Chapter 728: Magnifying Strength
The monolith loomed ahead, its black surface pulsating with a sinister light—which wasn't entirely dark, but instead carried a maroon hue like the monsters before, intermittently shimmering with the glow of a broken light.
Northern landed before it, his boots sinking slightly into the cracked, ichor-stained ground. The silence that followed was heavy, a suffocating stillness that seemed to stretch endlessly.
Within the towering structure, something stirred. Something massive. The sinister light radiating from the monolith grew denser and began to oppress him, pressing against his skin like an unseen force.
Northern stood before the towering monolith-his expression calm, yet disdainful.
He took a step forward, his crimson aura erupting to life, casting an eerie glow across the desolate battlefield. The red light in his eyes flickered. He could feel the twisted energy swirling within the monolith, perfectly embodying an abomination.
Northern clenched his fist, the crimson energy around him intensifying as he crouched slightly, muscles coiling like springs.
The ground beneath his feet cracked and groaned, unable to withstand the sheer pressure radiating from him.
With a deafening roar, he launched himself at the monolith, his fist glowing with the destructive power of Colossal Force.
The impact was cataclysmic. Northern's punch struck the center of the monolith with such ferocity that the entire structure shuddered.
Cracks spread outward like a spiderweb, glowing with faint lights of chaotic essence as the monolith began to fracture.
The shockwave from the strike tore through the air, sending debris and shards of blackened stone hurtling in all directions.
Northern didn't stop. He pulled his fist back and struck again and again, each blow more devastating than the last.
The sound of shattering stone echoed across the grey realm, a symphony of destruction that drowned out the oppressive silence.
With one final, earth-shaking punch, the monolith exploded.
The structure crumbled into a million fragments, the chaotic essence within erupting like a geyser. A blinding light shot upward, tearing through the sky as the ground beneath the monolith collapsed into a massive crater.
Northern stood amidst the wreckage, his aura blazing like a beacon in the darkness.
From the ruins, the Rift Guardian emerged.
It tore itself free from Northern's chaotic essence, its massive form unfolding with a horrifying grace.
Its body was an abomination of flesh and bone, a writhing, shifting mass of grotesque shapes. Jagged spines jutted from its back, dripping with molten ichor, while its six blazing red eyes burned with malevolence.
The ground trembled under its weight as its barbed tendrils lashed out, carving deep gouges into the earth. Massive, clawed hands flexed with terrifying power, each movement radiating an aura of destruction.
The Guardian's maw opened, releasing a guttural roar that shook the very air, a sound that spoke of death and chaos.
Northern tilted his head, a grin spreading across his face. He cracked his knuckles, the anticipation of battle igniting a fire in his eyes.
The Rift Guardian struck first, its massive claw swiping through the air with enough force to create a vacuum.
Northern leapt backward, narrowly avoiding the attack as the claw smashed into the ground, carving a deep trench in the earth.
He launched himself forward, his body a blur as he activated Titan's Leap. Northern's fist connected with the creature's torso, the impact creating a shockwave that rippled across the air. Flesh and bone cracked under the force of the blow, but the Guardian barely flinched.
The creature retaliated, its barbed tendrils whipping toward him with blinding speed. Northern twisted in mid-air, narrowly avoiding one, only to be struck by another. The barbs raked across his chest, tearing through fabric and skin.
Northern gritted his teeth, blood dripping from the wound, and grabbed the tendril with both hands.
With a roar, he yanked it forward, pulling the massive creature off balance. The Guardian's other arm swung toward him, but Northern used Unyielding Bulwark to harden his body like stone.
The claw struck him square in the chest, the impact sending him skidding across the ground. Dust and debris filled the air, but Northern rose to his feet, his body unscathed.
"That all you've got?" he taunted, blood staining his lips as his grin widened.
The Rift Guardian roared in fury, its tendrils slamming into the ground, creating shockwaves that shattered the terrain.
Northern slammed his fists into the ground in response. The resulting quake destabilized the creature, its massive body swaying as cracks spiderwebbed beneath it.
Seizing the opportunity, he shot forward with a burst of speed, his fist glowing with the crimson light of Colossal Force. He drove his punch into the creature's knee, the force shattering the joint with a sickening crunch.
The Guardian let out a deafening roar of pain, its massive body collapsing to one side. Northern didn't let up. He leapt onto its back, his fists raining down with devastating power. Each blow cracked bone and ruptured flesh, ichor spraying in all directions.
The creature's tendrils lashed at him, but Northern tore them apart with his bare hands, using their own weight against them. He grabbed one tendril, swung it like a whip, and smashed it into the Guardian's face, breaking one of its glowing red eyes.
The Guardian thrashed, its roars shaking the heavens, but Northern was relentless and
stubborn.
As he muttered...
"Weight of the World."
His oppressive aura bore down on the creature. The ground beneath them buckled, and the Guardian's movements slowed, its massive body trembling under the crushing force.
With another roar, Northern leapt high into the air, his body glowing with crimson energy. Using Titan's Leap, he began a meteoric descent.
His fist struck the Guardian's skull, the force of the impact splitting it open. Bone and ichor exploded outward, painting the battlefield in gore. The creature convulsed, its massive body collapsing in on itself as the life drained from it.
Northern stood atop the ruined corpse, his chest heaving. The grey realm was silent once more, the oppressive energy dissipating as the Rift Guardian's death echoed through the air.
He wiped a smear of blood from his face, his crimson aura fading.
"That was a little bit difficult."
He muttered, stepping off the corpse with an interesting light in his eyes.
Behind him, his clones appeared, their arms laden with glowing cores. They moved efficiently, collecting the Guardian's massive core from its shattered body.
Then the entire Rift shuddered.