Chapter 57: Self-Immolation Explosion!
Blood dripped down.
Soren’s breathing was a bit rapid; the continuous high-intensity bursts placed a significant burden on his body, especially the kind of combat that required precise timing down to the millisecond, which tested him to the limit. However, his physical condition was already extraordinary. After just a second or two, Soren had adjusted his breathing. His physique not only influenced his physical limits but also determined his endurance in battle. With an extraordinary physique, Soren only needed to make slight adjustments to return to peak physical condition.
There was a charred smell emanating from his flesh.
Perhaps due to being burned, Soren surprisingly felt little pain.
The Balroth Fire Demon in front of him was not in much better shape either; it had seven or eight wounds on its body, especially its back, which had been torn apart and struck twice by Soren. Unfortunately, the Balroth Fire Demon’s physique was too powerful; its high-level constitution of 31 turned Soren’s intended decapitating strike into merely a severe injury to its vertebrae. The demon’s life force was extremely resilient; the health points of a Greater Demon are typically above that of a Legendary Warrior, and Soren had barely managed to push it to the brink of death.
The Balroth Fire Demon was also gasping for breath.
Even for a creature as powerful as it, the massive blood loss and severe injuries had created a disparity between its energy expenditure and recovery.
The madness of the demon allowed it to remain combat-effective even in a critically injured state.
It lifted the heavy Abyssal Executioner Sword again while swinging its Flame Whip towards Soren. The flames engulfing the Balroth Fire Demon had dimmed considerably; only a few flickers of flame remained on the whip, revealing dark blue barbs that had injured Soren’s left arm. The barbs had hooked into his flesh, tearing away a chunk of bloodied meat.
Soren’s injuries were significant.
Although he had only been struck by the Balroth Fire Demon once throughout the fight, that singular hit had dealt him nearly a hundred points of damage.
The fire on the Balroth Fire Demon was too strong.
Even with the protection of Icebane, Soren still sustained burning damage every time he approached it. An enemy like this is impossible for mortals to defeat, even more troublesome than a giant dragon, as ordinary people would be reduced to ashes standing before it. Soren had become somewhat numb from the heat; Icebane prevented him from being directly incinerated. This legendary weapon’s ability to extinguish magical flames was constantly in effect, but waves of scorching heat penetrated his skin down to the marrow, making him feel as if his chest was on fire, and his throat was parched as if it would crack.
The silver glow remained dazzling.
The flames of the Balroth Fire Demon made it feel even colder, feeling like a block of ice in Soren’s palm.
Shadow Leap had been exhausted.
A hundred-meter jump distance was too taxing, even for Soren, who fought near his peak.
Both sides seemed to be at the end of their strength.
So, when faced with the frenzied attacks of the Balroth Fire Demon, Soren had to desperately roll and dodge. The massive Abyssal Executioner Sword struck the wall behind Soren, cleaving a two-meter-long crack, and due to the immense power of the Balroth Fire Demon, even a fissure appeared in the wall.
“Die, mortal!”
The Balroth Fire Demon was determined to push Soren into a corner; the adversary hadn’t dared to take its attacks head-on from the beginning. So now its combat style completely abandoned defense, directly forcing Soren to endure its strikes the most brutal way possible.
Boom!
Soren could only once again awkwardly evade; the power of the Balroth Fire Demon was too high, and he dared not withstand it even in Slayer Form.
Not to mention the added strength from its enormous size.
The Abyssal Executioner Sword again struck the ground. The terrifying brute force caused spider-web-like cracks to appear, as the wall emitted a pounding roar. The fractured markings extended all the way to the heads of both combatants.
In an instant, Soren seemed to discover something!
So when the Balroth Fire Demon swung the Abyssal Executioner Sword again, he sidestepped back to his previous position.
The whistling wind rang out.
The Flame Whip lashed towards Soren, followed closely by the horizontal sweep of the Abyssal Executioner Sword.
Boom!
The wall shook again, and the cracks had become very obvious.
At this moment, Soren was almost forced into a corner by his enemy. A sinister smile appeared on the Balroth Fire Demon’s face as it swung the Abyssal Executioner Sword violently.
This damned mortal finally had no room to evade.
Clang!
A sharp collision echoed as Soren gritted his teeth, gripping the knife with both hands to block the demon’s assault.
Pfft.
A mouthful of blood spurted out.
Soren felt like he had been hit by a speeding car, flying backward and crashing into the wall with a loud thud, his whole body trembling from the impact.
Power suppression.
The vast disparity in size and power made it easy for the Balroth Fire Demon to deal overwhelming damage.
Crack!
Soren crashed into the wall behind him.
It was as if the last straw that broke the camel’s back, the cracks on the wall rapidly spread, and the Balroth Fire Demon, grinning maliciously and charging at him, suddenly had a shadow fall from above.
Boom!
A pointed stalactite crashed down on the Balroth Fire Demon’s head, and many fragments of rock fell to the ground.
Such a degree of damage could not kill the powerful Balroth Fire Demon.
However, with a blow to its head, the demon’s attack became riddled with openings; its massive body at that moment became a liability as the falling debris struck its huge frame.
“Die!”
At that moment, Soren suddenly leaped out with a grim expression; his emaciated body easily cleared the falling boulders, and as he got close to the Balroth Fire Demon, he reached out and pressed on its body.
—“Vampire’s Touch!”
A surge of fiery vitality flowed into him, and Soren’s injuries notably healed.
A peculiar fire-red hue rose on his pale face; Soren leaped again, lightly tapping the Balroth Fire Demon’s back, then swung his knife down towards the demon’s head.
—“Sword Intent [Decapitation]!”
A glimmer of cold light flashed.
Then blood sprayed out wildly. The massive body of the Balroth Fire Demon froze in place, and the next moment it suddenly appeared to ignite, with flames raging all over its body!
It looked like a giant fireball!
—“Self-Immolation Explosion!”
As one of the most challenging Greater Demons in the Bottomless Abyss, the Balroth Fire Demon’s terror stemmed not only from its vast power but also from its ability to trigger a talent skill called “Self-Immolation Explosion” upon death. This talent allowed the Balroth Fire Demon to explode like a fireball, dealing large area-of-effect damage to any nearby foes.
Countless people had perished in the past under the self-detonation of slain enemies!
Boom!
The deafening explosion erupted, and the terrifying flames surged forth, engulfing Soren, who had just struck the demon’s head with his blade.
……………(To Be Continued ~^~)
