CHAPTER 92: MERGING

"We should start getting serious now..." looking at the night black sword in his hand, Azrael mutters to himself and the treasured weapon, earning another round of shrill sound from the seemingly evil armament, its reply making him smile as he feels like this weapon can truly understand him, as much as he can comprehend its thoughts somehow.

’I should probably start with that to poke around, I doubt I would do damage to it otherwise’ as the young man thought of things he should do in order to feel around and find the limits of the Island Orca’s defensive capabilities, a specific, completely absurd skill appears on his mind, making him nod as he thinks of using it, given how he thinks this is the most appropriate skill to use in the moment.

’As long as I won’t overuse it...’ he added to himself while recalling the stringent condition to activate and maintain said skill.

’What would I even do without this much of you...’ looking at the Immortal Energy barely short to reach the five digits, the young man smiles with gratitude as if looking at something he values more than his life, an action that will certainly make others wonder given that there’s nothing there but a screen only he can see.

’Let’s try it...’ as Azrael thought so, from his solar plexus comes an extreme heat that starts engulfing his entire body, making him feel like he is burning not even a moment after he activates the skill, the next moment said extreme sensation disappearing as if it never happens at all as immense strength, absurd power starts filling up his entirety, making him feel like a supreme being that can take down anyone he wants within the confines of the Ethereal Tower’s second floor.

[Demonic Transformation (Active)]

[Allows the skill caster to transform into a demonized entity while maintaining complete rationality, drastically boosting all (including hidden) stats in exchange for a consistent decrease in life force and mental strength]

[Effects: Ten times increase in all stats and a one percent per second decrease of life force (can be substituted with Immortal Energy at the rate of 1:5). The effects will improve as the skill caster’s strength and control over this skill improve. The drawback will decrease as the skill caster’s strength and control over this skill improve.]

[Duration: Can be toggled on or off, automatically turned off once the skill caster’s life force falls below thirty percent]

Looking at his free hand now having a faint shade of gray, Azrael then clenched said hand into a fist, creating a small surge of air from the action surprising even himself, who feels like his senses is way more advanced than it was before the transformation, his sight, able to see even the smallest details on the land right on top of the Island Orca’s back, his hearing allowing him to hear faint whispers of the life force in the surrounding, same with his touch, tingling as it feels the abundance of life filling the ambient air.

What is the most notable change though is the fact that he is no longer using a sword made from the Murderous Aura skill in order to fly, on his back were two majestic scaled wings, seemingly more fitting on a dragon rather than a demon, a horn growing on either side of his forehead being the same as well, the only thing that resembles a demonic being more being his eyes, with a horizontal pupil that looks more like that of a goat rather than that of a human.

’Great...’ he thought to himself as he activates the Murderous Aura skill once again, intending on using it to increase the size of the Evil Fang Sword to deal more significant wounds on the Island Orca’s body, the surging crimson aura starting to congregate with the Evil Fang Sword at its core before the young man got interrupted by multiple notifications coming out of the blue.

[Detected that a major compatibility with the skill: Demonic Transformation and the skill: Murderous Aura.]

[Due to two skills being extremely compatible with each other, the two skills will merge and transform into something new. Note that this transformation might bring about positive, or negative changes, as well as change the nature of the skill. The transformation can also be a skill, a technique, a new ability, an item or other things, hence it is left for the ascender to choose whether to allow the merging or not.]

[Allow the merge? Y/N]

Looking at the azure floating screen popping in front of him consecutively, the young man felt overwhelmed, wondering why is such a thing happening in this timing, shaking his head as he thought that perhaps, he shouldn’t really be merging these two skills even if he really wants to, given that what comes out might be a completely different thing he still needs to get used to when fighting against the Island Orca, and those two skills are something that is already incorporated in his fighting style.

As he thought of this though, he continues congregating the massive amount of killing intent on the Evil Fang Sword in his hand, willing it to form a massive weapon that seems to cleave the entire sky, taking a moment to admire his creation before he swings his sword, intending to cleave the Island Orca right in the middle.

The massive sword though, despite the surging killing intent that seems to tear apart everything that comes in its way, completely shatters right in front of the massive monstrosity that just takes such terrifying attack as if it is nothing special, such unfolding of the event making Azrael wide eyed for a bit before he snaps out of his shock.

’Tsk, whatever, there are other skills I can use as well... let’s hope I get something good out of it...’ as he realizes the absurdity of this Island Orca’s defensive capabilities, he starts realizing that it just had its guard down the first time he attacks, and now that it is in a combat state, there’s no way he can damage it when even his most destructive skill, the Fog of Decay, fails to inflict significant damage on the titanic body.

And with that, he decided to merge two of his most important skills all while trying to think of ways he can deal with the monster in front of him.