The Annihilator: Killer Of Gods

Karsha stood there, a dazed look in his eyes. He hadn't seen the snake yet, but from the voice he was hearing and the message that appeared before him, he immediately concluded that his next opponent was not simple. The voice sounded more human and calm, indicating it was more intelligent than the Overlords he had killed before. Even Shadowcoil couldn't compare to this voice.

About 500 meters away, an ice mist swirled, blocking Karsha's view. The snake's voice kept coming from that direction, so he focused his senses there. He could tell something was in the mist but couldn't see what it was or how it looked.

"I am sure you learned a lot from that shadow idiot, but that's not something you can rely on, Human. The moment you stepped within my domain, there was no going back. This is the agreement I made with that person years ago. I know you'll ask, so let me tell you." The voice paused for a few seconds before continuing. It was both feminine and masculine at the same time.

"By now, you must have realized this island is not simple. You're right; it's far from simple. While your book may have given you ways to kill us and break the curse, there's more to it than you know. We are indeed the source of the curse, but we are also the key to your destiny.

Long story short, we made a deal with someone many years ago: if we kill you, we will be free from the curse and can rule over the Royals and their people. But if you kill us, you will gain all the secrets of this island and the supreme power to control everything.

I am the first of three obstacles blocking you, Human. That book of yours won't be able to help you anymore."

"And why is that?" Karsha asked though he had already moved on from relying on the Book of Annihilation. His real question was about the mysterious person they'd made this deal with.

"You are under a curse, human. You can only break free by killing me. But while that might seem easy since you managed to kill seven of us, today will be different. The curse restricting you is also my doom. The only way to kill me is to learn a technique I will be using in our fight. That's the deal I made with that person.

The only way I die is when you master the technique. This means that even if you cut off my head before learning the technique, I won't die. But if I manage to cut off your head, then I win."

Karsha took a few steps back, thinking, 'This doesn't seem beneficial to me at all.' He realized that even using the Dark Prince Hell Art wouldn't kill the snake. Engaging in close combat with the snake, he had next to no chance of walking out alive. He would have to defend himself while trying to comprehend the technique the snake would be using.

It was like trying to copy answers from someone six feet away in an exam hall.

But how could that be managed? Karsha had fought seven of these monsters and knew they primarily used their colossal bodies for slamming and constricting. So how was this snake going to fight using a technique with its massive body?

"You may be wondering how I'm going to fight with my monstrous body," the voice taunted. "Well, human, I don't know if this person wants you to fail miserably or if they just straight up hate you, but thanks to them, I've attained Partial Transformation and can now fight like a human."

Karsha's heart pounded at the revelation. Before he could react, a figure emerged from the mist.

A breathtaking beauty appeared, looking like an immortal descending from the heavens. She had the appearance of a woman, yet Karsha could see the fierce intelligence and determination behind her yellow snake eyes. Her bone structure was perfect, enhanced by whitish scales lining her ears. Her dark brown hair flowed down to her waist, and her lips were as glossy as shining stars.

Her chest was magnificent, though she paled in comparison to Alida.

Her beauty ended at her waist, where her body transitioned into a snake with white scales, extending about 20 meters. The white scales, despite their shining beauty, looked dangerous. For once, Karsha's heart shook just looking at them.

"I am a Naga now, and you, human, are my opponent. Prepare to die." She didn't even finish her sentence before sending a powerful slash toward Karsha. An ice arc shot from one of her 2-meter-long swords.

"Titan Wall!" Karsha summoned five layers of the diamond wall from the ground, blocking the attack. He quickly distanced himself from the Naga.

"You can call me Nedin. Remember this name when you are dying," she sneered as she introduced herself.

"Since you already know my name, you should also know my nickname. I am the Untamed General, the calamity bringer," Karsha said with a smile, his blood pumping with excitement. The attack from the snake contained less force, but Karsha could tell he had found a worthy opponent.

His swords vibrated and lit up in flames. He looked in the direction of the snake and, with one dash, closed the gap. His right sword rose into the air to strike at Nedin's neck, while his left sword thrust forward. Nedin chuckled and swung her sword, blocking Karsha's attack just before it could touch her neck. Simultaneously, she twisted her body to evade the thrust of his second sword.

Her tail swung in a fluid motion, aiming at Karsha's right hand. He quickly jumped and twisted his body mid-air, but he underestimated the snake's reaction speed. Just as Karsha was about to land, a powerful kick from the tail hit him.

With no time to dodge, he crossed his swords on his chest and took the attack head-on. He was pushed back 400 meters, feeling a sharp burn on his chest that made him cough up blood. The attack shook his insides, making him feel dizzy for a moment. He quickly stood back up and glared at the snake.

"That was something, but not enough to do me any harm. You have to do better than that," Karsha taunted, smiling before charging his swords again.

"Rapid Fire Slash!" Karsha's speed doubled, making him move in a zigzag pattern. With each movement, a fire arc shot toward the snake. In less than three seconds, hundreds of fire arcs were aimed at Nedin. However, she swatted her tail, and a gale of ice shot toward the fire arcs. In an instant, all the fire was frozen solid, neutralizing Karsha's attack.

"What?" Karsha looked at the snake with growing caution. The attack that could have easily taken down a Tier 6 Mutant was effortlessly neutralized by Nedin. To make matters worse, the snake swung her sword, and instantly, a 3-meter-tall vortex appeared. She smiled at Karsha and, with a fluid motion, swung her sword forward.

The vortex spun faster and then boomed, shooting toward Karsha at a terrifying speed. As it moved, its height continued to increase.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Karsha watched the vortex closely but couldn't determine how it was formed. However, he noticed something intriguing: despite being in the middle of an ice desert, the vortex's growth wasn't hindered by the surrounding ice. Instead, the vortex grew taller as it spun faster. Although the snake didn't explain, Karsha could tell this was the technique she had mentioned.

There was no time to indulge his curiosity. Karsha quickly coated his sword with sword aura and, with a powerful swing, sent a Fire Beam diagonally toward the vortex. The 30-meter-tall fire arc sliced through the vortex, destroying it instantly. After his Tier 1 upgrade and with his high affinity for fire, the skill had become even more terrifying.

"Not bad, Human. But you haven't seen anything yet," Nedin taunted.

Karsha didn't respond. Instead, he immediately dashed at Nedin. They exchanged a series of moves before Karsha was pushed back again. His sword mastery was still at the master stage, and he hadn't engaged in any sword fights with master swordsmen, so his [Imitate] skill hadn't had the opportunity to copy any advanced sword techniques.

If he had fought with a swordsman, he might have gained some insight to further develop his own swordsmanship.

However, things were different now. Karsha had incredibly high stamina, and judging by Nedin's swordplay, he knew he needed to copy as much as he could before focusing on her technique. This also meant he couldn't allow the snake to activate her technique or use any other active skills. No matter how hard Karsha was pushed back, he never stopped closing the gap between them. Continue reading at empire

30 minutes after Nedin activated her technique, she used it again, this time with greater strength. But Karsha cut through it and closed the gap once more. He kept this up for an hour, gradually learning Nedin's moves and adapting, which allowed him to hold his own against her for longer.

While this strategy was beneficial for Karsha, it was starting to annoy Nedin. Still, Karsha made sure she never got the chance to fully activate her technique.

Nedin was a skilled swordswoman, even better than Dhaka. On top of that, she used her tail as a third weapon, making the fight even more challenging. Karsha knew that once he fully understood her moves, the real battle would begin, so he pressed on.

Nedin swung her right sword vertically and then stabbed with her left, using her tail to strike as soon as Karsha defended against her attacks. Karsha smiled, sidestepped her stab, and used his left sword to block Nedin's strike while sending a fire arc at her tail. The fire arc hit with a resounding boom, causing a massive explosion that sent Karsha flying.