"Meteor Bullet."
The words had barely left Kael’s mouth before the condensed sphere of earth energy shot from the tip of his finger.
BOOM!
A streak of amber light tore through the battlefield.
It was so fast that it shattered the sound barrier almost instantly. The surrounding air exploded outward while space itself seemed to ripple around the projectile, unable to bear the density of the power compressed within something so small.
The giant ape barely had time to react.
The amber streak had already arrived.
BOOOOM!
The Meteor Bullet slammed directly into its shoulder.
A deafening thunderclap erupted across the battlefield as the concentrated earth energy detonated upon impact. The colossal body of the ape actually shifted backward.
Only a single step.
Only a tiny distance.
Yet for a creature of its enormous size, forcing it backward at all was an astonishing feat.
The ape lowered its head toward its shoulder.
Blood.
Dark crimson blood slowly trickled from the point of impact.
The wound wasn’t deep. Its Crystal Hide had prevented the Meteor Bullet from punching through its flesh, but the attack had still broken through the outer layer and drawn blood.
That alone was enough.
The intelligence within its emerald eyes vanished beneath overwhelming rage.
ROOOOOOOOOAR!!
Its furious roar shook the heavens.
The ground exploded beneath its feet as the colossal beast charged forward, every stride shaking the battlefield like an earthquake.
Kael narrowed his eyes.
Fast.
Far faster than something that large should have been capable of moving.
The distance between them vanished almost instantly.
The giant ape raised one enormous arm before bringing it crashing downward.
Its palm was wider than a city bus.
The air screamed beneath its descent.
Kael had no intention of testing the strength behind that attack.
The instant the palm descended, he disappeared.
BOOM!
He dashed backward just before the colossal hand struck the earth.
The impact was catastrophic.
The battlefield caved inward as though struck by a falling meteor. Rock and dirt erupted hundreds of feet into the sky while an enormous crater spread beneath the ape’s hand.
Then came the shockwave.
The compressed air exploded outward with terrifying force.
Even after avoiding the strike itself, Kael found himself directly in its path.
He didn’t resist it.
Instead, he loosened every muscle in his body while earth energy rapidly reinforced his flesh, bones, and organs.
The shockwave slammed into him.
Rather than fighting against it, he flowed with its force.
His body shot backward through the air before he twisted gracefully, flipping twice before landing on all fours.
CRACK!
The ground fractured beneath his landing.
Without wasting even a second, Kael pushed himself upright.
Not a single injury.
The ape didn’t give him time to breathe.
Still consumed by fury, it swung its opposite arm in a devastating horizontal sweep.
Kael immediately ducked.
WHOOOOOSH!
The enormous arm passed just inches above his head.
The violent wind pressure alone tore chunks of earth from the ground behind him.
The instant the attack passed overhead, Kael moved.
He exploded forward.
Instead of retreating, he rushed directly into the giant ape’s guard.
His fist clenched.
Earth energy surged through every muscle in his arm.
Then he struck.
BOOOOM!
His punch slammed directly into the ape’s knee.
The impact detonated like an artillery shell.
The concentrated earth energy burst from his fist, driving unimaginable force into the creature’s leg.
The giant ape grunted.
Its massive knee bent slightly beneath the impact.
But it didn’t fall.
It was simply too enormous.
Kael’s eyes narrowed.
One punch wasn’t enough?
Then he’d simply throw another.
Before he could move again, the ape had already recovered.
Its gigantic arm swept toward him once more.
Kael leaped backward.
The attack missed.
Then another palm descended almost immediately afterward.
He twisted sideways just in time.
BOOOOOOM!
The hand smashed into the earth.
A massive fissure ripped across the battlefield, splitting the ground apart for dozens of meters.
The violent tremor disrupted Kael’s footing.
For a brief moment...
He lost his balance.
That single mistake was all the giant ape needed.
Its enormous fingers closed around him.
Before Kael could react, darkness swallowed his vision.
Then—
CRUNCH!
The gigantic hand clenched into a fist around his body.
Kael’s feet left the ground.
The pressure was unbelievable.
Stone would’ve been reduced to dust instantly.
Steel would’ve folded like paper.
But he was neither of those.
Even so...
He felt his ribs creak.
His lungs compressed beneath the crushing force.
Every bone in his body groaned under the pressure.
Amber veins lit up across his skin as earth energy poured through every inch of his body, desperately reinforcing his frame.
Yet the pressure only continued to increase.
He couldn’t stay trapped.
Not for long.
Kael inhaled sharply.
Then drove his elbow directly into the giant ape’s thumb.
Every ounce of earth energy he could gather surged into that single strike.
BOOOOOOM!
The explosion erupted from inside the ape’s own grip.
A sickening crack echoed across the battlefield.
Its massive thumb bent unnaturally before snapping apart like the trunk of an ancient tree.
ROOOOOOOOAR!!
The ape screamed.
Its fingers instinctively loosened.
That tiny opening was all Kael needed.
He forced himself free before dropping toward the ground.
The instant his feet touched the earth, he rolled forward to disperse the momentum before spinning.
His leg whipped around like a steel pillar.
BANG!
The kick slammed directly into the ape’s ankle.
The giant beast staggered backward several steps, clutching its broken thumb as rage completely overtook its expression.
Without hesitation, it plunged its remaining hand into the earth once more.
CRAAAAACK!!
This time the boulder it ripped free dwarfed the previous one.
It was practically a small hill.
With a furious roar, it hurled the enormous mass toward Kael.
Kael immediately sidestepped.
The gigantic projectile missed him entirely.
Or so he thought.
The instant he completed his dodge, the ape moved.
It had anticipated exactly where he would evade.
Its remaining hand swept across the battlefield with terrifying speed.
Kael had no room to react.
BANG!!
The colossal palm struck him squarely across the side.