Chapter 276: One Tenth!

"Is it the same property as the Professor's dragon form? That is the organ where the World Eater has stored decades of life force. As long as that thing is destroyed, this immortal, indestructible worm will no longer be a threat."

Using the Perfect Fractal Lens, Wang Yu’s gaze remained fixed on the "bubble" drifting along the exterior of the World Eater’s body.

The endless green energy within was the source of the World Eater’s infinite regeneration. If that could be shattered, the World Eater would be ninety percent neutralized.

Wait...

Perhaps there might even be an unexpected bonus.

Wang Yu sensed the void above his head, where an object hung suspended.

A golden-red war banner fluttered without wind, snapping sharply—the wonder, Banner of Triumph.

"Then no more hesitation. Let's go. I estimate the chariot's power isn't enough to tear open the connection between that space and the World Eater, so I'll have to rely on you for that."

Bending his legs slightly, muscles coiled and ready, Wang Yu prepared to seize his moment. With the "Wish Coin" potion as a safety net, he wasn't afraid of getting himself killed.

Previously, if asked to use this trump card to help the Elven race, he would have refused, as using it without certainty would be a meaningless waste. But now? To shatter the schemes of these detestable devils, a little indulgence was perfectly fine.

"Good. I will cast the Phase Gate the moment you reach that space. You can use the collision between the spaces to sever the link between that 'organ' and the World Eater. Also, stay safe."

The girl nodded, signaling that she was ready, and after a moment's thought, added a final sentence.

"No problem. You too."

As the words fell, Wang Yu’s figure surged forward. The physical strength of a low-tier Grand Knight erupted, his body turning into a blur as he leaped and sprinted between the remaining, jagged buildings of the Elven capital, Lyraheim.

He needed an opportunity—one that would allow him to complete his task without being wiped out by the shockwaves of the battle between the Iron King Borgul and the World Eater.

Scanning his surroundings, he spotted Zig, who was retreating to the perimeter with the dwarf Toby. Wang Yu adjusted the Perfect Fractal Lens over his eyes, acting as a relay to share the magic centered on Avia with Zig in the distance.

The running Zig faltered slightly. Sensing the magical fluctuation, he tensed in alarm, a ring of glowing, externally carved magic circuits flashing across his body as fine dragon scales faintly emerged.

However, he quickly sensed the source of the magic: Wang Yu, who was gesturing to him from afar.

[This is Avia’s new support spell, Perfect Fractal. Professor, look at the World Eater’s body. That bubble moving around it is the 'organ' it uses to store life force. It’s very similar to the space where you store your dragon form. I’m going to cut it off.]

The dazed look on Zig’s face vanished as he deciphered the text appearing on the Perfect Fractal Lens, replaced by a faint smile.

"Should I say, as expected of you two? Wang Yu, Avia, you always manage to give me a huge surprise."

The erudite Zig quickly grasped Wang Yu’s intent, while the massive amount of information fed back by the Perfect Fractal Lens spell made him realize just how powerful this magic, created by Avia, truly was.

[After I sever that organ...]

The text on the Perfect Fractal Lens continued to scroll, detailing the help Wang Yu would need from Zig after destroying the organ. Zig had already begun running toward the World Eater.

"Zig, what are you doing!?"

Dwarf Toby asked in confusion, wondering why Zig had suddenly started running toward the World Eater when they were supposed to be retreating.

"One more push!"

Zig replied simply. Magic circuits surfaced on his skin, purple arcs of electricity flickered, and he unleashed both gravity magic and knightly strength.

In his human form, Zig leaped up to the top of a building at a height similar to Wang Yu’s. Together, the two sprinted toward the battlefield where the two behemoths were clashing once more.

The headless Iron King Borgul moved first. Armor plates on its shoulders flipped open, revealing dense, honeycomb-like ports. Accompanied by the roar of rapid-fire ignition, a multitude of alchemy bombs, similar to missiles, flew out.

The bombs ascended. Due to technical limitations, they only had two chances for acceleration: once upon launch, and once to lock onto their target and fire.

Countless black dots surged into the sky amidst the flames. When they reached fifty meters above the Iron King’s head, the secondary acceleration kicked in. A black rain, trailing orange-red exhaust, plummeted toward the World Eater’s massive, worm-like body!

"Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom!"

Dense explosions erupted around the World Eater. Precision was unnecessary; the World Eater’s sheer size and the sheer volume of bombs were the best targeting system.

Shockwaves and flames intertwined and amplified, pushing the destructive power to its limit. The ground around the World Eater, already a blackened crater, was plowed through once again.

"Crack!"

The sound of something intangible shattering—the bombardment smashed through the illusory giant wooden defensive barrier the World Eater had created using Corrupted Scourge soldiers.

One-third of the bombs slammed directly into the World Eater’s body. Horrific pits of flesh appeared at the impact sites, with shrapnel and gore flying everywhere.

The Iron King Borgul’s control core clearly didn't expect to kill the World Eater with a bombardment whose destructive power couldn't compare to the "End of Extinction." Rather, this attack was merely a feint to draw out the World Eater’s regenerative abilities and attention.

"Clang, clang, clang, clang!"

One of the Iron King’s arms lifted. At the wrist, a bracelet-like device flipped out, loaded with over a hundred thick iron spears.

Once the World Eater’s protective barrier was broken, the Iron King began firing these spears.

The thick iron spears deformed in mid-air; the simple, sharp tips opened via mechanical operation, transforming into jagged, barbed monstrosities.

These were prepared for troublesome giant enemies, designed to embed themselves into their bodies so that every movement would cause the creature to wound itself, tasting agony and restricting its mobility.

This wasn't very effective against the World Eater, which lacked pain sensation and possessed absurdly high regeneration, but it was enough to temporarily restrain its movements.

As the explosion's glow began to fade, the iron spears, erupting from the Iron King’s wrist launchers, pierced through the flames that had obscured the World Eater’s senses. The immense kinetic energy allowed the spears to easily tear through the World Eater’s flesh and bury themselves deep within.

"Thwip, thwip, boom, boom, boom, boom!"

The spears drove in one after another, piercing through the World Eater’s body and pinning it deep into the earth, driving into the hard rock beneath the topsoil and locking firmly in place.

"Gah, gah, gah!"

For the World Eater’s terrifying regenerative capacity and massive bulk, these spears and the wounds they created were far too insignificant.

But when the World Eater attempted to move its body to distance itself from the approaching Iron King and charge its next Corrupted Scourge attack, it failed. A teeth-grinding screech rose from beneath its body.

The hundred-plus thick iron spears had pinned its body into the bedrock. Its excessive regenerative ability had backfired, causing the spears to fuse with its flesh, locking its body to the earth and rendering it immobile.

"Clang, rumble, rumble, rumble."

Seizing the opportunity, the Iron King rushed in front of the World Eater. Its two iron arms gripped the worm’s body tightly. All the vents beneath its back armor opened, and the reactor diverted half its output to those vents—flame, eruption.

The crimson fire behind the Iron King roared, unleashing unimaginable thrust upon both the Iron King and the World Eater he held. The two giants gradually broke free from the shackles of gravity, soaring into the sky amidst the jet of fire.

"What is it doing? No way...!"

Dwarf Toby watched as their masterpiece carried the World Eater into the sky. As one of its creators, he was stunned. What was the Iron King doing?

Those propulsion devices weren't meant for flight. While full output could sustain flight for a short while, it couldn't accomplish anything...

A possibility flashed through Toby’s mind. The dwarf suddenly felt that the Iron King’s control core might be a bit too intelligent.

Yes, the Iron King’s control core had reached a conclusion: on the ground, the World Eater, which could burrow, was unkillable. Therefore, it would bring it into the sky and, in the air, purge the World Eater—which could no longer draw upon the corrupted earth to regenerate—in a single strike.

"Hummmmm!"

As it continued to climb with the World Eater, the Iron King’s chest began to reconstruct the brilliant orb representing the "End of Extinction."

Although such a close-range explosion would damage the Iron King itself, its defenses were sufficient to prevent total destruction. And if hit by the "End of Extinction" in mid-air, the World Eater would have no chance to regenerate!

"The 'wisdom' of this big guy exceeds our imagination. I’ll have to see what the dwarves are really up to later. These mechanical creations might actually become an obstacle for me."

Within the void, one of the devils

Watching the Iron King ascend into the sky, the smile faded from his expression, replaced by a heavy solemnity as he muttered to himself.

"Yes, now, we must ensure this foolish, bloated worm survives for the time being."

Another devil nodded, watching the scene unfolding outside, and extended his palm toward the World Eater, transmitting a single command.

"Gurgle, gurgle!"

The body of the World Eater, held fast in the Iron King's grip, suddenly writhed and shuddered. At a point beneath its torso, the putrid flesh burst open into a massive gash, life force surging toward the wound as raw meat proliferated and spilled outward.

In a grotesque display, a new worm-like head emerged from the rupture, and as the flesh was catalyzed by the torrent of vitality into rapid formation, a new worm sprouted directly from the wound of the original body, though it was only about a third the size of the progenitor.

"Squelch!"

Once fully formed, the flesh tore away; the new worm severed its connection to the original body, darted into the distance, and plummeted.

"Boom!"

High above, the World Eater’s original body and the Iron King, Borgul, were consumed by a blinding pillar of light. A shockwave descended from the heavens, sweeping across Liahim.

"Damn it, that didn't kill it? This is bad. The Iron King’s energy must be exhausted, and after taking a hit of that magnitude, it must be severely damaged."

Dwarf Toby watched the falling World Eater with a grim expression.

"Thud!"

The Iron King, its entire metallic frame glowing red-hot, crashed to the earth. This time, it was truly battered.

A massive section of the mechanical chest had been torn away by the force of the explosion, and vast swathes of metal plating had melted and fused together. The left and right arms, near the epicenter, were rent with gaping fissures, the internal clockwork and magical circuits ruthlessly obliterated.

"Hum..."

The roar of the chest reactor dimmed significantly, its light fading; energy was running dry. After the overload discharge and the double release of the Finality, the Iron King’s vast energy reserves had finally hit bottom.

The World Eater coiled its body, its worm-like head fixed upon the wretched-looking Iron King, swaying as if mocking the machine’s pathetic state—though, given its intellect, it was likely merely preparing to strike.

[Its body has shrunk, limiting the mobility of that "organ." Avia, I am preparing to charge. This is the opening I have been waiting for.]

[I have locked onto the coordinates of the organ. The moment you arrive, I will manifest a Phase Gate at that exact position!]

From the rooftop of a building near where the shrunken World Eater had landed, a figure sprinted and leaped, descending toward the body of the World Eater, which was entirely preoccupied with the Iron King, Borgul. It was Wang Yu.

Purple arcs of electricity flickered over Wang Yu’s body, his descent speed accelerating sharply. Thanks to Zig’s assistance, he was spared much trouble, preventing him from hitting the ground as the World Eater shifted.

"Rat-tat-tat-tat!"

Wang Yu sprinted across the hide of the World Eater, his eyes locked onto the "bubble" darting rapidly across the creature's outer layer.

An invisible thread connected the "bubble" to the World Eater’s body.

That thread was what Wang Yu intended to sever.

"Pop, pop, pop, pop!"

The World Eater’s limbs began to attack Wang Yu automatically, but they could not hinder his pace. He vaulted over a sweeping strike from below, gripped the complete Shattered Meteorite Blade in mid-air, and unleashed a flurry of slashes. Silver light cascaded, and the fragments of a dozen limbs littered the ground.

"Bang!"

He stomped hard onto the World Eater’s surface, the explosive force shattering the outer carapace. Wang Yu’s figure vanished for an instant; when he reappeared, he had already blurred the distance, bringing himself within the effective range of his Chariot Force.

He extended his hand in a phantom grasp. The Chariot Force spread instantly, a spectral palm—much like when he used the Force to command fire or magical currents—directly seizing the thread linking the "bubble" to the World Eater.

The "bubble" stopped dead, unable to advance further. When Wang Yu grabbed the line, he tried to snap it directly, but regretfully found his strength insufficient to break it through brute force alone.

Then, he would have to rely on Avia, whose destructive power far exceeded his own!

As Wang Yu seized the bubble, a phantom door manifested beside him—Avia’s spatial spell, the Phase Gate.

Another spectral hand formed by Chariot Force extended, gripping the phantom door as if it were a cleaver. He swung this special spatial rift, composed essentially of magic, down upon the thread connecting the World Eater to the bubble.

"Sizzle! Snap!"

A harsh, phantom friction echoed. After a brief collision, the thread was severed by the Phase Gate, which Wang Yu had unreasonably wielded as a weapon.

Instantly, the link between the World Eater and that infinite source of life force was severed, and its entire body froze in place.

But this was not the end. Wang Yu pointed his fingers like a sword at the "bubble," which had also frozen after losing its connection to the World Eater, and thrust forward.

Discarding all distractions, Wang Yu centered his focus, entrusting all defense to Avia, who held the "Wish Coin" potion.

Chariot Force: Focused Convergence. A phantom spike, its power elevated to a new tier, pressed against the spatial wall of the "bubble" with the Phase Gate at its tip.

Break!

The phantom bubble was forcibly pierced by the Phase Gate Wang Yu held against it. Life force erupted from the illusory space, dissipating into the world. In that moment, Wang Yu had "killed" the bubble that had stored decades of accumulated vitality.

High above in the void, the golden-red war banner suddenly flared with brilliant light. The artifact, Banner of Triumph, detected that Wang Yu had slain a life, and one-tenth of the life force corresponding to that being’s life tier would be fed back to him.

But the life slain was a "bubble" filled with vitality. How was its life tier to be judged?

The answer: If it were a special case, it would count for as much life force as it contained.

Just as the life force gained from killing a knight and a mage of the same tier was identical—even if the mage did not possess as much vitality, they would still grant the average value, whereas the knight would possess more, yet still yield only the average—this bubble was unique. Thus, it would take the average, or rather, the vitality it possessed itself.

Therefore, at this moment, the life force Wang Yu was about to receive would be one-tenth of the vitality the World Eater had accumulated over these decades.

One-tenth of the infinite, was still, infinite.