Pov: Vik
System: "Warning! Host, this dungeon has evolved into an A-rank dungeon."
"Warning! Host, this dungeon has again evolved into an S-rank dungeon."
I finally realized that while trying to chat with the system, I had raised a flag. Now, a horde of beasts that were D and C-rank mixed with a few B-rank and one A-rank beast. That's not all; I can even sense another S-rank beast in this dungeon.
Sigh! Now that I've raised the flag, I can't do anything but fight.
Clearing my mind, I focused on the incoming horde of beasts charging at me. With my improved eyesight, I can see that most of them are wolf-like, but a few belong to different species.
Not wanting them to get close, I activated my spiritual energy. I conjured some thunder bolts and sent them toward the horde. As the first bolt hit a beast, it incinerated it and quickly spread out. The nearby ones were consumed while those further away collapsed from the shock.
This genuine area-of-effect attack was successful. I created several more and directed them at the approaching horde.
With enough attacks, the horde slowed down, but they still came at me. They pressed onward without caring for their fellow beasts or their own well-being.
All these beasts were in a frenzy, yet I kept launching thunder attacks. This strategy worked well, but most of the beasts killed were D-rank, along with some unlucky C-rank ones that faced my attacks head-on.
Nevertheless, the horde reached me. Now, they were just 50 meters away, with a clear view of me as their target. Their bloodlust surged as they spotted me. Without wasting any time, I stopped my long-range attacks and shifted to close combat.
I took a fighting stance and began throwing punches rapidly. Any unfortunate beast that got in the way was reduced to a mix of blood and bones.
This shows my punching strength; I'm extremely strong even without weapons, and I haven't even used ten percent of my full power. If I unleashed my strength, I'm sure I could obliterate the entire horde, but that would be too easy. I want to test my strength against them.
So, I continued to kill these beasts, ensuring that none got past me. The horde's numbers dwindled, but the remaining beasts grew stronger. Soon, only C-rank beasts remained, with a few B-rank ones mixed in.
Killing them posed no challenge, but then a blast of fire struck me. I brushed it off since it didn't even scratch my clothes. As a Void refining expert, I can use the space element to shield myself from attacks.
Technically, that blast didn't hit me. I increased the distance it traveled using the space element. If it needed to cover ten meters to reach me, it now had to travel a thousand. By the time it got close, it weakened and collapsed on itself.
I'm clever at inventing these kinds of attacks and defenses. Focusing on the source of that fire blast, I spotted a beast that resembled a mix of a lion, a scorpion, and several other animals.
I quickly recognized it as a legendary Manticore. While it's legendary here, it's actually a common A-rank beast. Since I'm from Earth, I'm excited to see a creature from myths.
If possible, I'd like to capture it, but it's in a berserk state with only thoughts of killing me. To make things worse, several Manticores surround it. In total, I face a whole pack of Manticores; there are six around me. As soon as they attacked, I killed them all with my punches while moving at super speed.
Now, confronting the remaining ones, I punched the nearest Manticore. It flew back but got back on its feet. They truly are A-rank beasts since my punch didn't kill it. I decided it was time to use my technique.
Standing silently, I activated the Chaos Titan body refining technique. Unlike regular techniques, this one has a battle form that's highly versatile. Lu Xiaoran employed it in his fight against Lin Chen, using it to cover himself in ice armor.
However, I'm stronger than he is. I only covered my feet and hands with thunder. I want to focus on honing a single element, and thunder suits me best.
While my best element is fire, using it could destroy this entire dungeon. My fire is strange; until now, nothing could withstand it except my will, so I hesitate to use it.
With my battle form active, I moved like a phantom, striking the Manticores like punching bags. Once I got a feel for my powers in this form, I grabbed the nearest Manticore. It tried to resist, but it couldn't overpower me, while the others kept attacking me. Their blows didn't land, thanks to my mastery of the space element.
Once I had the Manticore in my grasp, I placed my hands on its lion-like face and held its jaw, opening it wide. I considered counting its teeth, as I had heard stories of legendary warriors doing so with lions. However, my mood soured when I saw that its mouth had suction cups acting as sharp teeth.
I didn't waste any more time and ripped its jaw apart with my bare hands. Seeing this, the other Manticores finally showed fear. They weren't mindless like the other beasts in the horde. Then they did something strange; they pressed close together until their bodies touched.
Like a metamorphic creature, they merged into one. The result was a new Manticore, larger, stronger, and unfortunately, of S-rank.