Fortunately for him, a physical battle was not Kain's strong suit. So, Alex only had to fight the mutant monsters for now.
As they closed in on him and launched their attacks, he swiftly dodged to the side, skillfully avoiding their strikes. The sudden, intense movements drained a significant amount of mana from his cores, but Alex remained unfazed.
He utilised his ability to activate recovery mode for the expended cores, allowing him to replenish his mana reserves. Consequently, the depletion of mana was no longer a concern.
However, the same could not be said for physical exhaustion. With each blow he takes, it will put a gradual strain on his muscles, and Alex's condition would worsen over time.
Consequently, he had to be vigilant in evading the mutants' attacks, as the relentless high-intensity battle would further exacerbate his physical state.
–
Despite the mutants' swift and aggressive assault, their attacks were within Alex's ability to evade.
Lacking coordination, the frenzied mutants inadvertently aided Alex's survival as he skillfully manoeuvred, evading their attacks by swiftly dodging left and right.
The majority of their strikes missed their mark, while a few inadvertently struck their own kind. Seizing the opportunity, Alex swiftly stowed his damaged weapon in his inventory, allowing the interdimensional farm to utilise the moment to repair the axe, consuming a portion of his FP in the process.
Once the repairs were complete, he promptly retrieved the axe, now restored and ready for further battle.
Till now, he had been skillfully evading the onslaught of the mutants, but the time had come to turn the tide. With a firm grip on his axe, he lunged towards a mutant lurking behind him, catching it off guard. The mutant struggled to change direction swiftly enough, unable to anticipate his swift manoeuvre.
Seizing the opportunity, Alex propelled the axe forward, aiming for the mutant's ankle. Fueled by an immense surge of mana, his muscles surged with newfound power, augmenting his attack.
"Swish." The sharp edge of the axe collided with the ankle, striking the ligaments that held the bones together.
"Crack." The bones shattered, and the ligaments tore apart, effortlessly severing the mutant's ankle.
The attack proved victorious. Once again, Alex's tried-and-true strategy proved effective. The dim-witted mutants were incapable of mounting a proper defence against his onslaught.
This accomplishment elevated Alex's spirits, filling him with a sense of triumph.
Even Kain, observing from the sidelines, marvelled at Alex's ingenuity. He comprehended the rationale behind Alex's relentless focus on targeting the bones, tendons, and ligaments of the mutants.
The mutant that had lost its ankle stumbled and crashed to the ground, tumbling along the harsh rock surface, ultimately sliding into a corner while shrieking in agony.
With two mutants disabled, there remained eight more adversaries, but they didn't look as menacing as before. Alex had already realised that he could win against them.
"Eight more to go," Alex murmured, undeterred, and swiftly resumed his relentless onslaught. He paid no attention to Kain, focusing solely on his task of dispatching the remaining mutants.
Giving priority to the ligaments and bones near the mutants' crucial joints—head, legs, shoulders, and back—Alex delivered precise and devastating blows. The mutants were helpless to dodge his attacks, only able to endure the onslaught with their brute strength.
In quick succession, he inflicted injuries upon all the mutants. Most of them were thrown to the ground, writhing in pain as their bodies attempted to regenerate their wounds as rapidly as possible. However, the absence of sustenance made it increasingly challenging for the injured mutants to regenerate, as Alex had made sure to destroy any tissue he had severed from their bodies.
From a distance, Kain observed the battle with a smirk, manipulating ancient runes to enact his own actions while Alex fought against the mutants.
Alex, in turn, noticed the mysterious smile on Kain's face from afar, perplexed by its presence. As he successfully vanquished the mutants, he couldn't fathom the reason behind Kain's amusement.
After all, Alex was emerging victorious, leaving no apparent cause for such a smile in their current predicament.
"Swish." A mutant launched a sudden kick towards Alex.
Caught off guard by the unexpected smile, Alex momentarily lost his concentration. The mutant's kick narrowly missed severing his head, causing a surge of adrenaline to jolt through him.
As adrenaline coursed through his veins and his brain raced with heightened awareness, a moment of startling clarity pierced Alex's mind. However, the thought that crystallised within him shattered his newfound enthusiasm.
"Damn it!" Alex exclaimed, his frustration echoing through the air.
Despite his current advantageous position, he understood that the tide could turn against him at any moment. The moment of clarity had brought forth a realisation that dampened his spirits.
The question reverberated in Alex's mind as he deftly evaded the mutants' relentless attacks: What would happen when the mutants faced a scarcity of sustenance?
The answer was not difficult to discern. He had encountered a similar situation in Thira.
'When the mutants lack sufficient food, they resort to cannibalism. The strongest among them would consume the others until only one remains.' Alex recollected, drawing parallels to his past experience on the beaches of Thira.
Despite being assaulted by a dozen tier 4 warriors, only one mutant had survived by feasting upon its fallen brethren, growing stronger in the process.
'If these mutants were to unite, their collective strength would undoubtedly surpass that of tier 4.' Alex realised his predicament, a sinking feeling enveloping him.
His mind became a whirlwind of emotions, understanding the reason behind Kain's smirk from the sidelines.
'Even if I desired it, I wouldn't be able to eliminate all the mutants. What should I do?' Alex's panic intensified, engulfing him in a wave of uncertainty.
—-------
"It has been far too long since we began breaking through the walls. Are you certain we're heading in the right direction?" Chitra voiced her doubts, her uncertainty palpable.
"I thought the Divine Butterfly Tribe possessed the keenest intuition. I never expected you to question our path," Karthi replied nonchalantly, even in the face of a tier 5 warrior.
He continued, undeterred, "To be honest, I wasn't entirely sure either. At first, I started breaking through the walls when I realised that the tunnels were a perplexing maze, impossible to decipher. They seemed to rearrange themselves in response to our actions. Even if we traversed them for countless aeons, we would never reach the end."
"But now, I am certain that we are heading in the right direction."
Curiosity piqued, Chitra inquired, "What led you to this conclusion?"
"I can feel it. The presence of the white-robed man standing before us," Karthi declared, sensing his very blood stirring with agitation in the presence of this enigmatic figure.
The elderly man, Karthi's guardian and protector, nodded in agreement. Though faint, he too could discern the presence of the white-robed man, confirming Karthi's intuition.
-
Karthi concentrated his energy, channelling it into his palms, preparing to strike through the wall in the direction of the white-robed man he had sensed.
With a surge of power, a greyish glow enveloped his fist as it made contact with the surface adorned with ancient runes that encircled the walls. The runes responded, shimmering in acknowledgement. However, the sheer intensity of Karthi's energy overwhelmed them, preventing them from fully absorbing it.
In a reactive defence mechanism, the runes shifted, creating a path for the energy to pass through, ensuring their preservation. The forceful collision of Karthi's energy with the wall resulted in a resounding "BOOM!" as it broke through, forming a perfectly-sized opening for everyone to walk through.
Yet, this time, the situation proved more complex. In the darkness that lay beyond the shattered wall, a sense of movement caught their attention, heightening their alertness. With caution, they ventured forth to explore the unknown.
"Swish Swish…" Entities moved past them in the darkness.
The ancient runes that surrounded them were inhibiting their sense. So, they couldn't pinpoint the creatures that were moving beside them.
"What is it?" Karthi asked.
But the other two who were with him were staring right towards the front without answering.
From the darkness, silhouettes of humanoid figures emerged. They were taller and larger than the common man.
"Six." The protector of Karthi said.
"No, eight. Two more are hidden in the ceiling." Chitra corrected.
While they spoke, the figures of the entities before them became clearer. Even Karthi, the weakest among them could now see it.
"Are they the monsters that appeared in Thira?" He inquired.
"Hm," The other two nodded in response.
"Is there a tier 5 among them?"
"Hm." This time, it was Chitra that nodded.
"It seems today is not our lucky day. Nonetheless, looking at it from the bright side, it couldn't get any worse." Karthi spoke fluently while smiling.
However, witnessing this, the other two looked at him and sighed.
Karthi who saw this suddenly felt a chill go down his spine. His smile suddenly disappeared as he asked. "Is there more?" He asked in a barely audible voice.
"Three tier-5," Chitra answered without holding back.
The sourc𝗲 of this content is fre(e)webnovel