bookandnovel Chapter 148 Even a mantis lion can dream of gods?
Chapter 148 Even a mantis lion can dream of gods?
Chapter 148 Even a mantis lion can dream of gods?
Fear does not exist in Blackwing Rattlesnake's brain.
The manticore was created as a war beast, and any emotions that would hinder its killing were eliminated from the design process.
There is no fear, no pity.
However, it was this very beast that truly experienced what absolute power was on the battlefield that day—a power even stronger and more unstoppable than the magic wielded by its master.
The light and shadow shifted abruptly, and the Hall of Ruins collapsed instantly in the manticore's perception. It was no longer a beast trapped for millennia, but had returned to that blood-stained ancient battlefield, the sky a hazy yellow, the earth howling. A towering figure, wielding a magnificent holy sword, descended from the heavens like a blazing sun; the light was not warm, but carried the harshness of judgment and purification. It was Obak, the chosen warrior who, single-handedly, had ended all the magical creations of Aksim-Bisalius.
Memories flooded back, utterly overwhelming the manticore's soul. It "saw" the pristine white robes fluttering in the smoke, O'Bak's cold, sculpted face as ruthless as a statue. Sword light cascaded like a waterfall, each strike carrying the resolve to purify everything. Countless of its kind were reduced to ashes in this holy light; they struggled, roared, but none could escape their fate of complete annihilation. Colossal magical constructs collapsed beneath the sword, steel twisted, flesh withered.
That helplessness, that despair, that fear of being crushed by the laws of nature, was deeply etched into its very marrow. The manticore's intelligence was insufficient for it to comprehend what it was facing, yet it could see that the flowing magic upon which it depended for survival had come to a halt beside the man named Obak. It was as if a tiny needle had frozen an entire ocean—the ether ceased to flow, the energy ceased to circulate, and instead, in his hand, it transformed into an extremely rational, extremely hard, extremely solidified force of order.
It was as if everything in the world should be like this: water freezes into ice, yellow sand turns back into rock, there is no more change, no more creation and destruction, everything is buried in that dazzling golden holy light.
On that day, the barrier of the Arken Empire Magic Academy was torn apart, and magic was utterly defeated.
Over a thousand years, Blackwing Rattlesnake had forgotten the scent of fear it felt when facing the gods. Without the nourishment of magic, it and its memories had degenerated into an ordinary beast—until this moment, until the "Phantom Power" revealed the deep-seated scars in the heart of the manticore.
The manticore's entire body trembled violently, not from a physical attack, but from a fear deep within its soul.
The illusion created by this spell was so real that it could even feel the excruciating pain of the holy light burning it, and hear the desperate screams of its companions who had been purified by the holy light.
The manticore's fur displayed glaring burn marks under the spell! Nothing touched it, yet the Blackwing Rattlesnake seemed to be pressed into magma and roasted, its flesh hissing as half its body was scorched in invisible flames!
"Oppa's Buck!"
The swordswoman leaped into the air, the javelin extending from her arm, her body transforming into a silver rainbow. Using the momentum of her body, she buried the entire spearhead into the manticore's chest!
"roar-!!!"
A completely off-key howl, filled with extreme fear and madness, erupted from the manticore's mouth. The sound was no longer the roar of a beast, but more like a soul tormented to the extreme, struggling in a silent abyss. Its body stiffened for a moment as if electrocuted, and its massive dragon wings flapped wildly uncontrollably, creating a violent gust of wind that whipped up the surrounding gravel and dust, forming a blurry chaos.
Using the force of the air currents, the swordswoman flipped herself back and prepared her javelin again—the manticore was struggling fiercely and couldn't aim.
A hoarse, ancient voice, seemingly from the distant past, was the true language of the Blackwing Rattlesnake. It recoiled in fear, its massive body crashing backward with a deafening thud against the stone wall behind it, sending countless fragments of rock tumbling down.
"Now!" Geb's voice was hoarse with ecstasy.
He witnessed firsthand the manticore descend into madness, and the Phantom Force took effect!
Ignoring the still-bleeding wound on her collarbone, the swordswoman channeled all her strength and hurled herself fiercely at the mantis lion's exposed side, which was wide open from the pain and fear!
This was no ordinary throw. She aimed at the wound on the manticore's body, left by the tearing of Thornton's antlers and the stab wound from her own hand and half-sword. Under the mental shock brought by the "Phantom Power," the manticore's sense of pain had temporarily become dulled, or rather, its body had fallen into chaos and was unable to resist effectively.
call out-!
The javelin, with a sharp whooshing sound, pierced the bloody wound with perfect accuracy, and then, without stopping, it pierced straight out of the manticore's abdominal cavity as if chiseling through a rotten wooden board!
Pfft—!
A chilling tearing sound rang out, accompanied by a spray of hot, foul-smelling blood. The sharp edge of the javelin had pierced through the manticore's body from the other side, carrying a piece of shattered internal organs!
This attack completely shattered the manticore's defenses and damaged its most vulnerable internal organs!
"Awooo—!!!"
The manticore let out another, even more piercing howl, filled with genuine pain. It lunged forward, smashing through the stone slab beneath its feet. The immense momentum carried it several meters before it crashed heavily to the ground, carving a deep trench in the earth.
It struggled to stand up, but felt a tearing pain in its abdomen. The javelin wound that had pierced through it was now gushing out dark red blood and a viscous substance mixed with digestive juices. Its massive body rolled on the ground, shaking the walls and kicking up dust.
"Well done, Blade Girl!" Geb shouted excitedly, his voice cracking.
An opportunity! This is the fatal flaw they've been waiting for!
"Solton! Durin! Charge!"
At the same time, Thorton let out a beast-like roar. Ignoring the wound on his chest, he charged forward like an arrow the moment he saw Geb and the swordswoman succeed. He wasn't acting blindly; he aimed for the manticore's weak point—the abdomen pierced by the javelin.
He gripped the curved blade tightly with both hands, and in the brief moment between the manticore's rolls, he leaped onto the manticore's back in a near-suicidal manner, concentrating all his strength in his arms, and frantically slashed at the still bleeding wound!
clang!clang!clang!
Although the manticore's skin remains tough, the damage to its internal organs and the collapse of its spirit render it unable to effectively resist.
Each strike brought profound destruction, the flesh and bone scraping together with a sickening screech. Thornton's blade pierced the fragile internal organs again and again, each time drawing out more foul-smelling liquid.
"Faevitase, bestiafoeda—go to hell, you beast!"
The beastman roared, each swing of his sword filled with heart-wrenching rage—a lament for his fallen comrades and an outpouring of all the betrayals he had suffered.
At this moment, Dulin also displayed astonishing courage. He saw the manticore being hit repeatedly and knew this was its only chance of survival. He quickly reloaded the crossbow and drew it fully!
"Take this arrow!!"
The dwarf's voice was choked with sobs, yet also carried a desperate, ruthless edge. He was aiming at the manticore's throat, which was completely exposed from excruciating pain.
Boom!
The crossbow bolt, carrying all the dwarves' hopes and strength, pierced the still-wailing throat of the manticore! The manticore's howls abruptly ceased, replaced by a hissing sound as something was stuck in its throat, mixed with a gurgling sound of blood gushing from deep within.
It convulsed violently, its massive body spasming on the ground, its limbs kicking wildly, its tail flailing erratically, smashing the surrounding stone pillars and walls to pieces, countless pebbles and dust obscuring the view.