Chapter 54: Entering Crazy Mode
The pile of mana stones, stacked like a rocky grave, absorbed the sacred power I had enchanted them with, then gradually disintegrated.
This process of imbuing the stones with sacred power was sothing I had been repeating at regular intervals for so ti now.
The reason? The sacred power I could imbue into the mana stones was weak—just enough to avoid detection by the Mimic—but it also ant the effect would wear off quickly.
Once again, the Mimic returned after finishing its hunt.
Squelch—
It gulped down several red mana stones, then spat out a single violet mana stone.
As the Mimic continued this process, Fenry, who had been silently observing, jabbed in the side with her elbow.
“It’s been stuffing its face for a while now. When is it supposed to react?”
“I don’t know.”
“What do you an, you don’t know? Isn’t this your attribute? Didn’t you gain insight when you beca an attribute bloor?”
“I did.”
“Then did you forget? Is your mory that bad?”
Oh, how I wanted to slap her in the mouth. Unfortunately, her combat prowess made that an unwise choice.
When I awakened my attribute, I had naturally gained an understanding of sacred power. That was why I was able to use it so confidently now.
But what I was doing here—combining enchantnt with sacred power—was uncharted territory.
This was the first ti I had attempted such an experint, using the mana stones at the altar as my test subjects.
‘There haven’t been enough opportunities to practice.’
I had awakened to 3-star power inside the Chira’s stomach.
At the ti, I was too concerned about killing the Chira to fully unleash my ability.
After escaping, I had been too busy surviving to experint. It wasn’t until I reached the blood pool that I finally had the chance to practice.
“What if you increase the intensity of the sacred power?”
“Then it would notice imdiately.”
If the sacred power beca stronger, the mana stones would react more visibly. My tests had shown that the current, faint level of sacred power was ideal.
Recalling the contents of Dominic’s research journal, I explained:
“When enough sacred power accumulates inside the Mimic, we should see a reaction.”
“Accumulates?”
“Yes. The journal stated that the Mimic stores what it consus in its body and digests it slowly.”
“What if the sacred power dissipates before it can take effect?”
“Then I’ll have to think of another solution.”
Despite my words, I was reasonably confident in the plan. The journal ntioned that if energy accumulated faster than the Mimic could digest it, side effects would occur.
This was the thod Dominic had used to paralyze the Mimic with Chira fluids before eliminating it.
So, it was only a matter of ti before the desired reaction occurred.
***
Half a day passed.
“Whew…”
As I lifted my hands from the pile of mana stones, dizziness washed over .
Using my attribute drained both mana and physical stamina. The repeated imbuing of sacred power had left feeling increasingly fatigued.
‘The effects should start appearing soon.’
So far, the Mimic had consud the mana stones five tis, yet there was no visible reaction.
Had the sacred power failed to affect it?
‘No, it’s definitely working.’
The mana stones and the Mimic shared the sa chaotic nature—it was simply a matter of magnitude.
The fact that I had to accumulate more sacred power to impact it ant that it would just take more ti.
But ti was a problem. If we dragged this out too long, I might be too drained to fight when the ti ca.
More ti passed.
By the ti the Mimic had consud mana stones ten tis, Fenry, who had been silently observing, finally spoke up.
“The Mimic’s hunts are getting less frequent. You noticed that, right?”
“Yes.”
“That ans the prey is running out. Look—this thing needs food to produce mana stones. It’s been keeping a reserve of red stones, but once the food runs out, it’ll stop consuming them altogether. What’s your plan?”
If the Mimic stopped consuming mana stones, the accumulation of sacred power would also stop, and the plan would fall apart.
What should I do?
Should I wait a little longer?
“We’ve already gone a day without food. The longer we wait, the weaker we’ll get. Let’s strike first.”
“Do you have a plan?”
“What if you hold the Mimic down for ?”
“There’s no way I can hold it for half a day.”
“Ten minutes. Just give ten minutes.”
“Will that be enough?”
At my skeptical question, Fenry clicked her tongue and brought her hands together.
A faint orb of light began to form between them.
“If I go all out, maybe.”
“All out?”
“I’m not certain. That thing and I have terrible compatibility.”
“Why didn’t you go all out from the start?”
“Would you show your full hand in front of soone else?”
“I bear your life mark. Isn’t that enough reason to trust ?”
“Don’t get cocky.”
Just then—
GRRRRAAAAAHHH!
“…What the hell!?”
The Mimic, which had just returned from a hunt and was shaking its body, suddenly let out a deafening scream.
Its massive fra trembled violently before it began thrashing about, swinging its enormous tongue like a mad creature.
BOOM! CRASH!
“Ahhhhh!”
“W-What the hell is this!?”
I quickly grabbed Sharbadin and carried her out of the blood pool area.
Anything caught in the thrashing tongue’s path was smashed to pieces or torn apart.
Fragnts of shattered mana stones flew through the air, and the blood from the pool splattered everywhere, painting the entire cave crimson.
At the center of it all, the Mimic writhed and roared, destroying its own territory.
And amidst its thrashing, sothing caught my eye.
A faint white light began seeping out from the Mimic’s body.
The mont I saw it, I was certain.
The sacred power was finally eating away at the Mimic from the inside.
“It’s happening!”
“Huh? Do I need to go all out now?”
“Are you joking? Of course, you do!”
Fenry hesitated to reveal her full power—it seed to be a point of pride for her. But this hesitation was a mistake. My plan had always hinged on her going all out.
“Step back for a mont!”
Pushing Sharbadin into a corner, I hastily rolled up my sleeve.
The mysterious markings engraved on my wrist began to glow.
BOOM! BOOM!
The Mimic slamd its tongue against the ground as if trying to escape the altar.
I couldn’t let it get away!
Fenry darted toward the Mimic, launching the orb she had conjured into the air above it.
“Restrain it!”
The floating orb radiated a golden light that resembled her hair color.
It shone like a miniature sun, casting shadows on the blood-stained ground.
The largest shadow belonged to—
THUD!
The Mimic itself.
As the Mimic’s shadow rippled like ink spreading across water, I lunged forward.
“Damn it!”
My survival motto had always been to do whatever it took to live.
Crazy Mode: Activated.
***
FLASH!
GRRRRAAAAAHHHH!
A blinding light erupted within the cave, accompanied by the Mimic’s agonized roar.
The sight of the Mimic recoiling from the golden light was almost unbelievable.
This creature, which charged forward like an unstoppable bulldozer, was retreating in panic.
“What a lunatic…”
Fenry let out a breathless laugh as she watched the man standing in the Mimic’s path.
Arthur Clayton.
She was known as the most reckless elf in Tobaron, but this man was on a whole different level of insanity.
“So that’s what he ant by holding it down.”
He had promised to hold the Mimic in place if it tried to escape.
And once again, he had lived up to his word.
No, he had exceeded expectations.
Still, as she watched him throw himself in the path of the rampaging Mimic, she couldn’t help but mutter:
“Does he think he has extra lives to spare?”
The sight of him raising his hand toward the charging Mimic, even with its jaws wide open, was sothing no ordinary person could manage.
Most people would have pissed themselves just from looking at the thing.
Flash—!
GRRRRAAAAAHHHH!
As the Mimic recoiled from the golden light, Fenry unleashed a relentless flurry of attacks.
Scrraaaaape—! Screeech!
The air filled with the ear-piercing sound of tal being shredded, a sound that made wince instinctively.
It was the sound of Fenry’s shadow claws tearing into the Mimic’s hardened exterior.
Her twin shadow claws moved like streaks of lightning, darting across the Mimic’s body as if teleporting through its own shadow.
Her movents were ghostly—swift, silent, and impossible to predict.
Her attack speed and reflexes were nothing short of extraordinary.
In the blink of an eye, the Mimic’s body was covered with slashes and claw marks.
Though the Mimic’s steel-like hide initially absorbed the blows without much damage, the sacred power coursing through its insides began to shift the tide.
GRRRRAAAAHHH!
“It’s working!”
For the first ti, a high-pitched wail escaped the Mimic’s gaping maw.
The gashes Fenry left began to seep blood, faint at first but growing more pronounced.
In so spots, chunks of its flesh were torn away, leaving deep wounds that oozed thick, dark blood.
The sacred power’s corrosive effect was weakening its body, making it more vulnerable.
Though not a decisive blow, the damage was accumulating rapidly, wearing the Mimic down.
The tides of battle were shifting in our favor.
At least for now.
However—
“Ugh! Damn it!”
Flash—!
GRRRRAAAAHHH!
From my vantage point, where I kept finding myself face-to-face with the Mimic’s monstrous maw, it felt more like a horror show than a battle.
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