I sprang back to my feet, eyes locked on the beast. Without hesitation, it was already charging at me, swinging its massive arm and the spike spear directly at my torso. The lightning crackling across my body surged, my focus sharpening as I fed more Essence into it.
I lifted my foot, and in the blink of an eye, I vanished from the spike's path. My body reappeared right above the beast, and we locked eyes.
"Absolute."
I activated the skill, and my will slammed into the space around the beast. The world seemed to slow, my perception stretching as I commanded the space around it to freeze.
"Freeze."
Silver spatial Essence wrapped around the beast, freezing its movements like chains. I could feel its resistance through my Psynapse, but it was brief—just enough for me to seize the moment.
In mid-air, I raised my palm toward the beast. Essence surged through my channels, and I forced it all out of my palm, commanding it to shift into Ice.
I could sense the beast struggling against me, its resistance growing frantic, but it was too late. The ice spread rapidly, encasing its legs, and just as the block of ice reached its torso, the beast roared. It broke free of the frozen space with a violent explosion, but I wasn't planning to let it escape.
I landed smoothly on the ground, Essence nearly depleted, but my generator was still working, pulling in energy from the beast and the surrounding air. I bent my legs, compressing my muscles for one last burst, and shot forward toward its head.
The ice had slowed it down, so I twisted mid-air to avoid the spike it swung at me. Landing in front of the beast once more, I spun, my leg shooting forward with brutal precision, smashing directly into its head.
Bang.
The armor covering its skull cracked under the force of my strike.
The helmet on the beast's head shattered with a deafening crack, breaking apart into chunks that fell to the ground quietly. For a moment, there was silence. The beast stood motionless, its beady yellow eyes locked onto me, its breath ragged but heavy.
My muscles tensed, ready for another round, but I took a step back. I could feel it—its anger, like a tangible force radiating off it.
Then it happened.
A low growl reverberated from deep within the beast's chest.
The ground beneath us seemed to tremble as it took in a deep, labored breath.
The fur on its body rippled unnaturally, and with a terrifying hiss, its body began to shrink, the armor swam back into its body, the massive frame slimming down as though it were drawing in on itself. Its once-imposing bulk turned thinner, the muscles tightening in a way that made the beast even more menacing.
Suddenly, its skin shifted, what had been brown fur now glistened with an oily sheen, and green liquid began to drip from its body, pooling at its feet.
I could feel my instincts screaming at me. The beast's body had become something else, something more deadly.
Then it lunged.
The speed it gained in an instant was mind-boggling. The air around us seemed to crackle with energy as the beast's limbs moved faster than I could track. Before I even had time to react, it had closed the distance between us, its claws swiping at me with lethal precision.
I sidestepped, but just barely. The ground where I had stood moments ago exploded under the weight of the beast's strike, dirt and rocks flying into the air.
The beast roared, the green liquid evaporating into smoke as it lunged again. Its body was now almost serpentine, thinner but more agile, its speed had increased tenfold.
The beast's body tensed, and it formed a single, massive spike from its back. The green liquid swirled around the spike as it glistened with deadly intent.
I didn't even have time to think.
The beast thrust the spike at me, the motion faster than I could perceive. It was like a blur, a deadly blur aimed straight at my chest. I barely managed to twist out of the way, but the spike grazed my arm, tearing through my skin and deep into my flesh.
The wound was deep, and blood trickled down my arm.
The green liquid from the spike oozed into the wound, and I could feel my senses dulling instantly.
My limbs felt heavy, my vision blurred at the edges, and my thoughts slowed.
'Poison.'
I gritted my teeth, the rush of adrenaline fighting back against the creeping poison.
With my heart pounding in my ears, I activated [Absolute]. My will surged through me, and I pushed my Psynapse to its limit. I focused on the space around me, warping it to my advantage. My perception expanded, and I could feel the flow of time stretching. I had to match the beast's speed or be consumed by it.
"Slow."
The world slowed around me. I could see the beast's every movement, each twitch of its muscles, each dangerous swing of its spike. But now I had the advantage—now I could move faster.
I surged forward, my body moving with a speed that nearly rivaled the beast's new form. I was faster, my muscles burning with the effort as I closed the distance between us, the pain from the poison and the blood loss pushing me to the brink.
The beast roared again, this time with fury, and lunged once more, its spike aimed straight at my heart.
I twisted, my foot hitting the ground with a thundering force as I pivoted out of the way.
This time, I was prepared. My hand shot out, and I grabbed the spike just before it could reach me. The sheer force of the blow sent shockwaves through my body, but I didn't let go.
The poison sizzled when it came in contact with my palm. I saw the beast's eyes widened in shock, but it wasn't enough to stop its assault.
It reared back, and its clawed hands came down on me with terrifying speed.
But I could track its movements now.
I stepped in, narrowly avoiding the wild swipe, and kept one hand locked onto the spike lodged in its arm. With my other hand, I pressed my palm flat against its stomach.
Time to end this.
"Absolute."
My will surged.
The moment my Essence surged into my palm, I activated [Seismic Burst]. The newly generated Essence blasted outward—but not wildly. I forced it to obey.
"Compress."
Space twisted.
The air warped around my hand as my will funneled the entire force of the burst into a single, focused point. The impact didn't explode—it tunneled.
Boom.
The beast's body snapped back as if struck by a divine hammer. A gaping hole tore through its midsection where my palm had touched, and in the next breath, it was hurled across the clearing, crashing into the ground with a bone-crunching thud.
Smoke, dust, and the stink of ruptured flesh filled the air.