Northern's shoulders rose and fell as his eyes pierced into the subtly clearing cloud of dust. Even he could not tell if the creature had been totally eradicated with that attack.
Combining Chaos and Void was something he had always thought about, but he had never met an enemy strong enough to make him use it. In this battle with the Dark Seer, he had in fact considered using the true nature of Chaos Flame which eradicated the existence of monsters completely.
...Making it as though they never existed.
But he decided not to-no other reason than because he wanted to gain rewards for what he killed, especially now that he had the privilege of gaining items. It was not like Ul had oversight over this place anyway. Because if Ul did, he definitely wouldn't be getting items. Hence, he had prepared a series of attacks he was going to keep using until the floor boss died. The only thing that worried him was deeper floors. Thinking about how dangerously powerful the monsters on deeper floors would be made him understand that there was a 90% probability that Rughsbough would evolve from this place.
'I wonder what floor he is...'
Even in that tight and tense moment, Northern indeed wondered about several things. For example, he also wondered if Rughsbough had fought this monster before. If so, did the monster respawn?
Was Rughsbough able to deal with it easily? Was his predecessor able to?
He hated lagging behind. He wanted to be the best that ever existed, the best that there will be. And with such thoughts rummaging through his head as he patiently waited to see if anything was going to walk out of the now-cleared fog of dust, Northern found himself boiling with resolve.
His grip tightened, clenched fist squeezing with a subtle whizzing sound, as if the force of his strength alone was crushing his bones. His breath was a bit ragged but growing steady by the second.
Finally, Northern could see a soft silhouette flickering as the dust danced like waves of smoke carried hither by the wind. The creature's steps proceeded forward and finally out of the disappearing fog.
A dark and wicked grin spread across Northern's face as he saw the shape the bastard was in. 'Damn right, I knew it... there's no way you're coming out of that unscathed...'
Northern had almost hoped the attack was going to kill the Dark Seer once and for all, but he wasn't naïve anymore. Not even after when the creature had dared to break Void Force. Perhaps succeeded even?
There had to be a chance that the attack, despite how mighty, would not kill the monster; the sad thing, however, would be the creature coming out unscathed.
Fortunately for Northern, Chaos and Void when they teamed together were not foes anyone should wish for. The fact that the Dark Seer was still standing after taking the attack head-on more than enough proved its immense power.
A portion of the creature's face had been mercilessly razed away, revealing raw, sinewy flesh stretched tightly over its skull. Strips of charred skin clung to the exposed muscle, oozing dark fluid in sluggish drips.
The crimson glow in its damaged eye flickered weakly, as if on the verge of extinguishing, while its other eye, untouched and blazing with undiminished fury, pierced through the dim surroundings like a blood-red beacon.
A gaping chunk had been torn from its shoulder, black ichor spurting intermittently like a faulty fountain. Two of its hands had been entirely devoured, reduced to ragged stumps, while the lower two barely escaped the ferocious onslaught scarred but intact, with only a few layers of skin peeled away, revealing raw flesh beneath.
On the edges of the wounds gently danced scattered and scanty plumes of black flames. The Dark Seer stared at the wounds on the left side of its body, as if expecting something.
But after minutes of not seeing it, an intense grimace climbed its face. The monstrous entity directed its wrath to Northern, the glow in its right eye fiercely burning-as though it was burning for two while the other one struggled to even stay alight.
The grin on Northern's handsome face grew wider, making him ominously appealing... aesthetically.
"You are strong, I have to give you that... but baby, no one crosses paths with Chaos and Void and remains the same."
He raised his chin, smirking with an air of weighted authority emanating from him. "Don't feel too bad. If you work harder, you should be able to live again... as my servant."
The blue light in his eyes flickered, then as he staggered to the left and right—like a drunkard —and shot forward with blinding speed, the light danced, leaving trails of blue light flaring through the darkness of the cave.
Northern's form seemed to flicker as he dashed towards the monster. The creature froze for a moment, having only a single eye to track the blurring demon of chaos.
Northern moved too fast for the creature to react-especially with only a single functioning eye. His form flickered to the right, a blur of motion. The Dark Seer lunged in that direction, swinging its humongous odachi upward with ferocious strength, aiming to cleave Northern's skull cleanly in two.
But just as the blade arced through empty air, Northern flickered again-his form vanishing like a phantom. The creature's lone eye widened in realization. Too late.
Northern had taken to the air, twisting his body mid-flight. As the creature turned to track him, Northern descended on its blind side, a black stiletto clenched in his hand.
Without hesitation, he drove the blade into the creature's damaged eye socket, tearing it free with a brutal twist. The force of the attack sent the monster staggering forward, its footing faltering under the sudden shock.
Northern landed gracefully, spinning the stiletto in his hand as a second weapon materialized -a gleaming Illusion Sword shimmering into existence.
Before the creature could recover, he closed the distance in a flash, thrusting the stiletto crudely into its jaw.
His expression darkened, a twisted grin pulling at the corners of his mouth as he wickedly twisted the blade, black ichor spraying in erratic bursts.
The monster ferociously swung its massive sword toward Northern, the sheer weight of the odachi creating an unsteady arc.
But Northern had anticipated the reckless strike. With precise timing, he swung his hand outward, meeting the incoming blade head-on.
Sparks erupted as steel clashed violently, the force of the parry wrenching the odachi from the creature's grip. The colossal sword spun through the air before crashing into the jagged roof
with a deafening clang.
Without pause, Northern turned his hand and mercilessly drove the Illusion Sword deep into the creature's chest, piercing through its metallic skin.
Chaos and Void seemed to have done so much damage that the creature's skin could now be pierced, or perhaps Northern just put his all into this attack.
Holding the Dark Seer in place, he pinned it down-one weapon embedded in its jaw, the other lodged firmly in its chest.
For a brief moment, everything seemed to hang in suspended tension.
Then, Northern did something severe, something austere and utterly unexpected.