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Chapter 275

The immense heat engulfing the entire area was so powerful that even Cthugha himself was affected by it.

This damn heat was making it impossible to fight properly.

A single misstep caused my senses to go haywire.

At the very least, I needed to find a way to do something about this heat.

But, with the means I currently had, that was easier said than done.

So—

I decided to use his heat against him.

All the violent heat that filled the surroundings, continuing to pour down like a waterfall even now—I offered it all as a sacrifice and formed a contract with a spirit.

This wasn't like the lowest-class fire spirits that spirit users typically contract with first.

From within the searing heat emerged a being that looked like a chick tinged in red.

Considering it had appeared amidst a fierce battle taking place in a heat that could melt everything… it was hard to describe.

To be honest... it looked quite ridiculous.

But appearances didn’t matter.

What mattered was that, even if their power was different, this spirit looked almost exactly like the spirit of heat, Sur, that I had contracted with in Labyrinthos.

It couldn’t be the exact same individual.

Still, this creature would become a major turning point in my battle against Cthugha.

"Nice to see you again, Sur."

At my call, it chirped out a short “piak.”

Of course, there was no time for us to be having a conversation.

Sur’s appearance didn’t matter—Cthugha’s massive flaming fist was already flying toward me.

—You dare turn my heat into a pathetic little toy?!

Apparently, he was offended by Sur’s presence, as he roared in fury and launched an attack.

My hearing on one side was already shot, and my body was in rough shape all over, but none of that mattered.

If this Sur possessed the same powers as the one I knew from Labyrinthos…

Then its abilities were essentially tailor-made for this situation.

“Sur. He says you’re just a toy.”

—Piak!!

As I spoke, the tiny chick turned its back on me with dignity and faced the giant.

The clash between a colossal flame giant and an absurdly small chick was quite the comedic sight.

It looked like the chick would be roasted alive by the immense heat pouring from Cthugha, but Sur flapped its tiny wings nonchalantly and then crouched down.

And then—

BOOOOOOM!!!

A shockwave of indescribable magnitude exploded from its tiny beak, crushing the entire area with immense pressure.

It was hard to believe such a massive roar had come from such a small creature.

Wow.

This was way stronger than I expected.

It seemed the heat absorbed from Cthugha had become incredible nourishment for it.

—What is this?!

Even Cthugha showed a hint of surprise at the overwhelming shockwave unleashed by what looked like a fragile chick.

But the real reason he was shocked wasn’t just Sur’s unexpected power.

—My heat...

Sur had devoured all of it—Cthugha’s overwhelming heat, which had forced me into a defensive stance and made direct combat impossible, was slurped up like a tasty snack.

A fire spirit?

More accurately, Sur was closer to a spirit of heat than fire.

In essence, all the heat that existed in the world was just food for Sur.

Cthugha’s authority used heat to burn things like my aura blade or my sensory organs.

But now, with Sur devouring all of that heat, the channels through which his authority functioned had vanished.

If it were just any fire-based spirit, it would've been natural to be overwhelmed by the absurdly destructive heat of Cthugha and fall apart—but this one?

This one had been born from absorbing and assimilating Cthugha’s heat.

Born after filtering through the power and will imbued in Cthugha’s flames, Sur was, in a way, almost a member of royalty by birth.

The Sur I knew in Labyrinthos started with the power of a mere match flame and grew gradually stronger over time.

But with a different origin, such tricks were no longer needed.

My lost senses hadn’t returned, but with Sur devouring all the heat, the pressure that had been crushing me disappeared.

The intense heat that had been burning even Cthugha’s own flesh vanished as well—but that didn’t matter.

Now that things had reached this point, all that was left was to kill him.

[Demonic Might]

[Great Phoenix Fist]

[Heavenfall]

I imbued my fist with fully operational aura and willpower and met his fist head-on.

KABOOOOOOM!!!

Our fists collided, producing a massive physical shockwave—far stronger than anything from our previous clashes.

Rather than responding passively, I had attacked with all my strength, and Cthugha’s giant frame staggered greatly.

—Guh!

“Feels different now, huh?”

If I had been using only two parts of my power before, now—without any restraints—I could go all in with all ten.

Because Sur was endlessly absorbing the heat Cthugha emitted.

Of course, even Sur's stomach had its limits, so if the fight dragged on too long, it would eventually collapse.

But with the time I’d gained, I had to make something happen.

As I accelerated, launching swift and powerful attacks at the massive opponent, visible wounds began to appear all over his body.

The flames enveloping his body were still intimidating, but they no longer transmitted any heat—so there was nothing to be wary of anymore.

Normally, flames without heat would lose their combustive power and extinguish—but these were not normal flames.

They were the product of divine authority.

“What is this, just cosmetic fire now? Nice special effects, though.”

—You insolent—!!

BOOM!

I slammed my fist into his solar plexus like a bolt of lightning, making him stagger and then collapse onto his knees.

—Guh… Koff…

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Without giving him a chance to recover, I used the now-solidified walls and ceilings—hardened the moment the heat disappeared—to launch myself and strike all of his weak points.

“Librarian.”

[Acknowledged.]

“How big is this guy’s real body?”

The Librarian went silent for a moment.

[Accessing data. Approved. As for Cthugha’s true form, attempting to quantify its size would require astronomical units as the base measurement.]

“How big are we talking?”

[Even the minimum estimates suggest it exceeds the scale of a planet as you understand it.]

What a lunatic.

At that size, no matter what I did, I wouldn’t stand a chance.

“For something like that, he looks pretty small. For someone supposedly handicapped, he's a bit underwhelming.”

[That’s how difficult and meticulous the conditions are to cross over here. In the case of entity Nyala, it took a long time of preparation, careful groundwork, and suppressing most of its true power to make a smooth transfer. But for entity Cthugha, none of that groundwork was in place—so even to bring over that much power, it had to risk its own life.]

So basically, it’s like invading an anthill and only managing to bring power slightly stronger than the ants.

If it loses even with that, it’s essentially fatal.

Would they even want to come here this badly, under those conditions?

That’s why, even after clashing with it several times, I couldn’t hide my doubts.

“What the hell is there to gain from coming all the way to this land?”

Foreign news or not, they’re beings from another dimension.

So what interest could those bastards possibly have in this place?

The question kept nagging at me.

—Grgh… As expected. The cost is too high.

It happened then.

The creature, reeling from my attack, looked down at the hollow crater in its chest.

Then, flames erupted all over its body.

The heat was being completely devoured by Sur, so those flames didn’t hold much practical power.

Still, that didn’t mean all of its strength had vanished.

“…Huh?”

The towering flames engulfed its entire body, and then its shape began to change.

From a flame-wrapped giant, it began to shrink—until it finally took on a humanoid form, roughly my height.

—The conditions are met. Now, we can really play.

Its form was still that of a giant, just downsized to my level.

But the power radiating from it felt far stronger than before.

As if a vast, scattered force had now been fully gathered and refined.

—Let’s enjoy this again.

At those words, both of us charged in without hesitation—clearly abandoning any thoughts of grappling techniques.

I drew the cursed sword that had been embedded in the ground and lunged like a flash of light, claiming the first move.

With a single swing, I left behind dozens of sword slashes—carving into not just its body but the ground around us as well.

And the miniaturized Cthugha, tough as hell, tanked the attacks with its body and came barreling toward me with a fierce charge.

KWAANG!!!

My body was flung away and slammed into the wall.

“Hmm…”

I glanced at the red sword still in my hand, puzzled, then casually pulled myself out from the wall.

After lightly bouncing on my feet, I shot forward again.

KAAANG!!!

I swung the sword again.

But even a blow imbued with willpower bounced off its body.

Slashing doesn't work?

Then what about stabbing?

—Grappling techniques!

KWAANG!!

I launched a flurry of stabs like flashes of lightning, but all I got in return was a brutal counterattack.

Slashing and stabbing didn’t seem to work. In that case…

KAAANG!!

Instead of resisting its blow that knocked away my sword, I let the flow guide me and relinquished the weapon without hesitation.

Then, as if switching tracks, I diverted the aura flow—originally optimized for swordplay—into a different form.

KWAANG!!!

Just as its fist sank into my body, mine drove into its solar plexus.

—Guh!

Both of us staggered back from the heavy impact, quickly regaining our footing.

Then, as if in sync, we rushed toward each other again and exchanged punches.

My fighting style leans toward infighting.

Get in faster.

Hit more.

Apparently, Cthugha’s was the same.

We unleashed relentless close-range blows on each other, as if determined to fight until we dropped.

But while it kept absorbing my hits and pressing on, I dodged what I could—using the momentum to strike its entire body in return.

KWAANG!!!

—Grah!

When I landed a solid hit, I was sure.

It was nearly immune to slashes and stabs, but not to blunt force trauma. Selfish bastard.

Still, since I wasn’t exactly outclassed in close combat, I pushed it back hard.

The shockwaves from our clash rippled through the surroundings, cracking and shattering everything nearby.

In that unrelenting close-quarters brawl, I gradually began to take the upper hand.

—Unbelievable! Such refined movements! My sacrifice was worth it!

“Yeah? I’m actually disappointed.”

—What?!

As his face twisted in shock, I casually hooked his leg and swept it out from under him, toppling him—and slammed him down hard.

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