Chapter 103
103 The Red King (III)
Sonar’s breathing accelerated due to the fear and pressure a.s.saulting his mind and heart. Still, he clenched his fists and adopted a martial stance before shouting with resolution.
“I am a proud member of the Atrox Immortus Race, and you will not...!” Sonar did not even manage to finish his sentence before receiving an uppercut that raised his body from the ground. Disbelief appeared in his eyes as he felt the strength in that punch, and for a second, he could swear it was about to rip his head from his shoulders.
Before the Atrox could even figure out what was happening, a kick landed on his temple, increasing the might of the brain trauma the uppercut generated and sending him flying away.
Sonar crashed against a large tree, making a large indentation on this one.
‘What is happening?’ Sonar’s eyes were confused as he did not understand where that strength came from.
Not even when Cain unleashed a 1500% Wave Burst did his punches reach that level, but now he was not using a single iota of Astral Wave, yet his attacks were twice stronger.
Sonar’s battle instincts were still active, and he rose from the ground as fast as possible in order to face the next attack. Sadly, he had not even adopted a battle stance when a red hand grabbed his face. The strength in that grip seared the skin that was not protected by his armor.
The only silver lining in that situation was that the fingers did not cover his eyes, allowing Sonar to see the key behind the Red King’s power.
The Red King held the Atrox’s head with his right hand, and then his entire body began to rotate. The rotational movement started from his feet, improved by his waist, and enhanced by his shoulders before harnessing that power into his right arm.
.....
‘His technique increases the body’s velocity and acceleration to a shocking level. That, combined with flawless martial skill and outrageous speed of thought, can be converted into torque, allowing him to display a physical strength many times higher than the theoretical limit of his body.’
Those thoughts crossed Sonar’s mind as the Red King used his entire body like a battering ram, shattering the tree behind his back.
“?BOOM!”
Despite the pain, Sonar’s eyes still showed awe as he thought of that technique. It was simply amazing, and since it focused solely on physical enhancement, anyone could use it regardless of their cultivation stage. If a G.o.d or t.i.tan were to master this technique, they could unleash an even mightier destructive power!
The Red King’s eyes showed no emotion whatsoever as he dragged the Atrox’s body through the ground while also using this one as a battering ram against every boulder or tree in his path. He did not move away from the toxic lake, running in circles around it.
Despite Sonar’s awe, he was not going just to lie down and let the Red King beat him like a dog. He clenched his teeth and waited for the Red King to raise him from the ground.
The Red King did just that, intending to use Sonar to break a boulder on his path when the Atrox fired a right hook toward his head. That punch was not only fast but came from a blind spot, and since he raised Sonar from the ground, they were extremely close.
A smile appeared on Sonar’s face as he saw his punch about to land. Although the Red King’s technique increased strength, it did not seem to improve defense, so he was sure this attack could turn the tables.
Sadly for Sonar, the Red King dodged that punch easily before slamming this one’s head into the ground using all the momentum he had gathered.
Sonar felt everything blurry, and his mind stopped for a second. However, pain allowed him to regain focus as the Red King rose him again from the ground before connecting a kick on his chest and throwing him more than three into the air.
“Ahhhh!” Sonar yelled in pain as he felt his ribs shattering under the might of that kick, and before he could even take a breath, the Red King appeared in the sky next to him.
Even without a solid base where to put his feet, the Red King was able to generate a level of torque and connect a ferocious blow on Sonar’s solar plexus, shattering all the diaphragm’s muscles.
“?BOOM!”
Sonar crashed into the ground, and a wave of pain and panic a.s.saulted his heart since he could not breathe. As a Wave Champion, he could spend several minutes without breathing without significant problems, but the feeling was still excruciating.
The sound of footsteps coming closer reached Sonar’s ears, and the terror in his heart only grew stronger. Every shred of fighting will inside him had shattered, and the only thing he wanted to do right now was to escape, but that would not happen.
Nothing could stop that monster from killing him.
Another kick landed on Sonar’s chest, making him puke blood and pushing him against a tree, where he landed sitting.
The Red King stood in front of the Atrox, and he could clearly see the fighting will of this one was gone. However, that changed nothing since he had won this fight before it started.
Sonar lay there, waiting for death. He barely had any strength left, and nothing he could do or say would save him. However, instead of a finishing blow, what he received was a question.
“What is this?” The Red King asked that question as he raised his index finger and released a small stream of Astral Wave.
The confusion in Sonar’s mind grew stronger as he heard that. Cain showed great mastery over his Astral Wave and the Four Basic Wave Arts, but the Red King seemed to have no knowledge whatsoever about it.
Sonar’s confusion mattered very little to the Red King since this one could not endure the power of his voice.
“That is... Astral Wave. It is the energy... we Astral Wave Cultivators use to cultivate and... grow stronger. It is the pillar of the Astral Rebirth Path of Power... and we obtain it after refining the Wave... through our Rebirth Hearts.” Speaking provoked immense pain for Sonar, but he could not resist the compulsion that the Red King’s voice implanted in his mind.
“So that is the name of this world’s origin energy. It is surprisingly malleable.” The Red King paused at this point, and his eyes narrowed as a flash of enlightenment emerged in them.
“It seems that I can enhance it through my willpower.”
When Sonar heard that, his entire body began to tremble as he could not believe what he had just heard. There was absolute shock and terror in his eyes when he saw that the stream of Astral Wave in the Red King’s index finger grew stronger.
“Monster,” Sonar uttered that single word as his mind could not process what was happening.
The Red King did not even glance at the Atrox as this one uttered that word and focused solely on the Astral Wave that was growing stronger as he infused more and more of his willpower into it.
“I a.s.sume that this is something impressive according to your standards. Explain.”
Sonar’s mind was still in shock, but that mattered little as his eyes lost focus, and he answered the Red King’s question.
“Channeling the energy wave that is your willpower... into your Wave means that you are... at the Second Realm of the Ego Eternal Path of Power, Mind Over Wave. For that, your... willpower must have reached a level... equal to a Late Wave King, someone with the right to call himself... a powerhouse in Aether.”
The fact he had the power to call himself a powerhouse in this world did not provoke anything in the Red King. In his mind, it was like an ant telling him that he was now the king of ants. Why would he feel proud of such an insignificant accomplishment?
The Red King kept sending his willpower into the Astral Wave’s stream before eventually stopping.
“Too little.”
That was all the Red King said before the Life Wave in the surroundings began to act erratically.
Sonar’s eyes just regained his focus when he saw how the Red King manipulated the Life Wave and sent it into the Astral Wave’s stream.
The Red King kept sending more and more Life Wave into his Astral Wave’s stream until its energy reached an incredible level. He then used that stream to generate a cut on his forehead.
Sonar was confused for a moment, but then he saw how the bleeding cut began to open up, and what he saw froze his heart with a level of terror that he did not believe possible.
A red eye appeared on the Red King’s forehead; instead of eyelids, it had rows of sharp teeth.
“What... are you going... to do to me?” Sonar’s voice made it clear just how terrified he was. He was an Atrox, a race known for their cruelty and sadism, but he was sure that the monster in front of him was even worse.
The Red King focused on the Atrox for a moment before giving an honest answer.
“I will devour your soul.”