Chapter 310: Uhtred vs Apetitan (II)

Eventually, the chase came to a stop. The Apetitan chose to make a last stand, roaring at Uhtred, who stood well out of reach.

Calmly, Uhtred conjured a spark of electricity. He resumed his attempt to create the Railgun mechanism he had in mind. At the same time, he made sure to pay closer attention to the Apetitan, watching it for the slightest movement.

The beast fired several shots at him, none of which reached his position.

By now, he was able to see how the Apetitan fired its lightning projectiles. Those long arms weren’t for show. The beast literally conjured lightning bolts and swung them like rocks — except these "rocks" moved faster than a bullet, cutting through the very fabric of space as they sped toward their target.

Uhtred paid no mind to the attacks, though. He continued to craft the Railgun construct he wanted.

First, he created more sparks of electricity, converging them until he began to have a hard time controlling them. The crackling energy thrashed between his palms, the current volatile and erratic. It lacked shape, threatening to collapse and burst before it could even build proper momentum.

He needed structure. A real Railgun relied on two parallel conductive rails to guide the electromagnetic force and accelerate the projectile straight forward.

Focusing his mind, Uhtred drew upon his Earth and Metal affinities, forming two thin, highly condensed metallic rails hovering in front of his chest. He channeled the volatile electric current straight into the construct.

Instantly, the electromagnetic field formed, creating a violent hum that made the air around him vibrate.

"Okay... now for the projectile," Uhtred muttered, sweat dripping down his forehead.

He condensed a dense spike made of pure metal, layering it with a coating of air magic to shave off as much air resistance as possible.

He slotted the dense spike right between the two metallic rails.

The moment the projectile entered the electromagnetic field, the force held it suspended, and Uhtred began pumping more essence into it. He could tell that the charge wasn’t enough to shoot the spike across the distance he wanted, so he began forcing more essence into the rails, trying to make the electric current more powerful.

Suddenly, a loud crack resounded. The metallic rails snapped under the intense pressure, unable to hold the sheer amount of energy Uhtred was feeding into them.

The spell collapsed in an instant, the entire construct unraveling in a violent explosion.

Uhtred was nearly flung backward from the recoil. He was only able to stand his ground due to his quick reaction. Right before the spell went haywire, he took control of the most volatile force — the violent electricity.

He grabbed it like a lance, his brows furrowed as he strained to keep it under control while keeping an eye on the Apetitan.

The damned beast, noticing the violent surge of essence coming from Uhtred’s position, tried to take advantage of the situation.

It charged closer to him, bringing him into its effective range.

Without hesitation, it launched a salvo of piercing shots, its long arm swinging with unbelievable ferocity.

Uhtred growled in response, bracing for impact. He was prepared to shift his body to take the hits rather than try to widen the gap. Right now, the lance of electricity in his palm was valuable to him. It had taken him a fair bit of time to conjure and gather it, and he didn’t want to repeat that process.

However, at the very last split second, Uhtred changed his mind.

Instead of tilting his body to take the shots, he waved the crackling lance forward, sweeping the volatile construct across the trajectory of the incoming strikes.

He expected the incoming projectiles to pierce right through regardless — they were laced with an Esoteric magic of Piercing, after all. But the moment they entered close proximity to his lance, something strange happened. The violent electromagnetic field around it hummed, bending the air itself.

Instead of the incoming lightning projectiles to pierce right through, they caught on the swirling magnetic currents, their straight trajectories warping sharply out of alignment. The piercing strikes skipped off the invisible field, whistling past Uhtred’s shoulders and drilling harmlessly into the earth far behind him.

Uhtred blinked, a sudden spark of surprise flashing through his eyes.

Well, damn... that’s a pleasant surprise.

He didn’t waste a single second pondering his luck. Instead of retreating or widening the gap as he had done before, Uhtred immediately burst forward, charging headlong at the approaching beast.

The Apetitan roared, taken aback by the sudden development.

Frantic, it swung its long, muscular arms in powerful, sweeping arcs, hurling a rapid barrage of spatial-lightning shots directly at Uhtred.

Uhtred didn’t slow his stride. He spun the violent electric lance like a staff, creating a defensive barrier that protected his front as he charged forward.

Each time an attack drew near, the surging electromagnetic force around the spinning lance diverted the lethal strikes into the surrounding trees. Trunks shattered and the earth exploded around him, but Uhtred broke through completely unscathed, closing the distance rapidly.

Seeing its long-range barrage fail, the Apetitan abandoned its ranged attacks entirely. It dropped to all fours, its massive fists pounding against the forest floor as it charged straight at Uhtred like a freight train.

Uhtred matched its momentum, gripping the crackling shaft of violent electricity in his hands tighter.

As the gap between them shortened, the hum of the volatile lance vibrating in his hands began to feel strangely familiar. The weight, the balance, the potential for destruction — it all gave him a sense of deja vu, stirring memories of the weapon he had wielded long before entering the Tower.

At the final stretch, just as man and beast were about to collide, Uhtred’s intent surged.

The slender shape of the electric lance morphed violently. The shaft condensed, and from the tip, a crescent of lightning flared outward, taking the shape of a wicked-looking battleaxe.

A deafening crack like a thunderclap echoed through the forest as Uhtred swung the electric battleaxe with all his might, slamming it directly into the Apetitan’s descending, boulder-like fists.

The beast’s Strength stat was vastly superior, and the sheer weight of the blow was more than enough to send Uhtred flying.

However, he wasn’t thrown backward at all. Instead, he hung onto the Apetitan’s fists, swinging wildly as the creature howled in agonizing pain.

The blade of the axe construct had bitten deep, slicing straight into the Apetitan’s massive fists and splitting them cleanly down the middle.

A pained, guttural shriek tore from the Apetitan’s throat as blood sprayed onto the forest floor. It thrashed violently, trying to shake Uhtred and his weapon off.

Uhtred, however, didn’t let go. Baring his blood-stained teeth, a wicked, feral grin split across his face.

Landing such a critical blow with a brand-new spell — one shaped in the image of his old star-metal battleaxe — felt doubly satisfying in the middle of such a brutal battle.

Fueled by ecstasy, Uhtred roared and poured even more cosmic essence straight into the battleaxe, forcing the electric edge deeper into the Apetitan’s flesh.

Driven mad by the agonizing pain, the Apetitan’s eyes went completely wild. It unleashed its own innate skill, [Apetitan’s Lightning Fury].