Chapter 109: The Evolving Alien Soul

Shingin lunged forward, charging straight into the densest cluster of venomous snakes. His water sword moved at blinding speed, its light slicing through the air like relentless rain, cutting down the encroaching serpents with precision. In that instant, his movements were so swift that even the watchers were momentarily unable to track him.

"Don't let him escape!" Watcher 20 barked furiously. But by then, Shingin had already pierced through the encirclement, breaking free from the wall of snakes and dashing toward the perimeter.

His steps didn't falter. He knew all too well that breaking through was only temporary. Unless he found a decisive escape route, the endless assaults from all directions would only continue unabated.

The rhythm of battle quickened with an intensity that left little room for hesitation. Could Shingin find a way out amid the crushing pressure? The answer lay only in the next clash.

Blood dripped steadily from his arm, painting the ground beneath his feet red. Breathing heavily, Shingin's resolve remained unshaken. The grotesque watchers and their unrelenting assaults loomed before him like barriers, blocking his path home.

"Mom… Shizuha…" The tender smile of his mother and the playful image of his younger sister tugging at his sleeve flashed vividly in his mind.

"If I fall here, they're doomed." A pang of agony coursed through him, replaced swiftly by a blazing sense of responsibility. "I'm their only shield. I cannot falter!"

With a guttural roar erupting from his chest, Shingin swung his sword, severing the incoming snakes before somersaulting to dodge a dagger aimed at his back. Despite his staggering movements, his every step pushed him closer to his limits, teetering on the edge of collapse.

From a vantage point above, Watcher 20 observed Shingin's struggles with cold disdain. "It appears this is nothing more than the final throes of a dying man."

Then, a sudden gale swept through the battlefield, wrapping Shingin in a spiraling vortex of wind. The air whistled sharply as if an untamed force was awakening. His water sword hummed low, radiating an icy blue light interwoven with invisible wind currents.

"Wind…?" Watcher 20's brow furrowed, his gaze sharpening. "His alien soul is mutating again! Damn it, how deep does this guy's potential run?"

Around Shingin, the swirling wind intensified into a storm, lifting his form with remarkable agility. The interplay of wind and water elevated his aura to an entirely new echelon.

"You forced me into this!!!" Shingin's voice roared low with fury, his eyes fierce. Leaping upward, the wind solidified beneath his feet like invisible platforms, allowing him to ascend.

The watchers hadn't anticipated this turn of events. Their rhythm faltered as Shingin soared above them. Watcher 21 hurled his massive fist, attempting to knock him down, but Shingin deftly evaded, propelled effortlessly by the wind's guidance.

"Don't let him prevail!" Watcher 23's voice barked, his shadowy form lunging toward Shingin from behind. But Shingin, seemingly anticipating the move, whirled around mid-air, his water sword slashing out a cutting arc imbued with razor-sharp wind blades.

Sparks exploded as dagger met sword. Watcher 23 was forced to retreat, landing lightly on the ground with a cold smirk. "Impressive."

Shingin's movements grew faster and more precise, his aerial agility almost impossible to track. Harnessing the wind, he widened the distance between himself and his pursuers, launching counterattacks with wind blades at critical moments.

Watcher 25's snakes coiled upward once more, seeking to ensnare him mid-flight. But Shingin's water sword moved in arcs of light, the wind transforming into crescent-shaped blades that bisected the advancing serpents. Meanwhile, the watchers on the ground adjusted their tactics, some taking aim with long-range attacks to force Shingin down, while others lay in wait for an opening.

"He's become harder to handle," Watcher 20 muttered under his breath, frustration creeping into his otherwise calculating demeanor. "But no matter how he evolves, he won't escape."

Shingin darted and weaved, searching for a chink in the watchers' seemingly impenetrable encirclement. But the thirty watchers, with their seamless coordination, left him no gaps to exploit. Each attempt to break through was met with an immediate response from another quarter.

"Not enough… it's not enough…" Shingin gritted his teeth, feeling his energy deplete rapidly. The wind's empowerment brought overwhelming force, but it also placed an enormous strain on his body.

Yet one thought burned brightly in his mind: I must survive… at any cost!

In a sudden offensive maneuver, Watcher 26 leapt into the air, his slender, venom-coated blade aimed at Shingin's side. Shingin twisted mid-flight, intercepting the blade with his water sword, but in the same instant, Watcher 21's colossal fist drove into his chest.

"Boom!" The force sent Shingin crashing against a jagged rock wall, blood spurting from his lips. His face pale, he still clung tightly to his water sword.

"Back off!" he roared, unleashing a surge of wind energy. A sweeping arc of wind blades radiated outward, forcing the advancing watchers to step back. Seizing the moment, Shingin propelled himself skyward once more. His footing faltered briefly, but his eyes remained resolute.

The watchers showed no signs of relenting. Their relentless attacks resembled a torrential storm, giving Shingin no time to catch his breath. He realized that unless he found a decisive solution, his exhaustion would inevitably lead to defeat.

But even in the face of despair, his will remained unyielding—he could not afford to fall.

"I must go back… I will go back!"

The wind howled, the water surged, and Shingin's unrelenting counterattack had only just begun!