Chapter 81: You Forced Me!

A powerful roar blasted out, sending rubble flying as Norald’s head shot through the debris and the massive creature rose once more.

But this time, it did not land on both feet. Instead, it lowered its body toward the ground, standing on all fours.

"It didn’t die!?" Declan muttered, but then his eyes narrowed as he noticed the creature’s condition.

"It’s greatly injured."

Norald had not escaped Van’s detonation unscathed.

Half of its skull, including both of its eyes, had been obliterated, while a deep crack marred what remained of its face, caused by Van’s spear piercing straight through it.

Only a tiny flame flickered within its remaining eye.

Yet despite its injuries, the creature suddenly burst forward, not toward Declan or Emiris, but toward Penelope, who remained unconscious on the ground.

It had decided to kill the most vulnerable one first.

But halfway toward Penelope...

BAAAAAANNNG!

A heavy metallic clash rang out as sword and horn collided directly.

Emiris gripped his golden sword with both hands, blocking Norald’s charge, though the immense force behind the attack dragged him several meters across the ground.

’Powerful! It’s too powerful!’

The words echoed through Emiris’s mind as his teeth ground together under the strain.

The creature was far beyond their level, and even while wielding a high-level weapon, he was still being forced backward by its sheer strength.

But that struggle lasted only a moment.

BAAAAAAAAAAANG!

An explosion suddenly erupted from the side as Norald’s massive frame was blasted away, tumbling across the ground before crashing heavily into the wall.

Standing where the creature had been, directly before Emiris, was Declan.

Yet the sight of him caused Emiris to instinctively take a step backward, his sword immediately rising into a defensive position.

The boy was... different.

For one, he had become a miniature giant, standing five meters tall, more than twice Emiris’s own height.

His entire body had grown massively, every muscle clearly defined beneath his golden skin as veins of luminous energy writhed across his enormous frame.

His hands had elongated, their joints arching unnaturally as his palms transformed into massive golden claws, while his face had become equally monstrous.

His mouth stretched into a golden maw, and his eyes narrowed into glowing golden slits with unmistakably animalistic pupils.

Golden motes of light drifted from his skin, crackling with energy as they spread across his entire body.

[Host Has Activated the Darkthar Transformation Skill.]

[Seed Core Has Been Activated!]

[+35 Attribute Points Have Been Added to All Stats.]

"Ahhhhhh..."

Turbid white smoke poured from Declan’s lips as he shifted his hulking body, the sound of his muscles and joints cracking echoing through the hall.

He cast a sideways glance at Emiris and watched as the young man tightened his grip on his sword, standing protectively before Penelope.

"All of this started because of that foolish girl’s greed, and you’re still defending her?"

Declan’s deep voice boomed through the hall as he pointed one of his claws toward the unconscious Penelope.

If she had not picked up that earring out of greed, they wouldn’t have encountered Norald in the first place and would never have lost Zeke or Van, yet Emiris was still standing there, protecting her.

"If she knew this would be the result of her actions, she never would have even considered taking the ring in the first place."

"She’s innocent," Emiris replied.

Declan scoffed before Emiris looked at him with a complicated expression.

"You... What have you become?"

"What will save your life."

BOOOM!

A crater formed beneath Declan’s feet as his body vanished, the resulting force sending Emiris’s hair flying wildly behind him.

_________________

Norald tore itself free from the rubble, shaking its massive head before immediately turning around.

There, it found him.

The hulking golden devil was already racing toward it.

ROOOAAAR!

A sonic shockwave erupted through the hall, and in the same instant, Norald surged forward.

The two collided halfway across the battlefield, horns and claws crashing violently against one another.

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

Declan’s claws smashed against Norald’s horns, and the air between them trembled violently beneath the sheer force of their collision.

He pushed against the creature with everything he had, yet...

CRAAAACK!

The ground beneath his feet shattered into pieces as the tremendous weight pressing against his claws threatened to overwhelm him.

But he had never intended to overpower Norald.

He only needed to slow it down, and he had succeeded.

In the next moment, Declan shifted to Norald’s side, throwing his entire weight into the movement as he forcefully twisted the creature’s body.

BOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

Norald was thrown sideways, its massive body shooting through the air before tumbling across the ground.

RIIIIIIIIIIIP!

RIIIIIIIIIIIP!

RIIIIIIIIIIIP!

Countless claw strikes descended upon Norald as Declan slashed downward with incredible speed, forming a storm of golden claw images that filled the air around the creature.

Still...

CRACKLE!

Lightning suddenly crackled through the air, and four pillars of white lightning shot toward Declan, blasting him backward.

BOOOM!

BOOOM!

BOOOM!

The ground shook three times as his massive body crashed into it repeatedly, bouncing back into the air only to find Norald’s horns already positioned directly before him.

PIIIIIEEERCE!

The air was violently pierced as all four horns thrust toward Declan’s chest.

The nozzles beneath his feet immediately burst with energy, launching him sideways just in time to narrowly evade the attack.

Appearing beside Norald’s flank, Declan’s claws immediately slashed toward one of its horns.

CRAAAACK!

The sound of something breaking echoed through the hall as the horn snapped off and flew into the air.

But at that moment, Norald turned around and slammed both hooves toward Declan.

One struck him directly in the face while the other smashed into the center of his chest.

BLEEEERRRRGH!

Blood burst from Declan’s lips as the force sent him flying backward, his body crashing violently into the wall and forming another human-shaped crater.

Norald turned toward the crater but then paused when it noticed its horns.

It had once possessed four long horns but now, one lay broken on the ground beside its hooves.

ROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAR!

A furious roar erupted from its skeletal maw as its right hoof scraped against the ground three times, white lightning trailing across the floor with each movement before it suddenly charged forward again.

CRAAAACK!

The sound of cracking stone echoed through the hall as Declan tore himself free from the crater.

He immediately found Norald charging toward him with its remaining three horns pointed forward, forcing him to react as the nozzles beneath his feet erupted with energy and launched him high into the air.

CRAAAASH!

Norald crashed into the wall instead, leaving behind an even deeper crater.

SLAAAAAP!

A powerful slap rang out as Declan brought his raised hands together, using the force to propel himself downward.

His legs blasted toward the ground, smashing directly into Norald’s back and forcing the creature into the floor, its upper body jerking upward from the impact.

Declan immediately jumped from its back, appearing upside down in the air with both claws extended toward its remaining horns.

"Activate Spun Cleave!"

He spun violently through the air.

RIIIIIIIIIIIP!

RIIIIIIIIIIIP!

RIIIIIIIIIIIP!

The sound of tearing flesh and bone echoed through the hall as his claws ripped through Norald’s horns, sending all three of them flying into the air.

ROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAR!

A roar of pain erupted from Norald’s maw as its remaining fiery eye turned upward.

Declan was already falling toward it, holding two of its severed horns in his massive palms.

"DIIIIIIIIEEEEEE!"

PIIIIEEERCEE!

RIIIIIIIIIIIP!

He drove one horn directly into Norald’s remaining eye, exerting so much force that it tore through the back of the creature’s skull, while the other plunged toward its forehead, striking the same area already deformed by Van’s suicidal attack.

The horn tore through the half-broken spear embedded there, driving even deeper until it finally ripped out through the back of Norald’s head.

BAAAAAAAAAANG!

A heavy detonation followed as Norald violently jerked its head forward, smashing into Declan’s wide-open chest and sending him tumbling backward toward the wall once more.

But this time, the creature did not follow up with another attack.

Instead, its head writhed in agony, shaking erratically as it struggled against the pain of having its own horns embedded in its skull.

That was when Declan made his choice.

He reached into his coat and pulled out the last object he had brought for this mission.

The only one remaining.

The Singular Prism.

"I never planned on using this at all, but..."

Declan muttered as he looked toward Norald, which had finally steadied itself and was facing at him.

"You forced me."

Declan threw the prism forward with all his strength.

It struck Norald directly in the head, but instead of bouncing away as it should have, the prism shattered upon impact.

A swarm of nanites erupted from the broken device, rapidly spreading across Norald’s face.

The creature charged straight through the space where Declan had been, but its attack met nothing.

Declan had already leaped away.

Norald turned around and found him running into the distance.

Its instincts immediately urged it to pursue, but then it paused as it noticed the tiny black particles rapidly crawling across its face.

The strange substance continued spreading, covering more and more of its skeletal body with every passing second.

Norald violently shook itself, attempting to tear the particles away with its claws, but it was useless.

The nanites quickly enveloped its entire body, reforming into what appeared to be a layer of black nanotech armor.

"What is that!?"

Emiris asked as Declan arrived beside him, but the only response he received was a single command.

"RUN!"

Emiris immediately picked up Penelope and followed.

The two of them found a large pillar and quickly hid behind it, while Declan cautiously peeked around the side.

Norald was still writhing violently, desperately attempting to free itself from the nanites, but Declan watched coldly as the black substance continued spreading until it completely covered its body.

"It’s over,"