Zenith Online: Rebirth of the Strongest Player

Once Bundal's arm underwent such a drastic change, Kieran's view of the situation changed subtly. Though it wasn't confirmed, what Bundal just did reminded Kieran of why Isadora's ability sounded so familiar after Agatha mentioned it.

'Transmutation! That's why it sounded so familiar. A normal Alchemist is ineffective on a battlefield, but one who learns the Lost Art of Transmutation can become a force to be reckoned with, even on the battlefield. However, learning even one principle of it is more difficult than Awakening…'

Transmutation, in a nutshell, was the ability to go against the natural order by obscuring the laws that governed reality. 

However, these changes were finite in duration and effect. But of course, the duration, effect, and scope of the transmutations were not constants. 

They could be manipulated.

Regrettably, manipulating these aspects of transmutation was a very demanding feat. 

'If I'm not mistaken, only three players who took the route of Alchemy learned how to transmute. Out of the millions that took this path… only three succeeded. That alone describes how abysmal the idea of learning transmutation is.'

With that in mind, Kieran's perception of Bundal changed greatly. 

The circle that appeared on the ground was a strange magic circle required for transmutation. Because of its bizarre nature, it absorbed, consumed, and altered Mana into an energy capable of distorting, or rather, displacing reality.

Swoosh!

As Kieran analyzed Bundal's arm which was now a blade, Bundal appeared before him in the blink of an eye. "Isn't knowledge and venturing into uncharted intellectual terrain exciting? Since you seem so fascinated, why not witness the power of my Imperfect Transmutations firsthand?!"

Bang!

Following his exclamation, Bundal swung his arm downward, intending to chop Kieran in half. Due to the force of his swing, Kieran felt a force bearing down on his body that felt extremely discomforting.

'This power of transmutation, it's really as perverse as Agatha hinted it to be. It's as if this guy is hardening the air as he attacks me,' Kieran thought.

As someone who had once experienced the effects of a Deep Spatial Lock, Kieran understood what it meant to face a true lockdown. In it, it felt like even the ability to breathe had been robbed from you.

However, this pressure could not compare to the horror of a Spatial Lock, the restrictive sensation was still somewhat lacking. 

With that, Kieran shifted his wrist until Crimson Ashrune was held horizontally in an outward position. At the same time, he stepped to the side and aligned his body so that he could respond to the attack.

Sadly, Kieran's intention to sidestep and resolve the attack was seen through and addressed immediately. 

Despite his ridiculous size, Bundal was nimble and incredibly fast, which was evident by how fast he appeared before Bastion a mere seconds before this exchange.

BANG!

Before Kieran could respond to Bundal's attack, his body was hit by a frightening force, which propelled him into a wall tens of meters away.

"Hahahaha! Are you a fool?!" Bundal laughed hysterically, clutching his head throughout his laughter. 

Near the end of Bundal's laughter where it grew the loudest, his gaze maddened further as his tongue lapped out his mouth. It was as if he had reached the brink of insanity.

"Aatrox!" Bastion yelled out. 

Thanks to Sera's healing, he was no longer disoriented, and his Health had returned from the red. Nevertheless, Bastion couldn't fathom that a single attack nearly emptied his Health despite his Damage Reduction.

Of course, Bastion wasn't extremely concerned about dying. He still possessed a trump card he had yet to reveal.

"Bastion, please calm down. Let me finish healing you," Sera spoke up, her voice laden with concern.

However, Bastion couldn't be bothered by her concern. He turned toward her and shook his head. 

"Our concerns shouldn't be on me. We've experienced the nature of Aatrox's class once before. You know what happens when he goes berserk and it's been getting worse. What if his real body can't handle another bout of that frenzied power? The doctor explained that his heart stopped a few times."

After listening to Bastion's reasoning, Sera quieted down. 

However, the worry in her eyes deepened, not just for Bastion, but for Kieran as well. For some reason, there had been reports that the stipulations of dying within Zenith Online were becoming worse, with many players suffering long-lasting effects.

While it didn't damage their body, there were reports of people waking up with nightmares while screaming hysterically. 

It was similar to a soldier who had witnessed many tragic sights during their deployment coming home, failing to cope with the traumatic experiences.

Amidst Bundal's fit of hysterical laughter, Bastion rushed forward. When he thought he was alone, Nemean suddenly appeared by his side with a similar solemn expression.

"Look at Aatrox's Health in the party. It's damn near empty," Nemean said. "He'll undoubtedly need our help against an opponent like this."

"Follow after me, then. Give him enough time to do whatever he must accomplish," Bastion replied. 

There was no doubt or uncertainty in his voice, only a will to do what needed to be done.

Fwoosh! Fwoosh!

Whereas Nemean went right, Bastion dashed to the left before turning and closing his eyes for an instant. 'Remember the feeling Bastion… you've attempted it countless times. Now isn't the time to screw up!

…Bang!

All of a sudden, Bastion's eyes shot open as he accelerated abruptly and arrived before Bundal. 

Surprisingly, Bastion's execution of this Surge Step surpassed the skill of a normal Ranker, reaching the entry condition of a High Ranker for a split second. 

As a result, the momentary burst of momentum he achieved was quite insane.

By the time Bundal sensed his presence, Bastion was already by his side.

"Forbearance Taunt: Defender's Precedence!"

A steadfast aura encased Bastion's body but similarly spread out, somewhat restraining Bundal's movements. It was a practical skill that lasted for a brief amount of time, however, the results of this skill made it so the affected party would target Bastion. 

"You believe you're above knowledge? Nothing can triumph over research!" Bundal bellowed, taken aback by Bastion's gall to use a taunting skill on him. 

Be that as it may, it was successful.

Consequently, Bundal's attention shifted from Kieran, who was buried under a massive amount of rubble far away, to Bastion.

As Bundal moved to retaliate, Nemean similarly employed a Surge Step.

Peng! Peng! Peng! 

Soon, a whirlwind of strikes hit Bundal's ribcage. While it didn't inflict much damage, it did prompt him to snap his neck toward the source whilst simultaneously swinging his arm with a frightening amount of force.

Before it could connect, Nemean showcased the flexibility of his class and the effects of his early-stage X-hancer regimen. 

Seeing Bundal's arm closing in, Nemean jumped over the swing. Once he realized an opening in Bundal's actions, he kicked one of his shields into Bundal's face before retreating.

'These two guys. Despite being the loudest on the team, which usually translates to being the least able… they're fearless and surprisingly skilled,' Khaos inwardly remarked, somewhat shocked by Bastion and Nemean's teamwork.

"Ugh…" Bundal groaned, shaking his head. Nemean's attack didn't succeed in disorienting him, but it sufficed to anger him. "Damned pest! Disappear from my sight!"

Bundal's arm suddenly froze as he lifted it, his expression contorting in slight pain.  Less than a second later, a metallic hammer-like object appeared in place of his bladed arm.

If even one attack from this weapon connected, it would certainly mark the end of the Nemean.

However, as the hammer dropped toward Nemean, who attempted to dodge in time, a flash of red light suddenly broke through the horizon of the rubble, impacting against the face of the hammer.

"Seethe Burst."

A deep and calm voice called out. As it sounded, a large stone was moved aside, revealing Kieran with a few scratches on his body. However, the most notable injury was the deep indent on the side of his ribs.

It was clear that Bundal commanded tremendous power.

"Death Avoidance,"  Kieran called out next.

While the wound on his ribcage didn't disappear, the vitality swirling around Kieran's body grew vibrant, no longer resembling someone on the verge of death. 

Seethe Burst provided enough time for Nemean to retreat to a safe distance, but that only resulted in Bastion bearing the brunt of the attack. 

Simultaneously, Bundal snatched Crimson Ashrune and tossed it aside, embedding it in the ground over 20 meters away.

After that, Bundal drove the hammer toward Bastion, who furrowed his brows.

BOOM! 

…Bang …Bang! BANG!

Bastion was flung throughout the dungeon setting, his face becoming bloodied and battered in the process. Because he provided constant protection for the team, many of his skills were on cooldown, especially his best skills with the longest cooldowns—all except one.

After suffering the attacks from Bundal, Bastion's Health immediately fell to 2%. Although Sera's earlier skill possessed an HoT effect, it couldn't stop Bastion's rapidly declining Health.

Though his body radiated nothing but pain, with Bastion reckoning he suffered several broken bones, he stood up, struggling to his feet while raising his shield. 

"I… am the main shield of our team. Our first line of defense. You damned big ass boss. Do you… know who the fuck I am?!" Bastion snarled, pausing at times due to the pain he experienced.

All of a sudden, the aura surrounding Bastion's body rumbled, releasing powerful waves capable of causing tremors. 

During his Class Change, his class wasn't the only thing he received. However, due to the unique and agreeable nature of his class, this skill had somewhat changed. Though, the better word would be… evolved.

"Ancient Enhancement: Defender's Last Stand."

All of Bastion's Pure Indomitable Will seemingly vanished in an instant, but a moment later, it was as if a bomb went off as a ripple of incredible energy spread throughout the surroundings.

It created a cloud of dust, but when it subsided, what remained was a body that leaked a truly indomitable presence. Though Bastion's body could still be seen, it was encased by a form-fitting cerulean armor.

Complementing it was long hair of the same color flowing and rippling, as if being blown upon despite a lack of wind. 

After witnessing Bastion's sudden transformation, everyone's pupils contracted. This trump card that he kept hidden all this time was worth the marvel.

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