EndGame: The Successor's Legacy-Chapter 30: Getting a cheat? -5

A long exhale left Calix’s mouth as he watched the Sliteren surge toward him, its massive body gliding over the rocky terrain with a frightening, almost feline-like velocity.

Stone scraped against stone as it moved, each motion heavy yet somehow unnaturally smooth, as if the ground itself bent to its will.

The conditions were brutal.

Jagged rocks and sands limited his footing, the air was razor sharp, dry and thin, and every mistake here would be fatal. But the ten days he had spent in this place hadn’t been wasted.

He knew them by now.

Sliterens, some rock-skinned serpents whose bodies were harder than steel—had only one real weakness.

"Well," Calix muttered, tightening his grip on the sword, "no holding back, I guess."

Mana surged through his body.

His muscles tensed as his physical limits were forcibly raised by overloading his mana circuit, veins glowing faintly beneath his skin.

Purple lightning crackled violently around him, snapping through the air like living arcs of rage. Some of it wrapped around his blade, coating the steel in unstable energy that hummed with destructive intent.

The ground beneath his feet cracked.

Then—

The battle exploded.

In a streak of violet light, Calix moved first.

The world blurred as he dashed forward, his body almost turning into a bolt of purple lightning.

Before he even reached the Sliteren, he swung his sword.

Instantly, a compressed arc of lightning and mana tore through the air.

Slash.

The attack struck the monster instantly, detonating against its stone-covered body with a sharp thunderous impact that was drowned by the whistling wind and sand around him.

Dust and rock scattered.

But when the smoke cleared—

There wasn’t even a scratch.

And the Sliteren didn’t slow down.

Its slit black pupils were locked onto Calix, and a low, grinding hiss escaped its throat, it felt like the monster was almost mocking him.

Calix’s eyes narrowed.

"...Right," he muttered. "Guess you’re as annoying as the last time."

The monster lunged.

Its massive tail whipped through the air, smashing down toward him like a falling cliff. Calix twisted aside at the last second, the ground where he had stood exploding into rubble.

He slid back, boots scraping against stone that jutted out of sand, his heart pounding. Raising his hand, he sent an invisible slash straight towards the monster right on the same spot where his previous attack had hit before.

Hoping to do atleast some damage to the rock gaint however...it was still worthless.

The Sliteren moved, and this time it’s black pupils glowed as from its mouth, black mist started to seep out, it’s teeth elongated to a painful degree as monster lunged.

"Huh, Poison? Since when it can do that?" Looking at the smoke coming out of the monster’s mouth Calix unconsciously spoke up.

However because of that he was a bit short, as he missed the projectile coming straight towards his head. The snake, had also attacked with its tail at the same time.

Whish

As his instincts flared up, Calix didn’t have the time to dodge however he somehow managed to guard his body as his arms went up instantly taking the blow instead of the body.

Wham.

The attack hit.

Lights went out of his head as his body was flung into the air. He having no control over it. The world around him spun violently, the sky and ground switching places in a blur before...

CRASH

His body was slammed straight into a large stone behind him. The impact driving the breath out of his lungs, pain exploding through his back and ribs as cracks spiderwebbed across the rock itself.

He slid down helplessly, collapsing onto the ground. It was unexpected... totally unexpected. This..much damage from a single attack.

"Khak."

His vision swam, white sparks bursting behind his eyes. Pain flared up like a flame.

Holy...

The thought barely finished forming before, as a violent cough tore from his throat, blood splattering onto the stone beneath him. His limbs felt heavy, almost numb refusing to respond the way they should have.

So this is it...

The difference.

Calix realized, even though he could fight a being higher ranked than him, that didn’t mean that he could also take an head on attack from it.

The Sliteren obviously didn’t gave him the time to recover.

Its massive body coiled, stone grinding against stone as it reared up, shadow and dust swallowing the world before him.

Those empty, slit pupils looked down at him like a judge passing sentence.

Calix clenched his teeth, somehow forcing himself to move.

Pain screamed through every muscle as he pushed himself up, purple lightning flickering weakly around his body. His sword felt heavier than before, mana circulation disrupted by the blow.

The Sliteren struck. Its head coming down like a meteor itself.

Gritting his teeth, at the last possible instant, Calix rolled to the side.

The impact of Sliteren’s attack shattered the ground where he had been lying, sending shards of stone flying in every direction.

One of them tearing into his shoulder, drawing fresh blood.

He didn’t stop.

Using the recoil, Calix forced himself to his feet, his breath ragged while his legs shaking.

"...Ah damn," he whispered.

Calix watched as the harrowing snake pulled its head free from the rubble, chunks of stone sliding down off its rocky scales. It shook its head once, then twice, as if clearing dizziness—then its slit pupils locked onto him again.

Empty.

The Sliteren didn’t hesitate.

Its massive tail swung violently, and with the motion, jagged spikes of black stone erupted outwards like launched spears.

Calix’s eyes widened.

He ducked low, feeling sharp wind slice over his head, then twisted his body to the side to evade another spike that buried itself into the ground where his chest had been a moment earlier.

’Too fast’

Before he could regain balance, another spike shot straight toward his heart.

Calix raised his sword on instinct.

Clang

For a split second, there was resistance then...

CRACK

The blade shattered.

Metal fragments burst apart, spinning through the air as the force sent a shock up his arms. The broken hilt remained in his hand, useless.

"Shit," Calix cursed.