"Waaah!"
The Berserker marveled.
With great interest, it watched the swaying of the burning toy's flames'.
Swaying, that was induced by the Berserker's own clenched fists.
"Woooo!"
Fascinating.
The Berserker found the fact that it could not get a grip on the Fire Spirit truly fascinating.
"Waaaa!"
"You find it that interesting, huh?" The Spirit asked with a smile. "Can't say I blame ya. Fire is the best, isn't it? Even I get enchanted by my own Flames sometimes."
As if those words held any meaning to it, the Corrupted Dark Elf Berserker stopped swinging its fists.
It stared for a bit.
"What you gonna try now?"
The Berserker took heavy steps towards the Fire Spirit, whose flames had been blown a couple of meters away.
It extended its hands forward.
'Huh?' The Spirit was shocked.
"Chichichi... Hahaha!" The Berserker laughed and chuckled, as it held its hands in the middle of the Fire Spirit's burning body.
"You..."
The flames that made up the Fire Spirit immediately grew fiercer and burnt brighter.
"I kinda like you. But if you keep this up..."
The Fire Spirit's pride was somewhat hurt.
Yet, a smile was on his face.
"Hohoho!"
The Berserker's laughter got louder, as the heat produced by the Spirit's flames increased.
'Tsk. After I made fun of that guy's electric sparks...' The Fire Spirit thought, as he started moving away from the Berserker.
"Uwooo?"
The latter followed, with its arms extended.
"I found you interesting. Quirky too, at first. Even fun, maybe. But now..."
The Fire Spirit's body rose into the air.
"You, following me, as if I was some kind of butterfly..."
The Berserker positioned itself under the plaything that was getting further and further.
"I dislike it."
The Monster stretched its arms high into the air.
"Uwaaa! Uwaaa...!"
The Berserker's laughter ceased, giving place to cries instead.
'Does he think of me as some kind of toy? A toy that's out of reach, huh?' The Fire Spirit wondered as he looked down on the childish tantrum being thrown.
The Corrupted Dark Elf Berserker jumped up, but its body was too heavy to reach the required height.
With wide eyes, it stared at the flames that constituted the Fire Spirit's body.
It opened and closed its raised hands repeatedly.
'Huh?'
The Berserker's lips moved.
"Shiii...Ny!"
A blinding light covered the whole area.
BOOM-
An extreme and sudden increase in heat.
A great shockwave ensued.
The explosion turned the already burnt village into an immense crater.
The whole area was shrouded in smoke.
"I can only allow so much disrespect, ya know?"
Hovering above the area, the Fire Spirit looked down upon it.
From the shack made of bricks to Levi's unmoving body, everything had been burnt and pushed away by the extremely powerful shockwave.
Only the proud Fire Spirit remained.
'Hope that fish snake guy is alive. Although... Meh.' The Spirit shrugged its shoulders at the thought.
But a couple of seconds later, through the dense smoke,
GROWL-
"You have got to be kidding me..."
A loud growl, that exuded enough pressure to tear the cloud of smoke, resonated.
"AGH... AAAAAGH!"
The wounded Corrupted Dark Elf Berserker shouted and growled with all its might.
"Tsk..."
More than half of its body had been burnt to a crisp.
"Ya really don't want an easy death, huh? I like ya, but taking two of my attacks head-on is a bit..."
The Berserker's shouting got louder, and the light in its eyes started fading.
Its red pupils disappeared.
"UGH!!!!"
The Berserker bent its body forward.
Its muscles started twitching.
"AGHHH!" The Berserker screamed out, and its muscles seemed to start growing even bigger than they already were.
The purple veins that covered its body thickened, and became apparent all over its body.
The veins practically painted the Berserker's whole body purple.
The next second, it went silent.
Ther Berserker's arms fell to its sides.
It took an incredibly heavy step forward.
'Mmm...'
But it wasn't going in the Fire Spirit's direction.
The Berserker had, suddenly, started walking around in circles.
"No matter how much bigger you get, you won't be able to do much." The Fire Spirit mocked.
Yet, he wasn't smiling anymore.
For some reason, or lack thereof, the Berserker had started wandering around aimlessly.
'The guy almost looks relaxed. Different from before. It's obvious he has lost the little reason he had left though... Mm. What should I do with ya?' The Fire Spirit wondered.
A silent second.
An order had been given.
"Aye, aye. Captain." The Fire Spirit whispered sarcastically.
Something pierced through the air with insane speed.
"I was running low on Mana anyway so... Tsk. For two of my attacks not to be enough to deal with this one. My pride is hurt. He's truly interesting. And infuriating..."
Before the Corrupted Dark Elf Berserker could notice it approaching, it had already pierced through its stomach.
'That power-up must've dulled your senses, huh?'
The Berserker lowered its gaze.
Like a skewer, a black spear was embedded through its body.
The next second, the spear turned into a black liquid that quickly entered its wound.
The Berserker, almost uncaring, turned around.
The Monster it had previously launched away landed on the ground with a "BAM".
'Hope they kept you company while I was gone.'
Mark immediately extended his retractable claws.
'Your pupils are gone. And you've gotten bigger, huh?'
Mark took heavy steps forward.
'Guess I'll have to use those Skill Points to beat you.'
His tail lazily swayed behind him.
Once the distance between the two was about fifteen meters, Mark stopped approaching.
'Let's do this.'
He raised his hands up, ready for whatever was coming.
The Berserker stared at Mark.
'Don't tell me you'll taunt me like you did Levi? Cause this time, it'll be fatal-'
The Berserker looked away.
'Huh?'
The Corrupted Dark Elf Berserker started, once more, aimlessly walking in circles.
Mark turned towards the Fire Spirit.
'Did you break him?'
"Guess so?" The Fire Spirit answered.
'Huh. Guess I'll have to get your attention back.'
Mark raised a hand forward.
A red fire ball was launched toward the Berserker's side.
Suddenly, a purple Aura appeared all around the its body.
BAM-
An explosion?
Not exactly.
Nevertheless, strong winds passed by Mark.
'Did he just... Did he just punch my fire ball away?'
Mark stared with wide eyes.
'The wind pressure his punch created... Blew my attack away.'
As if the wind itself, was running away from the Berserker's fist.
'That strength...'
Mark's hands started slightly shaking.
'I want it.'
The Berserker opened its mouth.
"Blaaah!"
The Monster stuck its tongue out.
Drool started going down its half-burnt face.
'So he won't attack unless attacked, or...? What happened while I was blown away? Did he really change that mu-'
The next second, the ground below the Berserker's body broke.
"BAH!" It shouted as it clenched its fist.
'Fast-'
Mark immediately pulled his body back and called out his "Impenetrable Barrier[C]".
The Berserker's clenched fist was approaching.
It wasn't aiming for any particular body part.
All the Berserker wanted to do, was hit the enemy.
Break the enemy.
Destroy the enemy.
The attack was too fast to be dodged.
ραпdα Йᴏνêl(сòm) Mark positioned his Aura-covered hands in the punch's path.
Clink-
The barrier shattered like glass.
'URGH!'
The collision between Mark's Aura and the Berserker's ignited sparks in the air.
'UGHHHH!'
The Monster used all its strength to resist the insane pressure and strength behind the Berserker's punch.
But to no avail.
'Son of a-'
Mark's muscles and arms couldn't do a thing.
They couldn't do a thing but retract in front of the Berserker's might.
BAM-
Mark's body bounced off the ground.
Blood started flowing down his nose.
His internal organs had been damaged.
But despite the fact that his injured body was being launched further and further, a chuckle escaped Mark's mouth.
'It's been a while...'
[Your Title "Devourer" is eagerly waiting.]
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" is daydreaming about how best to use the Corrupted Dark Elf Berserker's cells.]
'It's been a long time...'
Once his momentum died, Mark struggled to get back on his feet.
'Since the last time I was so clearly outmatched in a contest of strength.'
The Berserker turned away from him.
It started walking in circles once more.
"It has lost more reason than I'd originally thought." The Fire Spirit commented.
'Well yeah. It's a Berserker or whatever...' Mark answered telepathically as he checked his condition.
Even though he tried to, he could not raise his left arm.
Actually, Mark couldn't even move it.
Not any part of it.
Chuckle-
"True. Not all Berserkers are the same though. This one seems more like the unpredictable type."
'Right.'
With his right hand, Mark grabbed his unmoving left arm, as if to make sure it was still attached to his body.
'I'll have to power through one-handed, huh? Mm. Not my first time. But...'
Shivers went down his spine.
'It's different... Against this Beast.'
Mark stared at the incredibly mighty foe in front of him.
He couldn't help but curse internally.
'I would've liked to beat him in a contest of strength, but it doesn't seem like there's a way for me to win without Magic Skills. I already can't use my left arm. Gonna have to devour some Monsters to recover....'
[Correct.]
[You mustn't think that way.]
[You must bring the battlefield to where it is advantageous for you.]
'I guess that's an option. Not really my style though...'
Mark's eyes burned with passion, as he stared at the wandering Berserker.
Mark's eyes burned with passion, as he stared at the most appetizing of meals.
'Cause there's no fun in that.'
[Balance is necessary.]
'Oh, shut up.'
The Fire Spirit calmly watched from above.
Curious, but also disinterested.
As if the outcome mattered not,
'This... No. Wouldn't work. Could try that way... Mm... Maybe...' Mark's thoughts raced, as he tried to come up with different plans and ways to attack the Berserker.
But those racing thoughts were interrupted.
[You've said it yourself.]
[It is all about sacrifice.]
'Sacrifice? What does that have to do with anything? Anyway, shut up. I'm thinking-'
[What are you willing to sacrifice?]
[What will you sacrifice it for?]
[Your Intelligence for Strength?]
Like the Berserker had?
[Your Strength for Agility?]
Like the Sixth Floor's Guardian had?
[Your Agility for Mana?]
Like the Undead Lich had?
'Tsk...'
Being disturbed in the middle of battle annoyed Mark.
Although, truthfully, what truly infuriated him was the fact that he could actually afford to think about something other than the battle.
After all, the enemy didn't really seem that interested in him.
'So you're saying that I have to choose what I want? That I can't be at the top of every category? Basically, that I can either be quick or strong?'
[Correct.]
[You cannot be the strongest, fastest, sturdiest, and stealthiest at once.]
[You must choose wisely.]
A chuckle escaped Mark's mouth at those words.
'No...'
[You must be more rational.]
'I think I can.'
[Your arrogance is-]
Before Mark could read the rest of the message, the Berserker had moved once more.
A Skill Point was used.
'Just like against the Fire Spirit...'
The way Mark perceived the world around him changed.
'Whether it's Strength, Magic, or Agility, I'll challenge my enemies to whatever contest they desire...'
A heavy punch landed on the Corrupted Dark Elf Berserker's burnt cheek.
'I'll trample over them...'
A second Skill Point was used.
'Devour their beloved strength...'
The Berserker's legs were swept off the ground.
'And make it mine.'
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