Chapter 379: Sustenance

The Boss Monster turned its massive head.

Its movement alone caused the ground beneath it to tremble.

Then its gaze settled on Mark.

For the first time since Mark had entered the Gate, something had actually made him stop. Not because he was afraid, but because he had found what he was looking for.

The Boss Monster stared down at him.

It was enormous.

Its body towered over the surrounding landscape, covered in layers of natural armour that looked less like flesh and more like fortress walls. Thick plates overlapped across its torso, while jagged horns protruded from its skull and enormous claws dug into the earth beneath its weight.

Every breath it released sent waves of scorching air across the clearing.

Dense mana constantly leaked from its body, twisting the air around it and making the space near its form shimmer.

This wasn’t an ordinary A Rank Monster.

It was the kind of creature that could turn an entire city into a disaster zone if it were allowed to run unchecked.

A single swing of its limbs could flatten buildings. A direct strike could tear through streets and structures for hundreds of metres. And if left to run amok, the resulting destruction would be enough to devastate an entire city.

Against almost anything else, this monster wouldn’t be a battle.

It would be a massacre.

The Boss Monster lowered its head.

Its eyes narrowed.

A deep growl rolled from its throat, so powerful that the surrounding Gate vibrated.

Mark’s black eyes remained fixed on it.

Those eyes looked less like human eyes and more like holes leading into an endless abyss.

His lips slowly parted.

Then his voice came out hoarse and distorted.

"Sustenance."

He had finally found something worth feeding on, and he wasn’t going to let it go.

The Boss Monster thundered.

"ROOOOOOOOOAR!"

The sound wasn’t merely loud.

It was destructive.

A violent shockwave erupted from the creature, blasting through the clearing and tearing trees from the ground. Rocks were thrown through the air, chunks of earth were ripped apart, and the terrain itself was pulverised beneath the pressure.

Mark was forced backwards before he had even moved.

Then the Boss Monster charged.

The ground exploded beneath every step.

Mark charged as well, and their bodies collided.

BOOOOOOM!

The impact was monstrous (pun intended).

A shockwave erupted in every direction, flattening everything surrounding them and sending cracks racing through the earth.

Mark was launched backwards like a projectile.

His body tore through the ground for dozens of metres before he managed to dig his fingers into the earth. The force continued dragging him forward as his fingers carved trenches through the soil.

Eventually, he stopped.

The Boss Monster hadn’t even been affected in the slightest, as though it had merely swatted a fly.

Mark slowly raised his head.

For the first time, the difference between them was obvious.

The creature was overwhelmingly powerful, far stronger than anything Mark had fought before. Its raw strength alone was enough to make the surrounding terrain tremble.

But Mark’s expression didn’t change.

His heart beat once.

Thump.

The dark pit of energy within his body stirred.

Another beat.

Thump.

His muscles tightened.

Then-

THUMP.

Mark surged forward.

The Boss Monster swung one enormous limb.

Mark raised both arms.

BOOOOOOM!

The attack smashed into him.

His entire body was driven into the ground.

The earth cratered beneath him, and cracks spread outward for dozens of metres. That single blow would have pulverised most C Rank Monsters and seriously injured a B Rank. Against an ordinary human, there wouldn’t have been enough left to recognise.

Yet Mark endured it.

He slowly pushed himself upward.

The Boss Monster didn’t give him time; its other limb came crashing down.

Mark rolled aside at the last possible moment.

BOOM!

The ground beneath him exploded.

A crater several metres deep appeared where he had been standing.

Mark lunged upward.

His fist struck the creature’s jaw.

Crack!

The Boss Monster’s head snapped slightly to the side.

For the first time, the creature looked surprised.

Mark landed.

The Boss Monster’s tail immediately swept across the battlefield.

Its enormous appendage moved with terrifying speed, striking Mark, who barely had the time to raise his arms.

BOOM!

The impact launched him through the air, smashing through a rock formation.

Then another.

And another.

Finally, his body crashed through a massive chunk of floating terrain and disappeared beneath the rubble. There was a moment of silence, then the rubble suddenly exploded outward.

Mark emerged.

His body was damaged.

One arm hung at an unnatural angle, blood ran down his face, and his breathing had become heavier.

Yet his black eyes remained empty.

The Boss Monster roared again, then charged.

Mark didn’t retreat.

He stepped forward, but this time something changed.

The dark swirling pit of energy within his body expanded. It seemed to open from somewhere deep inside him, like an abyss revealing itself beneath his flesh. Dark green energy poured outward, and a thick aura surrounded his body.

The Boss Monster attacked.

Mark disappeared.

The creature’s claws tore through empty air.

Mark appeared beside its head and slammed his fist into its face.

BOOM!

The Boss Monster staggered.

Mark struck again.

BOOM!

Again.

BOOM!

Again.

BOOM!

The Boss Monster swung wildly.

Mark evaded; the enormous limb passed over his head and obliterated the terrain behind him. His body was changing faster than ever, and this time he wasn’t simply adapting and growing stronger, but was learning.

Each of the monster’s movements and attacks were becoming information, and Mark’s body was absorbing every piece of it.

It roared in frustration, gathering mana around its body.

The air distorted violently.

Then-

BOOOOOOOOOOM!

A massive wave of destructive energy erupted from the creature.

Mark’s dark green aura surged as the attack swallowed him completely. The landscape disappeared beneath the explosion, and for several seconds, there was nothing but destruction.

Then something moved inside the blast.

Mark.

His metallic skin was scorched, his body covered in blood, and his flesh torn apart in several places. He had essentially endured a giant bomb up close, and it was a testament to his durability that he hadn’t died instantly.

The attack was felt by Elara and Kalea across the Gate and would have levelled a large part of a city.

Yet Mark’s wounds were already closing.

Moreover, the damage wasn’t simply healing, but was being studied.

His body was learning how to withstand the energy and explosion for a second attack.

The Boss Monster stared, almost as if confused.

Mark stared back.

Then they clashed again, and very quickly he managed to keep up with an A Rank Monster.