The Evolution Of A Goblin To The Peak

Chapter 1092  Hunt

Boom!!

A deafening explosion echoed behind him as the entire palace trembled violently.

Souta could tell—the structure wouldn't hold for long. Under the relentless assault of those Sixth Shackle Realm experts, collapse was inevitable.

Without hesitation, he manipulated the blood, solidifying it into a makeshift foundation to reinforce the palace. It wouldn't last forever, but it would buy him time.

For now, he focused on his priority. Tracking the energy flowing from the sacrificial altar, he followed its path.

With multiple sacrificial altars present, Souta knew this wasn't a trivial matter.

In this ritual, corpses provided only minimal fuel. True power came from the living—victims who were slowly dissolved within the altar, their essence drained to fuel the dark ritual.

Still, if enough bodies were gathered, even the dead could serve their purpose.

"The inscriptions on the ceiling of the altars..." Saya's voice echoed in his mind.

Souta narrowed his eyes. "What about them?"

"They read: 'For the Lord of Fertility, who breeds the Dark Young...'" Saya replied.

"That's..." Souta narrowed his eyes.

If this was true, then it had to be connected to that Monster Lord.

A sacrifice—for her.

Before long, he traced the energy's flow to its source.

A barrier surrounded a room.

"A concealment barrier...?"

It was designed to trap the energy inside, preventing anyone from sensing what lay beyond.

Souta took a step forward, but a sudden chill ran down his spine. His instincts screamed—danger.

Crack.

The barrier fractured.

He immediately stepped back, but an unseen force tugged at him, pulling him toward the room.

"What is this...?" Souta frowned, his gaze shifting upward as a strange sensation washed over him.

Then—

Boom!!

A massive surge of energy descended from above. Hundreds of radiant beams tore through the palace, triggering a chain of devastating explosions.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The relentless rain of light tore through the palace. The highest point crumbled instantly—its roof exploded, and countless rooms were reduced to rubble in mere seconds.

Then, silence.

As the barrage ceased, two figures hovered in the air above the devastation.

Leonard and Maeb.

"Are you sure attacking now was the right move?" Maeb asked.

"Yeah," Leonard replied coolly, his gaze fixed on the ruins below. "The ritual is already complete."

Rumble!

The ground trembled violently. From beneath the shattered palace, towering structures burst forth—radiant, bathed in crimson light.

Leonard and Maeb landed atop one of the towering structures, watching as the land itself underwent a profound transformation.

"There they are."

Below, chunks of debris scattered as figures slowly emerged from the wreckage.

"What the hell happened?!" an old man shouted—one of the five leaders.

"Cough! Cough! Someone attacked us!" Another man, clad in golden armor, scanned the devastation around them.

The five leaders remained unharmed, but beyond them, dozens had survived the onslaught. Many, however, were gravely injured.

Bang!

From the debris, several spheres of blood slowly rose. As they opened, they revealed Souta, Franklin, and the others within.

Souta lifted his gaze, his eyes locking onto Leonard and Maeb.

"He noticed us," Maeb muttered.

Souta shifted his focus away from them. Turning to his allies, he spoke firmly, "Vashno, Allan, Franklin—stay back. Things are about to get more complicated. Also, take this. Protect it."

"It's fine," Leonard replied calmly. "He knows there are more urgent matters to handle first."

Souta shifted his focus away from them. Turning to his allies, he spoke firmly, "Vashno, Allan, Franklin—stay back. Things are about to get more complicated. Also, take this. Protect it."

A sphere of blood formed in front of them. As the liquid receded, it revealed an object wrapped in thick webs.

Vashno and the others nodded, heeding Souta's words without hesitation.

Meanwhile, the five leaders turned their attention to him. Their energy surged, making the ground tremble beneath their feet.

"Why don't you return what you stole from us?" a woman in dark red attire asked, a wicked smile curling across her lips.

Clearly, when faced with an outsider like Souta, these five were more than willing to unite.

Souta rolled his shoulders and cracked his neck before speaking. "I'll deal with you later. For now, why don't you step back? The main character of this event is about to make an entrance."

"Main character?"

Souta smirked. "Yeah. A newly born Seventh Shackle Realm expert."

The moment Souta spoke, the lights within the tower flared, and an overwhelming surge of energy erupted beneath the five leaders.

Bang!!

They were sent hurtling hundreds of meters away as a crushing force swept through the area, pressing down on everyone present.

"A Hero-rank?!" Allan's eyes widened in shock.

The surviving warriors felt their bodies grow heavy under the immense pressure. Even the five leaders, seasoned and powerful, lifted their heads—fear creeping into their hearts.

This momentum… it was unmistakable.

A genuine Seventh Shackle Realm presence.

The difference between the Sixth and Seventh Shackle Realm was vast. A person who broke the second great shackle wielded unimaginable strength. Even in the Holy Lands, they were regarded as one of the top-tier forces.

In a desolate place like the Obsidian Desert, the appearance of someone who had shattered the second great shackle was unprecedented. This level of power was enough to obliterate every major faction in the desert. Despite the increased mana density, the Obsidian Desert had never produced a local Seventh Shackle Realm expert.

"This is what we've prepared for you," Leonard said with a cold smile. "Since no Hero-ranks could be dispatched here, we decided to let someone reach such a level."

Whoosh!!

A tall, muscular old man appeared in the air, radiating waves of immense energy. His body was covered in glowing red markings, each one pulsing with power.

"So this is the power of a Seventh Shackle Realm..." The old man muttered, flexing his hands as if savoring the newfound strength. "I, Feron, have finally reached this level."

Feron scanned the crowd, his gaze lingering before settling on Souta. His voice boomed across the area, "Now, it's time to fulfill the contract. Eliminate the Blood Lightning Monster."

Blood Lightning Monster?

The survivors exchanged confused looks, but the five leaders stiffened, their eyes widening in shock. They had, of course, heard the legends of the Blood Lightning Monster.

The immortal monster. The strongest of the Fourth Stage. The master of hydra. The one who had dominated battlefields far and wide. The stories were endless.

But among all the tales, there was one phrase repeated above all others:

"The Blood Lightning Monster is strong beyond limitation."

Souta ignored the five leaders' gazes, knowing he would deal with them later. His full focus was on the old man before him.

"I guess I can finally slay a Seventh Shackle Realm on my own," Souta said, his words dripping with confidence.

Compared to his flight from a Hero-rank in Selnes Country, his strength now was in an entirely different league. Much had changed since that battle.

"What did you say?" Feron descended, landing firmly in front of Souta.

"I can finally slay a Hero-rank," Souta replied, standing his ground against the powerful Feron.

The air around them thickened as their auras collided with a resounding force. Sparks flew as the oppressive pressure from both sides made the ground tremble. The sheer intensity of the battle forced the onlookers to step back, for fear they might be caught in the crossfire and perish.

Boom!!

The clash of their auras sent shockwaves through the ground.

But it was clear—Feron's aura was overwhelming Souta's.

Feron studied the fearless figure before him. He had heard the tales of the Blood Lightning Monster. Initially, he had dismissed them as exaggerations. But now, seeing the monster up close, he realized how wrong he had been.

The Blood Lightning Monster was in a league of his own.

Souta took a step forward, his grin unwavering as he faced the full force of Feron's energy.

"I can hardly control it... My blood is boiling. I want to kill you."

As soon as the words left his mouth, Souta launched forward, throwing a powerful punch. His energy surged, fueling his spells and combat arts, each one enhancing his strength with relentless force.

Feron wasted no time—he threw a punch of his own.

When their fists collided, the resulting shockwave reverberated through the area, shaking the very ground beneath them.

Bang!!

Souta was sent flying hundreds of meters, his hand exploding in a burst of blood that turned to mist. He glanced down at the remnants of his arm, but within moments, it began to regenerate, the power of the parasite coursing through him.

'My normal form is too weak to go against a Seventh Shackle Realm.' Souta calculated inwardly. If he were up against a Sixth Shackle Realm, his normal form could have endured for much longer, just as it had when he faced the three Sixth Shackles from the Deadman.

Feron watched with a mix of awe and curiosity as Souta's hand fully regenerated in an instant.

"It seems the rumors about you are true," Feron said, his voice cold and calculating. "They say you can recover from any injury. But I wonder... can you recover from death?"

Without wasting anymore time, Feron charged at Souta.

Souta's grin widened as his body began to shift. His flesh swelled, absorbing his clothes, and his form twisted into something monstrous. Spider-like limbs sprouted from his back, and his aura expanded, becoming far more oppressive.

He had unleashed the full power of his parasites and his released form.

Boom!!

There was a reason Souta hadn't run.

When he locked eyes with Feron, something triggered within him. A new quest appeared:

[Hunt]: Slay the man who made a contract with the Lord of Woods

Rewards: Title "Slayer", 20 free attribute points, 1,000,000,000 experience points