The monster let out its characteristic laugh, that unnatural sound of multiple superimposed voices. "Is this your power now?" it mocked.
"You're weaker than before, little parasite."
With a wind explosion that shattered the lithium prison like paper, the monster counterattacked.
Cutting air gusts headed toward Elio, but he had already anticipated the attack.
In an instant, he disappeared into the book.
The monster's fury at the brief skirmish was evident. The human had only erged to test his capabilities, to asure the gap between their powers.
Its multiple voices hissed with frustration at the tactical retreat.
'He can reach level 9,' it thought, its multiple voices mixing in a contemplative murmur. 'Not a real threat, but...' Its black eyes glead with anticipation. 'A level 9 already represents a hundredth of my goal.'
The idea that the human might die in the book's challenge caused it so concern, but not for the reasons an observer might assu.
A living level 9 was worth more than a dead one, and a level 10... well, that would be even better. But the risk of not being able to kill him itself was enormous.
Either way, if the Goddess's challenge didn't kill him, he would.
'There's a reason why my mission can be completed with just ten level 10 humans,' it reflected, its claws flexing with anticipation.
The answer was simple: it was designed to be able to defeat them alone, even at their maximum power.
Elio's small demonstration, though irritating, had only served to confirm the vast gap between their capabilities. The new red elent was interesting, and the weak control over wind suggested the human had obtained so kind of reward from the deposit, but none of that really mattered.
'Grow stronger, little parasite,' it thought while observing the now again touchable book. 'Each level you gain only makes you more valuable to my goal.' The irony didn't escape it: the very power Elio sought for revenge only made him a more attractive target.
The stronger he beca, the more reasons the monster would have to hunt him.
♢♢♢♢
Upon entering the new challenge, Elio wasted no ti.
He still had almost all his mana and resistance, so he could recover while walking.
As he advanced through the new tunnel, Elio ntally reviewed his brief encounter with the monster.
As expected, the results had been discouraging.
His defensive strategy, the carbon sphere, had barely served as a montary distraction. The monster had torn it apart with alarming ease, like a child ripping through paper.
Even the surprise factor of the explosion had barely caused a scratch.
The new capability of his eel, that red ray that had been so difficult to direct, proved equally disappointing. The paralyzing effect that should have given a crucial advantage barely seed to bother the monster.
'The lithium prison...' Elio clenched his fists rembering how the monster had destroyed it with a simple wind explosion.
All his arsenal, all his new abilities, seed like children's toys against that creature's power.
A slight change in the environnt interrupted his thoughts.
A yellowish gas began filtering into the tunnel, so faint at first it almost seed like a trick of the light.
The first sign was the burning on his skin, which quickly intensified into sharp pain. His eyes were especially vulnerable; each attempt to open them resulted in blinding pain that forced them shut. The sensation was unlike anything he'd experienced before.
'Think,' he ordered himself. 'There must be a way to neutralize this.'
His first attempt was with water, a decision that proved catastrophically wrong.
The mont the water touched the greenish gas, a violent explosion threw him back several steps. The reaction was so aggressive that Elio barely had ti to protect himself.
The corrosion even beca more powerful.
"Damn it!" he growled, regaining his balance. The explosion had montarily cleared the area, but the gas was flowing back from the tunnel's depths, as corrosive as before.
After the violent reaction with water, Elio beca more cautious.
This gas was different from anything he had faced before; it seed to want to react with everything it touched, hungry for interaction.
He tried carbon, creating a protective barrier, but the gas began consuming the material almost instantly. The structure disintegrated in seconds, producing a reaction that only worsened the situation, releasing more noxious gasses.
When he tried using lithium, the reaction was so violent that Elio had to throw himself to the ground. The tal practically ignited on contact with the gas, creating a bright flare that illuminated the entire tunnel.
Hydrogen only exploded and increased the corrosiveness. It seed to be the main problem in water...
Elio's calm and healing perception of water grew more explosive each day.
But oxygen was no different.
Without knowing it, Elio generated oxygen difluoride, another highly toxic and extrely reactive compound. Although less reactive than the yellow fog... Fortunately, Elio still had oxygen stones in his mouth.
Nitrogen was his next attempt, but even at low temperatures, the gas maintained its reactive nature. Though, the cold seed to slightly mitigate its aggressiveness.
But the cold also damaged Elio after a while and moving was a problem encased in ice.
'This gas... reacts with practically everything,' Elio thought, his skin burning more intensely with each passing mont.
Even noble gasses probably wouldn't be immune.
Confirming his theory, his attempts with helium and neon barely served to move the gas around, and it seed to want to react even with these normally inert elents.
"I can't neutralize it," Elio murmured, his mind working frantically while the pain increased. "Each attempt only makes it more dangerous. There must be another way..."
The gas kept flowing from the tunnel's depths, relentless and hungry to react with anything in its path. As he advanced, the color gradually intensified, acquiring greenish tones.
'I can't give up,' he thought, watching how the gas swirled around his feet. 'Each level overco is a new tool, a new possibility.'
Micah's mory burned in his mind, fueling his determination. His friend had sacrificed himself to keep information out of the monster's reach, to give them a chance.
He couldn't let that sacrifice be in vain.
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