Boom…
A figure burst out of the dust veil.
Crack… boom.
Aluma was sent flying, her massive body smashing into the ground.
Her legs sank a few inches as she skidded backward.
Her cheek was slightly bruised, her eyes turning cold.
Her divine presence surged, becoming several times stronger as her muscles bulged.
Pah, pah…
Zerath stepped out of the dust. A faint golden hue now traced across his dark armor.
He radiated a divine presence as well though not as overwhelming as Aluma's.
"So… you evolve in battle?" Aluma asked, her voice cold.
"Interesting. But still not enough. I will show you why a god is a god," she muttered as she tilted her neck—and moved.
Shff…
The ground sank beneath her weight.
Her size began to increase rapidly, her body expanding by nearly another meter.
From four meters, she grew to almost five.
If before she looked like a giant… now she looked like a divine one.
Instantly
Doom…
The ground sank further as a terrifying pressure spread across the area. Violent gales erupted, and Zerath frowned.
This power… was it already reaching that realm?
Was she beyond the planetary level?
Could it be…
Zerath pressed his lips together. How was this possible? At first, he thought it was just a difference in rank , maybe he was at the early stage of the planetary realm while she stood at its peak.
But now… it felt like an entirely different realm.
Just then, everything around him darkened as a shadow was cast over his body.
Zerath slowly looked up and caught a glimpse of her massive axe descending.
The sheer momentum alone created a wind capable of leveling buildings but Zerath was no longer that weak.
Now, he could not only see her attack—he could react to it.
His arms shot forward as his body shifted to the right.
Using both palms, he pushed against the side of the axe blade.
The murderous intent radiating from it was overwhelming.
Even with his improved body, he had no doubt , if that axe touched him directly, it would slice him apart like a hot knife through butter.
Bang…
The axe slammed into the ground, the surroundings trembling violently.
The massive blade sank deep, forming a ravine nearly five hundred meters wide and over fifty kilometers long.
Seeing the destruction alone made Zerath's hair stand on end.
Zerath shot into the sky, then quickly circled behind her.
Before Aluma could react, his leg whipped out like a blade.
Pah…
The air molecules screamed as they were violently compressed. A sound like a gunshot rang out as his leg collided with her neck.
Whrooooommmm
Her body leaned to the side as she nearly lost her axe. Her blood flow seemed to halt for a moment as her vision darkened.
From the impact point, a powerful wind tore through the forest, clearing a path nearly a kilometer long.
But Aluma wasn't going down that easily.
Her left palm slammed into the ground, using the rebound to launch her massive body back up.
Seeing this, Zerath retreated dozens of meters away.
Aluma looked at him, then touched her neck.
"It tingles…" she whispered, unimpressed.
Zerath fell into thought.
From this brief exchange, he noticed something—her speed had dropped.
Of course, his own strength had increased… but Aluma wasn't just at the planetary realm, she was above it.
Yet with this transformation, her speed had drastically decreased, while her strength and durability had skyrocketed.
And this… gave him an advantage.
Speed.
An opportunity to defeat a god.
Zerath didn't realize it yet but the thought excited him.
For so long, he had grown numb to killing beings he considered ants.
To him, they were nothing but beasts with little intelligence. There was always a gap...he was always stronger.
And without equals… how could he ever see them as real?
Boom…
Zerath moved.
His speed surged instantly, reaching several times the speed of sound.
The surrounding air compressed violently as powerful winds tore through the trees.
In an instant, he appeared in front of Aluma.
Boom
He threw a punch. It connected immediately, snapping her head back.
From that alone, Zerath confirmed it, her speed had indeed dropped significantly.
Suddenly, Zerath shifted to the side as a sharp gust sliced past him, cutting into the ground.
Even if he was faster, he still had to be careful.
With that, the battle entered a new phase.
Boom.
Boom.
Bang…
They clashed though it was more like one side attacking relentlessly while the other evaded.
Zerath was at a disadvantage here. He couldn't afford to trade blows. Every attack from her whether with her body or her axe was lethal.
Meanwhile, his attacks barely fazed her.
But then again… could such a transformation last long?
Time blurred as their clash tore through the land, the battle dragged on for hours. The sun began to set.
And finally… what he had been waiting for happened.
Crack…
His bone creaked as he glanced down at his leg.
A massive hand grabbed him. Zerath felt his body go cold as Aluma smiled.
"Finally caught you," she laughed, lifting him into the air.
The force disrupted his vision and then…
Nothing.
He felt himself being lifted but he never came crashing back down.
Looking below, Zerath saw Aluma's body begin to twist.
Her bones creaked, her limbs trembled, veins bulging like divine chains
Then suddenly—
She released him.
Boom.
Her knees slammed into the ground as her aura weakened drastically.
Zerath floated in the air, staring down at her…
"So this is the power of a god…"
Zerath floated closer to Aluma as her shoulders trembled.
Aluma raised her eyes. They were filled with rage but more than that, shame. Blood streaked from her eyes and from the corner of her lips.
She felt humiliated. How could she, a member of the God Race, lose to this puny being? She had disgraced not only herself, but her entire race.
"You are the first, apart from my Master, to defeat me… to show me that there is someone stronger. So, I thank you."
Zerath paused.
"Years and years of killing weaklings have dulled my instincts. But now… now you have shown me that there are races out there that can threaten me. I am grateful for that," Zerath said.
Aluma replied, her voice sharp with anger.
"You cocky bastard. Your race is nothing but rats that feed on the crumbs of the God Race. If not because—"
Aluma began speaking as she forced herself to stand. For a moment, Zerath frowned as his heartbeat accelerated.
Her four-meter-tall body loomed over him, her divine aura beginning to rise once more but then…
Thud.
She dropped back to her knees.
"Accept your loss and die as a warrior. You, a member of the God Race… lost to me—a member of the Aethernox race," Zerath said as he landed and lifted her axe. The sheer weight caused his veins to nearly bulge out.
What he didn't notice was the shock that flashed across Aluma's face when she heard the name of his race.
"No wonder I lost…"
Her frown softened into a smile as she watched her own weapon descend toward her neck.
Shk—
Her head was severed cleanly from her body.
Thud…
Her head hit the ground as her massive body collapsed shortly after.
Boom…
Zerath crouched, picking up her head. Golden blood stained his hands as he looked at the axe in his right hand and her head in his left… then back at her lifeless body.
Zerath slowly floated into the sky, gazing down at the destruction they had caused.
Cratered lands stretched endlessly—holes ranging from a few meters to dozens of kilometers scattered across the planet.
Many of the planet's inhabitants had already perished in their battle… but many more were still alive.
Soon, he reached the clouds.
He strapped the axe to his back and brought out a small orb, pulsing like a heartbeat.
He released it.
The orb fell under gravity, striking the ground… then began sinking, burrowing deep until it reached the planet's core.
Moments later, Zerath watched as the planet began to compress.
Screams echoed across the world but to him, they sounded like music.
Everything, life, matter, essence ...was reduced to a single point.
The planet's history, the evolutionary path of its dominant race, even the existence of a god like Aluma… all of it was extracted.
Then… silence.
Only the cold darkness of space remained.
The orb floated back into Zerath's hand but it was no longer just an orb. It had become an Origin Core, containing the essence and history of the entire planet.
Finally, he had completed his Master's task… though not perfectly.
His gaze shifted to Aluma's severed head.
He was supposed to bring her back alive… but she had been too strong. The strongest he had faced in a long time. He had no choice.
Slowly, Zerath turned away.
His body blurred instantly surpassing the speed of light.
Now, it was time to return to his Master.
After all, his race had a fatal flaw… perhaps the very reason for their destruction.
They had incredibly short lifespans.
But through his Master's power…
As long as he delivered a planet's essence and the strongest female of that world..
His lifespan could be extended by a few more years, depending on the strength of the essence… and the strength of the female.