34 Torturous Mutilation

    ''----''

    ''Apollo''s desperate eyes glistened with newfound hope as he gazed upon the pouch in his hand. As he opened it

    the system generated an expansive list of items. However

    he ignored every single one until his sights fell upon one item name.''

    ''"Full Lightning Impound Talisman? This sounds like it could be of use

    " muttered Apollo while skimming the contents of its information. In a short moment

    a fervent gleam passed through his eyes

    "This is it! Azridan

    I''ve found our way out of this situation."''

    ''[You have? Oh? Is that...a talisman? And it seems to be a rather high grade as well. Interesting

    if it possesses the right effect then it will indeed be capable of reversing this hopeless situation.]''

    ''A purple talisman appeared within Apollo''s hands donning gold inscriptions and a black border. The strokes seemed unrushed and honed throughout years of practice. It was clear the grade of this item was by no means low. In fact

    it was rather well made when the system graded it.''

    ''Item Name: Full Lightning Impound Talisman''

    ''Rank: Tier 4 Talisman''

    ''Grade: III''

    ''Usage: Placing this talisman on the ground summons a shrinking cage birthed by lightning harnessed from a Zul General-level expert adept in lightning attribute Natural Essence. This cage is capable of exterminated any existence under its level. However

    it requires the user to last long enough for the imprisonment to constrict the enemy.''

    ''[?Grade Bonus?]-''

    ''?Grade I? - Increases the maximum range of the lightning imprisonment to 30 square meters.''

    ''?Grade II? - Shortens the time until entrapment to 3 seconds.''

    ''?Grade III? - Allows the imprisonment to be split in two

    effectively trapping up to two beings within this talisman''s capabilities.''

    ''The talisman in his hand had to have been created by a master in the crafts! The effects alone were simply lifesaving

    any existence under the Zul General level would be eradicated. In other words

    this talisman was capable of combatting almost all Rank 4 and below Spirit Beasts.''

    ''[Oh this talisman… It''s absolutely what you need. However

    you''ll still need to last for 3 seconds while it activates. Do you understand what that entails? You''ll have to engage in combat with these beasts for 3 seconds. Are you capable?]''

    ''"Honestly

    at this moment it isn''t a matter of if I''m capable but rather

    I have to do this. My survival and our continued journey depend on it

    " uttered Apollo as he slapped the talisman on the mutilated ground before him. A small ripple undulating causing the beasts to pause.''

    ''Afterward

    it seemed something incited their predatory and survival instincts. The beasts gazed murderously at Apollo. Steeling himself

    Apollo found it wasn''t time to ruminate over his decision. It was an inevitable choice

    there was bound to be a sign of his actions.''

    ''"Awwwwoooo!"''

    ''"Roooaggrh…"''

    ''The beasts roared and swiped at Apollo simultaneously. Left with no other choice

    he threw himself to the ground rolling continuously. Small rocks cut and punctured his body. However

    he rathered this than be torn shreds under the ire of these infuriated beasts.''

    ''Time seemed to pass slowly; three seconds began to feel like an eternity. Not to mention

    he needed to stay within range of the talisman or its effects would be rendered useless. Essentially

    he was limited to a small scope of action which extremely heightened the beasts'' chances to do away with him.''

    ''"Damn...it''s just 2 more seconds. I can survive!" snarled Apollo as he lifted his only good arm. His right one hung limply with fresh blood dripping from his fingertips. The earlier attack left copious amounts of damage on his body.''

    ''Brandishing the Vantablack Knife with a defensive stance

    Apollo backpedaled and moved closer to the talisman. The beasts pounced and he tried to defend

    but their bodies were leagues above his. A crack was heard as the bone in his left forearm snapped.''

    ''However

    an unyielding light appeared within Apollo''s gaze. Grasping the knife with his mouth

    he moved like a demon leaving tiny nicks on their body. Meanwhile

    the time had come. Small crackling sounds emitted from the talisman on the floor.''

    ''''Pzzt!'' ''Pzzt!'' ''Krrrrrrrklee!''''

    ''A large violet pulse birthed from the talisman. As it traveled and began forming into a cage around the two beasts. The size still allowed them to move

    however

    in the next moment it began shrinking.''

    ''Roaring indignantly

    they sensed the feeling of death from the lightning bars of the cage. In response

    they circulated their Natural Essence to the limited. Terrible aurae appeared as they launched suicidal attacks. If they were unable to live

    then they would take all participants of the battle with them.''

    ''''BOOM!''''

    ''A loud explosion sounded as they bombarded the lightning prisons with attacks that would otherwise appall new cultivators. The ground they stood on was destroyed yet the cages remained! Unfortunately

    through the gaps in one of the sections

    a large and harrowing wind blade escaped.''

    ''Its target was Apollo! Dodging instinctively

    his body moved before he instructed it to. Yet and still

    it wasn''t something he was capable of dodging even in his peak state.''

    ''''Pucht!''''

    ''The wind blade landed on his body albeit not properly. At the last moment

    he was able to move ever so slightly so that he mitigated the nigh absolute danger. A gruesome scene unfolded his left arm hung limply by a few threads of flesh. Any deeper and his arm would have been severed!''

    ''"A-aggghh!" screamed Apollo as he clutched his shoulder writhing in pain with a scar ridden body. Even the Resplendent Jadeite Pendant wasn''t potent enough to heal such extensive damage quickly. Kneeled over

    Apollo gritted his teeth trying to cope with the pain. While it paled in comparison to the initial demonic change

    nearly losing an arm wasn''t a painless matter.''

    ''''Krrrrklee!'' ''Boom!''''

    ''Another disturbingly loud sound happened

    but this time it was an implosion rather than an explosion. The lightning cages imploded and destructive lightning burned the bodies of the Spirit Beast. As that happened

    their struggles ceased as all signs of life disappeared from their eyes. The talisman had killed them.''

    ''Naturally

    this would be an experience Apollo would never forget. In an instant

    he had nearly lost a limb and perished all at the same time. Second

    then minutes

    then hours passed. Yet not a single soul approached the area.''

    ''After all

    traces of the Zul General level attack lingered in the vicinity. Due to the hierarchy of the world

    seldom did beasts challenge things stronger than them unless they possessed a death wish.''

    ''The pendant healed Apollo''s health to a suitable degree. However

    his arm still remained mutilated and the pain remained

    "E-eugh… why isn''t the pendant healing this?"''

    ''[It is. It''s just...you suffered more damage than the interface reveals. This isn''t an injury that can be healed in a night. You''ll have to pause training. In the meantime

    collect what you can and leave the area. It''s unclear just what might have been alerted. After all

    I sense this entire forest is something''s territory. As for whether that talisman was enough to rouse it… who knows.]''

    ''"I...I can''t move well yet

    " rebutted Apollo as he gripped his arm still limping towards the lifeless carcasses of the Spirit Beast. Although charred

    two objects shimmered within their bodies. Compared to what he collected before

    these ones triumphed over the others without a doubt.''