Over a thousand kilometers away, a fading shadow tore through a vast mountain range, moving at terrifying speed as if fleeing from something far more terrifying than itself.
Monster King Orochi, the apparent leader of the Monster Association.
Once human, he had been molded into an ultimate lifeform by Evil Eye, or more precisely, by the one controlling it from the shadows. That person was the true mastermind behind the entire Monster Association.
As its figurehead, Orochi possessed overwhelming strength. He stood above Dragon level, already brushing against the threshold of God level.
His appearance alone carried immense pressure.
Even in his current form, he maintained a distorted humanoid shape, with writhing serpentine heads coiling around his body, giving him an eerie resemblance to a living nightmare.
A thunderous explosion of air came from behind him.
Orochi stopped instantly.
His grotesque face remained calm.
Lucien descended slowly from the sky, hovering just above the ground. His amethyst eyes rested on Orochi with faint curiosity.
There was immense energy within this creature, vast and unstable, yet it had not fully erupted.
"Roar!"
Without a word, Orochi unleashed a deafening roar.
His already monstrous body swelled and tore apart, transforming into a far more horrifying form. Multiple dragon-like heads extended outward, each lined with jagged fangs, resembling a grotesque multi-headed serpent.
At the same time, his aura surged violently. Countless tendrils lashed through the surroundings, piercing the earth and slicing apart stone with ease.
"Still not enough."
Lucien's voice was calm.
The pressure Orochi emitted was immense, firmly at the peak of Dragon level, even brushing against God level. But it still had not crossed that boundary.
A thin line separated the two.
If it remained unbroken, the difference would always exist.
Lucien lost interest almost immediately.
This opponent could not push him far enough.
The dragon heads opened their jaws.
Blinding light gathered within them, heating the surrounding air until it trembled violently. In the next moment, multiple pillars of scorching energy erupted forward.
A massive explosion followed.
A towering mushroom cloud rose into the sky, wiping out everything within the surrounding mountains and valleys. The previously dim sky split open as sunlight poured through, illuminating the destruction below.
Shockwaves and black smoke rolled outward endlessly.
Orochi shifted through the chaos, his gaze locked onto the center of the explosion.
From within the inferno, lightning crackled.
A figure emerged.
Lucien stepped out, his body cloaked in golden-white flames. His skin was only slightly reddened, and even that faded almost instantly.
His earrings, shaped like a Gatling gun and a rocket launcher, swayed slightly.
He raised his index finger and pointed forward.
A full-powered Finger Pistol tore through the air, forming a spiraling shockwave that shot directly toward Orochi.
Orochi did not retreat.
One of his dragon heads unleashed another beam of blazing energy, colliding with the attack and neutralizing it.
Then something unexpected happened.
Orochi mimicked Lucien's movement.
He raised his own finger.
A similar spiral shockwave burst forth, rushing toward Lucien.
Lucien waved his hand casually, dispersing it.
His interest deepened.
This creature was copying him.
Lucien lifted his leg and kicked forward.
A massive Tempest Kick surged out, slicing through the land and carving a deep canyon across the terrain as it advanced.
Orochi countered immediately.
Multiple beams of energy erupted from his heads, clashing with the attack and stopping it. Even so, the force sent his massive body flying backward. He crashed into a mountain, shattering it and triggering a violent tremor.
Moments later, he rose again.
Then he kicked.
An identical Tempest Kick shot toward Lucien.
"Interesting."
Lucien dispersed the attack with a casual motion, his gaze sharpening.
This ability was not simple imitation.
It was replication.
Orochi could copy techniques after seeing them once, and the power was only slightly inferior.
If they were equal in strength, the copied techniques might have matched or even surpassed the original.
"Roar!"
A colossal dragon surged across the sky, stirring the clouds and wind.
Lucien thrust his palm forward.
A massive energy dragon roared into existence, tearing through the air with unstoppable force.
Orochi mirrored him again.
His monstrous arm extended, repeating the exact motion.
Another dragon formed behind him.
Lucien's eyes narrowed slightly.
"He can even replicate this?"
The clash was inevitable.
A deafening explosion erupted, forming yet another mushroom cloud.
Orochi's body shattered violently, torn apart as it was blasted across the landscape. He crashed into the ground, carving a deep canyon before coming to a stop.
Blood, organs, and shredded flesh scattered across the terrain.
Yet he was not dead.
His body writhed grotesquely as every cell struggled to regenerate.
Lucien stepped forward through the fading explosion.
His expression remained indifferent.
From his tailbone, several thorns extended outward, hardening into crystalline spikes. They twisted through the air before plunging into Orochi's broken body.
At the same time, Lucien reached forward.
His hand, wrapped in soul power, tore Orochi's soul free with brutal force.
Despite Orochi's strength, he was nothing more than a slightly tougher insect in Lucien's eyes.
The thorns began devouring the remains, absorbing every fragment of flesh and power. The soul followed, consumed without resistance.
Lucien closed his eyes.
Memories flooded into his mind.
What he saw intrigued him.
"Sykos…"
He opened his eyes slowly, a faint smile forming.
Orochi had been created by a woman named Sykos.
A psychic.
Beautiful, intelligent, and completely unhinged.
She had taken an ordinary human and transformed him into a being that nearly reached God level. It was the work of a mad genius, no different from creating a god.
Evil Eye had merely been her puppet.
The true mastermind of the Monster Association was never Orochi.
It was her.
Unfortunately, Orochi had no knowledge of her true location. The only lead was Evil Eye, which she controlled remotely.
Lucien expanded his perception.
In moments, it covered thousands of kilometers.
Nothing.
Evil Eye's presence was gone.
He extended it further, pushing to its limits, sweeping across vast distances.
Still nothing.
It was as if the target had completely vanished.
Lucien frowned slightly.
To hide one's life aura so completely was no small feat.
He rose into the sky, looking toward the direction where Evil Eye had last fled.
The air beneath him exploded as he stepped forward, forming a vacuum.
His body transformed into a streak of golden-white light and shot across the horizon.
As he traveled, his perception continued scanning relentlessly, covering nearly half the planet.
But there was no trace.
His mood darkened.
After a moment, he glanced up at the sun.
It was already time to eat.
Lucien exhaled lightly and abandoned the search for now. There were other matters to attend to.
A centipede feast awaited him.
As for Sykos…
A faint, dangerous smile appeared on his face.
He would find her.
No matter what.