chapter 49

The situation turned dire for Ataparag as she faced the Black Scorpion's forces in a town under siege. She hadn't anticipated confronting three Prime Hubes, including their leader, Leo, known as the Mud Beast—an Alpha-class criminal ranked tenth on the Escapa's blacklist. Only a divine weapon like Queen Sei was typically tasked with capturing such threats, as lesser Columbus-class Escapa members were forbidden from engaging them. Leo led the Black Scorpion with ambitions of conquering nations and instilling fear in all races.

In their clash, Leo's mud magic ensnared Ataparag, crushing her within a sphere of animated mud. As the mud dispersed, crumbling back to the earth, a mangled body lay in its wake.

"Huh? She's fast," Leo muttered.

It wasn't Ataparag but the shredded corpse of one of his own monsters. The Hubes grew alert, scanning their surroundings. Seconds later, Ataparag appeared beside Leo, her leg raised for a swift kick.

Leo sensed the attack, and before her foot could connect with his face, a wall of mud rose to shield him. "What?" Ataparag gasped, startled by the barrier's solidity. She leaped back to regroup.

As her feet touched the ground, she drew a blade from the crest at her waist and charged again. Despite her speed, the mud swirling around Leo intercepted her strikes, moving as if alive. The mud countered every attack while Leo stood calmly, unfazed by her relentless assault.

Her blade failed to cut through the mud, and Ataparag realized her direct attacks were futile. She leaped back, unleashing an aura that created a powerful gust of wind. As the wind struck Leo, her insects latched onto his body, unnoticed.

Seizing the moment, the insects began draining his energy, growing larger as they clung to him. "Explode," Ataparag commanded.

The insects detonated, the blast's force scattering debris and shaking the ground. For a minute, silence gripped the area as thick smoke clouded the scene. As it cleared, Ataparag's eyes widened. Leo stood in the crater, his body torn but radiating a powerful aura.

"What's happening? I can't hear his heartbeat, yet his presence is still overwhelming," she whispered.

Moments later, the mud around Leo's halved body merged with him, reforming his limbs and restoring his unscathed form. Ataparag's heart sank, recognizing the extraordinary power of his high-level mud magic. Undeterred, she gripped her blade and charged again.

"Fatal Strike!" she shouted.

She surged forward, her attack piercing the mud barrier this time. Her blade struck Leo's heart with such force that it sent objects flying. "I did it," she thought, breathless.

The area fell silent as Leo stood motionless. Then, a sinister grin spread across his face, as if mocking her effort. A dark aura erupted, showcasing his immense power.

"I'll admit, I was surprised you broke through my mud shield," Leo said, his voice calm despite the blade in his chest.

Ataparag's shock grew as she realized her attack had no effect. She yanked the blade free and leaped back. "How is he still alive after I stabbed his heart?" she thought.

She watched as the wound in Leo's chest closed, his body reshaping like clay. "No direct attack can harm me," he declared. "As long as I'm surrounded by mud and stand on my territory, this body is immortal."

Leo stood confidently, smirking as he eyed Ataparag. "I sense a monster's presence in you, yet you inhabit a human body. Your attire marks you as a high-ranking Escapa officer, but let me be clear—you won't win this fight."

Unfazed, Ataparag raised her hands, her ring absorbing her coat as she prepared for battle. She knew this fight was unlike any other; none of the three Hubes seemed affected by her explosives. Though her body wasn't immortal like theirs, fear didn't deter her. She was ready to face them, even if it meant her death.

"I can't fight all three at once," she thought, "but I can't abandon the hostages and flee either."

Her priority remained the captives' safety. She drew another blade from her crest. "I don't have time to play with an Escapa pup," Leo sneered. "I need to end you quickly."

Before Leo could attack, Ataparag hurled three blades at him. "Fatal Strike!" she shouted. The mud rose to block them, but the blades pierced through, just as before.

Leo's massive arm deflected the blades, embedding them in his flesh. "I told you, your attacks have no effect—" he began, but stopped as insects on his arm grew rapidly and exploded, obliterating his limbs.

Stunned, Leo staggered back. Ataparag seized the moment, charging with her blade. His mud couldn't react fast enough to her speed, likely slowed by the earlier explosion. "His mud can't keep up with my movements," Leo thought.

In a flash, Ataparag slashed his throat, his head rolling across the ground. She landed gracefully, spinning her blade, confident she'd killed him. Even monsters had weaknesses, and decapitation was one.

But her confidence shattered as Leo's body and head dissolved into mud, absorbed by the earth. "A form of mud magic? How did he cast it so quickly?" she wondered.

Unnoticed, the ground beneath her softened. Mud surged upward, forming a giant fist that seized her. "No!" she cried.

The fist slammed her into the ground, embedding her in the earth. Another massive mud fist struck, pummeling her repeatedly until her body left an imprint in the soil. Knowing her body couldn't withstand such punishment, Ataparag forced herself to move, summoning insects.

The insects drained her energy and latched onto the mud fists, exploding and shattering them into fragments. Smoke enveloped the area. As it cleared, the mud coalesced, reforming Leo's unscathed body.

"I'm impressed," Leo said, "but no matter what you do, you can't kill this body."

Ataparag struggled to her feet, clutching her crippled right arm. "I maximized my body's protection, yet I'm still this injured," she whispered. Energy enveloped her, numbing her pain and bolstering her resilience.

She knew Leo's strength, but she searched for weaknesses. Mud magic required time and energy to cast, unlike natural abilities, so it had limits. She summoned ten blades, coating them in energy and levitating them around her.

Leo smirked, dismissing her efforts. "Your weapons are pointless," he taunted, likening their battle to a lion swatting an annoying tick.

Ataparag ignored his insults, her gaze steady. Raising her hands, she controlled the floating blades. Leo unleashed a powerful aura, creating gusts of wind to assert his dominance. "What, you're attacking with those useless things again?" he scoffed.

Frustrated by her silence, Leo felt belittled. Ataparag took a deep breath, calming herself before speaking. "I am General Ataparag of Galica, loyal servant of Queen Sei. I make no promises, but if you release my country's people, I'll let you leave this place."

Leo laughed, incredulous at her audacity to offer him mercy in his moment of dominance. "Do you know who you're facing? I'm Leo, the Mud Beast, leader of the Black Scorpion. You're on the Escapa's blacklist for slaughtering our military officers, so I know exactly who you are."

"Your ability to turn your body into mud negates my attacks," Ataparag continued calmly. "Your energy is formidable, and I know you've yet to show your full power."

Leo praised her courage for facing a Prime Hube alone. He boasted that no attack could kill him as long as earth surrounded him, a natural ability requiring no magic circle. "I know how strong you are," Ataparag said, "and I may not be able to kill your body."

"Yet you still speak boldly, knowing you can't win," Leo mocked.

Ataparag lowered her head, closing her eyes. "You misunderstand. I said I can't kill your body, but I *can* defeat you."

"What? You think you can beat me?" Leo roared.

"Not just you," she replied, "but all your forces. I'll destroy them all if you don't release my people."

Silence fell, broken only by Leo's booming laughter. He called her insane, the first to belittle him while he radiated black energy and showcased his power. "I admire your courage—no fear in your eyes. Fine, show me you can defeat me."

Leo unleashed a massive aura, whipping up fierce winds. His subordinates fled, sensing an imminent, dangerous attack. Ataparag braced herself as Leo's energy surged, black lightning crackling around him.

"Garden of Mud Spike!" he roared.

The ground trembled as a colossal magic circle enveloped the earth, turning it to mud. As Leo punched the ground, thousands of mud spikes, ten to twenty meters tall, erupted. Despite Ataparag's speed, the softened ground trapped her, preventing escape.

"No!" she cried.

A spike struck, launching her upward. More spikes emerged, impaling her mid-air. The relentless barrage continued, each hit sending her higher. Unable to control her trajectory, Ataparag struggled. "What's happening?"

She dodged the final spike, landing on it to run, but the ground softened again, sprouting another spike. "He anticipates my every move, as if his mud is alive," she thought.

Desperate, she leaped to evade, unaware of a spike approaching from behind. Leo appeared in the air, striking with devastating force. The impact shattered a spike, embedding Ataparag in the ground.

Leo didn't hesitate, charging again as she lay in the crater. Ataparag forced herself to stand, dodging his next attack, which split the earth with its force. The shockwave sent her tumbling, crashing into a tree before collapsing.

Sitting up, she coughed blood, stunned by the severity of her injuries despite her enhanced defenses. "His attacks are unreal," she whispered. "If I hadn't doubled my protection, my spine would've shattered."

As she caught her breath, Leo's aura dispersed the smoke. He climbed from the crater his attack created, striding toward her, black aura flaring. Each step summoned more spikes around him.

"What's wrong? I thought you'd defeat me," he taunted. "If this is all you've got, I'll end this fight now."

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