The purple net originally woven from flames turned pitch-black in a mere instant, and the lunging Plutosas had no time to halt its movement.
Its hideous dragon head plunged straight into the net.
Roar!!!
Pain!
An overwhelming wave of intense pain crashed over it like a tidal wave, and Plutosas thrashed and struggled in agony.
Its mountain-like body repeatedly slammed against the surrounding stone walls, instantly making the entire space feel as if it were on the verge of collapsing.
The massive black net enveloped it like a big fish trapped in a net; no matter how much it thrashed, it could not break free.
Xia De slowly stepped out of the flames. Looking at Plutosas as it repeatedly smashed its body against the stone walls, his gaze was calm, completely devoid of the disheveled state he had been in while dodging the dragon's attacks earlier.
He extended his right hand, and a wisp of black flame appeared in his palm.
“When I first summoned the black flames, I had an intuition. The core essence of my black flames is extremely high; all other flames must submit to it.
“So, your flames are nothing but child's play to me.
“After noticing your flames becoming increasingly dense, I changed my mind about directly devouring them. Rather than using more of my own mana to summon black flames, it's better to use a small amount of black flame to devour and convert your fire. That way, I can save much more mana.
“After all, my mana capacity is indeed inferior to yours.”
“I'll kill you, ant!”
Several more blades of light slashed from its sharp claws flew toward Xia De, but he evaded them with ease.
As it thrashed, he caught a fleeting glint of cold light on its back.
That must be the legendary sword.
“I am Plutosas, a Tier Eight, Calamity-class Space Demon Dragon under the Demon King!”
With a roar, a surging, dark purple mana radiating an ominous aura erupted from Plutosas's body.
The ground beneath its feet fractured with a rumbling roar. Plutosas's mana was so dense it almost materialized, enveloping its body like a curtain of water. The atmosphere grew oppressive, bringing a suffocating sensation as if an invisible, massive hand were squeezing one's heart.
Having fought alongside the Demon King in all directions, Plutosas showed Xia De what a true elite was. Even under the searing burn of his soul-scorching black flames, Plutosas was actually able to stand up and counterattack.
Its mountain-like body swelled slightly, and with a sudden surge of power, the giant net shattered. Plutosas easily broke free from its bindings. Opening its massive maw, it charged at Xia De with an unstoppable momentum.
A tenacious outburst?
Faced with the dragon's fierce counterattack, Xia De showed no fear on his face, only raising his eyebrows slightly.
“Stop struggling. You probably haven't noticed, but since that first black flame attack, the fire on your body has never gone out.
“And my mana has a characteristic called devouring. It can devour everything from the target—mana, life force, and so on—and the devoured energy feeds back into me. So...”
He opened his status panel once again, and the values on it had clearly changed.
【Name: Xia De (Human reincarnated from another world)
Combat Power: 30,000
Skills: All-Attribute Elemental Magic, Stealth Magic, Perception Magic, Space Storage Magic, Surveillance Magic, Mastery of All Weapons...】
And Plutosas's status had become:
【Species: Space Demon Dragon (Extremely strong spatial power is contained within its bloodline)
Combat Power: 22,850/99,999 (Suppressed by defense and restriction)
Status: Prolonged sealing has left it extremely weakened. It suffers from internal injuries from its battle with legendary adventurers a thousand years ago. Currently suppressed by the precious sword and being devoured by black flames.
Skills: Demonization, Death Breath, Barrier Space, Claw Strike, Tenacious Outburst...】
“Let me tell you in advance, my next target is the sword on your back. After all, you did say it's the weapon that can defeat you. Also, my weakness is that my physical defense isn't as strong as yours. If I get hit by your powerful physical body, I'll take massive damage.”
After fighting for so long, Xia De's heart began to stir.
He could feel the adrenaline surging through his body, his heartbeat gradually accelerating.
Unlike the fear that came with a vast difference in Combat Power, this was the excitement of meeting a worthy opponent!
It wasn't an instant kill, nor was it being instantly killed, but the thrill of being able to have a proper fight!
It was the excitement of experiencing the true joy of adventure!
He bumped his fists together in front of his chest with a crisp thud, then spread his legs, bending them slightly with one in front of the other to lower his center of gravity. Grinning, he laughed:
“The game of cat and mouse has begun. Will the cat eat the mouse, or will the mouse gnaw the cat to pieces? Make sure to entertain me well, Klutosaus!”
“It's Plutosas!”
The black dragon roared in correction as it charged toward Xia De.
Only after Xia De pointed it out did it finally realize that the black flames on its body had never gone out. Even though they had become extremely faint, flickering as if a gust of wind could blow them out, they were still steadily burning.
It had thought its weakening power was due to the suppression of the seal and the Holy Sword, but it turned out it was actually being devoured by the black flames.
First using Wind Tread, Xia De's body continuously changed directions in mid-air, rushing toward the dragon's back at a speed imperceptible to the naked eye.
The dragon responded accordingly. Its sharp claws tore through the void, creating countless claw blades in the air that surged toward Xia De in unison.
Since flames were useless, it would use physical strength and spatial power!
After unleashing the claw blades, Plutosas reached out with its sharp claws to grab Xia De, while simultaneously curling its body to whip its pillar-like tail like a massive lash. The two attacks closed in from above and below, forming a pincer movement on Xia De.
Mirror Image!
Easily dodging the dragon's claw blades, just as the claws and tail were about to strike him, Xia De's gaze narrowed, leaving a mirror image in his place.
The tail slammed into the mirror image, which shattered like glass, while Xia De's real body had already arrived in the hollow space created by the dragon curling its body.
It wasn't over yet!
Plutosas's neck twisted at a highly awkward angle, and it rapidly bit toward Xia De's current position.
The hideous dragon head opened its bloody maw, packed with rows of spike-like long teeth. Xia De felt a foul stench wash over him; the dragon's mouth was even dripping with smelly, rancid mucus.
Mirror Image.
Once again leaving a mirror image in his place, Xia De shifted his body. His real self appeared on the dragon's back, and he said with a sigh of regret:
“You got my hopes up for nothing. The current you is incredibly weak. Aside from having a much higher physical defense, you are completely outclassed by me in every other aspect. How boring.”
“How dare an ant look down on me!”
Plutosas felt immensely humiliated. It thrashed its body repeatedly, trying to shake off Xia De, this bug who dared to run amok on its back.
But no matter how it rolled and thrashed, Xia De stood firmly on its back, completely unshakable.
After a long while, Plutosas collapsed powerlessly to the ground. The black flames on its body continued to devour its life force, and after so much exhaustion, it no longer had the strength to even move.
Only then did Xia De turn his gaze toward the legendary Holy Sword, wanting to get a good look at this legendary treasure.
A greatsword, entirely ink-black, stood unshakably on the dragon's back like a dutiful guardian, radiating a majestic and profound aura.
Xia De took a step forward, but the moment he did, his steps halted, and his brow furrowed slightly.
“Is this... doubled gravity?”
Xia De spoke these words with a strange expression.
Rate on N.U.
