Epic Of Caterpillar

Chapter 2813 - 2814: A Demonic Threat

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"WRAAAHHHH!"

He roared monstrously. His body doubled in muscle mass, his hair ignited into dark red flames, and his skin became covered in crimson tattoos resembling arcane runes.

BOOOM!

The Gravity Prison exploded, shattering space and releasing a potent shockwave that hurled Frank several meters away.

As he looked toward the Yakuza's direction, he saw him transformed. There was now another power within him—something beyond spirit energy.

"You forced my hand, damn brat...! As the heir of the Yozakura Family, Yozakura Kusogi, I won't back down!"

"W-What sort of power is that?!" Frank asked in disbelief. "You're no longer human!"

"And are you?!"

"Ngh?!"

BOOOM!

In a split second, Frank saw the man appear before him and punch his stomach with spirit stone gauntlets, sending him flying. Three ribs broke, his intestines were crushed, and he vomited blood violently.

"Guaaack!"

Crashing into a massive spirit crystal, Frank glanced up to see the man rapidly approaching, his aura overflowing with both spirit energy and something far more sinister.

"Michael, what is this thing?!"

"That's... Demonic Energy! How?! Demons aren't permitted to interfere with the Human World!"

"Demonic Energy?! Ah...!"

Frank suddenly recalled something Matsuo had told him a few days earlier about a dangerous new drug.

"Hey Frank, have you heard? There's a new supernatural drug going around called 'Euphoria.' It's nasty stuff—capable of giving immense power boosts to those who consume it. The more they take, the stronger they get."

"But that's not all. Some say it's made using demon blood! Can you believe it? Real demons from hell! What the hell—who's making this thing?"

"There've been cases of people getting hooked and going berserk, even turning into monsters. Most folks in the Underworld call them Demonic Humans. Real nasty stuff. Watch out for them on your way home, alright?"

"So you're one of those drug users, huh?"

"You guessed it! This drug is freaking awesome! I can finally fight you bastards from the three big clans all I want! I won't yield anymore! I'm taking back every bit of territory you stole from my family!!! GYAHAHAHA!"

The man in sunglasses laughed as his aura surged, fusing demonic energy with spiritual power. His blazing crystal gauntlets came crashing down, each blow unleashing elemental explosions and demonic flames.

BOOOM! BOOOM! BOOOM! BOOOM!

Frank dodged rapidly, using his hand-shaped wings made of light to fly. The power of his Celestial Mark of Humility manifested, enhancing his stats based on the good deeds he had performed. He fought the Demonic Human with his Angelic Spear, explosions of blinding light and demonic fire clashing violently, shaking the ground and ceiling of the Spirit Crystal Caves Domain.

"Tsk, damn kid—you're tougher than I thought! Hahahaha!"

"Nnnggh...!"

Frank held his ground, combining several skills and spells. [Thought Acceleration: Level 10], [Prediction: Level 9], [Arithmetic Processing: Level 9], and [Parallel Thinking: Level 8] helped him think ahead and narrowly avoid lethal blows. [Concentration: Level 8] kept his mind calm and focused despite the chaos.

[Body Aura: Level 10] and [Bronze Skin: Level 10] kept his body strong and resilient, while [Lesser Mountain Dragon Physique Technique: Level 4] enhanced his Orochi Transformation Scales to rival Mountain Dragon Scales.

As for the rest of his skills? He used them as skillfully as possible, showing a level of mastery that even surprised Kireina, who occasionally watched from afar.

Despite the short time he'd fought this man, Frank could already tell:

"This guy's insane—he doesn't care if he dies!"

He was up against someone willing to throw away his life without hesitation. The Yakuza roared madly, punching, kicking, and unleashing destructive magic even as his body overloaded with energy.

The worst part was the synergy between Demonic and Spirit Energies. Demonic Energy devoured his lifeforce, while Spirit Energy replenished it, creating a vicious cycle of opposing forces that kept him going.

It felt like this man was some kind of experiment—and whoever gave him this power was watching from somewhere...

"EHEHEH! I AM INVINCIBLEEEEE!"

The man laughed, punching Frank's entire body. Frank hadn't predicted the attack from below—he had dug through the ground and struck from beneath!

BAAM! BAAM! BAAM! BAAM!

"Ugh!"

Frank groaned, clicking his tongue. He waved his hands forward, and the ground beneath him trembled and reshaped. Giant hands made of stone and spirit crystals surged upward, grabbing the man and slamming him into the earth.

CRAAASH!

This was Frank's [Dirt] Skill pushed to its limit. Not only could he create massive blocks of hardened dirt, sand, or stone, but he could mold and shape them with ease. Now, by expanding the Skill's effect through his Mana Aura, he could manipulate the terrain around him—turning a once mediocre ability into a formidable Earth-Manipulation Power.

"Earth's Wrath! Gaia's Hands!"

Using Earth Spells he'd studied from Feng Shui books, Frank had grasped the Concept of the Five Elements. He tapped into the Spirit Veins of his surroundings, fueling his Dirt Skill until it became a Legendary Earth Elemental Power.

RUMBLE!

"GAAAAHHH!"

The Yakuza groaned, struggling to fight back. But more and more giant hands emerged, channeling the spiritual power within the crystals to reverse-engineer their effects—draining his energy instead.

"Frank, you got this! Use my power! We've charged enough with my siblings!"

"Thanks, Michael!"

Frank smiled, raising his Angelic Spear. It glowed with holy power as he infused it with everything he had. A clone of himself appeared beside him using the [Self-Division] Skill. Though it split his stats, the Skill had leveled up enough to offset the loss—boosting the clone's stats by 30% at Level 3, making him technically stronger.

The clone manifested a "normal type" Angelic Spear through [Magical Projection (Weapons)], combining both Angelic powers into one and rushing toward Yozakura Kusogi's chest.

"Heavenly Angelic Spear Arts!"

"Seven Celestial Paths!"

Combining his Skill with Michael's, Frank became a tempestuous ray of lightning and holy energy, striking the Yakuza Leader with full force.

CRAAASH!

RUMBLE!

"GUUOOOHHH?!"

Yozakura Kusogi screamed as his body grew larger, crystalizing from within. Demonic spirit crystals sprouted from his eyes, mouth, and ears.

"W-What...?!"

Before Frank could finish him, Kusogi shattered his restraints and swung his massive crystal-covered fists, punching Frank down and breaking his left arm completely.

BOOOM!

"Gaaaahh?!"

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