BOOM.
The Kraken’s form twisted unnaturally, its massive bulk moving far faster than something of its size should be capable of. Its enormous tentacles lashed out in a blur of motion, cutting through the air with enough force to collapse the cavern walls.
SWOOSH!
I dodged.
My body moved instinctively, my feet barely grazing the ruined stone as I weaved through the onslaught. The tentacle struck where I had been a fraction of a second ago, shattering the ground into jagged debris. The air rippled from the sheer force of the blow, dust and ichor spraying in all directions.
Another strike.
Another.
SWOOSH. SWOOSH.
I bent backward, narrowly avoiding a crushing sweep that would’ve flattened me. Another tentacle came from above, a blur of abyssal muscle descending like a falling mountain.
This time, I deflected.
CLANG!
I twisted my estoc, angling the edge to redirect rather than resist. A pulse of black-starlight flickered along the blade’s surface, sending the Kraken’s strike veering slightly off course. It wasn’t enough to fully stop it, but enough to buy me the fraction of a second I needed to shift my weight—
And move.
The impact missed me by inches, sending shockwaves through the battlefield. The cavern trembled, cracks splintering across the already ruined terrain. The sheer force sent loose debris tumbling from the jagged ceiling above.
‘It’s fast.’
It was regenerating, too.
Every time my blade carved into its grotesque flesh, the wounds stitched themselves back together. The black, brackish ichor spilled from its injuries, but it didn’t weaken. If anything, it seemed to be getting stronger.
Tch. Annoying.
I exhaled, rolling my wrist, my estoc humming with faint starlight energy. My body burned with exertion, the wounds along my ribs and arms throbbing, but I didn’t stop.
This fight was dragging on.
‘It’s not good.’
And it was not. After all, the more this monster lived, the more it fought, the harder it would get for me.
‘I can’t match its regeneration.’
Maybe, if there were other monsters that were around here, then it could have been possible. After all, I could utilize [Flame of Equinox] to absorb their vitality.
‘Vitaliara would help as well.’
But, none of these two above conditions were met.
Hence there was not much that could be done.
I stepped forward, blade rising.
「Void Starfall Blade: Starsurge」
The air shuddered.
A deep pulse of black-starlight radiated from my weapon, expanding outward in sharp, crackling arcs. The energy around me condensed, space bending as the technique activated.
And then—
I vanished.
Or rather, I moved too fast to be seen.
A streak of starlight tore across the battlefield, my figure blurring into a trail of pure, condensed energy. My estoc carved through the Kraken’s defenses, the force of the strike expanding the moment it connected.
BOOM!
The impact was devastating.
The black-starlight exploded outward, carving through the Kraken’s grotesque flesh in a spiral of obliterating force. A massive section of its body was severed, black ichor spraying into the air like a ruptured dam.
For a moment, there was silence.
And then—
Schlrkkk—
The sound of flesh reforming.
I watched, my smirk fading slightly as the severed wound stitched itself back together, the Kraken’s body regenerating in mere seconds.
My attack had landed.
But it hadn’t worked.
My smirk twisted into something colder. I exhaled, adjusting my stance, but before I could move—
BOOM.
A tentacle came from my blind spot.
I twisted—too late.
The impact slammed into my side, pain exploding through my ribs as I was sent flying.
CRASH!
I hit the ground hard, skidding across the ruined battlefield before slamming into a broken pillar. Blood filled my mouth, the taste sharp and metallic. My fingers tightened around my weapon, my breaths coming out ragged.
‘Tch… So it’s like this, huh?’
I clenched my jaw, pressing a hand to my side, feeling the deep gash along my ribs. My mind was working, analyzing, dissecting. My technique had been perfect.
And yet, it wasn’t enough.
Why?
What was I missing?
I gritted my teeth, pushing myself to my feet. My vision blurred for a moment before sharpening, my gaze locking onto the Kraken’s writhing, abyssal form. The resonance between us was still there, pulsing, watching.
I exhaled slowly, the taste of blood thick on my tongue. My ribs throbbed with each breath, the pain sharp but manageable. I tightened my grip on my estoc, forcing myself to ignore the lingering ache.
‘Why?’
My technique had landed. It had cut through the Kraken. But it hadn’t mattered.
I channeled my core, willing the Starlight Energy into my blade. A soft hum reverberated through the air as black-starlight pulsed along the weapon’s edge, flickering with celestial brilliance.
At the same time, I let my [Flame of Equinox] surge through my veins.
WHOOSH.
Blackish flames coiled around me, licking at the air with an eerie, consuming heat. Unlike ordinary fire, this was something more—something that straddled the line between life and death.
‘For now, I need to understand.’
It wasn’t going to be that easy. I knew that.
I didn’t expect a simple answer.
But I needed something.
I shifted my stance, my vision locking onto the Kraken once more. Its abyssal form pulsed, its grotesque limbs twisting, shifting unnaturally as it watched me.
It was waiting.
Almost as if it knew I hadn’t figured it out yet.
Tch. Annoying.
BOOM.
I shot forward.
My movements blurred into streaks of starlight, the celestial energy crackling around my frame as I closed the distance in an instant. My estoc slashed out, carving through the thick mass of flesh before twisting in an elegant arc.
SLASH. SLASH. SLASH.
Each strike landed with pinpoint precision.
Each cut was clean.
Each wound burst apart with black flames and searing starlight.
But none of them mattered.
Schlrkkk—
The Kraken’s wounds stitched themselves back together before I had even finished my next attack.
‘Not enough.’
SWOOSH!
I twisted midair, dodging a massive tentacle that came crashing down where I had stood. My body flickered again, moving with the momentum of my strikes, my blade lashing out in rapid succession.
SLASH. SLASH. SLASH.
Still nothing.
Fine.
I pivoted, pressing my free hand forward—
BOOM!
Beams of starlight surged from my palm, arcs of pure celestial force ripping through the battlefield. They sliced through the Kraken’s form, illuminating the cavern in a flash of radiant destruction.
Then, I shifted my mana.
The [Flame of Equinox] flared up, black flames twisting into scorching waves as I unleashed them in rapid succession. Projectiles of death and fire shot toward the Kraken, consuming the very air as they tore forward.
BOOM. BOOM. BOOM!
The cavern shook from the force of the attacks.
And yet—
When the smoke cleared, the Kraken remained.
Untouched.
The wounds I had inflicted were already gone, the regeneration surging faster than ever.
I landed several paces away, breath steady but gaze cold.
‘No. This isn’t working.’
My flames weren’t stopping it.
My starlight wasn’t enough.
Even the combined force of my techniques—something that should have erased lesser creatures entirely—was useless.
Tch.
I exhaled sharply, rolling my wrist, feeling the black-light flickering at the edge of my consciousness.
There was something I wasn’t seeing. Your next chapter awaits on My Virtual Library Empire
Something I was missing.
“Heh….”
But that was the fun part.
“Hehe…”
The answer was here. Right in front of me.
“Stepping into the unknown.”
I just had to figure it out.