Chapter 401: Before Disaster: Portal Break!
Nox came across a few more mushroom-like monsters, and they were all burnt to a crisp by Blazy.
Currently, they were inside a tunnel far larger than all the rest.
Nox stood with a somewhat bored expression on his face as he stared at the scene in front of him.
As usual, Blazy was causing carnage, soaring above an army of beasts, flames erupting from its mouth and burning the monsters below.
The monsters shrieked and glared at the flaming bird with intense hatred; however, unfortunately, that was all they could do.
Blazy didn't only have an aerial advantage; it was also very smart, swift, and reactive, making it nearly impossible for the beasts' skills to land a hit.
Soon enough, all the monsters were dealt with, and the familiar chime resonated in Nox's head.
[You've leveled up to Level 31.]
Nox dismissed the interface on his retina and focused his gaze on the corpses of beasts still ablaze with Blazy's fire.
The flames oddly appeared very striking, yet Nox's gaze wasn't fixed on them; rather, it was on something else entirely.
It was the spirits of the mushroom-like creatures.
They hovered around their bodies, some even attempting to put out the flames, while a few glared at Nox, outright attacking him.
But all their attacks seemed to phase through him with absolutely no effect.
Realizing this, the beasts, who had recognized Nox as the true mastermind behind their deaths, became even more enraged and started shrieking noisily.
The sight...was strange and a bit dark.
It wouldn't have been so for others who couldn't see it.
However, for Nox, this was the closest description he could come up with.
"Should I merge them into another Ultimate Champion?" Nox stroked his chin as he pondered, a thoughtful expression on his face.
Thus far, Nox had tamed only one spirit creature, so he had about thirty free spirit slots left.
And Nox didn't want to be stingy with his taming space again.
Dragons were known to be very powerful beings. Even though he had very powerful skills in his arsenal, Nox still needed an army.
Even with powerful skills, if the enemy forces far outnumbered him, he could lose his life.
With these thoughts in mind, Nox whispered in a low voice that seemed to travel to the end of the tunnel.
"Spirit Tame activated!"
After taming the first spirit, Nox proceeded to use his next skill, Spirit Fusion, which allowed him to fuse countless spirits together to create the Ultimate Champion.
As soon as he activated the skill, just like the first time he had used it in the dimension in Valhalla, an invisible wind swept through the surroundings, kicking up dust and debris into the air.
The invisible wind caused Nox's hair to flutter, but he never glanced away, making sure to take in every moment of the fusion process.
There was just something fascinating about seeing countless spirit beasts being pulled into each other despite their screams, as if they were a singular entity.
The sight could be described as diabolical, but it was something Nox genuinely enjoyed watching.
Soon enough, a single mushroom-like creature stood before him. However, unlike the others, this one was muscular and appeared intimidating.
The mushroom creature was humanoid and had a bulbous cap for a head—if it could even be called one.
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Its empty eye sockets glowed with an eerie green light, flickering like dim lanterns in the dark. Below, a wide, gaping mouth stretched across the lower part of its cap, lined with jagged ridges that looked disturbingly like teeth.
The humanoid mushroom's limbs were grotesquely muscular, with clawed, spore-encrusted hands capable of tearing through rock.
Its torso was broader and more humanoid than the others Nox had encountered, with textured grooves resembling bark-like armor.
Sharp fungal growths sprouted from its shoulders and back, each exuding a faint toxic mist that seemed to sizzle upon contact with the air.
Moments later, the creature's information appeared before Nox.
[Toxic Spore Mycoloid]
"A humanoid fungal creature born from countless fused mushroom spirits. Its toxic presence and raw strength make it a formidable foe."
Rating: Emperor Tier Level 7
Progress: 72%/100%
MP: 500/500
HP: 800/800
Stamina: 85%/100%
"They were all Emperor Tier Levels 1 and 2, so it's not so strange that it's in the high Emperor Tier," Nox muttered to himself as he proceeded to glance through the rest of the beast's skills.
Special Skills:
Spore Cloud (Intermediate): Releases an immense, toxic cloud that spreads across a large area, causing confusion, debuffs, and rapid HP degeneration for enemies caught within.
Fungal Regeneration (Advanced): Absorbs the nutrients from the surrounding environment, healing wounds and replenishing MP over time, even during battle.
Venomous Swipe (Basic): Delivers a powerful claw attack that injects paralyzing venom, causing temporary paralysis and damage over time.
Hardened Cap Armor (Advanced): The creature's bulbous cap becomes nearly impervious to physical and magic-based attacks, reducing incoming damage by 70%.
Spore Eruption (Ultimate): The Mycoloid's body erupts with explosive spore bursts that inflict AoE toxic damage, briefly blinding enemies in the area.
Ultimate Evolution Path (1): Mycelium Overlord
Requirements: Reach Legendary Tier, absorb the Core of a Primordial Spore King, conquer 5 hostile territories.
Description: The Toxic Spore Mycoloid evolves into the terrifying Mycelium Overlord, capable of terraforming vast areas into spore-infested zones, enslaving lesser fungal creatures, and controlling the battlefield with its parasitic spores. The Overlord can summon fungal minions to overwhelm enemies and manipulate the land itself to create lethal traps.
Nox nodded his head as he noted the decent stats and skills of the beast. None of the mushroom-like creatures had skills up to the ultimate rank before, but Nox figured that the fusion process had forced the skills to evolve against their will, which was one of the benefits of the fusion process.
"Now the most difficult part: choosing a name."
While Nox was contemplating which name to give his new pet, news of a portal break in Tristan Kingdom spread far and wide.
Inside the headmistress's office, Bridget was staring at Brandon with a serious expression on her face.
"Why did you summon me, Headmistress?" Brandon asked.