The Assassin's Seven Principles of Manipulation

Chapter 392: Chapter 387 — Middle

There was a problem.

In truth, shattering the pillars should’ve caused parts of the cavern to crumble already. Yet the entire structure remained firm, without so much as a single crack. It meant this place was much more stable than he’d anticipated, and he’d need a precisely placed explosion to bring it crashing down. Which meant...

’I need to get to the middle.’

The problem was, he had to pass through an area of death to reach it. The alpha hovered in the air as though gravity dared not act upon it, countless chunks of earth and purple crystals swirling around its body in a violent storm. Even the surrounding air appeared distorted, trembling as though space itself had become unstable.

Even from a distance, Zephyrion found it difficult to remain standing. Gravity had ceased to behave like a fundamental law of the world, instead bending entirely to the alpha’s whims. If he got any closer, he doubted he’d be able to withstand its effects.

’Protégé, are we seriously going to pretend that little performance never happened?’ Demorian’s incredulous voice echoed in his head. ’What the hell was that acting?!’

’I have more important things to worry about.’

’More important?! If you’re going to put on a performance, at least have the decency to look the part! Your face didn’t change once!’

Zephyrion sighed and cut the connection. He took a moment to assess his chances, trying to come up with a plan, before dismissing the thought altogether.

’Too many uncertainties. No point making a plan.’

The only thing he could rely on right now was his instinct. Gripping his blade, he watched as it lost its shape and morphed into a long, gleaming spear. Slowly, Zephyrion lowered himself into a stance.

’300 meters to the alpha. 350 to the center.’

The alpha seemed to interpret his actions as a challenge, and its six eyes gleamed.

ROAR!

The cavern trembled violently as the surrounding air grew even more unstable, rippling under the alpha’s gravitational influence.

Zephyrion darted forward at the same instant, dragging his spear behind him in a shower of sparks.

The alpha let out another roar, sending several massive chunks of earth hurtling towards him. Without breaking his stride, Zephyrion flared his metallic aura, shattering the incoming projectiles into bursts of dust and rubble.

’100 meters... 150... 200.’

The closer he got, the more intense the alpha’s gravitational control became. By the time he reached the 200-meter mark, Zephyrion suddenly found himself lifted off his feet, his body rendered entirely weightless.

’Pull.’

Without hesitation, he activated Heno Art, using the metallic aura surrounding the alpha as an anchor to pull himself forward.

ROAR!

Seeing this, the alpha’s six eyes glowed fiercely. Almost immediately, a warning tingle ran down Zephyrion’s spine.

’An attack.’

He instantly conjured a large chunk of metal and sent it flying to the side, using its pull to drag himself out of the way. The next moment, a formless wave sliced through the space he’d just occupied.

’Gravity, huh...’

Zephyrion fixed his gaze on the alpha, his expression grim. He was now within its gravitational field, which meant the beast could turn practically any point in the surrounding space into a weapon. With such an enormous area under its control, predicting where the next attack would come from was almost impossible.

Well, almost.

’In that case... Titan Armor. Thousandpulse.’

The world suddenly ignited within his senses as gleaming armor encased his body. Using the alpha as an anchor once more, he continued his approach.

Several more attacks came, but Thousandpulse alerted him to the slightest disturbance in the WorldPulse, allowing him to evade each one. Meanwhile, the Titan Armor fought against the gravitational forces pressing down on him, allowing him to move even faster.

’220... 250.’

ROAR!

The alpha suddenly closed its six eyes, and Zephyrion felt the surrounding air grow strangely still. Even the countless chunks of earth swirling around the beast slowed, settling into a gentle orbit.

Then, without warning, its eyes snapped open.

The massive chunks of earth shot forward like bullets, crossing the distance between them so quickly that they appeared directly before Zephyrion in the blink of an eye.

’Shit.’

BOOM!

An enormous explosion rocked the cavern, sending a thick cloud of dust billowing in every direction.

For a moment, everything fell silent.

A look of satisfaction appeared on the alpha’s face, delight gleaming in its six eyes. That puny human was finally finished. To think such an insignificant creature had actually dared to injure it!

The alpha gave a disdainful snort before releasing a powerful gust of air, sweeping away the dust to admire what remained of the fool.

However, its six eyes widened the next moment.

Instead of the mangled, bloodied corpse it had expected, a large dome of metal stood before it. As the dome gradually lost its shape, Zephyrion was revealed standing within, completely unharmed.

ROAR!

The alpha snarled in fury, and the surrounding gravity went completely haywire. More chunks of earth tore free from the ground and cavern walls, joining the countless pieces of debris already swirling around it in a violent storm.

The Gravemaws scattered throughout the cavern immediately answered their alpha’s furious roar, turning their murderous gazes towards Zephyrion as they slowly began closing in.

’It’s going to use that attack again.’

The chunks of earth and crystals had been infused with the beast’s gravitational energy, making them far more dangerous than ordinary projectiles. If Zephyrion had tried to block them with his metal, he would’ve been reduced to Swiss cheese. Thankfully, he had the rod.

’I’m close enough.’

Zephyrion suddenly stomped forward, shattering ground. The rod morphed back into a long spear as he drew his arm back. He activated the Slip State to eliminate air resistance, used magnetism to guide its trajectory, and compression to maximize its power.

Then he released it.

The spear tore through the air like a torpedo, hurtling straight towards the alpha.

The alpha gave a derisive snort. This puny human had actually dared to attack it with metal? It reached out, attempting to seize control of the spear through magnetism, only to discover that its influence had absolutely no effect. It was as though the weapon were made of ordinary stone, completely indifferent to its magnetic pull.