Chaos Heir

Chapter 1577: Heated

Ilman had to admit the scene had grown wilder than he could have ever expected. His species dealt with mutations, and the tragic experiences from the sunlight were still clear in his memory, but his opponent somehow put all that into perspective.

Most of the grey and black woods had disappeared, condensed into a single, gigantic figure. A gargantuan, twisted tree that towered over the area, seemingly wanting to connect the black ground to the white sky, had taken form, its size being only one of Ilman’s problems.

The tree’s trunk was truly immense, resembling a mountain rather than a plant. Its jagged, twisted surface could probably host entire ecosystems due to how big it was, but its branches and roots stretched even beyond that.

Two seas of intricate and thick arrays of sharp protuberances expanded on both ends of the giant tree.

Fuming roots dug through the black ground to create an impenetrable, ever-moving barrier that would snap at anyone attempting to cross it.

Meanwhile, branches of unfathomable length and size expanded in the sky, creating a fearsome crown that aimed down at the battlefield, ready to launch deadly shockwaves that could make hurricanes pale in fear.

The tree had no wings, but a giant version of the King’s elderly, calm face stood at the center of its trunk, being part of it and looking down at Ilman while two trails of pitch-black smoke created horn-like protuberances.

Despite the elderly face’s far bigger size, Ilman couldn’t really see its scarlet eyes too clearly. He definitely felt them, but he stood outside the sea of fearsome roots, making him too distant and low to inspect them in greater detail.

Of course, that hardly mattered. Seeing wasn’t the problem there. The issue was about being able to hurt that giant evolved warrior, which Ilman didn’t have much confidence in.

First and foremost, that was Ilman’s first real battle at the evolved level and as an evolved warrior. The Niqols’s expertise could make up for most of that inexperience, but the issue remained.

It didn’t help that Ilman’s opponent was also terribly huge. That wasn’t really a significant factor, but Ilman had never fought anything of that size, so adjusting his attacks would take a few attempts.

To make things worse, Ilman didn’t exactly have wide-area of effect spells. He was more of a physical guy, lacking skills like Khan’s array of lightning bolts or Liiza’s ice.

Not that the King would give Ilman the chance to rely on wide spells. That crown of branches pointed down at him for a reason. It was ready to launch a volley of attacks that would force him to retreat or dive into the barrage of roots. The alien could basically attack and defend simultaneously, not giving Ilman much of a choice.

And, even with all that, Ilman didn’t know who had it worse there.

As if to highlight those thoughts, a streak of pure white light flashed somewhere on Ilman’s right, followed by a loud thud. The black ground trembled, claiming Ilman’s gaze, trading one catastrophic sight for another.

Fuming patches of circular craters stretched all over the distant black ground on Ilman’s right. The environment was littered with them, even featuring occasional cracks that disrupted that somehow still-intact surface.

And, from the latest fuming crater, a burly figure rolled out, promptly slamming his feet on stabler ground to straighten himself up in all his scorched glory.

Lord Mighty had suffered some light burns but looked as strong as ever. He also wore a grin so broad that his canines peeked out while looking at the sky.

The area brightened as something descended toward Lord Mighty. A halo so white it pushed away the various trails of smoke approached the huge Thilku, only to stop at some distance above him.

The bald, angry-looking King hadn’t changed as much as his companion. His horns had turned into trails of glowing smoke, and he had gained wings, but his appearance had remained the same otherwise.

Of course, that didn’t apply to the King’s power. The white halo around the angry-looking alien was brighter than ever, and the distant sky above dimmed whenever he raised his hands.

That was precisely what happened now. The angry-looking King lifted his arms, making circles with his hands, and the white sky lost some of its brilliance.

At the same time, the lost light gathered inside the King’s palms, condensing into something too blinding to inspect without defensive measures before blowing downward.

Two flashes filled the world, immediately dimming in the next moment to restore the area’s regular illumination. Nothing seemed to have changed in that blinding instant, but Lord Mighty could say otherwise.

The huge Royal Guard had his thick arms crossed above his head, now featuring a few additional burns. The black ground under his feet had also burned, but it had avoided turning into a crater thanks to his shielding presence.

The action had looked effortless, but Ilman’s senses were beyond the heightened realm. He knew exactly how much power that last attack had unleashed. Lord Mighty was simply monstrously tough, but even he couldn’t underestimate literal sky beams for too long.

Luckily, or surprisingly, Lord Mighty appeared unaware or fully ignorant about the danger he was facing.

"[Ah]!" Lord Mighty cried. "Do not worry, Blue’s friend. Lord Mighty will finish this quickly and come to help you!"

It seemed Lord Mighty had felt Ilman’s gaze and the unavoidable worry behind it. After all, their opponents were closer to natural catastrophes than evolved warriors, making their predicament quite troublesome.

Still, seeing Lord Mighty’s fearlessness in front of the literal light of an entire sky urged Ilman to snap out of his hesitation. That wasn’t the time for pointless worries or burdensome thoughts. That was the time to fight with everything he had for what he loved.

Therefore, a confident smile appeared on Ilman’s face as he shouted at his companion. "I’ll be fine, my Thilku friend. It’s time I get heated, too!"