Salvos

I attacked the [Ancient Centinel] from both sides. My one remaining clone unleashed a volley of Refined Blazing Bolts at it from above, while I closed the distance and assailed it from up close. My body shifted as my arms changed one again, becoming scythe-like blades that were sharper than even my claws. [Faux Limb] copied and multiplied these limbs, aiding me in slicing open the segmented carapace of the giant monster.

I couldn’t just grow a dozen different arms when the Gracious Centinel who I borrowed this shape from only had two arms. But even if [Faux Limbs] were merely duplicates made out of fire, they were still powerful. Just like my clone made from [Salvo of Vanity]. All of my Skills and magicks were boosted by [Divine Essence of the Daeva Cambion], and it let me bring pain to the [Ancient Centinel].

It reeled back, letting out an ear piercing screech as it was slowly overwhelmed.

“Go back to your stupid castle, you wild monster!”

My face morphed into that of my [Demonic Essence] form. A skull-like head of an animal. I bit into its shell, ripping it off and digging deeper into the [Ancient Centinel]’s sides. It thrashed in the air before rapidly descending to crush me against the earth. Meanwhile, my clone stayed a decent distance away and kept up its salvo of Refined Blazing Bolts.

I could take the risk to get up close and fight with the [Ancient Centinel]. My clone could not. Not only was she naturally less durable than me, she also didn’t have the Breastplate of Alexander. Because of that, the [Ancient Centinel]’s attacks would directly hurt her, just as it did before.

She was already injured, and if she died, she’d explode. A powerful explosion that I’d rather save for an opportune attack against the [Ancient Centinel].

My clone angrily shook a fist at me, and I scoffed.

“That’s your job! Unlike you, I can’t blow myself up!”

And I wouldn’t do that even if I could. I continued to tear away at the [Ancient Centinel] as it called for its allies’ help. [Older Centinels] and even [Senior Centinels] came to its side, leaping at me to pry me off. I incinerated them with a flick of my scythe-like hands.

“Stupid. Centinel. Armor!”

I swung my arms like a pick, punctuating each word. The shell finally cracked open, and an entire segment of armor fell off. I flew back, my face returning to normal.

“Good, now—”

I thought of the most powerful fire magic I knew. Anything that would scorch the flesh of the [Ancient Centinel]. A flicker caught my eye, and I glanced up in the direction where the monster haven had escaped. Grinning, my arms shifted, burning away into rainbow-colored flames.

My arms became little nubs of fire. As they were now, the length of the flames would be the same length as my normal elbow.

“Willy will be so jealous.”

I pointed both my now-fiery arms and my [Faux Limbs] at the [Ancient Centinel], unleashing a deluge of vibrant flames. Its flesh was flaked and charred by the fire as it screamed in pain. My clone concentrated its attacks on the exposed spot too, and together we pushed the giant monster back.

“Come on—”

I gritted my teeth as I watched more of the [Ancient Centinel] burn, hoping that this would be enough to put the nail in the coffin and finish it off.

“Is that really her…?”

Sal glanced over at the source of the voice. The red-skinned Demon watched the screen with round eyes.

“She’s grown so much stronger since… I’m glad.”

He sighed, placing a hand on his chest. With a smile, the Devil leaned over him and cocked a brow.

“She’s really great. Isn’t she? Look at her, taking on that [Ancient Centinel]. However, I do fear that it may not be enough.”

“Not enough?”

“Yeah. Because, while she may be able to stand up to it with her Grand Skill, you’re not accounting for one crucial detail.”

The red-skinned Demon frowned. He didn’t get it. Disappointing, Sal thought. Even if this Archdemon was Salvos’ brother or whatever, he didn’t share many of her traits that made her who she was.

It was probably Regnorex’s fault. The Demon King was a dull man. Unlike Sal, who clearly was the one responsible for Salvos’ amazing upbringing. With a sigh, the Devil gestured at the [Ancient Centinel] on the screen.

“It has a Grand Skill too.”

It took a moment, and the Archdemon’s eyes widened in realization.

“Oh.”

I watched as the [Ancient Centinel] twisted and contorted, its body turning into itself as it was burned away by the combined flames of myself and my clone.

“This is getting tiring. Hey, other me, can you take over for a bit? I want to take a quick break.”

She scowled at me, and I rolled my eyes.

“It was a joke! A joke—”

But before I could finish my sentence, the [Ancient Centinel] dug into the earth. I watched as it tried to escape by burrowing away from me. It left behind a massive hole. It was nearly the size of the kind of ravine I’d find in the central area of the Bloodied Gulf, and I was pretty sure it was digging to escape.

However, [A Hunter’s Sense] told me that it was recuperating for just a brief moment. That it was going to attack me. I turned to my clone as I flitted up.

“Alright. You stay here and distract it for a bit. I’ll fly away and—”

“[Come and See—”

My clone was about to protest, but a clicking sound echoed from the pit and interrupted me. I narrowed my eyes, looking down.

“Wait, that’s—”

“[The Depths of Our Despair].”

“Fuck.”

And I watched as a red aura erupted from the pit. I flew back along with my clone, staring as the world rumbled. I could feel the shaking even from where I floated above the ground. Then amongst the red aura, emerged flickers in reality.

It was like the parts of the world were reduced to mosaics— odd, obfuscated patterns that shone with a dull crimson. It assailed the rocks and the dirt, sending debris into the air in all directions. But the debris didn’t fall. They floated and morphed and twisted, growing into a blur that I could barely discern.

“This is like…”

I narrowed my eyes. I recognized this effect. And when the [Ancient Centinel] emerged from the shadows, I understood what this was.

It had become a literal husk of its former self. Its segmented parts were pried open, dismantled into dozens of different floating sections. Each of them were obscured under the same mosaic-like effect that had overcome the floating debris. Its barbed limbs floated in spiraling patterns, circling around the deformed shells like rings. Together, these former parts of the [Ancient Centinel] made up a curtain of colors and blurred lines that protected something within.

At the center of this mass was a smaller figure. One that looked nearly anthropomorphic. With arms and legs like a Human or an Elf or a Cyclops. A kind of Sage Centinel.

I narrowed my eyes, clenching a fist.

“Did you know about this, Sal?”

I called out to the Devil who was most definitely watching this scene.

Sall grinned, pointing at the screen.

“She’s talking about me!”

Then he paused as the red-skinned Archdemon gave him a flat stare.

“Oh, and I had absolutely no idea this was going to happen. Honestly, she should really run away.”

The [Ancient Centinel] was… no longer an [Ancient Centinel]. It had become something else. It had corrupted itself.

It was just like the Cursed Boulder. Its body was a storm of warped shapes. Even [Identification] gave me a different result now when I faced it.

[-̶̧̛̻͕̹̩̖͕̑̈́̂͗̾͊̓͌̀͗́͝ͅ-̵̖͎͖̤̌̇̿̓̿̌́̆͛͆͘͝-̵̧̣̩͚̗͕̤͙͉̱͕͎͔̟͐̑͊͌ͅ-̶̻͕̲͓͈̼̥̰̘͔͛̍̊̒̉̈́̐̂̋̕͝ Centinel - Lvl. 162]

I stared at this blotched mixture of carapace, teeth, and flesh. A mosaic of red. One that ripped apart the world with its very presence. I turned to my clone.

“So, do you have any ideas?”

She gesticulated wildly, and I nodded in agreement.

“Yep. Yep. I see.”

When she was finished, I patted her on the shoulder and smiled.

“We should really run for it, shouldn’t we?”

She hurriedly nodded, and we took off. Once again, I was given chase by the [Ancient Centinel]. Even after I had earned a Grand Skill, it was still stronger than me. Although, should it even be considered an [Ancient Centinel] now? Maybe it was more like… Corrupted Centinel.

Whatever the case was, I was truly out of cards. All except for… one.

Temporary Skills:

[Greater Status Effect Resistance] - Lvl. 20 (Maxed)

[Superior Aura of Greater Protection] - Lvl. 20 (Maxed)

[Repudiation Repulse] - Lvl. 10 (Maxed)

The world collapsed around me as I considered my last resort against this traveling calamity, hoping that it’d work.