin and flesh behind it until reaching his internal organs, and finally opening a flaming hole in his chest.

With the explosion, some blood and some of the internal organs that blasted to pieces hit Leon's face while painting him in blood.

Leon loosened his grip before letting the lizardman fall to the ground with a hole in his chest.

*Ptui*

*Ptui*

Spitting out some bits that got into his mouth, "Disgusting! Ugh, I wish I had a mint with me," Leon said as the panels appeared ahead of him.

[WAVE-2 HAS BEEN COMPLETED]

[REMAINING TIME UNTIL THE NEXT WAVE: 30 Minutes]

"Agh, I will just cultivate to forget this taste," Leon said before sitting in the lotus position to spend time until the next wave starts.

As the world around him became imperceptible to him, Leon had already started his cultivation after closing his eyes.

...

...

...

In the eternal void, a figure that even the darkness itself trembles in fear in front of him, a figure even the time itself bows to him, a figure that even death itself can't escape from him was staring at the white globe in his hand.

Placing his hand under his chin as if he was thinking about something, "Player 474, I wonder, will you be able to surpass the previous ones who came before you?" a mighty voice echoed through the void.

-CHAPTER 32 END-