Lord of the Truth

1079  Purple sun

BAAAAAAM!!

The battlefield shook violently as Pythor slammed himself with a force that could wipe entire cities off the map. The sheer magnitude of the impact sent massive shockwaves tearing through the ground, causing it to shatter and crumble beneath him. The surrounding landscape trembled in protest, as if the very world itself could not withstand this kind of power.

Fissures snaked outward in every direction, splitting the terrain apart like fragile glass. Giant slabs of stone were torn from the earth, launching debris high into the air before crashing down in a chaotic landslide. The force of Pythorʼs attack on himself had caused deep craters to form beneath him, creating a battlefield that now looked more like a wasteland ravaged by natural disasters.

”HSSSSSSS!!!”

Pythorʼs enormous body convulsed uncontrollably, twisting and thrashing as if he were a beast caught in the throes of death. His massive tail whipped violently, carving trenches into the ground with every uncontrollable spasm.

BAM! BAM!

His colossal head jerked upward, his forked tongue flicking wildly, before he slammed it down again, the force of the impact sending a second round of tremors through the battlefield. His entire being shuddered in agony, desperately trying to rid himself of the unbearable torment coursing through his veins.

Each motion was wild, frenzied, desperate.

Each thrash of his tail sent shockwaves rippling through the air.

Each violent collision with the ground sent mountains of dust and debris flying, forming massive clouds that billowed outward, obscuring the battlefield in a suffocating haze.

The once-mighty serpent, the terror of the battlefield, was now writhing like a decapitated snake.

His pride, his dominance—all of it was momentarily forgotten in the face of pure, unrelenting pain.

”Haa... haa...”

Only after a few agonizing seconds did Pythor cease his wild movements, his massive chest rising and falling heavily as he panted, as if his very survival depended on each breath.

The effects of Robinʼs Soul Demolition Domain had finally faded.

With his soul domain stabilized at last, Pythor could now assess the damage.

His self-inflicted attack had been immensely powerful, but it wasnʼt fatal.

Though several of his head scales had fractured and his bones suffered cracks, these injuries were manageable—he could recover from them in time.

The real problem was his energy crystal core.

It had split in two.

”HSSSS—HSSSS!!!”

Pythor let out a pained, furious hiss.

A beastʼs energy core wasnʼt as delicate as a humanʼs energy gathering center.

For humans, even the slightest scratch on their energy center could result in instant death.

But a beastʼs crystal core was designed to endure extreme amounts of pressure and damage.

After all, their cores were always exposed and were a natural target for attacks from weaker foes.

Robin Burton had managed to split Pythorʼs core in half.

This left Pythor in unbearable agony, his very essence unstable.

And yet— he wasnʼt dead.

The crystal was still attached to his body, and he could still draw power from both halves.

Of course, he would likely need hundreds of years to fully heal from this wound.

Perhaps he would even be forced to purchase an expensive remedy from the Middle Belt planetary market.

But for now —if he fought carefully— he could still survive.

There was only one absolute rule.

Robin Burton must never touch the crystal again.

Not even by chance!

”Yo~” A disgusting voice interrupted Pythorʼs thoughts.

”Why did you slap me with your tail while I was talking? Donʼt you know itʼs rude to interrupt others?”

”HULAK!!” Pythorʼs entire body jerked backward, instinctively trying to put distance between his exposed core and the savage brute standing before him.

”Hoppa!” But Hulak didnʼt let him escape, he jumped right after.

With one swift leap, he grabbed Pythorʼs horn, stopping the serpent from pulling away.

Then, with a sudden twist, Hulak yanked the horn downward, sending Pythor crashing back into the ground!

BAAAAAAAM!!

”HSSSAAAAAA!!!”

Pythor screamed in agony, violently shaking his head in an attempt to break free.

But it was useless.

Hulakʼs monstrous strength clamped down on the horn like an iron vice, refusing to let go.

Panicking, Pythor tried pulling his entire body backward.

But again—nothing.

The two spears embedded in his stomach were still intact, preventing him from escaping.

His torso was pinned to the ground by two epic spears.

His head was locked in place by Hulakʼs vice grip.

Desperate, Pythor swung his tail at Hulak once more.

Swoosh!

BAAAM!!

Hulak casually sidestepped the incoming tail strike, using Pythorʼs own horn as a shield.

”HSSSSAAAAA—!!!”

For the second time, Pythorʼs own scales shattered against himself.

This time, the damage came from his own horn.

”Heh heh~ Now put that tail down, big guy.” Hulak grinned, casually smacking Pythorʼs tail back into its place.

Then, for two full seconds, he locked eyes with the massive serpent, his expression completely still.

Hulak wasnʼt just fighting.

He was dominating.

He was showing Pythor exactly who was in control now.

After letting the moment sink in, Hulak shifted his gaze to the shattered crystal core on Pythorʼs forehead, then he let out a booming laugh, ”That little human couldnʼt finish the job, but at least he did half the work for me!”

With a firm squeeze, Hulak tightened his grip on Pythorʼs horn, ensuring the serpent wouldnʼt be able to throw him off.

Then, he planted his foot into the ground, driving it deep into the earth to anchor himself.

The veins in his arms bulged, twisting and writhing as he poured his raw strength into holding Pythor still, Then With his remaining hand, Hulak drew back his fist.

His posture was clear and finally shouted, ”I, Hulak, King of Nihari, shall end todayʼs battle!” before he let his fist loose!

”....!!!” Pythorʼs pupils dilated in absolute horror.

Never in a million years would he have imagined that his life would be threatened by some lowly brute from a backwater world.

Never in a million years would he have accepted something so humiliating.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMM—!!!

BAAAAAAAAAAAM!!!

Hulak ʼs arm came crashing down on the center of Pythorʼs fractured crystal core.

His goal was simple—

Shatter the core.

Crush Pythorʼs power.

Then, walk away and brag to Robin Burton about it.

But something unexpected happened. ”Eh?” Hulakʼs fist didnʼt hit solid crystal.

Instead, it felt like it had sunk into a thick, viscous liquid.

”AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!” A bloodcurdling scream tore from Hulakʼs throat. A searing pain unlike anything he had ever felt before shot up his entire arm. It was as if his very soul was being ripped apart.

BAAAM!!

With sheer desperation, Hulak slammed his foot into the ground, launching himself backward like an arrow.

His only instinct—escape.

As he soared through the air, he lifted his arm to examine what had caused such unbearable pain.

But when he looked, he found nothing—

His arm was gone.

Everything up to the elbow had vanished.

”AHH, not again!! NOT AGAIN!!!”

BOOOOOM!!!

Hulak crashed into the cityʼs outer wall, causing a large section of it to collapse onto his head.

But in an instant, he rose from the rubble, brushing off the fallen debris as if they were nothing but twigs.

Fury filled his eyes as he turned toward Pythor, roaring with rage.

”YOUʼVE REALLY PISSED ME OFF THIS TIME, YOU OVERGROWN PILE OF WORMS!!!”

He clenched his remaining fist, veins bulging with anger. ”DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW LONG IT TOOK ME TO REGENERATE THAT ARM TO MY WRIST?! I AM GOING TO—!!!”

He froze mid-scentence.

Slowly, his gaze lifted.

And he wasnʼt alone.

Every single living being within a thousand miles did the same.

For above the city—

A colossal purple sun had appeared.