Around Mark, lay the unmoving bodies of multiple Corrupted Dark Elves.
He grabbed a dead one's arm.
'Come out.' Mark ordered as he tore the arm off his victim and started munching on it.
[The Fire Spirit is glaring at you.]
'Get on with it.'
From the bright gem Mark had left on the frozen ground, a being of flames appeared.
'So you said that-'
"You really have no respect, huh?" The Fire Spirit interrupted. "I go out of my way to help you and this is how you repay me?"
Mark turned towards the Spirit, confused.
As if on cue, a drop of water fell from the Ice Dome's ceiling onto the Fire Spirit's body, immediately evaporating.
'Let's make this quick then. You said you could sense those outside. How many?'
The inconsiderate attitude didn't leave the Spirit indifferent, but he couldn't do a thing except let it slide.
"Sixty-seven."
Mark let out a dry chuckle before turning once more towards the meal he had started seconds earlier.
'Worse than I thought.'
"Is that all?" The Fire Spirit pressed.
Being under a dome of ice seemed to bring back memories the Spirit preferred forgotten.
'Yeah. You can go.' Mark answered dismissively.
But the Fire Spirit didn't disappear.
'Should I say anything...?' He wondered.
The Spirit pensively stared at Mark.
'If I devour all of them, I'd probably have enough to heal completely. Or get my Mana Points back...' The latter thought.
Mark greedily devoured his meal.
His hand took hold of a Corrupted Dark Elf's head.
He opened his mouth wide and stole more than half its neck with his fangs, which allowed him to easily pull the Elf's head off.
Squeeze-
The skull was crushed and swallowed.
Morbidly.
And naturally.
The Devourer enjoyed its meal.
The Fire Spirit seemed to have arrived at a conclusion.
"I can see you enjoying yourself, but before I leave, I would like to add that-"
'Not now. Keep your snarky comments and pleasantries to yourself.'
The Spirit's pride was slightly hurt.
Nevertheless, he chuckled with a smile.
"Have it your way."
The Spirit disappeared.
'Sixty-seven... Sixty-seven...'
The sound of a dozen arrows ricocheting against the dome's exterior echoed inside.
But Mark paid it no mind.
It was clear that arrows couldn't pierce through.
'Mm. If I could've obtained Earth Manipulation this would be a lot easier. Would probably consume less Mana.' Mark thought as he looked up at the dome of ice.
He thought about it, but Mark did not truly know whether "Earth Manipulation" existed or not.
Still, he assumed it did.
After all, there seemed to be no reason to think otherwise.
'Maybe I should go back to the Fourth Floor at some point-'
A drop of water tapped Mark's shoulder.
'Wonder how long it'll hold. Wouldn't have this problem either with Earth Manipulation...'
Mark stood up and moved towards the next meal.
He lowered his body and grabbed hold of it, when,
BAM-
Mark's muscles immediately tensed up.
His pupils dilated as the "Superior Kinetic Vision" Passive Skill activated.
'What's-'
BAM-
Cracks appeared all over the ice walls.
'Already?? How come-'
BAM-
The barrier shattered.
'For real..?'
Revealing what had been knocking.
'Another one?
A growl that reverberated through Mark's body was let out.
'Ha...'
At a glance, they might've looked similar, but they weren't the same at all.
Mark immediately cleared his thoughts and raised his arms defensively.
The attacker pulled its arm back.
Studying its movements, Mark could tell.
His Agility could allow him to dodge the attack.
But for some reason, he pulled his arm back too.
Their fists clashed.
Upon impact, both parties felt great force travel up their arm.
'You're not bad either.'
The two jumped back.
'Different. You're shorter. Not as bulky. Not as strong. Not as fast. But definitely similar. Plus...'
Mark stared at the enemy in front of him.
'You look serious and angry. Nothing like that guy.'
Indeed, the resemblance with the Corrupted Dark Elf Berserker was definitely there.
It seemed to be a Monster Species that resided between Corrupted Dark Elves and Corrupted Dark Elves Berserkers on the Species' Evolution Tree.
The System didn't answer questions about Monsters Mark hadn't defeated anymore.
But if it did, the answer wouldn't have surprised him much.
Corrupted Dark Elf Warrior.
'Stronger than a normal one, weaker than a Berserker, I guess.'
Mark's heart started pumping.
An interesting duel. Evenly matched? Perhaps. A good challenge then.
The Warrior leaped forward towards its enemy.
At the same time,
STUCH-
'I'm not letting you all...'
Dozens of arrows were released.
'Interfere.'
A second Ice Dome was cast, replacing the previous one that had been destroyed.
'I'll have to deal with you quickly, fake Berserker. In case there are others just like you.'
Trapped, the Warrior growled while looking around.
'Tsk. He told me that there were 67 of you guys, seems he forgot to mention you weren't all the same. Or that one was approaching. Oh, well...'
Mark bumped his fists.
'As long as I can isolate you, it'll be fine-'
The Warrior's feet hit the ground, crushing the ice below.
Mark waited for the enemy to get closer, before ducking and leaping past it, leaving four horizontal wounds on its side.
He quickly turned around, expecting the enemy to have moved already.
But it hadn't.
'What's up with it? Is it gonna get angry like the Berserker?' Mark wondered as he brought a bloody finger to his mouth.
Lick-
'Mm. Not bad.'
Without turning to face Mark, the Warrior raised its arms and let out a roar that powerfully echoed through the dome's walls.
'Loud. Too loud-'
The Warrior slammed its arms on the walls and the dome fell.
'Huh. So you really are nothing like-'
At the same time,
STUCH-
STUCH-
STUCH-
Mark's pupils dilated.
"Superior Kinetic Vision"
'I need to hide behind him-'
Mark's mind went blank as his gaze fell on what lay beyond the Warrior.
'So they're shooting everywhere, without caring...'
His right hand momentarily trembled.
'About him.'
Simultaneously, sixty-six arrows had been released.
It seemed defeating the target wasn't as simple a task as it had first seemed.
Defeating the target would require sacrifice.
The Warrior growled, showcasing both strength and resolve.
Lacking the time to properly assess the situation, Mark launched himself towards the Warrior.
The latter swung its fists, and Mark ducked under.
He let his momentum drive his body closer to the Warrior's, as if about to embrace the latter.
Mark lacked the time to think about it, but he was glad to have finally found a use for his forward-pointing horns.
"Partial Golem Amor"
Rocks turned into pieces of armor to protect the backside of Mark's body.
The front didn't need armor.
For it had a shield.
The Warrior growled loudly as two sharp horns pierced the frontside of its body, while dozens of arrows pierced its backside.
Mark contracted his muscles, breaking the damaged and bulky rock armor that limited his mobility.
But before he could move away, the Warrior got hold of his left wrist.
'Shit-'
Because of their earlier exchange, Mark believed that their Strength Stats were evenly matched.
A mistake that would cost him.
Whether the Warrior had been holding back earlier or simply lacked striking power, the difference in strength became obvious once Mark was taken a hold of.
His body was swiftly pulled before being slammed on the ground, not giving any time for a possible counter.
'UGH-'
Once, twice, thrice.
Blood was going down Mark's mouth when the Warrior swung his body in the air before letting go.
His body rolled on the ground as he coughed up blood.
'Fuck...'
Staggered, Mark struggled to stand back up.
'Guess I'll have to...'
Using the Mana Points he had recovered, Mark healed his broken rib, wrist, and dislocated shoulder.
'Tsk. With this, I don't-'
STUCH-
STUCH-
STUCH-
pαпdα-ňᴏνêι·сóМ At the piercing and repetitive sound, Mark's mind went blank.
Once again, sixty-six arrows had been released.
All aimed at Mark.
The Corrupted Dark Elves didn't all aim for the same spot.
They couldn't.
After all, if all aimed at the target's heart, then ducking would suffice to dodge all the arrows.
Therefore, each aimed for the body part it pleased.
Some wanted to limit the target's mobility and chose the legs, knees, ankles, or hips.
Others wanted to limit its fighting ability and aimed for its arms.
Some wanted a quick death for the target.
Others, to deprive the target of its sight.
These small differences are what made the volley truly inescapable.
With his arms, Mark guarded his stomach, chest, and face.
He curled his body up.
Using up the little Mana remaining, a piece of armor was made around his neck.
But that was all that could be done.
In less than one second, more than fifty arrowheads penetrated his skin and body.
The pain was as sudden as it was immeasurable.
So painful, that it didn't hurt anymore.
It didn't feel like pain.
It felt like death.
Blood went down Mark's mouth and nose, but mattered not.
For rivers of blood were going down his whole body.
Mark remained unmoving, with his perforated arms protecting his vital points.
The next second, a powerful clenched fist collided with those perforated arms.
Time seemed to slow down.
'It hurts...' Mark thought, as his feet left the ground.
The punch had launched him away.
'It hurts so much...'
His back hit the ground, before sliding back a handful of meters away.
'So fucking much...'
Fatigued, Mark let out a long sigh.
His gaze was directed forward.
He stared at the clear sky above.
It wasn't "the" sky per se.
Mark knew that.
Nevertheless, it was a good enough imitation.
'It hurts so fucking much...' Mark gritted his teeth.
He clenched his fists before sitting up.
His eyes burned with rage.
Mark stood up, but his body was in no condition to move much.
The uncontrollable swaying made hiding that fact impossible.
'Hurts so fucking much...'
The pain was too much.
'You all are getting...'
And it was unfair for him to be the only one feeling that pain.
'A terrible fucking death.'
The Warrior ran towards the target, determined to finish it off.
The archer took aim once more.
Meanwhile, the Monster's gaze had traveled somewhere.
It stared at something.
Something, that the rest believed to be of no importance.
Something, that the rest believed had played its role to completion already.
Something, that the rest believed had no longer a role to play.
Something, they believed had no value.
The Warrior stood a meter away from Mark.
The archers were one second away from releasing their arrows.
'Levi, come out.'
The next second, a great Leviathan appeared on the battlefield.
It appeared while Mark's gaze was glued to that "something".
Decrepit, dry, and cold.
The Berserker's body lay.
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