Chapter 340: Poison

The dust settled completely. And finally, everyone could see clearly what the lizard man had turned into.

It had grown in size, standing at least double its previous size. It was still a grotesque fusion of a reptile and a humanoid. But far more menacing-looking. Its massive body was covered in thick, overlapping scales. Its skin color had changed from green to white. Powerful muscles bulged beneath its rugged hide, particularly around its broad shoulders, enormous chest, and heavily built thighs. Its elongated, crocodile-like head was crowned with bony ridges, while rows of jagged, razor-sharp teeth protruded from its powerful jaws. Its predatory eyes glimmered beneath its brows.

And...

The most obvious change...

A pair of enormous wings extended from its back. The wings spanned several times the creature’s height, casting a terrifying shadow over everything beneath them. A long, muscular tail extended behind it, thick at the base and tapering toward a sharp, whip-like tip.

Whooooooooosh!

The monster flapped its wings, a strong gust of wind shooting toward Leon and Lamia. It slammed into them like the aftereffect of an explosion. But both of them stood like unmovable mountains.

Lamia stood before the barrier like a shield. Leon stood where he was, his eyes fixed on the lizard man.

Lamia leaned forward, ready to charge at the monster, but Leon gestured for her to stop.

Tap!

Leon took one step.

Tap!

Then another...

Tap!

Tap!

Tap!

He slowly walked toward the monster. The monster stared back at Leon. It opened its humongous maw, rearing its head back.

Zzzzzzzzz!

Energy swirled inside it, green and white mixing together. The swirling energy morphed into a huge ball of energy. The space around the monster’s head distorted. The layer of air caved in like a vortex before its maw.

Leon’s pace didn’t stop. He was totally unaffected by the attack that was about to charge at him.

"Is he mad? He’s going to die like that?" Emily said worriedly. She had seen Leon kill Sylus Moure with ease. She knew Leon was capable of defeating Disaster class monsters with ease. But the monster hovering in the air and charging its attack was no Disaster Class monster. She had never even imagined that something like this could exist. Just its sheer presence was enough to suffocate normal hunters to death.

Snow also had a grim expression. She knew Leon was strong. But she knew he was reckless too.

Sol wasn’t thinking about anything. He was only staring ahead, his heart thumping with anticipation. ’I know bro will do it. He’s again going to do something that will make the word impossible sound stupid.’ He mused inwardly.

Under everyone’s gaze, the monster finally unleashed its attack.

Whaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

Its reptilian head snapped forward. The energy sphere cut through the air, a streak of green and white following behind it. The air was visibly cleaved in half. The space distorted along the way like two long claw marks in the air.

Everyone thought Leon would attack now. He would show something incredible, something spectacular. But he didn’t...

Tap!

Tap!

Tap! He kept walking forward. Emily’s face turned pale. "Leon... Noooooooooo." She shouted.

Snow also covered her mouth, her hands shaking.

Sol had leaned forward. Unlike those two girls, he had some kind of blind belief in Leon. Because until now, Leon had never once disappointed him.

Boooooooooooom!

The energy ball had barely even touched Leon when it exploded, shaking the whole area with so much force that it felt like the whole world would collapse at any moment.

Dust and debris exploded outward. A gust of wind sent everything flying. Even Lamia was forced to lean forward slightly to hold her position.

The others covered their eyes even though they were inside the barrier.

Time ticked by, but the chaos didn’t settle. After almost twenty seconds, the storm finally cooled down.

Everyone looked ahead shakily. Some worried about what happened to Leon. Some were excited to see what Leon was up to this time.

And then they saw it.

Leon stood there, unfazed. His clothes were in tatters, barely covering anything. But there was not a single injury on his body. Or rather, the dust settled too late for anyone to see any. Meanwhile, Leon’s eyes were fixated on the empty air before him.

[Poison resistance 51%]

[Poison resistance 52.7%]

[Poison resistance 55.2%]

Leon’s poison resistance was skyrocketing. He wanted to laugh loudly but refrained from doing so. It’s not like he didn’t suffer in the last attack. He had taken serious damage. If not for his bloodline and healing ability, he would have been dead by now. And due to the Astral Phoenix’s presence, his defense and offence had also increased.

The monster looked bewildered. It was still trying to process what just happened. Lamia was one thing. It could tell she too was a beast. It had no idea what rank she was, but it was certain. But Leon? Leon definitely felt like a human. His presence, his aura, everything screamed that he was a human. Yet the prowess he just showcased...

A Martial Grandmaster meeting the attack of a Martial King head-on and still standing...

The monster felt like its whole world was crumbling. And it wasn’t just the monster. Emily and Snow were shocked too. Even Lamia looked surprised. ’Is it because of the veins?’ She wondered.

Meanwhile, Leon’s poison resistance stopped at 60.93%.

"Still not enough?" Leon cursed slowly. "Damn it. What will I need to make it one hundred?"

The monster finally snapped out of its daze. It reared its head once more. Energy swirled inside its maw. This time, the energy was even stronger and fiercer. The space distorted before the energy sphere even left the monster’s mouth. The lizard man’s veins bulged as it poured all its strength into the energy ball.

Leon chuckled. "If that’s all your poison can offer, then..." Leon didn’t finish and focused instead. "Phoenix Breath." He whispered. And the moment he did...