Chapter 437: Shape Shapers

“Tch!”

Bete was forced a half-step back by the sheer force of the impact, his arms buzzing with numbness.

Suddenly, another Shape Shaper slammed the butt of its spear into the ground.

The golden vines wrapped around its body flared with intense light. A fissure opened across the armor on its chest, and a massive surge of vitality poured out as glittering motes of light.

In the blink of an eye, two slightly smaller soldiers wielding long blades materialized beside it and immediately charged at Aiden and the others.

“Tch. Shape Shapers.”

Aiden swung Godslayer: Surtr. With a single flash of crimson light, he bisected the two soldiers at the waist.

But a second later, something bizarre happened.

The bisected soldiers dissolved into black mist, only to instantaneously re-coalesce back into their physical forms right where they stood, as if possessing the [Rebirth] ability.

At the exact same time, the wounds on the Shape Shaper that had summoned them began closing at a visible rate.

It swung its spear once more; with every strike that hammered against Gareth’s shield, the golden light radiating from its body burned even brighter.

“It’s siphoning our vitality,” Finn’s voice rang out sharply. “Ignore the big ones! These grunts have a [Rebirth] effect. As long as they’re on the field, the large ones can regenerate just by attacking us! Everyone, focus your fire on the summoned soldiers! Hit them with your highest-yield attacks and don’t give them a chance to regenerate!”

Finn’s orders were clear and decisive.

Unfortunately, reality proved far more troublesome than anticipated.

“These damn grunts just won’t stay dead!”

Bete roared, shattering another Mara-Struck Soldier to pieces with a brutal kick.

But the resulting black mist merely swirled in the air for a fraction of a second before knitting itself back together, and the soldier threw itself forward with raised blades, completely devoid of fear.

Their [Rebirth] ability rendered all purely physical attacks utterly useless.

“This isn’t working.” Finn’s brow furrowed tightly. He noticed that every time a soldier was struck down and reborn, the golden light on its corresponding Shape Shaper flared with renewed vigor. “Their regeneration seems to be feeding energy back into the main body.”

“If physical attacks can’t eradicate them completely…” A thoughtful glint flashed in Aiden’s eyes. “Then I’ll just burn them down to ash.”

Before the words even left his mouth, a raging crimson inferno erupted across the blade of Godslayer: Surtr.

Without a shred of hesitation, Aiden blurred forward, stepping straight into a Mara-Struck Soldier’s attack range.

He didn’t swing his sword. Instead, he slammed his flame-wreathed palm directly against the center of the soldier’s chest.

The fire coiled upward as if it were alive, instantly swallowing the creature whole and turning it into a human-shaped torch.

Subjected to ultra-high temperatures capable of melting solid steel, the soldier’s body reacted like an ice cube tossed into a blast furnace. Both its physical form and the magic powering it were silently and utterly vaporized.

Only a tiny pinch of fine black ash remained, scattering instantly into the wind.

[Rebirth] failed to trigger.

“It’s working!”

Raul cheered from behind Gareth’s shield, having seen the entire exchange clearly.

With his method verified, Aiden stopped holding back.

He locked his gaze onto the nearest Shape Shaper, channeling his mind into Godslayer: Surtr like water bursting through a broken dam.

“By This Blade’s Glow I Grasp!”

The crimson flames wreathing the blade violently compressed, rapidly shifting into a blinding, searing gold.

It was no longer simply fire; it was the ultimate distillation of absolute heat and light.

Sensing a fatal threat, the Shape Shaper hoisted its massive rectangular shield in a desperate attempt to block.

But against that golden edge, its enchanted botanical armor was as fragile as wet paper.

The blade sheared through silently, carving a clean line from the Shape Shaper’s shoulder all the way down to its waist.

There was no violent crash of impact—only a sickening hiss.

Half of the Shape Shaper’s torso, along with its supposedly indestructible armor, was entirely atomized by the golden flames, reduced to its most primordial particles.

Thrown completely off-balance, the Shape Shaper crashed heavily to the floor. Its surviving half twitched erratically, but the golden fire clung to it like a flesh-eating parasite, rapidly spreading to consume what was left.

Seconds later, the flames dispersed, leaving only a perfectly intact Magic Stone resting on the dungeon floor.

“Beautifully done!”

Bete whistled appreciatively.

Finn’s expression, however, remained incredibly grim.

Aiden could slay these monsters just fine, but neither he nor Bete possessed any fire-attribute enchantment magic. When dealing with regenerating enemies like this, a true mage would have been far more efficient.

“Bete,” Finn called out suddenly.

“What!”

“Can your kicks shatter their chest plates? Right on the spot engraved with that spiraling pattern.”

Bete shot a glance at one of the Shape Shapers swinging its spear and flashed a vicious grin. “Who the hell do you think you’re talking to? Watch me kick it to pieces.”

The young werewolf blurred into a silver streak, flanking a Shape Shaper at a speed nearly imperceptible to the naked eye.

Instead of clashing head-on, he utilized high-speed zig-zag maneuvers to deliver a rapid barrage of brutally heavy kicks, landing every single blow precisely on the exact same spot—the dead center of the Shape Shaper’s chest armor.

Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!

A concentrated chorus of screaming metal echoed through the corridor as sparks flew in all directions.

Under Bete’s storm of relentless strikes, the sturdy chest plate finally gave way, spider-webbing with a deep, visible crack.

“Finn, now!”

Bete roared, delivering a spinning back kick that sent the Shape Shaper stumbling backward.

The window of opportunity lasted only a fraction of a second.

Finn had already appeared in front of the creature like a phantom. Thrusting his Fortia Spear without a single wasted motion, the tip transformed into a golden shooting star, plunging flawlessly into the cracked fissure.

CRACK—!

A sharp, crisp sound echoed through the air, much like shattering crystal.

The towering Shape Shaper went completely rigid. The golden vines wrapped tightly around its body instantly lost their luster, fading into dullness.

A moment later, its massive form—heavy armor and all—crumbled into a cloud of ash and dissipated into the air.

Nothing remained on the ground save for a few shattered fragments of its Magic Stone.

“Just as I thought. The Magic Stone is hidden right behind the chest plate. If we destroy the core, they can’t regenerate.”

A sharp gleam flashed in Finn’s eyes as he immediately barked out new orders. “Tactics change! Bete, Gareth, you two are with me! Focus entirely on breaking their chest plates and shattering their Magic Stones! Aiden, you’re on crowd control—wipe out all the summoned soldiers and make sure they don’t get a chance to regenerate! Raul, provide cover and support!”

The new strategy was executed immediately.

The flow of the battle instantly shifted in their favor.

Abandoning his assault on the primary targets, Aiden transitioned into a highly efficient sweeper.

He darted across the battlefield; every time Godslayer: Surtr flashed and flames erupted, another Mara-Struck Soldier was completely erased from existence, permanently severing the Shape Shapers’ ability to heal themselves.

Meanwhile, the armor-breaking trio of Finn, Bete, and Gareth demonstrated terrifying destructive power and surgical efficiency.