The thick trees filtered the sunlight into scattered patches, painting the forest floor in hues of green and gold. The scent of damp earth and crushed leaves filled the air, mingling with the metallic tang of blood from the crumbling cavern.

Alex let out a heavy sigh, his eyes sharp as he surveyed the assassins, who stood like shadows against the vibrant greenery. Turning to Zahara, he pointed at the group. “Keep them down. Just hold them off until I take care of him.”

Before Zahara could respond, a cold laugh echoed from the leader. He leaned casually against a tree, his expression dripping with smug confidence. “So, you’ve pinned your hopes on her now?”

He gestured lazily toward Zahara with his finger-ring dagger. “I’ll admit, her defense is impressive, but it won’t last forever.”

The guy knew that that artifact that protected Zahara couldn’t go on for long. It stored an attack or a certain amount of mana; after it ran out, there was no way for Zahara to escape. “And those assassins?” Pointing at the assassins who had their eyes locked on Alex with their weapons drawn, he added, “They’ll keep rising, no matter how many times you cut them down.”

Alex didn’t respond. His gaze remained locked on Zahara, waiting. When she met his eyes and gave him a firm nod, he combed a hand through his hair, inhaling deeply.

“What?” The leader snickered, “Trying to act cool now—”

His words, however, were cut short as Alex exhaled, a sound louder than the rubbles shifting under their feet.

Then he disappeared.

A thunderous sonic boom ripped through the air as Alex reappeared inches from the leader, his blade cutting through the wind like a meteor. The leader’s eyes widened in shock, and he barely had time to throw his arms and dagger up to shield himself before the strike landed.

BOOM!

The force sent him hurtling back, crashing through trees that splintered under his weight.

When he finally came to a stop, embedded in a massive oak, the leader lifted his head to glare at Alex. His expression faltered, though, as he took in the figure standing before him.

Alex’s body shimmered with an otherworldly aura, his skin glowing purple, as if lit from within. Two curved, horn-like extensions rose from his head, pulsating with dark purple energy. He had no face, only two thin eyes that glowed with eerie purple light.

Large, translucent wings, spanning nearly two meters each, spread from his back, their tips gleaming like polished obsidian.

His voice, distorted and deep, cut through the air. “I can finally move freely.”

The leader glanced past Alex, his gaze darting toward the assassins behind him, gesturing for them to move, and so they did.

But before they could move, Alex turned to them, his gaze as calm as water, yet it seemed like a tsunami. “You won’t be able to move,” he uttered, his voice echoing through the air, and just then, blood splurted out of the assassins’ legs and arms as they fell to the ground, unable to move their limbs.

A stunned silence enveloped the area. The assassins, incapable of feeling pain, couldn’t even tell when and what happened, but that wasn’t the case for the leader and Alex.

They both knew what had happened.

The leader, after a long pause, finally chuckled, shaking his head even as blood trickled down the corner of his mouth. “So, you’ve figured out their weakness.”

Their weakness.

Alex had found that out after killing and fighting them for so long. He wasn’t just aiming for the cave’s collapse; he was also aiming to find their weakness.

And he found it.

They can’t be revived until they are killed. That was what he made out after observing them, and it proved right.

The leader, however, threw his head back in a laugh, the sound echoing ominously through the forest. “But so what? Did you think that alone would be enough to bring me down? I’m not like them.”

Even as he spoke, the tree behind him warped, its trunk melting like liquid before forming a swirling green portal. Without hesitation, the leader’s body dissolved into the portal, disappearing from sight.

His voice echoed from the surrounding trees, carrying an edge of menace. “I’ve seen all your abilities, Alex. And I know you’re running on fumes. Your mana pool is nearly empty. You can’t even touch me, much less defeat me.”

A flash of movement brought the leader out of one of the trees, his body lunging toward Alex with blinding speed. His finger-ring blade gleamed in the fractured sunlight, and eight illusory stars shimmered across his chest, six of them connected—a clear display of his strength as a six-star connection realm assassin.

“Alex, watch out!” Zahara’s voice rang out in warning as she caught sight of the green flash heading toward Alex from afar.

She knew she wasn’t strong enough to interfere in this fight, and it was frustrating, but she could still help Alex. She could be an extra pair of eyes even if that’s all she could be.

Her voice helped, as at the last possible moment, Alex shifted slightly, his body moving just inches to the side.

The leader’s blade whistled past him, cutting through the air harmlessly, and the leader’s eyes widened in shock. “Space affinity?!”

He leaped back into the safety of the trees, the confidence in his tone replaced by tension. A tense silence fell over the forest, the leader’s uncertainty palpable.

The fact that Alex could use space ability capable of shifting space even if by inches meant a lot.

“You said you knew all my abilities?” Alex said, his voice carrying a sharp edge of mockery. His glowing eyes stared at the skill panel in his status window.

[Skill:

→ Commanding Presence (Rare)

→ Sleep inducer (Common)

→ Beast Liaison (Common)

→ Fireball (Common)

→ Water cannon (Uncommon)

→ Thunderbolt (Uncommon)

→ Vein slash (Uncommon)

→ Breath control (Common)

→ Flashbang (Uncommon)

→ Darkness veil (Uncommon)

→ Healing breath (Rare)

→ Death gaze (Rare)

→ Temporal acceleration (Rare)

→ Space shift (Rare)

→ Poison resistance (Rare)

→ Gravity Manipulation (??): Gravity Multiplier, Self-Gravity Multiplier, Weightlessness, Weight Multiplier.]

“You haven’t seen half of them.” Alex shook his head with those words.

[And these are just the normal abilities; Verathian has its abilities, and so does your physique and bloodline.] Sophie added, making Alex’s eyes gleam as his gaze turned to Verathian, which was now shaped like a claw over his palm.

[Verathian (Star Formation—★★★★★★★★★★★★★) (Growth-type): Skills: Wind Slash, Mana Absorption.]

‘Have you absorbed enough?’ Alex asked, and Verathian, sticking into his palm, quivered as if acknowledging it, making Alex chuckle inwardly.

He was still not used to the fact that a weapon could understand his words, but he had come to terms with the fact that he wasn’t the only one who was special—his weapon was as well.

As if to emphasize his point, Zahara moved in the background, her icy aura maintained as she crushed the arm of an assassin attempting to fire a dart at Alex.

The assassin twitched, as if trying to move, but couldn’t with Zahara’s feet resting above him. Zahara glanced at Alex, her voice firm. “Don’t worry about me.”

She forced a smile, feeling somewhat useless, but she felt like her time would come, so she did what Alex had asked of her.

Alex gave her a small nod, his gaze returning to the trees.

He might seem relaxed and calm on the outside, but he wasn’t on the inside. From the moment he started using his physique, his heart has been beating like crazy.

The Eternal Devourer form pushed his body to the limit. Even with his thirteen-star strength, the strain was immense. The most he could go on for was ten minutes, and during that time, he had to take care of the leader.

The leader’s laughter broke the silence again, tinged with something darker this time. “You’re impressive, Alex; I’ll give you that,” his voice echoed through the trees. “But no matter what tricks you pull, you’re just delaying the inevitable.”

Alex’s gaze hardened. It was true. If things didn’t end in ten minutes, then Alex would end up dead after that.

But he couldn’t falter now. Taking a deep breath, he steadied himself, his glowing form becoming more focused.

Alex needed to know the power of the assassin’s leader and find its weakness.

Alex knew that even with his elevated stats, he could only make a trickle of blood pour out of the leader’s lips because that guy was an assassin—weak when it comes to strength.

Alex’s speed, even with all of the boost, wasn’t on par with that guy’s. Alex had taken the guy by surprise in the last attack, yet he was able to raise his arms just in time to protect himself.

But it didn’t deter Alex. This battle wasn’t just about strength—it was about strategy, and Alex was determined to win.

Although most of the abilities are self-explanatory. I will give details about these skills in the auxiliary volume. I didn’t write them here as I didn’t want to increase the word count with useless information.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep