Chapter 19: The Battle Against the Proud Hands-on-Hips Beast

Chapter 19: Battle Against the Proud Cross-Armed Beast

A haunting, ethereal roar echoed through the air, reminiscent of an ancient whale’s song from the depths of the ocean, penetrating the soul and sending chills down the spine.

In the convoy heading back, Mark glanced over his shoulder and faintly saw ghostly green light bursting from the ruins of the buildings, with eerie, vein-like patterns blossoming around them.

“Captain, should we send support?” Donnie asked.

“Full speed ahead,” Mark replied in a low voice. “Trust Rocco.”

“Lighthouse channel connected,” Moc City reported.

Mark activated the communication channel. “This is the Scavenger Squad. We have acquired the medicine and are returning. Prepare the landing platform for our arrival.”

“Static… excellent, awaiting your return,” Jingnan’s voice sounded on the other end, brimming with joy.

Inside the vehicle, Erica pulled out her notebook and sketched and jotted notes. “Following Rocco’s method, I completely eliminated four sting eels.”

Afro’s bleeding was temporarily stopped, but he had already slipped into unconsciousness. Even with prosthetic limbs, his small legs would likely never serve again in the scavengers.

The group’s return journey was free from heavy attacks by the Devouring Extremes. The transport vehicle safely left the most dangerous ecological clusters and entered the open Gobi Desert, heading toward the distant lighthouse.

…

At the T69 Lighthouse Medical Collection Point.

The soul-stirring roar continued unabated, and amidst the tremors, Rocco’s body began to transform.

His back tore open, the spine protruding upward. Besides his ribs, countless bone blades writhed fiercely. If a snake dog were thrown onto him, it would be shredded within seconds.

Crack! Crack!

Terrifying bone claws sprouted along both sides of his spine, and his entire body eerily stretched and expanded, miraculously growing over eight meters long. Now, the only remaining human features were a pair of thick arms without skin, positioned on either side of a chest-like armor. His arms revealed hard, iron-like trembling muscles, dotted with protruding bone spikes and plates.

His head had grotesquely enlarged, with curved blade-like bones on the back sides of his skull. His deep eye sockets glowed with a black-red light, and from his tooth-filled mouth extended devouring claws.

His entire form shimmered with a jade-like translucence. Though horrifying in appearance, it was impossible not to admire the masterful craftsmanship of nature.

The Devouring Spine Fiend!

Above Rocco’s head, the Crest Beast’s tail wings unfolded like a blooming dahlia, hovering upside down in midair.

Of course, it still haughtily crossed its arms on its hips. Its wide-open mouth made it resemble a terrifying whale soaring through the sky, its swimming movements uncannily whale-like.

When the Crest Beast saw the human below transform into a “kin” in mere seconds, it immediately stopped crossing its arms, stunned, and reached up to touch its head, staring at Rocco in bewilderment.

Yet it also sensed the consuming power contained within Rocco’s body—a terrifying force that instantly overwhelmed it with pressure and threat. It realized this power could destroy the Mana ecology it depended on for survival. Without regard for kinship, the Crest Beast’s hostility surged to the maximum; it was determined to kill Rocco!

The Crest Beast’s tail wings opened and closed, aiming its chrysanthemum-like organ at Rocco. Suddenly wide open, it unleashed layers of sharp sonic waves that rippled through space.

“Hiss—hiss—”

It danced, dispersing energy far and wide. The ground was alive with sting eels that rejuvenated instantly; as long as they remained within its domain, they could endlessly regenerate and remain immortal.

As the sonic waves entered Rocco’s brain, nausea and dizziness washed over him, though far less intense than the overwhelming effects humans experience in anime.

“Since you are frank with me, I shall reciprocate.”

Rocco extended his left arm, his palm flashing with black light. A bone arrow condensed and aimed squarely at the Crest Beast’s tail wing!

Whoosh—

The bone arrow shot out explosively and, before the eyes of the sting eels, pierced the Crest Beast’s flared tail tip. The tail wing immediately contracted, trembling violently and spewing a large pool of blood.

“Roar!!!”

The Crest Beast’s agonized scream thundered through the sky.

With a thunderous leap, it charged at Rocco in fury, its arms crawling wildly like a deranged oddity.

Rocco, standing over eight meters tall with his upper body rising more than five meters, still appeared minuscule before the Crest Beast.

But size meant nothing—true power was what mattered!

With dozens of legs and feet, Rocco was equally agile and swift, quickly wrapping around a stone pillar to climb upward.

Bang!

The stone pillar was directly smashed down by the Crest Beast, causing Rocco to fall alongside it and land on the beast’s back.

A dozen bone blades, controlled by his thoughts, slashed downward in unison. The devouring power-infused edges cut into the bromine mist defensive layer, causing glass-like cracks to spiderweb across its surface.

Roar!

The Crest Beast was taken aback; it hadn’t expected Rocco’s basic attacks to damage its defense.

Rocco transformed into a relentless blade machine, clutching tight to the back and unleashing a furious onslaught. In the blink of an eye, the defensive layer beneath was shattered into countless wounds.

He arched backward, swinging his right arm with fierce power. The front blade morphed into his deadliest bone blade, fully destroying the defense. Then, like jagged rocks, his uneven flesh rubbed fiercely, igniting sparks. All three meters of bone blade plunged deep into the Crest Beast’s body.

But it wasn’t over. Rocco’s heart was steel; he ignored the beast’s pitiful cries, resolutely twisted his right arm, and frantically churned within the wound, spraying blood uncontrollably all over himself.

“Roar—”

Helpless, the Crest Beast thrashed on the ground like a dying crocodile.

Surprisingly, the move worked.

Bang…

Rocco was thrown off and slammed against a wall.

Whoosh whoosh whoosh!

Bone spikes rained down, and the sting eels seized the chance to attack this “traitor.”

But mere bone spikes could not harm the beastified Rocco. The bone blades on his back swiftly chopped to form a shield.

Snap!

One bone spike struck Rocco’s head through a gap, leaving only a shallow mark. The spike’s tip was broken off and bounced away.

Seeing this, Rocco stopped wasting energy on pointless defense.

Ridiculous. These things can’t break my defense at all. Well, it makes sense—I’m strong enough to keep their leader pinned and pounding beneath me. A bunch of mutated freaks think they can fly? Not a chance.

“I’ve underestimated myself. Turns out I’m this powerful?”

Rocco stared at the Crest Beast facing him, his devouring claws growing restless, a strong hunger rising within.

Sizzle—Boom—

The Crest Beast spewed a narrow energy pillar from its mouth. Rocco easily leapt aside.

His right arm slashed horizontally across its arm, leaving a deep wound. The beast tried to heal but found its regeneration severely slowed.

Before it could react, Rocco continued moving, leaving numerous wounds on its massive body that refused to heal quickly.

Boom—

The Crest Beast, enraged, unleashed another five to six-second-long energy pulse, which tracked Rocco’s movements. The terrifying heat incinerated everything it touched.

The old buildings couldn’t withstand it; one-third of the area collapsed.

Bang!

A huge stone slab fell, heavily smashing the Crest Beast’s tail. Its airborne upper body crashed directly to the ground.

Rocco’s legs left dense craters in the earth as he closed in.

Huff huff huff…

The Crest Beast, sprawled and struggling to move, slapped out with its left hand.

“I’ll break your hand!”

Rocco’s upper body bent sharply; the bone blade on his right arm raised to block.

Shredding—

The massive hand flew off, its broken end revealing bone and glowing blood muscles.

This scene had appeared before in the anime. Shortly after Mark severed it, the Crest Beast simply shook and regrew the lost hand.

But now it faced Rocco!

No matter how it summoned energy, it couldn’t resist the rapidly invading devouring power.

Buzz—

The Crest Beast finally lifted the stone slab and rose, a violent energy brewing in its mouth—a big attack was coming.

Swish!

A bone arrow shot into its mouth, repeating the scenario.

Its spellcasting was interrupted. The Crest Beast painfully clutched its throat and wailed in agony.

Rocco, ready to press the advantage, sensed something and instinctively lifted his head, looking upward.

Under the moonlight, a pair of slender, pure white legs… or rather, several figures dressed in strange attire flickered faintly into view.

(End of chapter)