A Leviathan's imposing presence befell the battlefield.
No Monster within the 1st Floor could compare when it came to size alone.
Which is why, following its appearance, a moment of confusion took hold of the Corrupted Dark Elves.
The Leviathan's powerful roar resonated through the forest, shaking countless trees and urging flocks of birds to fly away.
The Corrupted Dark Elves had a target.
The wounded target that stood in front of that Leviathan.
And so, the Corrupted Dark Elves didn't let the imposing figure intimidate them any further.
The archers drew their bows, while the Warrior ran forward.
A second later, countless arrows were shot at once.
With perfect timing, the Leviathan moved.
It spun around, setting its tail free, sweeping the whole area around it clean.
While some arrows had pierced the Leviathan's scales, most had been deflected and pushed away, just like the scorched earth below and the approaching Warrior had been.
A second volley was shot.
The Leviathan spun once more.
Like a compass, it spun.
With the Monster, standing at that compass' center.
A third volley was shot.
More arrows pierced the Underling's scales.
The Master stared at the inflicted wounds.
A fourth volley was shot.
Something started boiling up inside the Monster.
'Must hurt, huh?' Mark asked himself, barely conscious due to the heaps of blood that had been leaving his body.
A fifth volley.
Levi protected his Lord from the attackers.
'I know it must hurt a lot, I could barely... When I've taken even fewer hits than you have...'
Volley after volley, the wounded Master watched its Underling get hit.
Solemnly, proudly, and courageously, the Underling bled for its Master.
But the light inside that Master's eyes faded slowly.
Whether it was due to the blood loss or something else was unclear.
'Come out.'
Another volley was shot.
Mark's feet started hitting the ground right after giving the order.
"Huh? What's this? Why you calling me out now? Is this some kind of final stand? Don't tell me it ends with our loss? I'd be..." The Fire Spirit blabbered on and on right after leaving the red gem.
With each step, each movement, blood spurted from Mark's numerous wounds.
"Running away now? After all that? That'd kind of-"
The great Leviathan spun around, sweeping the area once more.
And Mark moved perfectly so as not to be caught by the defensive move.
'Just a couple more...' Mark winced, as sharp pain traveled through his whole body each time his feet touched the ground.
pαпdα-ňᴏνêι·сóМ The Corrupted Dark Elves and the Warrior noticed the target running away from the great Leviathan.
They changed their aim.
Why wouldn't they?
The Leviathan was powerful and imposing.
But it had seemingly appeared out of nowhere.
To protect the Monster.
Could it be a summon?
Possibly.
Nevertheless, that was more than obvious to assert that there existed a definite link between the two.
A "killing two birds with one stone" situation?
Probably.
Defeating the target might mean defeating the Leviathan.
The reasoning was sound. But unnecessary.
To begin with, the Corrupted Dark Elves only had one target they truly wanted to hunt down.
"Oh. OH!" The Fire Spirit noticed what lay beyond the path Mark was taking.
The archers drew their bows.
"This is going to be amazing!"
The Warrior ran towards the target.
"This isn't the final stand..." The Fire Spirit shouted as he raised his arms towards Mark.
A high number of arrows were shot.
Less than earlier, but none involved had the time to notice that.
"It's the climax!"
Spinning flames appeared around Mark.
Diverting the arrows away from their trajectory, a blazing tornado had been cast.
The tornado moved with him, so as to keep him hidden and protected at its center.
The Leviathan roared and sparks of electricity appeared over the crystals that covered its back.
Three "Great Lightning Bombs" were shot one after the other, no doubt injuring if not defeating a handful of Corrupted Dark Elves.
Another volley of arrows was shot.
And the protective tornado played its role perfectly, as only one arrow had slashed Mark's shoulder.
Only one arrow.
He had already taken many.
Yet, this one arrow was nearly enough to make his body collapse.
'Just a couple more-'
The next second, something fearlessly made a path for itself through the tornado's spinning flames and entered Mark's domain.
Determined to stand in the Monster's way, the Warrior passed through those flames, with minimal concern about the incurred injuries.
Despite feeling dizzy, lethargic, and sleepy, Mark ran towards his target.
His dim eyes were fixed straight ahead.
Fixed on his target.
Beyond the Warrior.
The latter roared.
'Fuck off...' Mark cursed as he ran forward.
The Warrior stood, ready to attack as soon as the Monster enters its range.
'Don't stand in my way...'
The distance separating the two was about three meters.
The Warrior pulled its arm back.
Hatred filled Mark's dim eyes.
'I'll kill you.'
The Warrior's muscles twitched momentarily, and the Monster ran past it.
A handful of seconds later, Mark had arrived at his target.
Meanwhile, the Warrior was still unmoving.
Standing with its back facing the enemy, the Warrior breathed heavily.
For a moment, it seemed as if its heart had been pierced.
It felt as if it had been plunged into complete darkness.
As if the abyss that resided inside the Monster's eyes had drowned him.
As if it had devoured him.
"Let's see it. This climax of yours." The Spirit commented from afar, highly interested.
The Monster stood unmoving, at the center of a blazing tornado.
Above its right palm, five spheres of purple energy.
'I'll kill them...'
Gulp-
Mark couldn't help but close his eyes as he swallowed the spheres.
Momentary relief.
They tasted good.
Sweet.
Powerful.
[Your Title "Devourer" extracts everything usable from the Corrupted Dark Elf Berserker's Core.]
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" isn't pleased by the result.]
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" uses the remaining Corrupted Dark Elves to strengthen the Berserker's Core.]
Inside Mark's body, a battle started.
The largest of the five swallowed spheres grew fangs.
Greedily and mercilessly, it devoured the other spheres one by one.
Until only it, remained. Larger, denser, and stronger than ever.
Mark's eyes suddenly opened.
His muscles twitched.
As if he had been hit by a lightning bolt, his head fell back, while his arms were outstretched.
Mark breathed out, and his heart started beating faster.
Much faster.
Faster than it ever had.
Faster than it previously could.
[Your Title "Devourer" takes back what used to be its own.]
[Your Title "Heart Devourer" fades into nothingness.]
The Warrior finally turned back.
It cautiously stared at the enemy that was leaving itself wide open.
Mark's muscles twitched uncontrollably.
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" polishes the final product.]
For a reason unknown even to itself, the Warrior believed it had made a mistake.
A grave mistake, for which it would pay dearly.
What the Warrior had seen inside the Monster's eyes had left it frozen, unable to move.
Mustering its courage, the Warrior roared.
Now was the time to finish this.
It ran, as fast as it could, on the scorched earth below, towards the target that was standing wide open, leaving its back to the enemy.
The Warrior clenched its fists and raised both arms up high.
But before those arms could be slammed down,
Pierce-
Confusion.
Four limbs, that previously weren't there, had appeared from the Monster's back.
Nevertheless, the Warrior gritted its teeth.
It started driving its raised arms down, when, roughly, the Monster drew a half circle with its left leg.
The sharp limbs that had sprouted out of the Monster's back broke clean.
Abandoned, they were left embedded in the Warrior's stomach.
Faced with the expression on the Monster's face, the Warrior stepped back.
It stepped back, but not before the Monster had extended its arms and taken hold of the limbs it had previously purposefully lost.
The Warrior stepped back, and the sharp limbs easily and willingly left its stomach.
Angered, it pulled an arm back.
The Monster dodged by ducking before roughly swinging the sharp limbs horizontally.
The Warrior let out a loud cry of pain.
'I'll kill you... Definitely...'
Its left leg had been cut off.
'I'll definitely...'
The Warrior lost its balance and fell on its back.
The Monster instantly let go of its weapons and jumped over the Warrior, unleashing the ferocious fangs that would soon find their way to that Warrior's tender neck.
"Not bad. Let's see more!" The Spirit was overjoyed.
A roar shook the entire battlefield.
Every party could feel it echo throughout their body.
'I'll kill them...'
The blazing tornado was torn, revealing a Monster.
The same as earlier, yet different.
Its muscles hadn't grown in size, but striations were now visible all over them.
In its left hand, a carcass that had been half-eaten.
Blood was going down the Monster's lazily half-open mouth.
Its eyes shined purple.
A volley of arrows was shot.
Despite the Leviathan doing its best, many arrows pierced its Master's body.
'I'll definitely...'
The Monster's purple pupils looked at the wounds inflicted on itself and the Leviathan.
'KILL ALL OF THEM!'
It let out a mighty roar before disappearing.
The Corrupted Dark Elves looked around, unable to comprehend what had happened.
Before one of them could realize it, its neck had already been grabbed.
Before it could react, that neck had already been snapped.
Aiming to avenge its brethren, another Corrupted Dark Elf threw its Timeworn Elven Daggers.
Both pierced the target's back.
The Monster slowly turned around.
'I'll definitely...'
The Corrupted Dark Elf took a step back.
Before it could step back, the Corrupted Dark Elf's skull had been crushed.
Berserkers draw power from their rage.
Nothing enrages them more than pain.
Nothing excites them more than power.
Which is why the wounded Monster's face wore a large smile.
'I'll definitely kill all of you.'
Uncharacteristically, the Devourer wasn't fantasizing about devouring, but killing instead.
[You have developed the Skill "Berserker[S]"]
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" is delighted.]
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