Erik rushed to the fallen barrier masters in a hurry. He didn't know when the monster was bound to arrive, but it was soon, and he couldn't waste even a second.
Fear gripped him, and his heart pounded faster with each passing moment. The creature that was coming was so powerful that just thinking about it scared him.
What was coming was something able to kill a black wyvern at its full power, a creature coming from Mur, most likely as powerful as the Leviathan Serpent.
Erik first gathered the blood of the six barrier masters that Amber's group had killed.
Then he extracted each crystal and collected their blood in separate vials, marking each one to match its corresponding crystal.
One by one, he gathered them all, storing each precious resource. Precious not because of the powers themselves, but because of what would happen if he failed to get them on time. Death.
However, there was another barrier master to take the brain crystal power from, one that no one had considered until that point, and that, contrary to the barrier masters, the Chimaeric Demons used as undead also had another power.
He reached the seventh barrier master-the Vindicator. The woman could both create barriers and also increase stamina and mana regeneration.
That was actually one of the most valuable powers Erik had ever seen, since it allowed the user to restore both physical energy and mana reserves.
In battle, this meant warriors could fight longer. It meant there was a much lower risk of death and that they could use their powers more frequently without exhausting themselves. Besides, combined with the barrier masters' powers, it made for an incredibly sustainable defensive strategy, because barrier masters could stay on duty far longer and could replenish their barriers for much greater amounts.Of course, the main problem was always the same.
If an attack was powerful enough, no single barrier could withstand it-that's why multiple barrier masters worked together. When one barrier took the main hit and broke, the others maintained their defenses while the first barrier master recovered and rebuilt his or her shield.
It didn't take much for Erik to find the woman's body. It was lying apart from the others; her face frozen in an expression of defiance even in death.
She had proven particularly troublesome during the battle. Not only was she very skilled in battle, but her power allowed her to bring the undead to a stop and prevented the death of many of the blackguards while, at the same time, recharging their reserves.
If it wasn't for her, Bill would have never lasted that long, because before she arrived on the battlefield, he was with a foot in the grave, as he almost ended his mana.
Erik had a particular usage in mind for her power. He didn't know how that actually worked, but if it did as he had seen, giving the ability to the Chimaeric Demons meant no one on his side would even end his or her mana, and God only knew how much they needed it on Mur. With infinite mana, Erik could unleash attacks filled with all his reserves and recharge it soon after. If there was one person with the ability, it would not recharge that fast, but with thousands of people, the sky was the limit.
A screech snapped Erik out of his reverie. Time pressed against him.
<What the fuck is this thing coming here for?>
It came all the way from the Eldraith Mountain range in Frant, to Hin, and on the western side. It was not a short distance. Not that it mattered for a beast of that power.
<Is it possible this thing heard the battle from there? Maybe the mana unleashed.>
What Erik was worried about was that the cerulean bird came here for him.
He sighed to ease the tension and made an incision to extract the last brain crystal from the Vindicator's skull. Blood dripped from his hands as he collected it, the metallic scent sharp in his nostrils.
He turned around, only to see the battle was still ongoing. That was both a good and a bad situation. Good, because he would get more experience points from all of that, and it was going to help. Bad, because the number of potential helpers against that beast was going to decrease.
Not that the blackguards were going to help. On the contrary, they would die willingly if they knew that would ensure the Cerulean Bird killed him and the Chimaeric Demons.
Another screech of the cerulean bird urged him to move faster.
Without hesitation, Erik chose the first brain crystal, bringing it to his lips along with its corresponding vial of blood. He swallowed both in quick succession, his throat working as the power settled into his system.
[Unknown Barrier Master's DNA gained. Initiating analysis...]
[Analysis complete.]
[10000 DNA points required for extraction. 15000 points to avoid pain and loss of
consciousness.]
[15000 DNA points used for painless instant absorption. Procedure complete.]
[Unknown Barrier Master's brain crystal gained. Initiating analysis...]
[Analysis complete.]
[10000 DNA points required for power extraction. 15000 points to avoid pain and loss of consciousness.]
[15000 DNA points used for painless instant absorption. Procedure complete.]
Erik immediately turned to the biological supercomputer. "Merge this power with the Chimaeric Demon brain crystal power," he said. "Every clone from now on needs to create
barriers."
[25000 DNA points required for merging. Confirm to proceed.]
"Do it!"
[Merging procedure initiated...]
[Merging procedure complete.]
The supercomputer's confirmation flashed through Erik's mind as another piercing cry split the air. The sound was closer now, too much for Erik's comfort. Erik glanced skyward,
knowing his time grew shorter with each passing second.
In the distance, chaos continued to unfold as blackguards hed with his forces. The structural integrity of the Law Gate crumbled further, smoke rising from multiple points across the fortress-like city.
Erik reached for the next set of brain crystals, knowing each moment was precious. His hands trembled slightly as he absorbed two more barrier masters' powers in rapid succession.
[15000 DNA points used for painless instant absorption. Procedure complete.] [15000 DNA points used for painless instant absorption. Procedure complete.]
[15000 DNA points used for painless instant absorption. Procedure complete.] [15000 DNA points used for painless instant absorption. Procedure complete.] "Merge them with Tower Bastion! I need something strong to survive against that thing!"
[I'm working on it!]
[Merging procedure initiated...]
[Merging procedure complete.]
[Merging procedure initiated...]
[Merging procedure complete.]
"Can you stop giving me these notifications?!"
[Why? They are cool!]
"They are not cool; they are just annoying!"
Power surged through Erik's body as the merging completed.
"What did I get?"
[I called it Absolute Castle,] the biological supercomputer said. The biological supercomputer knew why Erik wanted to merge two powers to Tower Bastion. It was to power up its defensive abilities, and there were two, which came from two different powers, one of which was Nathaniel's. That was exactly what the biological supercomputer aimed for when doing
the mergings.
[Let me explain what Absolute Castle can do,] the biological supercomputer said. [This defensive power completely outclasses Tower Bastion.]
[First, the barriers it creates are much stronger than before,] it continued. [Then, its base
defense is much greater than Aegis Morph.]
"Do you think it can resist the Cerulean Bird?"
Another screech pierced the air, closer than before. Erik grimaced.
[It can, but only up to a certain point. That thing is bound to be able to use a lot of mana, not
even a barrier should be able to resist its attacks easily or for long. I don't even think you can kill this thing. At best, you can make it desist from attacking you, and even that is hard.]
"What can we do then?" Erik started getting anxious.
[Order the Chimaeric Demons to focus on killing the blackguards. Each kill provides more mana, which leads to more experience and faster level ups.]
The biological supercomputer paused.
[I suggest you also absorb the Vindicator's brain crystal power. You will get the regenerative power along with her barrier master's ability.]
Erik nodded. That was exactly what he did. For now, he was going to keep both powers, but as soon as he was done, he was going to give the regenerative power to the Chimaeric Demons. That way, he would have multiple clones with that ability, and by bringing them with him, he would end up with infinite mana, at least in theory.
The fourth barrier master's crystal slid down his throat, followed by its corresponding blood. This one he kept separate, ensuring he kept the basic barrier creation ability in its pure form. The power settled alongside Absolute Castle, providing him with versatility and raw strength.
[Unknown Barrier Master's brain crystal gained. Initiating analysis...]
[Analysis complete.]
[40000 DNA points required for power extraction. 50000 points to avoid pain and loss of
consciousness.]
The biological supercomputer already knew what Erik wanted to do.
[50000 DNA points used for painless instant absorption. Procedure complete.]
[Fuck...] the system said.
"What?"
[The Vindicator's power... It doesn't work on the caster.]
"Shit..."
Erik could only merge it, but he was still going to do it after the battle.
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