Chapter 65: Broken Limits
The blood-drenched battlefield grew eerily silent for a moment, as if the world itself had paused in anticipation of what was to come. The Mad Fomorians, previously frenzied and driven by primal hunger, now hesitated. Their eyes glimmered with a mix of fear and uncertainty as they beheld the transformed figure before them.
I stood erect with a steadied breath. My wounds were no longer gaping or bleeding profusely. The soft glow emanating from my body gave me an envisage of an otherworldly presence. This wasn't merely the effect of healing—it was power, raw and unbridled, surging through my veins.
It was magic.
This was the power of the World Energy.
But, most importantly...
GLINT!
My eyes shone with a red light and the system spoke,
[Skill: Death Darting Eyes is active.]
At long last...
It wasn't until I finally mastered how to channel the World Energy through my body was I able to use it.
Woo...
My vision was starkly different – I was now seeing the world through the eyes of the Profane Cockatrix.
Through its eyes, the world transformed into a surreal tapestry of warmth and shadow.
Colors faded into irrelevance, replaced by an ethereal spectrum of heat. Every living thing glowed with a fiery outline; their forms bathed in shades of crimson, orange, and gold.
The skin of the Breathing Giant remained cool and indifferent, muted in blues and purples. In this heightened state, I no longer seemed to rely on sight in the conventional sense — my vision had shifted beyond the ordinary, piercing through darkness and veils alike.
Nothing escaped my eyes... which was what made it so maddening.
Argh...it's too much...
I felt my head ache at the sheer amount of visual information.
Yet...I didn't fall.
FWOO...
I took a deep breath, absorbing the World Energy.
"Alright..."
I swung Silver Lining and rested it over my shoulder.
HWOO...
"Let there be carnage."
I spoke and at the same time, leaked my bloodlust.
[Skill: Fear Inducement has been activated.]
The instant the system spoke, the Mad Fomorians broke into a frenzy, and plunging the scene into mayhem.
The air grew thick with tension, every breath laced with the acrid scent of blood and the raw energy of battle. The Fomorians, who were previously uncertain, let their primal instincts take over and charged forward in a chaotic surge.
SWISH!
[Skill: Battle Arts has been activated – Kendo.]
With a practiced motion, I cut down the nearest Mad Fomorian. The enhanced lucidity granted by Death Darting Eyes allowed me to track every movement, every twitch of muscle. Despite the overwhelming number of enemies, I felt eerily... calm.
BAM! SLASH!
My blade danced through the fray, each strike calculated, each movement fluid. Time seemed to slow as I moved through the battlefield, weaving between the attacks of the frenzied horde.
[You have felled Level 10 Mad Fomorian.]
[You have gained 30 EXP.]
"HOO!"
I swiftly dodged a swipe from a nearby Fomorian, before lunging my blade straight at its hide.
SWISH!
Silver Lining penetrated into its flesh, went through its internal organs, through its bones and exited from the back.
All of this was done effortlessly, without so much as breaking a sweat.
CREEE!!!
The revolting beast let out a screeching cry as the light of life vanished from its eyes.
Without even listening to the system, I pounced onto my next target.
ROARR!! EE!! CREE!!
Several disturbing sounds could be heard around me but yet, I was unfrazzled. I continued to cut down the Mad Fomorians without any ounce of mercy.
I moved like the wind, struck like lightning and prowled like a tiger – I was unstoppable. Despite the sheer gap between Level 6 and Level 10, the Mad Fomorians were at my mercy.
I had turned into a chilling whirlwind of steel.
RARR!! ROAR!!
Several Fomorians lunged at me like a wave, yet I dispatched them with chilling precision. With each movement, each swing, each kill, the art of battle drove deeper into my bones.
HA...! HA...!
As I slaughtered the Fomorians, I was smiling.
It... It was like I was entranced...
Like I was dancing.
SLASH! CLANG! CLANG!
I've reached it... that state.
The state I reached when I fought the Profane Cockatrix.
The thrill of battle...
The moment I realized it, my movements suddenly changed.
Just like before, my joints loosened and my steps became more precise. The rigidity in my movements vanished and several martial arts started to merge together in a deadly dance.
With the gift of clarity and the Art of Learning, my brain processed and executed all the information in an instant.
[Skill: Battle Arts has been activated – Kendo X Iaido.]
My eyes, the Death Darting Eyes, allowed me to pierce through the Mad Fomorians and predict their movements, paired with the condensed flux of the World Energy coursing through my veins, both my mind and body were unassailable.
"Ah...!"
At this moment, I realized...
I am at my peak.
It was more than just power surging through me; it was the culmination of every battle, every struggle, and every near-death moment. All forced into a box before exploding out.
This truly is a dream...
With an euphoric expression, I continued to massacre the horde of Mad Fomorians. Slaying so many to the point, that I lost track of the system's voice yet...
The battle was far from over.
ROAR!!!
[Bloodlust detected.]
[The player has been threatened by an enemy.]
I flinched at the powerful bellow, my gaze turning to the source.
Wha?!
My eyes widened.
At the end of my line of sight, I saw the towering Hulk Fomorian or rather...
[Level 15. Aberrant Fomorian.]
Standing at nearly four meters tall and seething with a bulging mass, wielding long, jagged claws and spotting dark-purple skin.
Stained in blood from head to toe, the Aberrant Fomorian had mysteriously rose through three levels, turning into a truly dreadful foe.
It twisted its monstrous head my way and gazed at me, the light of odious fury burning brighter than ever.
EEE!!
The weaker Mad Fomorians began to scramble out of our way due to fear, the stronger ones were long dead.
I guess...it's about time...
TMP! BOOM!
The Aberrant Fomorian and I both took a step towards each other before staring at each other, one heavy while one light.
The once chaotic battlefield now grew still and silent, all the Fomorians snapping their heads towards the scene of growing tension.
After all, this battle was going to decide the fate of this war.
We continued to stare at each other in eerie silence, as if, trying to discern each other's intentions.
SWHOOSH!!
A soft gale blew our way, sending my tattered cloak billowing in the wind.
I gazed at the Aberrant deep in the eye for several seconds before my stoic expression finally cracked, revealing a bitter smile.
You too...
You're just like me...
Those eyes of burning hatred.... were born from the soul of a tenacious bastard...someone that would do anything to live...
Even if they'll have to burn the world...
In the depth of my dark eyes, a shimmer of grey shone amidst the darkness.
"But...", I spoke, staring at the beast who gazed back, my face growing cold.
"I hate those eyes."
"Those eyes aren't one of tenacity...they are tainted...tainted with the sin of wrath...pure hatred and chaos...all they seek is death and destruction."
What should I have expected from a monster?
Nevertheless, I continued.
"I loathe them."
I gripped Silver Lining tighter and took a gallant stance – the shimmer in my eyes glinting brighter.
The Aberrant Fomorian stared at me before parting its bloodied maw and...
Halting.
The Aberrant Fomorian was frozen in place.
Its odious eyes seemed to show a shimmer of confusion.
"Too bad...you met me before that light could fully blossom."
TMP!
Without wasting another breathe, I poured every ounce of the World Energy in my core into my right arm and dashed forward.
SWOOSH!
Before driving the blade of Silver Lining deep into its hide and striking its core directly.
Time seemed to halt for several seconds as the light in the Aberrant Fomorian's eyes shone brightly before finally losing its luster and dimming.
SLISH!
I withdrew my blade and took a step back, my eyes losing the red shine.
And like a sorrowful omen, the Aberrant Fomorian collapsed to the ground and the system spoke.
[You have felled Level 15. Aberrant Fomorian.]